With over 18 years of experience in the development sector, Aarti works extensively on strengthening governance, boards and leadership across Indian and international non-profits. She is part of the global pool of governance trainers with Medecins Sans Frontieres. With a focus on practical, sustainable governance, she helps organisations strengthen boards, clarify roles and build accountability.

Aarti leads India Partner Network (IPN) and ReadyNext IPN Foundation, building a digital platform and partnerships to strengthen nonprofits at scale. With over two decades of experience, her work has spanned enterprise development with grassroots and vulnerable communities, organisational capacity building, and the broader social impact ecosystem. Today, she focuses on enabling small and mid-sized nonprofits to access knowledge, capabilities and networks they need to build stronger organisations.

Abhishek Gupta is Partner & CEO at NavGurukul, a technology-led nonprofit he co-founded to expand access to fully funded education and careers for underserved youth. An IIT Delhi Computer Science alumnus, he has built at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship and social impact, having previously co-founded Zumbli.com and Frankly.me. A Forbes India 30 Under 30 and BW 40 Under 40 honouree and TEDx speaker, he has also been recognised among the Top 100 Young Leaders across Commonwealth nations by the British Embassy. At NavGurukul, he has built and scaled initiatives spanning residential education, AI, digital access and career pathways. Today, 1,500+ alumni collectively earn ₹50 crore+ annually, with NavGurukul creating pathways to opportunity for underserved youth across India. His work combines technology, systems thinking and a deep commitment to inclusion.

Amrtha Kasturi Rangan is the Chief Operating Officer at A.T.E. Chandra Foundation, a strategic philanthropy that partners with governments, nonprofits and ecosystem organisations at scale. She has over 20 years of experience in philanthropy and development, including 13 years at Arghyam. She previously led A.T.E. Chandra Foundation's Water & Agriculture portfolio. Amrtha is a published author and has served as a peer reviewer for international journals on water governance and sustainable development.

Anand Sinha is a Philanthropy Advisor and currently supports the work of the Global Reproductive Health Initiative of the David & Lucile Packard Foundation and the Prysm Initiative, a strategic philanthropy advisory aiming to raise resources for women’s health. He is based in New Delhi and has over three decades of experience in philanthropy, grant-management, public health, private sector partnerships, research and policy advocacy and behaviour change primarily. Before his current roles, he led the Gates Foundation’s primary health care initiative in partnership with the government of Bihar, and prior to that led several private sector partnerships for reproductive health, child survival and TB spanning North India. He started his career as a community forestry professional working with Foundation for Ecological Sustainability (FES) in Odisha and has a master’s in natural resource management and history.

Anant Bhagwati is a Partner at The Bridgespan Group, working in the Mumbai office. He has an abiding interest in enabling Indian NGOs and Domestic Philanthropy to achieve their full potential. He works closely with multi-generational families, technology entrepreneurs and corporates, and global foundations to help them dream bolder and with greater equity. He works closely with over 30 leading nonprofits in India, both scale actors and high potentials, on their journeys of transformative scale. Anant writes and speaks at forums extensively and has co-authored the India Philanthropy report for over five years. Prior to this, Anant was Director for Capacity Building and Expertise at Dasra, focusing on strategic philanthropy and field building. He has transitioned from a career advising for-profit companies, culminating as Partner at Bain India, where he led Digital Transformation in India. A few common elements have continued to excite him through his Consulting career of nearly 20 years. Anant is passionate about applying these skills learnt in the corporate world to support Philanthropists and NGOs with strategy formulation, implementation and scaling impact. Anant lives with his wife and teenage daughter and mother in Mumbai.

Anita Patil, a Core team member of Goonj, is dedicated to building and sustaining grassroots partnerships. She currently leads the team that handles central coordination and management of a network of implementation partner NGOs across the nation. With over 13 years at Goonj, her role involves planning and strategizing for organisation development, building partnerships, managing field operations, data management, and overseeing technology integration.

Anjani Kumar Singh is a Senior Program Officer and Country Lead at the Gates Foundation. He leads the foundation work in India related to community platforms and Women’s livelihoods. He has more than 25 years of experience in designing and operationalizing large-scale rural development programs in the areas of community institution building (SHGs; WUAs; CIGs; FPOs etc.), agricultural value chain development, rural livelihoods, rural enterprise promotion, community finance, monitoring & evaluation, and management of development programs. Before joining the foundation, Anjani worked with the World Bank and was critical member of various World Bank task teams managing agriculture and community development projects in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, Nepal, Sri-Lanka, Cambodia etc. Anjani’s contribution to various large scale community development program in India like District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP); National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) and JEEViKA program in Bihar is well known. Anjani has 360-degree experience in the development sector ---starting with grass-roots action projects with civil society organisations as well as with the National and State Governments (Govt. of Bihar and MoRD); International Consulting firms (e.g., EURO PRAXIS, Barcelona and GRM International, UK); and multi-lateral donor agencies like the World Bank and FAO. Anjani is a graduate of Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), NY, USA and has studied at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai and Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, India.

