ABOUT
SĀMYA • साम्य • SAAM-yuh
[Sanskrit]: A state of being in balance or equilibrium; equanimity; harmony; justice.
Sāmya Strategies is an independent consulting firm, founded by Padmini Parthasarathy, that is centered on the belief that true social justice can only be achieved when societal systems, structures, and leaders honor the full humanity and dignity of all people. We bring a balance of insight, curiosity, creativity, and warmth to solving the challenges facing our communities and modeling the kind of leadership necessary to sustain those solutions.
VISION
We seek a world where all people are treated with care and dignity and are supported by just and equitable systems and structures that enable them to thrive.
MISSION
We use our skills, expertise, relationships, influence, and voice to help social justice leaders and organizations successfully advance their missions with integrity, compassion, and inclusive collaboration.
VALUES
JUSTICE
We work to dismantle barriers to resources and opportunities in society so that all individuals and communities can live full and dignified lives.
PEOPLE
We value the whole person, each with their unique experiences and perspectives, and we care for all people with compassion.
HUMILITY
We recognize that our colleagues and communities have the wisdom, insights, and solutions needed to achieve our shared vision for the world we want to see.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We work with integrity and acknowledge the responsibility we bear for the outcomes of our actions, decisions, and mistakes.
WELL-BEING
We understand health as an essential right, and we seek a world where all individuals and communities thrive.
Padmini Parthasarathy, MPH (she/her)
Principal & Founder of Sāmya Strategies
Hear how I pronounce my name.
ABOUT PADMINI
Padmini Parthasarathy is a social sector leader with a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of health equity and economic, racial, and gender justice. She is committed to cultivating systems and structures that honor those interconnections. In 2021, Padmini founded Sāmya Strategies to more directly channel her passions and expertise toward these efforts.
Padmini has a proven record of success in advancing justice, equity, and well-being across philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and local government. Prior to launching her consulting firm, she served as strategist for justice, equity, and learning and senior program officer for economic security at the Walter & Elise Haas Fund and as a program director at The California Wellness Foundation overseeing statewide grantmaking to advance the Affordable Care Act and health care reform and promote employment and asset-building opportunities. Before that, Padmini was a program manager for Kaiser Permanente, where she managed its first nationwide Community Health Needs Assessment. She also led an initiative to incorporate asset building and social determinants of health approaches into maternal and child health programs for Contra Costa Health Services.
Padmini is a Certified Executive Coach through the Center for Executive Coaching. In addition, her leadership has been recognized as a Council on Foundations Career Pathways fellow, a fellow in Grantmakers in Health’s Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders in Health Philanthropy, and an inaugural member of the Justice Funders’ Harmony Initiative leadership program. She earned her master’s degree in public health from UC Berkeley and bachelor’s degree in psychology and social behavior, with a minor in sociology, from UC Irvine.
A common thread in Padmini’s life has been service to community and the centrality of family, instilled in her by her parents, who emigrated to the San Francisco Bay Area from Bangalore, India in the 1970s. Padmini’s leadership and community service began in her teenage years when she volunteered for the March of Dimes, and continued more recently as a volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Currently, Padmini serves on the boards of directors of Human Impact Partners and Center for Caregiver Advancement and on the Advisory Council of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity.
In her life beyond work and volunteering, Padmini loves staying close to family and friends, especially her nieces and nephew. She enjoys traveling or reading guidebooks in hopes of traveling more; cheering for her favorite local sports teams; supporting the performing arts; and learning about, talking about, and eating good food.