Dr. Malini Saba is not your average business leader. She’s a woman who’s built her own empire, lost everything more than once, and come back stronger each time. She’s led companies, traded commodities, studied psychology, and poured millions into helping women and children. But ask her who she is, and she’ll tell you something simple.
“I’m here to give, not to take,” she says. “That’s the purpose of my life.”
A Life of Firsts
Dr. Saba was born into a middle-class immigrant family. Her parents raised her with strong values—resilience, empathy, and discipline. She didn’t come from wealth, but she did come from determination. That grit has defined her ever since.
Early in her career, Malini wanted to be a doctor. But life had other plans. She started investing and eventually launched her own business. Over the next 30 years, she worked across many industries: agriculture, fintech, real estate, healthcare, and even gold mining.
“I never set out to become an entrepreneur,” she says. “It just happened. I saw gaps in the market and filled them.”
She built Saba Group, a privately held company, from the ground up. She never took outside money. Every risk she took was hers alone. The success? Also hers. But so were the failures.
Losing and Rebuilding
“I’ve lost everything three times,” Malini says. “Each time, it was painful. But especially the last time—I was older, and it hit differently.”
Instead of falling into despair, she used her pain to rebuild. She says the losses taught her what no school could.
“Failure teaches you who you are,” she explains. “It strips everything down. No ego, no titles—just you and your truth.”
She believes that you can only grow by looking inward. That’s why she spends part of every day in meditation and reflection. It’s what keeps her grounded.
“When you’re happy and content inside, you see clearly,” she says. “That’s when good decisions happen.”
A Business Mind With a Giving Heart
Dr. Malini Saba has never separated her business from her beliefs. She believes business should do more than make money—it should do good. That belief led her to create the Saba Family Foundation in 2002, named in honor of her father.
The foundation helps women and children around the world. It supports education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. She doesn’t raise money from others. She funds it herself—often using 50% of her company’s returns.
“I don’t do this to show I have money,” she says. “I do this because I want to have impact.”
The foundation has partnered with big names, including Stanford University Medical Center, former President Bill Clinton, and international NGOs. But for Malini, it’s never about the spotlight.
“It’s not charity,” she explains. “It’s change.”
Lessons in Leadership
Dr. Saba’s leadership style is different. She doesn’t lead with force. She leads with empathy.
“Being a mother changed how I lead,” she says. “It taught me to listen, to care more, and to focus on the whole person—not just their role.”
She also believes in collaboration over competition.
“People think business is about beating others. I think it’s about lifting others,” she says.
She mentors women around the world. She helps them build their businesses, gain confidence, and create sustainable impact.
“I don’t want people to copy me,” she adds. “I want them to be themselves—strong, free, and fearless.”
Big Picture Thinking
Dr. Saba has always had a big-picture view. She watches global trends—geopolitics, economics, climate change—and adapts. She says business and social change are deeply linked.
“We’re at a global crossroads,” she explains. “If we keep following the same systems, we’ll keep repeating the same problems.”
That’s why she supports innovation in education, healthcare, and community empowerment. She believes in fixing root causes—not putting on band-aids.
“If we want a better world, we need better thinking,” she says.
The Role of Spirituality
For Dr. Saba, inner peace is not just personal. It’s a tool for leadership.
“I don’t make decisions from emotion,” she says. “I sit in solitude, I meditate, and I wait for clarity.”
She says that’s how she keeps moving forward, even when things are hard. She doesn’t believe in self-pity.
“We come to this world to learn,” she says. “Not just to succeed, but to grow.”
This philosophy has shaped how she views power and success. For her, success is not about wealth or awards.
“It’s when the ship reaches the port and unloads its stock. That’s success,” she laughs. “And when you’re content inside, everything else flows.”
Looking Ahead
Dr. Saba recently launched a new personal website. The goal? To inspire young people—especially future doctors—and share knowledge from her decades of experience.
“I want to help people find their own path,” she says. “Whether it’s in medicine, business, or life.”
She shares stories, insights, and tools she wishes she had earlier in her journey. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being honest.
Her advice to young people is simple:
“Lead with courage. Act with compassion. And don’t forget—your integrity is your greatest asset.”
Dr. Malini Saba has lived many lives. She’s been an investor, a founder, a survivor, a mother, a mentor, and a giver. She’s faced racism, sexism, violence, and betrayal—and still moved forward.
She doesn’t see the world as something to conquer. She sees it as a place to understand, to serve, and to improve.
And she wants others to do the same.
“We’re all here to learn,” she says. “The question is—what will we do with what we learn?”
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