1. SANJLI GIDWANEY BIOGRAPHY
sanjli.gidwaney@gmail.com Last Updated: December, 2009
(857) 869-7777, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Biography
Sanjli directs her passion and deep knowledge in marketing and advertising to build
technologies which help children develop their creative thinking and problem solving
skills. Sanjli collaborates with research groups at MIT’s Media Lab, industrial design
firms and various NGOs to explore partnership opportunities for deployment of
innovative learning tools in developing communities around the world. She believes
that children learn best when they are vested in their education and are engaged in
creative learning experiences. Sanjli is applying her experience in the corporate world
to the social sector with the aim to create systemic curriculum change at the
elementary level. She is currently conducting in-field research and has extensive real
life exposure to the communities she has a desire to serve. She has an innate interest
in education at the elementary level and in activities which teach children to learn to
love learning.
Previously, Sanjli most recently was an Assistant Digital Medial Planner at Hill Holliday
(www.hhcc.com), one of world’s premiere global advertising agencies. At Hill Holliday,
Sanjli was part of the digital creative team executing global online campaigns for top
consumer brands, including CVS, Chili’s, EmblemHealth and Harvard Pilgrim. She
managed relationships with partner web properties to ensure optimal brand exposure
and was instrumental in executing highly effective advertising campaigns.
Prior to Hill Holliday, Sanjli was a Marketing Coordinator for a top word of mouth
marketing agency, Matchstick (www.matchstick.ca). Sanjli worked directly with
consumers to gain an appreciation and understanding of their motivations and
purchasing habits, and then translated those insights into grassroots strategies to
penetrate the marketplace and generate buzz about new products. At Matchstick,
Sanjli strategized and implemented word of mouth marking campaigns for global
brands, including Gillette’s 5-blade Fusion razor, Dodge’s re-designed Grand
Caravan, Tylenol, Coca-Cola’s first energy drink, “Vault”, Calvin Klein’s scent for men
and women, and others.
As a marketing consultant, Sanjli continues to develop and execute effective word of
mouth and grassroots online marketing strategies. She has assisted various
organizations, including Three Jars, a Web 2.0 startup focusing on early childhood
financial education (www.threejars.com) and My Little Pakora, an organic baby
clothing company.
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2. SANJLI GIDWANEY CURRICULUM VITAE
sanjli.gidwaney@gmail.com Last Updated: December, 2009
(857) 869-7777, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Profile
I am deeply passionate about technology for elementary education that help children foster their
problem solving, analytical thinking, and creative skills. I work with organizations and educational
institutions that are focused on product design and innovation for education. I have a
unique combination of experience in word of mouth marketing, online advertising,
project management, and working with nonprofit organizations.
Skills
• Self Starter: Conducting a self initiated research project in India to more fully understand the
technology and education space as it relates to children from low income communities
• Strategy development: Organize large and complex marketing campaigns involving multiple
grassroots and mass media strategies
• Program execution: Manage and mentor up to 15 people and be held accountable for
meeting performance metrics, execute online campaigns
• Client management: Interface and report to clients about program successes and challenges
• Communication: Develop strong relationships with suppliers, partners and industry leaders
Social Entrepreneurship Experience
MIT Media Lab – Lifelong Kindergarten / High-low Tech
September, 2009 – Present
Volunteer Researcher
Lifelong Kindergarten - http://llk.media.mit.edu/
High-low Tech - http://hlt.media.mit.edu/
• Designing creative learning tools and workshops for children living in low income villages and
urban settings
• Conducting extensive in-field research in India to more fully understand the environmental
context in which these children live and learn
• Collaborating with the MIT community, India based NGOs, and industrial design firms to
develop creative learning experiences for children from low income communities
Sristi – www.sristi.org
May, 2009 – Present
Volunteer
The Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies is a registered charity, which
is devoted to empowering the knowledge rich and economically poor by systematically by
documenting, disseminating and developing grassroots green innovations, and providing
intellectual property rights protection to support grassroots innovators.
• Participated in a 100km Discovery Walk organized by Sristi, through villages in Gujarat India,
to learn about grassroots innovation and sustainability
• Conducted a rapid prototyping workshop with villages children to expose them to creative
learning exercises and tools
• Presented findings from the 100km Discovery Walk to several design firms in both India and
the US to develop meaningful collaborations
• Created exposure for Sristi by providing interviews for local and national publications including
PopTech
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3. Boston Partners in Education - http://www.bostonpartners.org/
August, 2009 - Present
Volunteer Teacher’s Assistant
Boston Partners in Education enhances the academic achievement and nurtures the personal
growth of Boston's public school students by providing them with focused, individualized, in-school
volunteer support.