Dr. Anjlee Prakash is Founder and Chairperson of Learning Links Foundation, a non-profit committed to advancing quality education and future-readiness in underserved communities across India. Since 2002, she has grown LLF to a 3,500+ strong team delivering UN SDG-aligned programs to over 10 million learners across 24 states and 4 Union Territories. A systems thinker and trusted policy voice, she has contributed to India’s NEP deliberations and advised NCERT, CBSE, NCTE and NUEPA. Dr Anjlee speaks globally at forums like World Bank-IMF, UNESCO, and OECD netFWD. Her honours include Women Changing the World: Global Impact 2025, two Lifetime Achievement awards, and several national recognitions for social impact and leadership. Featured in the book ‘InnovateHERs’, she holds a PhD in Education.

Ankur Sarin is a faculty in the Public Systems Group and Ravi J Mathai Center for Innovation in Education at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His past works include investigations of the effects of social and economic inequality on welfare outcomes of children and understanding the influence of technology on the social and economic life of the marginalised. Recently, he has been working on making the Right to Education an instrument not only for increased access to education, but also one that promotes a more inclusive education system as part of the institute’s Right to Education Resource Center (www.rterc.in). He has a Ph. D. in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and prior to joining IIM-Ahmedabad, was a Researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, Princeton.

Antara Kapoor serves as the Lead - Social Impact at PepsiCo India, where she drives the company's CSR and Foundation initiatives with a strong focus on community-centric, sustainable development. Armed with a Master's degree in Environmental Science and Resource Management from TERI University and executive leadership coursework from IIM Calcutta and ISB, Antara brings nearly a decade of deep expertise across watershed management, circularity, community resilience, and broader sustainability domains.

Anusha Bharadwaj, Founder of VOICE-4 and Founder-Director of SoCh for Social Change, is an Ashoka Fellow committed to feminist youth leadership. She leads VOICE-4 in empowering marginalised adolescents, impacting over 3,50,000 girls and boys. Through SoCh, she fosters women's social impact journeys and global leadership programs. Anusha, an Echidna Global Scholar at Brookings Institution, advocates feminist education, speaking at TEDx events. Her contributions earned accolades like Great Indian Women of the Year 2021 and WEF 2019 Award of “Exceptional Women of Excellence”. Recognised among India's top 17 SDG Women Changemakers, Anusha continues to inspire nationwide social change.

Anvita is a Development Professional based in Delhi NCR with around five years of full time and 8 years of part time cross-sector experience in program management, sustainability, and systems design. She currently works at Karo Sambhav as Assistant Manager - Strategy and Growth, leading partnerships and project management under India's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, including a GIZ- and Covestro-backed initiative on high-value plastics circularity. Her interests center on circular economy systems, EPR policy, and climate-conscious program design. She holds a PGP in Development Management from ISDM and a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology.

Dr. Aparajita Gogoi is an advocate for the rights of women and young girls who has driven systems change at scale through strategic norm-change initiatives. Under her leadership C3 has demonstrated that gender-based programs can be implemented at scale. A TEDx speaker, she was named by The Guardian as one of the world's 100 most inspiring women (2011) and featured by India Today as an Unsung Hero (2019). She holds a PhD in International Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism.

Arun Nathan is a Partner at Sattva Consulting, leading the Nonprofit Advisory practice. He has advised more than 100 non-profits and philanthropic institutions across India and the Global South on strategy, organisation design, fundraising and change management. An accredited change management coach with over 22 years across the social and corporate sectors, he has held CSR and Sustainability leadership roles at L&T Finance, Lifestyle International and the IDFC Group, and led philanthropy at the Jagtiani Foundation. He has taught at IRMA, TERI SAS and Shiv Nadar University, and is an alumnus of the London School of Economics and IRMA.

Ashwin Yardi is the Non-Executive Chairman of Capgemini India. In his previous role, he served as CEO of Capgemini Technology Services India for seven years and was also a member of the Capgemini Group Executive Committee. With over 30 years of experience in consulting and information technology, Ashwin has led large-scale business transformation initiatives across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, helping Fortune 1000 organizations drive growth, innovation, and business impact. His strength is in driving transformational outcomes that create sustainable value and strengthen organizational performance.

Beyond his corporate leadership, Ashwin is actively involved in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives focused on digital inclusion, diversity, and sustainability, and serves as Co-Chair of YuWaah, UNICEF’s youth empowerment initiative. By qualification, Ashwin is an Engineer, MBA, and CFA.

