Honoring Meenu Gorkhali: A Decade of Leadership, Care, and Commitment

Interview by Amy T Paul 

In January 2026, we sat down with Meenu Gorkhali, who recently stepped down from her role as Senior Director of Human Resources, Finance, and Operations at Adhikaar. Meenu joined the organization in 2016 and has been a steady force behind the scenes for nearly a decade, helping build the internal systems that allowed Adhikaar’s frontline organizing to thrive.

We are deeply grateful for Meenu’s years of service and leadership, and we wish her the very best as she continues to make an impact in immigrant communities and beyond.

How did you first get involved with Adhikaar?

After completing my bachelor’s degree at Bangalore University in India, my father and I took a holiday to New York. While walking near Central Park, we ran into a Nepali student who was studying at the New York Institute of Technology, just a few blocks away. It was December, and he mentioned there was an Open House happening later that week.

At the time, I had no plans to move to the U.S. I had lived outside of Nepal for much of my life and was looking forward to returning home. But my dad encouraged me to attend the Open House and apply. Before I knew it, I was starting MBA classes through their “Bridge Program.”

Over the years, I moved from a student visa to a work visa, then a green card, and eventually became a U.S. citizen. That journey was not easy. I often took jobs just to get by. I still remember my first 50-cent raise, I was so happy. My father supported me through my first semester, and after that, I was on my own.

Eventually, I landed a job at the Estate Office of the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation. Not long after, I found my way to Adhikaar as a volunteer at a TPS Legal Clinic. I was aware of the hardships people faced in Nepal, but I didn’t fully understand the struggles immigrant workers experienced in the U.S. until I started hearing the stories of Adhikaar members. That’s when workers’ rights organizing became deeply personal to me.

What was one of the most meaningful experiences during your time at Adhikaar?

I am most proud of and humbled by the work Adhikaar did during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2020, many agencies and service providers shut down their in-person services almost overnight. For a grassroots organization like Adhikaar, whose identity is rooted in frontline organizing, it was incredibly challenging to navigate where to send workers for healthcare, housing support, or emergency relief.

Most of our members worked in industries that didn’t offer traditional unemployment benefits. People waited for hours in the middle of the night just to get through on the phone. Language access was a major barrier, and the burden of proof rested heavily on workers themselves. Staff were pulled in wherever possible to support members during an overwhelming and frightening time.

How did Adhikaar pivot its work during COVID-19?

Before COVID-19, Adhikaar was not set up for remote work, neither for staff nor for members. We had to learn everything from the ground up.

First, we helped members learn how to use Zoom and Facebook Live on their phones so we could share critical information in real time. Then we realized people didn’t always have a way to charge their phones, which meant we had to figure out how to safely reopen our office while maintaining social distance.

Alongside the Adhikaar team, we also went door to door distributing masks and hand sanitizer. That was scary, especially since Elmhurst was the epicenter of the virus at the time.

Are there practices that began during COVID-19 that continue today?

COVID-19 forced us to slow down and rethink how we care for ourselves and each other. One lasting shift was how we approached staff development and wellness. We moved toward a more generous and flexible allowance that supports personal growth and well-being, and we trusted staff to decide how best to use those funds.

What advice would you give to young people considering a career in operations or finance?

Operations, finance, and human resources often work quietly in the background and don’t always get the recognition they deserve, even though they are essential to keeping an organization running. A strong internal infrastructure is a true reflection of an organization’s overall health.

Looking back, I feel deeply humbled by what we accomplished often while wearing two or three hats at once. During COVID, for example, we received emergency funding that needed to be distributed quickly to members. Before that could happen, we had to create detailed spreadsheets documenting household situations, family status, and income sources.

Applying for PPP loans took hours of work. Many nights were spent late with our accountant, submitting loan and grant applications while systems repeatedly crashed. We also went into the office every week to process checks and make sure funds reached members as quickly as possible. It was exhausting, but it mattered.

What’s next for you?

There are so many ways to support movement work. I think I will get back to volunteering. First, I am going to rest, reflect, reset and return.