Portrait by ChiChi Ubiña

YWCA Greenwich will be holding its 8th Annual Women Who Inspire Awards to recognize exceptional women in our community. YWCA Greenwich’s Women Who Inspire Awards was established to recognize and celebrate outstanding women who have excelled in philanthropic, professional, and volunteer pursuits. Importantly, these honorees have enriched the lives of many in our community. This event acknowledges the changes in society that have led to the fluidity of work/life pursuits for women of today.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Ambika Jha is a senior at Greenwich High School whose leadership, curiosity, and commitment to equity have shaped programs that now reach students across Greenwich and beyond. As a National Merit Finalist, she combines academic depth with a clear focus on using economics to expand opportunity, a passion she will continue as an economics major at New York University.

Seeing how few young people, especially girls, encounter real stories about careers in STEM and business, Ambika launched the YWCA Speaker Series to bring accomplished women professionals into conversation with middle and high school students. These events give students a chance to hear honest accounts of career paths and obstacles, ask candid questions, and begin imagining futures that feel both ambitious and attainable.

She is also the founder of Pathfinders, which immerses students in STEM and business environments through visits to companies such as SAP, KPMG, NatWest, Netflix, and Citibank. In parallel, Ambika created and leads the LiveGirl Ambassador Program, designing training, curriculum, and regional outreach for 19 ambassadors from 12 schools whose summits and workshops have engaged more than 6,000 girls in leadership and advocacy.

Ambika’s interest in economic justice led her to serve as a Summer Policy Advocacy Intern at YWCA Greenwich, where she researched bias in the U.S. credit score system, partnered with local nonprofits, and presented at the Connecticut State Capitol on issues of financial equity. She also contributes to town-wide initiatives as a member of Greenwich’s First Selectman’s Youth Commission, helping to shape programs that promote inclusion and access for young people.

In addition, Ambika founded Open Doors Tutoring, through which she has provided over 130 hours of individualized academic support to underserved students with learning challenges, emphasizing confidence, self-advocacy, and structured study plans. She previously launched Zarika Boutique, a social enterprise that supported Indian artisans during COVID-19 and donated all profits to a local homeless shelter. Within Greenwich High School, she serves as President of both the South Asian Heritage Club and the Girls Who Code Club, where she has significantly increased participation and built spaces that celebrate identity, cultivate technical skills, and center community.