• Math volunteer for a grade three summer school program
• Assisted teacher design a class recycling program to introduce specific math concepts
including pie charts and percentages
Pratham - http://www.pratham.org/
September, 2009 - Present
Volunteer
Pratham is the largest non-governmental organization working to provide quality education to the
underprivileged children of India. Pratham provides education to the children in the slums of
Mumbai.
• Volunteer as a local chapter member
• Develop creative learning tools for children attending their centers in Mumbai
The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) – http://www.tie.org
March, 2008 - Present
Volunteer
The mission of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) is to foster conscious entrepreneurship globally by
Educating, Mentoring and Networking. World’s largest nonprofit organization promoting
entrepreneurship.
• Organize several networking events including annual TiE East Coast conference
• Active member of the TiE Social Entrepreneurship and New Media Marketing special interest
groups
Publications
POP! TECH
Finding technologies in rural India
June 24, 2009
http://legacy.poptech.org/blog/index.php/archives/4347
Sify News
Shodh Yatra: Discovering the power of rural India
August 11, 2009
http://sify.com/news/Shodh-Yatra-Discovering-the-power-of-rural-India-imagegallery-national-
jilm6Ehfgai.html
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4. Online Advertising and Social Media Marketing Experience
Hill Holliday - www.hhcc.com
July, 2008 - March,2009
Assistant Digital Media Planner
Hill Holliday is a leading Advertising Agency under the umbrella of the Interpublic Group, one of the
world’s premiere global advertising agencies. Hill Holliday specializes in clients in fields such as
financial services, health care, and casual and quick service restaurants.
• Program Execution
o Executed online advertising campaigns using Atlas ad serving platform, clients
included:
• Healthcare • Healthcare (Harvard
(EmblemHealth) Pilgrim)
• Retail (CVS Pharmacy) • Casual Dining (Chili’s)
o Worked with creative development teams and provided specs for creative elements
o Managed relationships with partners including: sending RFP’s, uploading and
delivering creative elements such as necessary creative tags, and monitoring
campaign performance
• Relationship Building and Client Management
o Facilitated engagement and maintained relationships with representatives from various
partner web properties including iVillage, The Economist, Washington Post and Martha
Stewart.
o Assisted with the preparation of weekly and final reports
Matchstick Inc. – www.matchstick.ca
January, 2006 – November, 2007
Marketing Coordinator
Matchstick is a top word of mouth marketing agency. Through innovative product seeding
programs, Matchstick leverages the existing social networks of consumers to introduce the
products of their clients.
• Strategy Development:
o Developed strategies for and executed unique marketing campaigns for global brands
in various industries including:
• Consumer Goods • Health (Tylenol)
(Gillette) • Cosmetics (Calvin Klein)
• Automobiles (Dodge) • Packaged Goods
• Beverages (Coca-Cola) (Splenda)
o Strategized with clients about target demographics to further understand customer
purchasing motivations
o Developed innovative approaches to target customers online and offline
o Regularly assessed program effectiveness and adjusted strategies to meet key
performance benchmarks
• Program Execution and Client Management:
o Recruited, hired and managed in-field execution teams of up to 15 staff per program
o Managed program processes and data from planning, including:
• Planning • Execution
• Surveying • Analysis
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5. o Interviewed product influencers and directed videos to be featured in final reports to
clients
o Built and managed relationships with online and offline vendors to support program
related initiatives
o Assisted with the preparation of final reports by analyzing data and highlighting the
effectiveness of programs for clients
• Online Marketing:
o Generated product interest online through social networks, blogs and advertising
o Worked with creative artists to develop web creative materials
3 Genius Co.
January, 2005 - December, 2005
Marketing Consultant
3 Genius Co. is a an integrated, interactive media company and a meaningful contender in the
online travel space.
• Devised marketing strategies to maximize search engine optimization
• Worked with web programmers to ensure accuracy of website content
• Developed a training program for managing user reviews and website content
• Designed website interface for Hotels-x.net with web developers and management
Consulting Experience
My Little Pakora – http://www.mylittlepakora.com
August, 2009 – December, 2009
Marketing Consultant
My Little Pakora, is an organic baby clothing company producing high quality and environmentally safe
clothing with an Indian Flare.
• Developed a strategic plan including an opportunity analysis, detailing the steps to implement a
successful online word of mouth marketing campaign targeted at mothers
• Consulted with the founder regarding awareness generation and social networking strategies
Three Jars – http://www.threejars.com
December, 2007 - June, 2008
Marketing Consultant
Three Jars is a transparent and socially responsible way to teach children how to manage their money.
Through a fun interactive website, Three Jars opens up a channel of communication between parents
and children to discuss household finances and money management skills.
• Developed a strategic plan detailing the steps to implement a successful online word of mouth
marketing campaign targeted at parents
• Consulted with the management regarding awareness generation strategies and social
networking opportunities
Education
University of Toronto
2001 – 2005
Bachelor of Arts - Business Management, Communication Culture and Information Technology
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