Amita Shetty

Break Through Tech Director, UIC

Amita Shetty has over 20 years of experience in leading strategic initiatives and mobilizing change in large and start-up organizations. In her most recent role, Amita was the Senior Vice President of Business Development at GATX Corporation, with responsibilities to identify and pursue investment opportunities that enabled the company’s diversification and growth strategy. Other roles at the company included leading strategy, marketing, and customer experience functions. Amita previously also led teams at General Electric, where she worked in diverse industries and functions leading growth, process improvement, and risk management initiatives. Her experience in leading diverse teams with increasing responsibilities builds on the following strengths – strategic thinking, influencing stakeholders, and talent and team development.    

Amita is an advocate for socioeconomic and gender equity. She initiated and led programs advancing women’s participation and inclusion in the workplace, while also mentoring women from under-resourced backgrounds in India. Amita serves on the Board of Directors of Education Alternatives Worldwide, is a partner at Social Venture Partners Chicago, supports Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America, and has participated in various committees at Reading in Motion.

Amita is an Executive in Residence at The University of Illinois at Chicago’s graduate business school. She received a B.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Lafayette College and an M.B.A. degree from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.