Radha Balani recognized for purpose-led leadership in global sport

Influential Women is highlighting Radha Balani for her growing role at Think Beyond, where she has helped expand the consultancy’s North American presence and global reach. Her work links sport, sustainability, and social impact across leagues, brands, athletes, and nonprofits.

Why it matters: - Radha Balani’s work sits at the intersection of sport, business, and social impact. - Her leadership shows how sustainability, inclusion, and commercial growth can be built into the same strategy. - Think Beyond’s expansion reflects rising demand for sport partnerships that deliver both financial value and broader community outcomes.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Radha Balani for her role as Expert Partner for Strategy & Leadership at Think Beyond. - Balani co-leads the New York-based consultancy, which helps sport and entertainment organizations unlock value through sustainability and social impact. - Balani led the re-establishment of Think Beyond’s North American presence after the pandemic. - Think Beyond says the company has doubled in size under her co-leadership.

The details: - Balani has more than a decade of experience across sport, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. - Her work focuses on purpose-led partnerships and systems-level thinking. - Think Beyond’s work now reaches more professional leagues, global brands, athlete networks, and nonprofit organizations. - Balani previously held strategic roles at London Sport, Beyond Sport, the Football Foundation, and Women in Sport. - Those roles centered on inclusive access, policy innovation, and equity-driven programming. - Balani is also a co-host of The Game Plan podcast. - The podcast covers the business of sport and profiles people reshaping the industry. - She is a speaker and facilitator on topics including mental health in athletics and sustainable investment in sport. - Balani’s leadership approach emphasizes learning from others, sharing knowledge, consistency, and accountability. - She describes her core values as kindness, excellence, joy, and collaboration. - She encourages young women in sport to ask questions, give their time, and prioritize action over perfection. - Her Influential Women profile is available here.

Between the lines: - Balani’s message is that sport can be a platform for both social progress and business performance. - Her emphasis on co-creation suggests a leadership style built around shared ownership rather than top-down strategy. - The recognition also points to the growing visibility of leaders who connect commercial sport with equity and wellbeing.

What's next: - Balani is likely to keep building Think Beyond’s global network across sport, entertainment, and social-impact partnerships. - Her podcast, speaking work, and consultancy role position her as an ongoing voice in conversations about the future of sport. - Influential Women will continue using its platform to amplify women’s professional and personal storytelling.