Sridevi “Sri” Buddi has been shaping Northeast Wisconsin’s cultural and civic landscape for the past 25 years, but she’d be the last person to tell you about it.
“Sri is one of those rare, unsung heroes whose influence is felt everywhere — in classrooms, board rooms, city initiatives and cultural stages — yet whose humility keeps the focus on others,” says nominator Anindita Anaam.
Growing up in India, Buddi was raised in a close‑knit family who valued a service mindset. Her maternal grandfather was a civil engineer who built Allied Forces airstrips during World War II, and her paternal grandfather was a philanthropist who gave away his own land to provide housing for underprivileged families.
“I grew up with these stories,” Buddi says. “I had this exposure to community work without really expecting anything in return.”
Buddi earned an MBA in accounting and finance from Osmania University and began teaching after a nudge from a professor who recognized her talent.
“I never considered that profession, but I connected with the students right away,” Buddi says. “I felt at home, as if I was meant to do this.”
Buddi taught graduate school for seven years in India, earning the highly competitive Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professorship award (the youngest in her state to do so), before immigrating to the U.S. in 1998. Though her formal academic career paused, teaching has remained ever‑present in her life — through volunteering at her children’s schools, serving as chair of Rotary district 6220’s Interact program for high school students across Northeast Wisconsin and through the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative’s Board Bound program.
Teaching has connected Buddi to some of her most meaningful work in the Fox Valley. While volunteering at Edna Ferber Elementary School, Buddi noticed discrimination among young students and asked the principal for a chance to address it through education. A parent in the audience saw her presentation and said she’d be a natural fit for IndUS of Fox Valley, a nonprofit dedicated to cultural outreach and social connection.
Buddi joined IndUS in 2008 and went on to serve as president from 2016 to 2019, when she discovered her talent for forging partnerships. She helped launch Rhythms of the World, a multi‑nonprofit cultural event now involving more than a dozen partner organizations, and initiated free meals at New Community Shelter in Green Bay, where IndUS volunteers plan the menu, buy the groceries and cook the food.
Communication has been central to building those partnerships, says Buddi, who taught organizational behavior in India, including a module on transactional analysis — the idea that communication works best when it’s open and free of bias.
“I always felt that anything can be solved with clear, open communication,” she says. “And now, honestly, I carry it even into my nonprofit work.”
In 2024, Buddi became IndUS vice president of board governance and focuses on effective board operations and compliance.
Anaam, a fellow IndUS board member, says Buddi possesses a “quiet, yet undeniable power” that has helped the organization grow into one of Wisconsin’s most respected cultural organizations — but her impact can be felt throughout the community.
“Her partnership with the city of Appleton has been instrumental in advancing diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly in conversations about establishing a cultural center that represents the city’s growing global community,” Anaam says.
As a mother of three, Buddi brought her children into volunteer work from an early age. Her 14‑year‑old recently arranged volunteer hours for herself and classmates who needed them. Seeing her children become passionate volunteers has been one of Buddi’s proudest moments as a parent, she says.
“Directly or indirectly, I’ve taught them the attitude of service — to give back to the community that they are thriving in.”
* Photograph by Shane Van Boxtel / Image Studios
