Varshini Balaji

Varshini Balaji is a seasoned researcher and consultant specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and cultural anthropology. Currently serving as a DEI Researcher and Consultant at The Adaway Group, Varshini previously contributed to the Center for New York City Affairs as a Cultural Anthropologist and Design Researcher, focusing on the FAFSA application process. Varshini's experience also includes roles such as DEI Researcher at Jennifer Brown Consulting, where contributions involved co-authoring a notable publication and developing resource guides for underinvested communities. Other positions include Impact Entrepreneurship Fellow at Parsons School of Design, Design Thinking Associate at Mindhatch, and a program analyst at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. Varshini holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology from The New School and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with Honors from Indiana University Indianapolis.