Serial entrepreneur Mona Patel is not only the founder of eight successful companies but is also a trailblazing philanthropist supporting education for girls. Patel is known for transforming industries with a bold vision, innovative strategy, and a relentless commitment to empowering others across real estate, healthcare, and technology. Beyond her business success, Patel is the founder of Couture for Cause, a nonprofit that uses haute couture as a vehicle for social impact. Since its launch in 2017, the organization has raised over $500,000 to support global initiatives in girls’ education and empowerment, partnering with nonprofits like Pencils of Promise to expand access to education in underserved communities.
Patel was just awarded a Philanthropist Award from Pencils of Promise for her contribution to supporting education in underserved communities through Couture for Cause. For Patel, her passion for supporting education stems from her experience coming to America as an immigrant student and witnessing how transformational it was for her. Patel obtained her MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and further honed her leadership skills through executive education programs at Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Her own experiences also gave her insight into how women, especially women of color, have challenges in accessing opportunities such as higher education.
Couture for Cause combines Patel’s love for fashion and passion for supporting girls’ education. “Fashion is a universal language and a form of self-expression for me —powerful, creative, and deeply personal. By leveraging fashion as a catalyst into Couture for Cause to bring awareness to a larger audience, I’ve made philanthropy aspirational and engaging. High fashion becomes more than an art form; it transforms into a tool for social impact, allowing us to spark conversations and inspire action for girls’ education globally,” she explained. Through various fundraising events, Couture for Cause, has helped raise over $500,000 for leading organizations, such as Pencils of Promise, Rescue Foundation, She’s The First and Flaviana Matata Foundation, positively impacting over 5,000 lives globally.
“I became involved with Pencils of Promise (POP) after being inspired by their incredible mission to provide quality education to underserved communities. Education has always been a high priority for me and my husband, and POP’s impactful, scalable, and sustainable approach aligns perfectly with our values. I believe education is the single most powerful tool that can help change the world, help reduce poverty, help reduce violence and diseases and help empower young girls and women. Their story, starting with a simple gesture of giving a pencil to a child in need, resonated deeply with me. We remain committed to supporting their efforts to bring access to life-changing education to children worldwide,” Patel shared on how she got involved with Pencils of Promise. Couture for Cause will also support “A Girl’s Promise” campaign within Pencils Of Promise to build schools across India.
Giving back has always been at the core of Patel’s values even before she experienced major success. Her advice for women is to find a cause that resonates with their passions and values. Even starting small like volunteering for your favorite foundations or organizations can be a great way to get your foot into philanthropy.