AAPI Heritage Month Spotlight: Sadia Sindhu

To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the Trust will be spotlighting AAPI leaders and AAPI-serving organizations that have contributed to the betterment of the Chicago region – past and present. Check back throughout the month for more profiles.

Sadia Sindhu is the Executive Director of the Center for Effective Government, which is home to the University of Chicago Civic Leadership Academy, a Trust grant recipient under the Building Collective Power Strategy. Sadia is a Fellow of the Civil Society Fellowship, a Partnership of Anti-Defamation League and The Aspen Institute, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. She serves on the Research Advisory Council of the Partnership for Public Service and on the Interfaith America Vote is Sacred Thought Leaders Organizing Committee. Her career has included roles in the private and public sectors, working at Rothschild Global Advisory, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and Human Capital Research Corporation.

She recently joined Liz Weber, content specialist for the Trust, for an interview to discuss her career journey, how Chicago serves as a model for democracy, and being inspired by the women in her family.

Can you talk about your career journey and what inspired you to take this path?

Sadia Sindhu: I don’t have a linear career journey, and I’m grateful for that. As a first-generation college graduate and the daughter of immigrants, a lot of what I did once I graduated from high school was uncharted territory for my family. It was both daunting and an opportunity for me. I started my career on Wall Street during the recession. I was fortunate to land a job in finance, where I quickly realized I did not want to build a long-term career there, but I made the most of the opportunity.

After I left banking, I didn’t know what I would do next, so I reached out to people I respect. Through many conversations, I began to think that higher education might be a place where I could make an impact. I went to graduate school and studied education policy, while working full time at the University of Chicago. During this time, the dots began to connect. It became clear to me that institutions of higher education play an important role in American democracy, and that I could be a part of this work at the University of Chicago. I’ve been here for almost a decade now. I’ve built programs, established partnerships, and launched a world-class research center alongside my colleague, Professor William Howell.

How would you describe your work at the Center for Effective Government that demystifies it to people unfamiliar with government reform?

SS: The premise is straightforward: government ought to solve public problems. There’s nothing wrong in seeking accountability and saying, “If this institution is not solving a problem that we expect it to solve, there are institutional reforms we can consider.” Things like, how big should the City Council be? Or should elections be by ward? Should City Council members run at large? We shouldn’t just address the issue with a band aid, but instead, think critically about institutional design and the downstream effects that a structural change can have on the issues we all care about.

We are a nonpartisan research center that invests in robust scholarship. We’re always thinking of innovative ways to put research into the hands of those who can do something with it. We work with a host of practitioners and partners, including media like Chicago Public Media, Crain’s Chicago Business, and the Washington Post, recognizing that this work ought to be lifted into the public square.

Lastly, we’re at a world-class university in a large city, where we have a unique ability to convene, connect, and train students and civic leaders to think critically about institutional challenges and how to address them through systemic reform.

What is your hope for the future of Chicago?

SS: I was born in Hyde Park. My family and I love Chicago. When my dad moved his young family to the South Side, he became a part of this vibrant community. Just recently, he was over, and I showed him The Multiracial Promise, a book I’ve been reading about Harold Washington, Chicago, and the very real institutional challenges that still face our city. It was so fascinating to hear him share stories of how Harold Washington and Mohammad Ali would frequent the hotel he worked at, and his perspective on what this city looked like then, where progress had been made, and where we still fall short.

When I talk about the work of the Center and our place in the broader democracy reform space, I often cite Chicago as a lab of democracy. And I just feel like there’s so much to be told about the Chicago story and there’s so much opportunity for this to be an example for the rest of the country.

Much of my work involves building a bench of leadership for Chicago’s future. Our Center has trained 270 Civic Leadership Academy fellows that represent the demographics of our city. I look to our fellows, and I feel hopeful for Chicago’s future. I think that Chicago can be an example of a thriving multiracial democracy.

In the spirit of AAPI Month, are there any icons or leaders, past or present, that have been an inspiration to you?

SS: I draw inspiration from the women in my life. I feel very fortunate to have a mother who, although she did not have the opportunity to work outside of the home, very much wanted that for me. I have a sister-in-law who moved from a different country and built a life for herself here. I have a community of women I am honored to call friends who are charting new territory every day, personally and professionally. This is my “kitchen table” cabinet.

On the weekends, there’s nothing more fulfilling for me than sitting with my mom, drinking chai and hearing her share what she has been up to. She recently joined a group of civically engaged, older Pakistani American women who get together every two months or so. These aunties organize all their activities using WhatsApp. Much of what I’ve learned about building community comes from these women. I feel a deep sense of gratitude to them, and I hope to pass this on to my daughter.