Mitali Pradhan

TE Mentorettes, TE Writterettes

Fun Fact:

• I am a budding houseplants enthusiast!

• I tend to over 25 (and counting!) plants in my modest little New York City apartment :)

Who do you look up to in the trade world and why? We would love to know the women trade expert that inspire you!

I really look up to Hanna Norberg who perpetually shows me ever since I have known her that, one can be a spectacularly brilliant female trade economist, claim their space and scale heights while also being extremely approachable, friendly and genuinely kind hearted. I admire from a distance, many others such as Somaya Keynes, Nina Pavcnik and more who are experts in their fields. But having known her personally for sometime now, I circle back to Hanna. It's a privilege to watch and learn from her, how to be an expert and own it with grace and humility!

In a couple of lines, share with us what inspires you to be part of the TradeExperettes community. Or What is your favorite thing about your career?

Getting to know so many amazing female Trade Experettes who absolutely rock their career paths is a joy and an inspiration!

BONUS QUESTION

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BONUS QUESTION 〰️

What career advice would you give to your younger self? What tips can you give to someone trying to pursue a career in trade?

I would tell my younger self to abandon self doubt. I would tell her that almost everything that you don't know (yet!!) can be learnt and that learning by doing really works, even if feels extremely uncomfortable while it happens. As an economist and an academic, my advice to anyone interested in economic/trade research would be to learn the research tools and techniques well but also learn to talk about that research in a non-jargony, non-academic language that can appeal to a wider audience and can be translated into actionable policy advice.