Prof. Avanish Kumar is a development anthropologist with over three decades of experience in governance and sustainable development. He began his career at the Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics, followed by a decade with Development Alternatives, supporting over 100 civil society organisations. He transitioned to academia in 2000 and has been associated with MDI Gurgaon since 2006, where he has held several academic and administrative leadership roles, including Dean of the School of Public Policy and Governance. His work spans citizen-centric governance, public policy, sustainable development, women’s empowerment, rural livelihoods, and capacity building. Prof. Kumar has advised government and multilateral institutions, served on several national and international committees, and delivered 50+ invited lectures. He has published extensively and received recognition for his contributions to anthropology, governance, and sustainable development.

Balwant Singh Mehta is a Professor at the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi, with extensive experience in development economics, labour studies, inequality, gender, technology, and the future of work. He has authored 12 books, prepared 20 monographs, and published over 100 research articles. He has coordinated more than 55 research studies in collaboration with national and international organisations, including the ILO, UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, NITI Aayog, and several government ministries. He is currently Principal Investigator of the Centre of Excellence in AI and Labour at IHD and a member of the Government of India’s Expert Committee on Labour Statistics. His work focuses on employment, social protection, digital transformation, and evidence-based development policy.

Bhavna Yadav is a member of Shri Shyam Mahila SHG from Khedki Gram Panchayat in Gurugram and is actively contributing to the economic and digital empowerment of women in her community. She is associated with the Badhandki Mahila Gram Sangathan and works in the area of digital literacy and banking services as a CSC and Bank Sakhi.Bhavna joined Shri Shyam Mahila SHG and expanded into dairy and animal husbandry to strengthen her livelihood. Leveraging her education, she now works as a Banking Correspondent (BC) at SHG Bank, providing essential banking services to her community. She also runs a small stationery shop from home, creating an additional source of income. Determined to embrace new technology, she was trained as a Drone Didi and received a drone, enabling her to offer modern agricultural drone services to local farmers.Today, Bhavna's livelihood portfolio includes dairy and animal husbandry, CSC and banking services, a stationery shop, and agricultural drone services.

Bikalp Chamola is an Assistant Professor at the School of Development, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, where he teaches in the MBA in Development Management and MA in Development programmes. He holds a PhD in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, where his doctoral research examined cross-sectoral collaborations in India's nonprofit sector. His current research centres on the long-term impact of nonprofits, using realist evaluation approaches to understand not just whether interventions work, but how and why they work across different contexts. He has also published on the ethics and epistemological limits of randomized controlled trials in development research. A mixed-methods researcher, he draws on household surveys, satellite data, interviews, and archival analysis in his work.

Byomkesh Mishra is a social entrepreneur, educator, and organisation builder with over two decades of experience in the development sector. He is the Co-founder of Medha, where he has spent the last 15 years building the organisation and working at the intersection of youth development, education, and employment. A 2012 Echoing Green Global Fellow and an alumnus of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), Byomkesh is particularly interested in how organisations grow and evolve, how people develop as leaders, and how young people build agency to navigate their lives and careers. Increasingly, his work and writing explore organisation development, leadership, systems change, and the human side of building institutions for social impact.

Chandni Chopra is the Co-founder and Chief Program Officer at Simple Education Foundation (SEF), where she leads teacher development programmes embedded within government systems across Delhi, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, reaching over 150,000 teachers and 5 million students across 20,000+ government schools. At SEF, she leads the strategic design and execution of all initiatives, spanning in-service teacher development, the pre-service Teachers for Tomorrow programme, and partner schools. A Teach For India alumni, Chandni previously co-founded the Khel Khel Mein Foundation, using sport to nurture resilience in under-resourced communities. She studied at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and the London School of Economics. Her thought leadership has been featured on Brookings, TEDx, and at global forums, establishing her as a leading voice for equitable, high-quality education.

Chetna Sinha is the Founder and Chairperson of Mann Deshi Bank and Mann Deshi Foundation, and a leading advocate for women’s economic empowerment. In 1997, she founded Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank, India’s pioneering bank for and by rural women. She subsequently established India’s first business school for rural women and has championed initiatives in financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, healthcare, sports, climate-smart agriculture, and women-led producer organisations. Mann Deshi reached one million women in 2024. A Yale, Ashoka, and Schwab Fellow, Chetna has held leadership roles at the World Economic Forum, W20, G20 EMPOWER, and BRICS Women’s Business Alliance. She received the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2018 and addressed the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2024.

Chirag Bhatia is Senior Manager, Monitoring & Evaluation at Adhyayan, with a professional background spanning auditing, compliance, finance and operations analysis. His core expertise lies in data and operations analysis, financial planning and analysis, and management information systems. After beginning his career in the corporate sector, Chirag transitioned to education through teaching and volunteering in an NGO-operated school, developing a strong interest in education and the social sector. At Adhyayan, he works on monitoring, evaluation and evidence generation to support organisational learning and programme improvement. His professional interests include data-driven decision-making, education systems, monitoring and evaluation, and using evidence to strengthen school improvement efforts.

