This week I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking to Kiran Shelat, the Executive Director at Classics4Kids. Kiran is a finalist for the prestigious San Diego Business Journal’s “2020 Business Women of the Year Award”. This award “recognizes dynamic women business leaders who have contributed significantly to San Diego’s workplaces and communities.”
Kiran was nominated for the award by Kelly Makley– the Communications and Development Coordinator at Classics4Kids– who recognized Kiran’s exceptional hard-work, positive leadership, and dedication to bringing music education to low income students across San Diego County. Kiran’s role as Executive Director at C4K began in 2016, and since then, she has gone on to implement a sustainable infrastructure at the organization, which has led to increased fundraising and outreach developments.
While Kiran has been at C4K for six years, she first made her start in the business world when growing up in London and working for her parent’s various businesses. Shelat’s parents are her biggest role models and were able to instill a diligent and persevering attitude that she has carried with her throughout her career. Her professional career began at an internship for the World Affairs Council in Cincinnati where she found her love for nonprofit organizations. Kiran later packed up her bags and took a two week road trip to San Diego with her twin sister, and soon found out how much she loved the city.
Shortly after, Shelat used her passion for helping others and landed jobs at two nonprofit organizations before finding her home at C4K. Once she arrived, Shelat knew that her new position was where she belonged, and she slowly worked her way to the top. Kiran’s current role as Executive Director has allowed her to expand the organization and continue to bring high quality programming to children across the county. Her favorite aspect of being Executive Director has been the joy she has helped to spread to children, and the positive attitude she has brought to her workplace. Shelat deeply cares about her work and hopes to expand the organization’s reach in the near future.
We at Classics4Kids are very proud of Kiran’s work, and congratulate her for her nomination in San Diego Business Journal’s “2020 Business Women of the Year Award.”
-by Isaiah Crooks, C4K Intern