Vice President of U.S. Programs, Ford Foundation
Sarita Gupta is vice president of U.S. programs, overseeing the foundation’s domestic work including Civic Engagement and Government, Creativity and Free Expression, Future of Work(ers), Technology and Society, Disability Rights, and Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice. Gupta joined the foundation in 2019 as director of the Future of Work(ers) program, bringing more than two decades of experience working to expand people’s ability to take collective action to improve their workplaces, communities, and lives by creating meaningful solutions. She is a nationally recognized expert on the economic, labor, and political issues affecting workers, and is widely acknowledged as a key leader and strategist for building coalitions and policies that protect, and advance the rights of workers.
As director, she spearheaded the launch of several far-reaching initiatives including the Families and Workers Fund, and the All with Respect and Equity (CARE) Fund. Most recently she made a $25 million grant to support informal workers across the globe for the next five years. Gupta previously served as executive director of Jobs With Justice, a leader in the fight for workers’ rights, and co-director of Caring Across Generations, a national movement transforming the way America defines care.
Gupta earned a bachelor of arts from Mount Holyoke College, with studies in women, health, and society. She currently sits on the boards of the Institute for Policy Studies, United States Student Association Foundation, All Above All, School of Labor and Urban Studies Foundation at CUNY, Mount Holyoke Alumnae Association, and Ownership Works. A Hunt Alternatives Fund Prime Movers Fellow and a graduate of the Rockwood Leadership Training Program, Gupta has received a number of awards and accolades, including the National Women’s Law Center Annual Leadership Award, the Francis Perkins Open Door Award, Mount Holyoke College Alumnae Achievement Award, and Corporate Ethics International’s BENNY Award.