Cora Woloson

Age: 23

Home Town: Honeoye, New York

Education: B.A. in International Relations, State University of New York at (SUNY) Geneseo

Specific Field Interests: International Development, Gender inequality, Livelihoods, Economic empowerment

Placement: ACCESS Development Services, New Delhi

Area of Focus: Livelihoods, Women Entrepreneurship, Micro Finance

Fellowship Project: Facilitate expansion and sustainable growth of 5000 targeted women-owned small businesses in the city and prepare them for the scale-up by tracking their growth and performance and supporting them in sales and marketing strategy.

Highlights: Cora is serving as an American India Foundation (AIF) Banyan Impact Fellow with ACCESS Development Services of New Delhi. For her Fellowship project, Cora will focus on facilitating the expansion and sustainable growth of micro women-owned enterprises, primarily in food manufacturing and handicrafts, in New Delhi. Cora's fascination with emerging economies began during her 2019–20 Rotary International Youth Exchange in Mumbai, India. Witnessing the dynamic ecosystem of India’s financial capital, she developed a keen interest in the institutional gaps that hinder small business owners and entrepreneurs in India's urban settings. As an undergraduate, Woloson developed an appreciation for the vital role women play in International development as she explored the complexities of emerging markets in the different political landscapes of the developing world. In her final year at SUNY Geneseo, Cora won a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), allowing her to return to India for an immersive language program at the American Institute of Indian Studies in Jaipur, where she deepened her understanding of local culture through her growing proficiency in Hindi. After college, Woloson worked as the Development Coordinator for the Desai Foundation, where she refined her grant writing skills while supporting programs that empower women in rural India through health, livelihood, and menstrual equity initiatives. Cora is excited to return to India’s urban landscape and support ACCESS Development Services' mission of cultivating sustainable livelihoods for India’s underserved communities.