Devleena Chatterji is a Research Manager at the Global Knowledge Hub, Indian School of Development Management, with over twelve years of experience in evidence-based research and development sector effectiveness. A mixed-methods researcher specializing in gender equity, climate resilience, and education, Devleena has designed and executed monitoring and evaluation frameworks and independent research projects across multi-donor programs in India. She has collaborated with donors, foundations, and ecosystem partners, contributing to large-scale research publications and shaping research and MEL strategy for cohort-based programs spanning twenty to thirty partner organisations. Her expertise spans research design, impact evaluation, and translating field evidence into actionable insights and fundable impact narratives for the social impact sector.

Dr. Dhir Jhingran is the Founder Executive Director of Language and Learning Foundation (LLF), a non-profit focused on improving students' foundational learning at scale. Dhir has worked in the primary education sector for almost 35 years, both within and outside the Government in India. As an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Dhir served in policy-making roles in the Ministry of Education at the national level, as Project Director of the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP), Mission Director of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Principal Secretary-Education in Assam. He was also Senior Advisor to UNICEF India, Advisor to the Ministry of Education in Nepal and Chief Program Officer with Room to Read. He has made significant contributions to early grade reading and multilingual education programs in Asia and India. Dhir has authored three books in primary education and holds a PhD in Education.

Dhruvi Shah is Executive Trustee and CEO of Axis Bank Foundation, which she joined in 2016, becoming CEO in 2020. Under her leadership the Foundation's Sustainable Livelihood Programme has reached 2 million rural households, with a roadmap to scale through Mission 4 Million by 2030. With over 25 years across banking, microfinance and development, she spent 18 years at ABN AMRO / RBS and was part of the team that set up RBS Foundation India. She is curator and author of The Book of Aspiration and advises NGOs and philanthropies on funding design and capacity building.

Franey Sood is Co-founder and Chief Programs & Impact Officer at Kachi Sadak Foundation. Her journey, like Kachi Sadak’s, grew from nearly a decade of community volunteering alongside a corporate career into a deeper commitment to building with, rather than for, communities. After spending 8 years building programs as a volunteer, she stepped out of her corporate role to full commit herself to the vision around which kachi sadak was founded. She has co-created child-centric learning models rooted in the realities, voices, and aspirations of children and communities, reaching 105,000+ children across schools, Anganwadis, and community spaces. She believes lasting educational equity begins when children and communities reclaim agency, and when systems learn to listen, respond, and evolve from the ground up.

Dr. Garima leads and contributes to content development and curation for professional certificate programs and diverse learning journeys. A development professional with over two decades of experience, she has worked across the social sector, universities, and private sector in training and capacity building, course development, program design, facilitation, and learning solution development.

She is UGC-NET qualified and has taught at the University of Delhi. She has also served as a consultant with IGNOU’s School of Continuing Education, contributing to the development and editing of its Diploma Program in Event Management. She holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies.

At ISDM, Dr. Garima leads content development for the Centre for Good Governance and has developed certificate programs in SPO Governance and Compliance Management and Results-Based Program Management where she has also been serving as faculty.

Garima Manocha is the India Lead for Insights & Impact at Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. She leads impact measurement, evaluation, data strategy and learning to enable program design and delivery across an ~60-program portfolio spanning Education, University Success, Jobs & Livelihoods, and Financial Services. After beginning her career in strategy consulting, Garima transitioned to education through the Teach for India fellowship, developing a strong interest in education and data-driven social change. Garima has 12+ years of experience designing program strategy and enabling evidence-backed decisions across US and India in education and workforce development sectors. She holds a Master of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor in Investment and Financial Analysis from Delhi University.

Gautam Sood is an Associate Director - Finance & Fundraising at Indus Action. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Gautam brings over 16 years of experience spanning tax consulting at Ernst & Young, and working across operations, finance and fundraising at Indus Action. Gautam has been a two time interviewee for the Indian Civil Services. At Indus Action, he oversees financial operations and private partnerships. Outside work, food and fitness are his key interests.

