2018 EO Global Citizen of the Year Awarded to Vishal Chordia
Alexandria, Virginia, USA (14 May 2018) – Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), the world's leading peer-to-peer network of successful business owners, is honored to name Vishal Chordia, Chairman of the Maharashtra State Khadi & Village Industries Board (MSKVIB), as the 2018 EO Global Citizen of the Year.
The Global Citizen of the Year award is a prestigious accolade presented annually to an EO member whose entrepreneurial spirit, innovative approach, and effective business practices transcend borders, change lives and set an example for EO members and the global business community. Vishal Chordia takes his place among a cast of distinguished past winners who have nurtured entrepreneurial growth in developing nations, built schools and revolutionized healthcare to make it more affordable and accessible for the underprivileged.
An active entrepreneur and a founding member of the EO Pune chapter, Vishal Chordia has been empowering rural development in Maharashtra for two decades. He leads Suhana, a multi-million dollar spice export company and last year accepted the position as the Chairman of the MSKVIB. Recognizing the role that crafts and rural entrepreneurs can play in reducing both economic and social inequities, he pioneered the 'MahaKhadi' initiative that is reorganizing crafts and village industries to alleviate poverty and create just working opportunities for craftspeople across the state.
"Vishal embodies the EO spirit of 'being significant' and is an outstanding role model for business leaders around the world. His commitment and dedication to his community and his vision to help it flourish and prosper has led to success in his personal endeavors and more recently with his work at the MSKVIB," said Brian Brault, EO Global Chairman. "We are honored to have Vishal so actively involved with the Entrepreneurs' Organization and to be able to present him with the coveted Global Citizen of the Year award."
"Giving back to my community and helping to empower artisans and rural entrepreneurs of Maharashtra is something I am passionate about, making it easy to dedicate my career to these efforts," said Vishal Chordia, Chairman, MSKVIB. "My involvement with Entrepreneurs' Organization has been very meaningful as it offers an environment of learning and growth and provides the perfect platform to inspire and draw inspiration from fellow entrepreneurs to make dreams a reality and also look beyond to make an impact on our communities and economies."
The Global Citizen of the Year award was presented at the annual EO Global Leadership Conference (GLC) where over 1,500 entrepreneurs from 54 countries gathered this year to connect with other EO members and gain leadership skills, perspective and awareness.
