The odds were stacked against Amita Mehta to have a successful career in any field, much less one in male-dominated financial services.

She had been expelled from her home in Uganda at the hands of a dictator, and she grew up in poverty as a refugee with her parents and three brothers in Lancaster, PA.

But Mehta is not the kind of person to take “no” for an answer. She describes herself as scrappy; at 5’2” she became a standout point guard at Elizabethtown College for several years before she graduated with a business degree in 1995.

Her career began like she was shot out of a cannon, having great success at securing commercial loans at Fulton Bank to the very Amish farmers with whom she grew up. She found she loved the human aspects of the business, and she had the wit and resourcefulness to try new things.

During her almost 25-year career, Mehta worked her way into major roles at J.P. Morgan Chase and Prudential Financial, eventually becoming a trusted C-suite advisor and dynamic bridge builder.

But along the way, a crisis of identity threatened the career she had worked so hard to cultivate. When she discovered she was gay, she began to hide who she was at work, which led to issues of trust and confidence among her coworkers. “When I came to that realization later in life, it was scary because I thought it was going to be career-derailing and that I’d lose relationships,” Mehta says.

She faced a crossroads and painstakingly decided to come out. Ultimately, that decision helped her build indelible and trusted relationships with peers and bosses.

“It actually turned out it be positive, and people really trusted me. Leaders wanted me on their teams, and it opened up opportunities because I was being honest,” she said. “It was really empowering to lean into being authentic, and it allowed me to take a look at what kind of leader I want to be.”

With newfound confidence, she began to lean into her strengths—from self-expression to athleticism—and put her name in the mix for jobs and promotions.

She mentors other women to advocate for themselves in the same way, as she witnessed other women holding themselves back from opportunities.

“All too often women will look at a job description and say, ‘I need 100% of these qualifications,’ and they take themselves out of the running before they even apply,” she explained.

“If you don’t ask, you don’t get. We have to build confidence to ask for things that we want, otherwise you won’t know what the outcome would be.”

Despite the fact that Mehta’s career was flying high, a strong desire to support and inspire others and help leaders embrace authenticity led her to leave her job in financial services and start her own venture: Amita Mehta Possible.

Her business consultancy and career architecture brand helps individuals to discover their passions and supports leaders in bringing their whole, authentic selves to work. “The strongest leaders are people who can connect with their employees,” she said.

“So that’s how I am able to inspire people and help them contribute in a productive way.”

As an alumna, Mehta is a devoted member of the President’s Leadership Council. As a voice for women, LGBTQ people, refugees and future leaders, Mehta encourages students, professors, employees and executives to tell their stories.

“You have no idea who you might impact or how significant that connection can be,” she said.

“We all have a story to tell—now we just need to find the courage to tell it.”