With two decades of experience in social impact, philanthropy, and ESG spanning private sector, non-profits, consulting and academia, Gayatri is a Social Impact and Sustainability expert. She currently advises philanthropists, corporates, and not for profits, on strategy, scale and impact. Prior to this, she led ESG & Social Impact for Godrej Industries Group, a diversified Indian conglomerate. Gayatri was instrumental in scaling up the Groups’ flagship private public partnership health programme, EMBED, aimed at prevention and control of mosquito borne diseases through public-private-people partnerships that deliver successful behaviour change outcomes, and foster systemic change. EMBED has reached 30 million people across 4 states in India, and enabled Madhya Pradesh to reduce malaria by 72% in 6 years. At Godrej, Gayatri has created several multi-stakeholder working groups, in areas such as solid waste management; access to social security and social justice; Human Rights Due Diligence; the Group’s Net Zero by 2035 roadmap; and an ESG lens in new product development. Under her leadership, all 4 Group companies have moved into the global leadership levels of ESG ratings such as CDP, and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Prior to Godrej, Gayatri worked in Corporate Sustainability at HSBC India where she drove the bank’s portfolio of community investments across three strategic pillars - future skills, sustainable networks & entrepreneurship, and sustainable finance. She has also worked at Dasra, India’s premier strategic philanthropy firm, leading their advisory research practice and business development teams. At Dasra, she authored over a dozen landscape research reports, studying the work of over 1500 non-profits, ran the Dasra Social Impact Programme for non-profit leadership and organisational development, facilitated giver education programmes for UNHIs and family foundations, crafted 3 collaborative giving models (adolescent girls empowerment, governance, and sanitation), and grew and influenced strategic giving of Dasra’s philanthropic network. She was instrumental in helping scale the organisation from an 8 person team to a 100+ member institution. Gayatri has consulted for several Indian and multi-national companies and Harvard University’s South Asia Institute. She holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Westminster, London; and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications & Cultural Studies from the University of Avignon, France. She has taught B.A. level courses in Gender Studies and Cultural Studies as an Assistant Professor to Dr. Dorrie Chetty at the University of Westminster. In her free time Gayatri enjoys painting, reading and travelling, and is also a certified yoga instructor. She has served as a mentor to several young women with Indian Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), and sits on the boards of the The United World College India National Committee (the high school of which she is an alumna), and the Bansuri Foundation, a family philanthropic initiative.

Ghazala Jamil teaches at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University. She has taught at the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi, and School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. She has over 10 years of experience of working in the development sector in India prior to joining academia. She is the author of Accumulation by Segregation (Oxford University Press, 2017) and Muslim Women Speak (Sage-Yoda Press, 2018). Her writings have appeared in journals and news media such as Antipode, Economic and Political Weekly, Indian Express, Outlook, Frontline, The Telegraph, Hindustan Times, The Wire, and Scroll.in. Her current research interests include Urban Studies, Law and Cultural Politics, and Postcolonial Feminisms.

Girish S is a development professional with over 23 years of experience in designing and implementing large-scale social development and CSR programs across India. He has worked across education, skill development, employability, community and youth development, social innovation, and entrepreneurship, bringing together strategy, implementation, and evidence to create meaningful impact. His experience spans program design, project operations, evaluation and research, and advocacy, with a particular focus on education and skilling. Girish holds a postgraduate degree in Life Science Research and Statistical Computing and is based in Bengaluru. He is passionate about building practical, sustainable, and scalable solutions that create opportunities for young people and help communities thrive.

Gudiya Kumari is the elected Mukhiya of Sumerha Panchayat in Kurhani Block, Muzaffarpur district, Bihar. She has been associated with C3 since 2022, through which she has had the opportunity to work on women's leadership, livelihoods, and economic empowerment. Through her efforts, young women from the Panchayat have been connected with various skill-development and employment opportunities, including 25 girls securing employment at Pearl Global Garment Factory. In recognition of her efforts, Gudiya has recently been selected for the prestigious "Panchayat Ratna-2026" National Award.

Harsh Jaitli (Harshvrat Jaitli) brings nearly four decades of experience in civil society, working with and strengthening organisations across India and globally. A graduate of Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of International Studies, he previously served as Director at PRIA, working across environmental health, occupational safety, local governance and organisational development.

As Chief Executive of VANI, India’s national platform with 650 member organisations, Harsh works to strengthen civil society through capacity building, evidence-based advocacy, financial accountability, resilience, governance and stakeholder engagement. His wider sector engagement includes the Asian Development Alliance, Forum for Indian Development Cooperation and European Commission’s Policy Development Forum. He has also contributed to the Government of India’s COVID mitigation efforts and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ review of CSR.

Himanshu Chaudhary is a Research and MEAL professional who, over the last 11 years, has led evaluations, impact assessments, and evidence-informed strategy across education, agriculture, livelihoods, climate and energy, and social inclusion. As a Principal Consultant, she leads end-to-end assignments, from proposal development and programme strategy to field implementation, reporting, dissemination, and client engagement. Her expertise includes developing theories of change, results frameworks, indicator matrices, monitoring systems, and learning frameworks. She works closely with organisations and multidisciplinary teams to translate evidence into actionable insights, strengthen programme effectiveness, facilitate organisational learning, and support informed strategic decision-making.

Himanshu Nivsarkar is the Senior Executive Vice President and Head – CSR & ESG at Kotak Mahindra Bank.With over two decades of diverse experience spanning healthcare, investment banking, private equity,and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Himanshubrings a wealth of expertise and strategic vision to his role.In his current position, Himanshu leads Kotak Mahindra Bank’s CSR initiatives, driving impactful programsthat contribute to societal well-being. He also advises the Bank’s subsidiaries on their CSR strategies andoversees the bank’s ESG framework, ensuring the integration of sustainable practices across its operations.Prior to this role, Himanshu was instrumental in shaping the healthcare and pharmaceuticals investmentportfolio at Kotak Investment Advisors Limited, where he managed several notable investments, includingNatco Pharma and Advanced Enzymes. His career also includes valuable stints with GE Finance’s privateequity division and a boutique investment bank advising on pharmaceutical transactions.Himanshu is an alumnus of SGSITS Indore, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Electronics &Instrumentation. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from the prestigiousIndian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta.

