Rishika Satyarthi is a policy leader, beauty entrepreneur, and disability advocate whose career bridges the highest levels of government, corporate strategy, and consumer innovation. She is the Founder & CEO of Empower Beauty By Rishika, a brand rooted in accessible design, inclusivity, and representation. With a deep background in public policy and lived experience at the intersections of race, gender, and disability, Rishika brings a uniquely qualified voice to the fight for equity and civic empowerment.
She began her career in the Obama White House, where she helped shape national disability and sports policy, coordinated interagency efforts, and co-organized the only inclusive design fashion show ever held on White House grounds. She later served in corporate government affairs at Bechtel, where she led PAC strategy and legislative engagement, and at Gap Inc., where she focused on retail and competition policy. Her expertise in navigating systems of power and influence continues to inform her strategic advocacy today.
Rishika holds a Master’s from Johns Hopkins University, where she graduated at the top of her class, and earned a triple major from Rutgers University in political science, history, and criminology. At Rutgers, she was named Greek Woman of the Year, led her chapter of Omega Phi Chi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. as president, and held leadership roles in numerous diversity-focused organizations. She later served on the National Board of Directors for Omega Phi Chi and has been repeatedly invited to run for National President—testament to her continued leadership and vision. She also served on the Biden campaign’s Disability Policy Committee, where she chaired a subcommittee on gender-based violence policy.
As a South Asian woman living with over a dozen life-threatening chronic illnesses since childhood, and as a survivor of abuse and multiple sexual assaults, Rishika brings a powerful, intersectional perspective to every space she enters. Her advocacy for disability rights, inclusive policy, and survivor justice has made her a sought-after voice in both public and private sectors. Whether shaping federal policy or challenging the beauty industry’s standards through her brand, she remains committed to building systems where every person—especially those historically excluded—has the power to participate, lead, and thrive.
Rishika is Board-ready, with expertise spanning federal policy, voter and civic engagement strategy, corporate governance, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), inclusive brand building, and minority coalition leadership. She is deeply honored to serve on the Board of Trustees of the League of Minority Voters, where she hopes to help advance a more just and representative democracy.