She is fellow in the Women and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she examines the impact of gender on entrepreneurial success in acquiring early-stage funding. Balachandra has taught courses and international programs to students and executives on entrepreneurship, negotiation, improvisation, and leadership. She consults with a wide range of companies, including Goldman Sachs, Genzyme, Novartis, Shell, and the CIA, and frequently guest lectures in several courses at the Harvard Business School. She earned her BA in environmental studies and economics at the University of Chicago, her MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and her PhD in management from Boston College.