Joohi Khushbu, Member Trustee — Projects & Head of Communications and Media for FINISH Mondial. Joohi is an international development communication professional with over 15 years of experience in development sector- specifically WASH, Financial Inclusion, Health, Livelihood, Agriculture and allied industry. She is an active member of Global Communications & Fundraising Working Groups of FINISH Mondial (6 country) programme- India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. Her expertise includes designing communications & branding guidelines, communication plan & strategies, manage social media & digital media platforms, provide trainings on story telling & presentations, and develop fundraising proposals for creating grant opportunities in development sector.

With over 20 years of diverse experience across general management, strategy, business development, operations, partnerships and programme management, Kakul has led innovative initiatives across education, telecom, aviation, financial services and vocational skilling, with a strong focus on impact and scale. Kakul led the setup of the Centre for Digital Governance under the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs and has also built skills organisations bringing global standards to India.

Kalyani Kumar is the Chief Impact Officer at Adhyayan and an engineer by training, with over nine years of experience in the education sector. She leads the organisation’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research agenda, alongside its work on technology, knowledge management and systems change. Her work focuses on using technology, data and evidence to generate actionable insights and strengthen education practice and systems. She leads the development of AI-enabled solutions and the Body of Practitioner Knowledge to capture, curate and democratise practitioner knowledge. Her areas of research and professional interest include education systems transformation, school improvement, practitioner knowledge, evidence-based practice and technology-enabled approaches to learning and systems change. She holds an M.Sc. from Aalto University, Finland.

Kalyani Subramanyam is a leading voice in women’s empowerment and social justice in India, with over 25 years of experience working at the intersections of gender, sexuality, and rights. She is the CEO of Maitrayana Charity Foundation, where she champions rights-based approaches, particularly using sports as a pathway to leadership, confidence, and equality for girls and young women.

A trained social worker, Kalyani spent 18 years at The Naz Foundation (India) Trust, where she pioneered the Young People’s Initiative, a landmark empowerment programme that has reached over 130,000 girls across India and received national and international recognition, including the Goal Lifetime Achievement Award. Her experience spans programme design, strategy, grassroots partnerships, safeguarding, and ethical practice.

Kalyani serves on UNICEF’s International Safeguarding Children in Sport Advisory Board and advises institutions on Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) frameworks. She is a Vital Voices Lead Fellow and Dasra Leadership Programme alumna, and has been recognised by Decision Maker Magazine and national women’s leadership platforms. Most recently, she received the ‘Social Impact Leader’ Award from the Women of Substance Network & Awards 2026.

Through her work, Kalyani continues to create spaces where girls and young women can lead, decide, and thrive.

Kankana Trivedi is a programme and policy evaluation specialist with over seven years of experience in the social impact sector. Her work spans research, evaluation, and programme implementation, with a focus on sustainable development, livelihoods, climate action, and gender equity. She has led evidence-based programme design and institutional strengthening initiatives, working with government bodies, multilaterals, and communities to inform policy and improve programme outcomes.

Kavita Anand is an educator and Founder Director with over 35 years of experience in education. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), UK, and an Ashoka Fellow, she has worked extensively across school education, teacher development and school leadership in India and internationally. Her experience includes founding and leading schools, developing teacher education programmes, and supporting large-scale education initiatives across India, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. She was part of the international team that developed the School Leadership Development Programme curriculum with NCTL Nottingham and NUEPA, which trained 7,000 government school leaders across five states in India. Her professional interests include school improvement, teacher and school leadership development, foundational learning and strengthening the quality of education systems.

Kavita Sonkiya, Co-founder & President of SHEDO (Social Health and Education Development Organization), is a social practitioner hailing from Timarni, Madhya Pradesh, holding an M.Phil. in Botany and a diploma in development leadership. Belonging to a marginalized community, Kavita's lived experiences with caste and gender discrimination shaped her commitment to equity, women's rights, and human values. Through initiatives like the Art-19 art collective, she works to empower rural and tribal women. In 2025, Kavita authored a book, "Mahamahilayem", focused on the contribution of women in the making of the Indian Constitution.

