meet bina
Coach, facilitator, speaker, author, and relentless believer in the power of collective leadership.
Bina M. Patel helps leaders return to themselves so they can rise with purpose. As a coach, facilitator, and speaker, she works with changemakers and organizations who are ready to move beyond the surface and into deeper, more sustainable leadership. Her approach blends decades of policy and nonprofit experience with the embodied, heart-centered practices of breathwork, mindfulness, and neuroscience.
Through her Saathi methodology, Bina supports leaders in remembering who they are, envisioning what’s possible, and mobilizing together toward lasting transformation and impact.
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Bina’s leadership journey spans over two decades across the nonprofit, philanthropic, and government sectors. As Deputy Chief of Staff at Chicago’s City Hall, she managed over $1 billion in policy and program work across public health, human services, and community development. That role solidified her belief: equitable, justice-centered decision-making is not only necessary—it’s the most powerful path forward.
In global nonprofit work, Bina partnered with marginalized communities and cultivated a deep respect for community wisdom and self-determination. Her approach centers on shared power, listening deeply, and designing with—not for—those most impacted.
She holds an M.S. in Social Protection Finance from the University of Maastricht and an M.A. in International Human Rights from the University of Denver. These degrees complement her hands-on experience with a grounded understanding of systems, change, and care.
In 2013, Bina founded Saathi Impact Consulting—a coaching and strategy firm working with leaders and organizations to advance equity, justice, and meaningful change. Today, Saathi offers values-aligned coaching, retreats, facilitation, and The Collective: a leadership community for connection and courageous growth.
Bina’s work bridges the tactical with the transformational, drawing on breathwork, neuroplasticity, unencumbered leadership, and real-world systems thinking. Her style is both bold and tender, inviting leaders to show up fully and lead from that place.