Community Spotlight: Priyanka Maheshwari, Founder

Curious about what volunteerism and Time Auction events are all about? Meet our community who has shared their memorable experiences in their volunteering journey and meetings with our featured guests!

“Everything happens for a reason even if something doesn’t seem positive at the time, at least be positive about it.”

Meet Priyanka Maheshwari!

With two degrees under her belt: Bachelor of Science in Management and Master’s in Management, Organizations and Governance, Priyanka is a force of nature and has more than 8 years of business development experience at various startups and industries.

After moving to Hong Kong 3 years ago, Priyanka discovered there was a major gap in non-profits who didn’t have the time, manpower or financial resources to grow a sustainable organization. She launched “As Good As” in June 2019, to fill that void and help companies with their business development plan and marketing skills. With the extra support and crafted sustainable long term plans, non-profits could continue to help more and have a lasting impact.

What Priyanka learned from her Time Auction Experiences

Priyanka signed up for the Time Auction experiences while she was switching from the for profit to non-profit sector. Meeting mentors and participants in the non-profit field validated her decision that she was on the correct path, giving her the confidence to give up her previous full time job to start her own organization.

The most memorable experience she had was at the dinner with Cecilia Ho, President of Lee Hysan Foundation. Priyanka was inspired by Cecilia who had great energy and shared how she balanced her personal and professional life.

After the event, she reached out to Cecilia and met at their office. Through this meeting, she was able to learn more about their foundation and the support they could provide.

Another memorable Time Auction event was with Jill Robinson, Founder & CEO of Animals Asia. When Jill mentioned how she was against the Chinese Government for bear bile farming and later worked with them when they sought her help to save the bears, Priyanka shared that “It’s good to hear that getting your work done doesn’t have to be a constant fight even if you have opposing views.”

Her most memorable volunteer experience?

“We all live in one big society and if every person is doing their part, they can move society forward on a financial, group or social standpoint.”

One of the most unforgettable volunteer experiences was when Priyanka spent 2 weeks at a Human Rights law firm in Cape Town. She visited a prison for people charged with rape, murder and gang violence. At first she was scared to go in, but after finding they were all boys under the of 18, she realised the importance of building a connection with them and taught them about human rights.

Priyanka uses her expertise to help different NGO’s with their marketing and business development which includes campaigning for fund-raisers, which can be directed to benefactors and society so they understand what the issue is and raise their awareness.

Measuring the impact of her work at As Good As, Priyanka refers to the original plan and follows up every few months to see the progress. Dependent on what the initial goal was for the non-profit, she would revisit their digital marketing, number of employees, volunteers and funding.

A few of the companies she works with are: Uplifters, Christian Action Centre for Refugees, ImpactHK and LOVE 21.

How to start volunteering

For those thinking of volunteering, there’re more ways to do so other than handing out food over the weekend. It could be a professional skill or hobby you could share with others, for e.g. you can volunteer your marketing services, advise on law or teach yoga! Having these volunteer experiences are a great way to give back to the community.

Thanks Priyanka for volunteering 45 hours to charities and joining 2 Time Auction experiences!

To see our upcoming experiences, head over to the Time Auction website!

Interviewed & written by Gloria Ip| Edited by Fleur Hui