Alina Alam is an Indian social entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Mitti Café, a social enterprise built around the belief that disability inclusion should create employment, dignity and economic independence—not charity. She founded Mitti Café in 2017 while pursuing her master’s degree in Development Studies at Azim Premji University, after volunteering with organisations working with persons with disabilities and recognising the lack of meaningful employment opportunities available to them.
Under her leadership, Mitti Café has developed an inclusive hospitality model in which adults with physical, intellectual and psychiatric disabilities are trained and employed across café operations. The organisation has expanded from its first outlet in Hubballi to locations across India, including institutional and high-footfall spaces such as the Supreme Court of India and major airports.
Alam’s work has earned recognition including Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, the NITI Aayog Women Transforming India Award, the United Nations Intercultural Innovation Award, the NCPEDP Mindtree Helen Keller Award and the Commonwealth Youth Award, among others.
Through Mitti Café, Alam continues to demonstrate how hospitality can become a platform for inclusive employment, entrepreneurship and social change, while challenging conventional perceptions of disability and workplace capability.