Kiren Bansal

Kirenjeet (Kiren) Bansal, MA Global Affairs '12 (pronouns: she/her/hers), is founder of Stardust Consult, a full-service project management and strategy consulting firm that helps social impact organizations do good, better. Bansal is passionate about leveraging her 20 years of experience to help purpose-driven organizations and their teams reach their full potential and in turn have greater impact. Her management experience includes work with: strategy development, revenue generation, digital and technology solutions, employee and volunteer engagement and branding, along with partnerships and external relations for performing arts, environmental, communications, human rights, and global health organizations. 

As a first-generation college graduate and immigrant, Bansal is passionate about creating a more equitable and just society where BIPOC communities are fully embraced and can thrive safely. She believes in paying it forward through volunteerism and philanthropy and spends her “spare” time doing so. She has volunteered as a judge for the annual USC Wrigley Institute’s Environmental Sustainability Competition, a shark tank-like incubator for student pitches for saving the planet. She also served on the Trojan Entertainment Network alumni board, USC alumni reunion committees and other groups. She is passionate about social justice and has been an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) throughout her career - starting internal committees and leading conferences on the matter. 

Bansal also helped launch the Mason alumni chapter in greater Los Angeles and looks forward to the new role on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni Board. She hopes that sharing her experience as a part-time graduate student, who balanced studies with full-time work, will inspire others to take the leap—because she is an example that it can be done!

Kiren has an international background and is currently based in Santa Monica, California, although she spends her free time traveling and learning about cultures around the world as a part-time digital nomad. 

Bansal earned her master's in global affairs, cultures and societies from Mason, where she also participated in the Oxford Honors Program and Argentina global residency. She also holds a bachelor's in environmental studies from the University of Southern California. A forever learner, Bansal is currently pursuing a second master's degree at the University of Cambridge, while managing her thriving consulting business.