Palak Shah, Consultant

Palak Shah (she/her/they/them) is a consultant who helps leaders and organizations develop and execute their visions. With over a decade of experience in PK-12 education, youth behavioral health, public systems, and social and racial justice, Palak provides strategic planning and advising, quantitative data analysis, project management, culturally relevant community engagement, financial modeling, and report writing for her clients.

Some of Palak’s recent public sector work includes creating the governance structure for Oakland’s collective impact backbone organization, Oakland Thrives, and authoring their youth and adolescent behavioral health landscape analysis for the mayor of Oakland, the school superintendent, city and county councilmembers, and other key stakeholders. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Palak worked with Berkeley Public Schools' superintendent, board and public stakeholders to develop a back-to-school plan; and, facilitated internal strategy retreats for a state-wide policy initiative to improve behavioral health for California youth.

Palak holds a BA in Economics and a minor in Global Poverty and Practice from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a first-generation South Asian American from Queens, NY and proud product of NYC Public Schools. After spending 14 years in the Bay Area, Palak returned to NYC in 2021 and now serves clients bi-coastally. In her spare time, you can find Palak biking, doing crossword puzzles, enjoying boba, and taking naps.