Shloka Ambani on ambition, motherhood, and building a legacy of impact

In a world that often equates success with noise, Shloka Ambani stands as a quiet force of change. Appearing on The Masoom Minawala Show, alongside her ConnectFor co-founder Maniti Shah, Ambani reflects on a decade-long journey of purpose-led work that’s touched over 100,000 lives—and redefined how India thinks about volunteering.

ConnectFor was born not in a boardroom but on a whiteboard—two young women, one fresh from field visits, the other burnt out by consulting, scribbling an idea that would become India’s “Shaadi.com for volunteering.” A matchmaking metaphor, yes—but also a bold solution to a broken system: countless people wanted to help, and countless NGOs needed it. What was missing was the bridge.

Purpose over profit

Nearly ten years later, ConnectFor has matched one lakh volunteers with 1,000+ NGOs, saving the sector an estimated ₹21 crore in human capital. But perhaps even more impressive than the numbers is the mindset: one that places “purpose over profit”, always.

“You’re creating something that someone you truly care about is going to learn from,” Ambani says, touching on what legacy really means. “That, I think, is the best legacy to leave your children.”

The conversation moves between strategy and sentiment—how WhatsApp groups helped skyrocket volunteer retention, how “ROI in hours” became their metric, and why surviving ten years in the social sector is its own form of innovation.

On motherhood and legacy

There’s also a candid reflection on motherhood—often glossed over in startup narratives. “I don’t think anyone should be shamed if they want to enjoy being a mom,” she shares. “I take real pride in telling my kids, ‘Mumma has to go to the office, you’re going to school—we are all doing things to make ourselves better.’”

The idea of legacy also carries personal resonance for her. “You’re creating something that someone you truly care about is going to learn from,” she reflects. “That, I think, is the best legacy to leave your children.”

Redefining ambition

Perhaps the most striking part of the conversation is Ambani’s quiet confidence in redefining what ambition looks like. “If you feel strongly about something, you will make opportunities happen,” she says. “It’s really about what kind of message you are leaving behind.”

In an era of hyper-visibility and louder-than-life ambition, this conversation is a powerful reminder that impact doesn’t need to be audacious to be enduring. Sometimes, the most radical thing a woman can do is build quietly, lead intuitively, and let her work speak volumes.