Prof. (Dr.) K. K. Upadhyay is a development management, sustainability, and CSR professional with over four decades of experience spanning corporate leadership, social impact, CSR, ESG, sustainability, strategic advisory, and academia. He has worked extensively at the intersection of business, society, and institutions, with a focus on responsible business and sustainable development. He has held senior leadership and academic positions and has been closely associated with the evolution of CSR and sustainability practices in India. His work and teaching engage with areas including SDGs, sustainability, ESG, CSR, social impact, governance, and institution building. Dr. Upadhyay is particularly interested in how institutions can create enduring social value by moving beyond organizational structures towards purpose, accountability, collaboration, and systemic impact. He continues to contribute to the field through teaching, research, advisory engagements, and professional platforms.

Ms K. S. Madhurima is a Mechanical Engineer from BITS Pilani and an MBA graduate fromthe Indian School of Business. With 18 years of experience across the IT, banking, andcommercial vehicle sectors, she has held diverse roles that have strengthened her expertise infinance, strategy, and program management. Driven by a desire to create meaningful socialimpact, she transitioned to the development sector and currently leads new programdevelopment, Branding and Volunteering at the Ashok Leyland Foundation. Her unique blendof corporate experience and development-sector commitment enables her to build impactfulprograms that create long-term value for communities and contribute to inclusive growth.

Kumar Madhu Sudan leads the Kilkari and Mobile Academy programmes at ARMMAN, bringing over 32 years of experience in the development sector. He has worked with CARE Inc., IntraHealth International, CARE India and BBC Media Action. For more than 12 years he has led the design, implementation, scale-up and management of mHealth initiatives across multiple states in India. His expertise spans programme leadership, digital health, health communication and technology-enabled interventions, focused on maternal, newborn and child health.

Liinai Margaret is the Co-founder and Executive Director of MOSONiE Socio-Economic Foundation, a women-led grassroots organisation working in Northeast India on sustainable livelihoods, clean energy, climate resilience, health and well-being, and women and youth empowerment. She is also a Co-founder and Director of  Northeast Together Foundation, which works to strengthen collaboration and collective learning among grassroots civil society organisations in the Northeast. With a background in Social Work, Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship, Margaret brings over a decade of experience in community development. Her perspective is shaped by the lived experience of building a grassroots organisation from the ground up—developing teams, working with communities, engaging funders and building an institution capable of sustaining change.

Dr.(Flt Lt).M.A.Balasubramanya is a development leader, trainer and institution builder with more than four decades of experience working from grassroots delivery to state and national policy. He co-founded and led the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), helping build institutions and programmes serving rural, tribal and economically disadvantaged communities. His experience combines community engagement, socio-economic empowerment, livelihood initiatives, adult learning, training-material development, multi-stakeholder coordination, monitoring and programme quality. He has worked extensively across Karnataka, is fluent in Kannada and has previously served as Health Systems Advisor to a SELCO Foundation project on innovative medical technologies for primary healthcare in three states.

Madan Padaki is a purpose-driven entrepreneur working at the intersection of education, entrepreneurship, technology and rural transformation, with a vision to impact 10 million young people. Over the past 25 years, he has built institutions that combine grassroots impact with scalable innovation. He has also conceptualised Rubanomics, a development framework that views the rural-urban corridor as one interconnected economic and social ecosystem.

He co-founded MeritTrac, India’s first large-scale skills assessment firm, which was acquired by Manipal Education in 2011. He is also Co-Founder and Managing Trustee of Head Held High Foundation, which works with rural youth and communities; Co-Founder of the Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME); Founder of 1Bridge, a rural supply chain and logistics platform serving 20,000+ villages; and Founder of JAN AI, which aims to bring the benefits of artificial intelligence to rural and underserved communities. He has also launched the Rubanomics Global Forum to explore new models of inclusive economic and social development.

Madan is the Immediate Past President of TiE Bangalore and a Member of TiE’s Global Board of Trustees. Since 2020, he has been an invited Guest Faculty at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, where he engages incoming Civil Services officers on rural youth and entrepreneurship. His work has been featured in the Prime Minister’s Mann ki Baat, and he has been recognised by Forbes as a leading Tech for Good philanthropist, named Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2021, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate.

Madhu Khetan's 35-year career with PRADAN demonstrates how women's collectives can drive transformative rural development in India. Her approach extends beyond economic empowerment, creating platforms where marginalised women develop leadership skills, foster solidarity, and gain the agency to engage with power structures. Her recent focus on empowering young women economically demonstrates a strategic adaptation to generational change, opening up pathways for education, employment, and entrepreneurship. Through her leadership of PRADAN's partnership with the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, she's scaling grassroots innovations while maintaining community ownership through member-managed Cluster Level Federations. Madhu's work exemplifies how sustainable development emerges when communities build their own capacity to engage with markets, governance, and institutions—influencing broader conversations about participatory development across India.

Maneesha is a philanthropy and social impact leader with over 25 years of experience working across 18 APAC markets. She has led corporate philanthropy and CSR strategies, including managing a US$40 million annual philanthropic portfolio across 14 countries. Her work has focused on inclusive economic growth, financial health, jobs and skills, entrepreneurship and systems change. She has held leadership roles at J.P. Morgan, Citi and ABN AMRO, and brings a funder's perspective, deep cross-cultural experience and a strong understanding of how capital, partnerships and ideas can drive social impact.

