The daughter of immigrants from India and the holder of a Master of Business Administration from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, Leena Gupta was on a fast-track to the C-suite when she changed course as a young mom and opted instead to venture into entrepreneurship, where she could innovate and lead on her own terms.
“It is incredible to build something that didn’t exist before and turn it into a reality,” she says.
These days, Leena has been working with San Diego Foundation (SDF) to build something just as wonderful – the AANHPI Fund that is enhancing the visibility and advancing the leadership of the region’s rapidly growing Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population.
“I want my kids to see the value of igniting and supporting your community,” Leena says.
A Journey to Community
As a member of SDF’s Board of Governors and an AANHPI Fund donor with an influential community, Leena is uniquely positioned to make a lasting impact.
Born and raised in Chicago, she found her calling in business and finance and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in public accounting from Loyola University. Her professional journey began as a senior auditor at Citibank, where international assignments in India and Indonesia deepened her understanding of global financial systems.
She then joined Ernst & Young as a senior management consultant, contributing to the development of the first internet banking platform in the United States – a groundbreaking achievement that preceded her decision to pursue her MBA at MIT Sloan and directed her towards a path in fintech.
Balancing her professional ambitions with motherhood, Leena embraced entrepreneurship to gain flexibility and autonomy. Over time, she successfully built several businesses – a testament to her innovative mindset and commitment to creating meaningful solutions.
Among the companies she founded was Coin Up, the first mobile donation app offered on the Apple App Store and described as a sort of “digital spare-change-in-a-jar”, with funds directed to a person’s charity of choice. Since its founding in 2015, it has captured numerous awards and is a multi-grant recipient of The Gates Foundation for innovation in democratized giving.
Her major focus now is SDF and the AANHPI Fund. She was asked to join the SDF Board of Governors in 2023 and has been tapping her networks to spread the word of the AANHPI Fund, which came to fruition in 2024.
Dedicated to Philanthropy
Photo Credit: Miracle League of San Diego
“I’m amazed by how incredibly brilliant the SDF leadership team is, how they think so creatively, and how they collaborate so well,” explains Leena, who has a donor-advised fund with SDF that directs its philanthropy to such causes as the Challenged Athletes Foundation and Miracle League of San Diego.
“I love being able to work with my board colleagues, see how they engage the SDF team, make the asks that are needed, and always lead with kindness and passion. They are so passionate about what they are doing every day, and they’re making things happen.”
She continues: “For me, it started with wanting to protect those who are vulnerable – such as children who are in need of food, education, and medical care. Then in San Diego, I learned that there are major issues with human trafficking, which is atrocious and needs to be solved.”
Another area she supports is creating resources for young women and girls to thrive.
“Look, I’m in the entrepreneurial and investment community, where only 2% of startups that are founded by women are funded by the venture capital community. Women just don’t always have the resources, support, or mentors to achieve the success they are capable of attaining.”
The AANHPI Fund was a natural progression for Leena. Especially after SDF commissioned the SDF State of San Diego AANHPI Report, developed in partnership with the Policy & Innovation Center, which identified serious issues and needs of the AANHPI community.
One data point in particular stands out: suicide is the leading cause of death among AANHPI youth ages 15 to 24 in California, and nearly 1 in 3 experience difficulties in accessing health care. That led the AANHPI Fund to focus its inaugural year on providing grants to nonprofits and programs that increase access to mental health and well-being support services for AANHPI youth and young adults.
“When you look at the data regarding the youth mental health space, we have to recognize there is a major task ahead to build critical resources for our community so our youth can build resilience and flourish,” says Leena.
Join the Team
Leena’s ability to build something from scratch – whether it’s a business or a community initiative – reflects her innovative mindset and determination. Through her work at SDF, Leena is proving that one person can spark change, but it takes a community to sustain it.
Join her in making a difference today by learning more and donating to the AANHPI Fund.
“The AANHPI population has multiplied exponentially in San Diego and the AAHNPI Fund is pulling people together at a very basic level to say ‘how are we going to nurture our society from younger generations to our aging community?’” she adds.
The AANHPI Fund is among one of the various initiatives launched during SDF’s Fifty & Forward Campaign, which has set a 50th anniversary goal of granting $500 million to realize our region’s greatest opportunities in three key areas: education, children and families, and the environment – and raising $1 billion to help shape our community’s future.
