The primary inspiration for the creation of Girls Who Invest came from the life, values, and accomplishments of our founder’s mother, Kamla R. Hingorani. Kamla was like an elemental force of nature. She was fearless and spent a lifetime breaking barriers and helping marginalized people. She was known for her authenticity and integrity, her indomitable spirit, her passion for life, her fierce love of family, her laugh, and her considerable entrepreneurial skills.

Kamla decided to become a real estate agent after she and her husband were steered away from being shown homes in some of the more affluent parts of townships because of their ethnicity. She went on to found Quality Homes, a real estate brokerage, and built it into a highly successful business over 22 years. She would show homes always elegantly dressed in a silk sari and she developed an incredibly loyal client base, particularly among those in minority communities whom she made sure to show properties wherever they desired and then helped them secure mortgages from sometimes reluctant loan officers.

Kamla had high expectations for herself and for those around her. She inspired them to want to do better and her belief in them made it possible. Her courage, her passion, and her pioneering spirit are the foundation for GWI and for the fellowship that now bears her name. The Kamla R. Hingorani Fellowship Fund will recognize those scholars who exemplify Kamla’s fearlessness in coming to the United States as a first generation immigrant and, with her entrepreneurial spirit and incredible work ethic, built an amazingly impactful life for herself, her family, and the communities around her.