Meet Somava Saha, a steward.
Growing up, Somava was never fully aware of any hardships she experienced as a child. Her mother sheltered her from the harsh realities of poverty and pushed her to think beyond her current situation.
“My mom was my catalyst,” Somava says.
Her mom taught her that everyone – no matter who they are – has gifts, talents, and assets to impact the world for the greater good. Simply put, everyone has a “piece of the puzzle” needed to heal the world.
Somava carries this worldview throughout her personal and professional life, always looking for opportunities where others can help to create well-being and equity in the world. At the same time, she is not afraid of difficult questions: What is true well-being? How do you measure it? And how do we create systems that are built for everyone to thrive, with no one left behind? Somava asks these questions every day as Executive Director of the Well Being In the Nation (WIN) Network, which connects like-minded stewards in the movement to advance intergenerational well-being and equity.
With Somava’s guidance, WIN works with people in all walks of life who are learning how to combine their talents to transform culture, shift mindsets, and restructure economies – always moving toward a future with all people and places thriving together, no exceptions. Somava helps WIN members reframe their current responsibilities through the lens of shared stewardship. She knows that true systems change is best spearheaded by those closest to the problems; and that means people who tend to be invisible must become change-makers in a world that none of us fully control but each of us can always influence.
ReThink Health, a co-founder of the WIN Network, shares Somava’s passion to bring shared stewardship to life. Together, they are building a nationwide network of stewards that is already wider and more influential than anyone had imagined. As WIN approaches its second anniversary, the network is quickly becoming one of those priceless “puzzle pieces” Somava’s mother spoke of so fondly—bringing visibility and vitality to the movement for well-being, equity, and racial justice.
To learn more about the current efforts of Somava and the WIN Network, visit winnetwork.org/.
