Remembering Our Friend,
Ricky Sharma
Our beloved colleague and Secretary of Harvard GlobalWE, Ricky Sharma, has passed away too soon leaving a gaping hole in our hearts. A dynamic and progressive leader and champion of adolescent health and women’s equality, Ricky's impact will continue to resonate through time and space while changing countless lives.
Ricky introduced what was then Girls Health Champions as a participating organization at our first Expos held on the Harvard Campus in 2016-2018. He then joined our first virtual Expo in 2021 as a panelist and suggested innovations to GlobalWE's signature event that helped organizations to connect with each other. He moderated breakout rooms for other organizations in the 2022 and 2023 Expos. Ricky was also an engaged contributor to the discussions in the Movie Clubs he attended, starting with the initial ones at the beginning of the pandemic.
Ricky was elected to the Board as Secretary in January of 2023, and quickly and seamlessly blended into the team, bringing his energy, enthusiasm, and keen insight to our mission. Our GlobalWE family is heartbroken at his passing.
Ricky's journey was not just one of personal achievement but of empowering women and children to flourish and reach their potential. In 2016 he co-founded Adolescent Health Champions with his wife, Dr. Priya Shankar. With his steadfast dedication, Ricky elevated the discourse surrounding adolescent well-being, advocating for a world where the boundless potential of young minds could be nurtured and celebrated.
Ricky earned his MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2018. His tenure as a New World Social Innovation Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School epitomized his dedication to his causes. Prior to HKS, Ricky worked in the financial industry as a private equity investor with TA Associates and as an investment banker with Lazard. He completed his undergraduate studies in business and political science at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ricky's life is a testament to the power of conviction, compassion, and unyielding optimism. His spirit endures in the hearts of those fortunate enough to cross paths with him. His legacy lives on in numerous adolescents whose lives he touched, in the communities he uplifted, and in the very fabric of a more just and equal world that he helped weave.
Let us honor his memory by carrying forward the torch of his passion and unwavering dedication to adolescent health and women’s equality. In his absence, may we find the strength to be the champions he believed we could be, tirelessly working toward a future where the marginalized can stand tall and thrive.