Mr. Manjeet Singh is a dedicated education professional with over two decades ofexperience in government school education. Currently serving as Head Master atGovernment High School, Gran, Reasi, he has spent his career working closely withteachers, students and school communities across the district. He holds an M.A. inPolitical Science and an M.Ed., and has served in six schools in different capacities.Beyond school leadership, Mr. Singh has worked as a Cluster Resource Person andtrainer at DIET Reasi, supporting teachers through capacity-building and need-basedtraining. He has been associated with the RTS (Road to School) Program since2021, with experience across different phases of the program. His journey with RTShas given him a first-hand understanding of how sustained interventions can supportschools, teachers and students.

Meghamala Sengupta is an Organisation Development and HR leader at Pravah, with over 17 years of experience in the development sector. As National Lead - Ecosystem Capacity Building, she leads Pravah’s work on strengthening organisations and the wider social-sector ecosystem. Through Pravah’s Saanstha programme, she has designed and led OD journeys with 40+ organisations, working with founders, senior leaders and second-line leaders on shared leadership, culture, decision-making, accountability and organisational sustainability. Her practice brings together organisational learning, leadership, gender and power, and reflective facilitation. Her work offers a practitioner’s lens on the evolving OD landscape in India and the ways organisations are navigating capacity, culture, leadership and sustainability.

Dr. Monica Banerjee is the Vice President and Head of InterGlobe Foundation, the philanthropic and CSR arm of InterGlobe Enterprises dedicated to the conservation and preservation of built, natural, and cultural heritage. She has three decades of experience in the field of development, with a distinct focus on philanthropy, and has actively contributed to the establishment and growth of numerous voluntary organisations and social enterprises in remote areas of the country. Dr. Banerjee holds a Doctorate in Gender and Governance from IIT Delhi and was a J.N. Tata Scholar and post-PhD Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics.

Lt Col Monish Ahuja (Retd), CMD, Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Private Limited (PRESPL), is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune, and holds an M.Tech in Nuclear Technology (Mechanical) from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. He is a recognised leader in the Biomass–Bioenergy sector, advocating agricultural-residue-based biomass and bioenergy through engagement with MNRE, MoPNG, MoA&FW, NITI Aayog, G20, Global Biofuel Alliance, IRENA, World Bank, JICA and JBIC. As Chairman of CBEII, he was nominated to a Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare committee examining paddy-straw supply-chain issues. He authored and presented Project 42 to the Prime Minister’s Office and India’s G20 leadership in December 2022 to address paddy-straw burning.

Dr. Muralidhar Deshpande is an engineering graduate in computer science and engineering and post graduate diploma in business management with over 18 years in IT industry and 10 years in academic and research. PhD from University of Mysore in the area of “early prediction of IT project outcome”. He has won best IT project award in middle east and best research paper award (Gold Medal) by AIMS doctor colloquium.

Dr. Nandini Srivastava is a seasoned development sector leader with over 30 years ofexperience in public health, nutrition, and rural development. As Chief Executive Officer ofAatapi Seva Foundation, Vadodara, she provides strategic direction to the organization’sinitiatives focused on improving health, livelihoods, and social well-being of underservedcommunities.Under her leadership, Aatapi Seva Foundation has strengthened its programmatic footprintthrough evidence-based interventions and high-impact CSR partnerships. She bringsextensive experience in building and managing partnerships with government agencies,international organizations, and corporate partners, including Hindalco, L&T, Deepak Group,PI Industries and many others. Her expertise lies in translating research insights into scalabledevelopment models aligned with national priorities and community needs.Dr. Srivastava has led and contributed to more than 25 research studies in collaboration withleading institutions such as UNICEF, the World Bank, ICMR, and ICSSR, ensuring thatorganizational programs are grounded in robust research and measurable outcomes.Dr. Srivastava holds a PhD in Nutrition from AIIMS, New Delhi, and a Master’s inPopulation Studies from IIPS, Mumbai. She is an award-winning researcher and activelycontributes to ethics committees and public health platforms at the state and national levels.

Narendranath is the National Anchor of the National Coalition on Natural Farming (NCNF), a network of over 250 leading organisations driving large-scale transitions to agroecological farming to address climate change. With deep expertise in rural development, livelihoods, and women’s empowerment, Naren began his career in PRADAN, in 1989, after earning a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Kerala University and a PGDRM from IRMA. He worked in Jharkhand and Rajasthan to organise women into SHGs and implement livelihood initiatives. He later led national and international research to distil practice-based knowledge, and founded PRADAN’s National Resource Centre for Livelihoods to influence government programmes and policy dialogues. He served as PRADAN’s Executive Director from 2017–2022. He now also chairs the RRA Network and sits on many NGO boards. His special focus is on fostering civil society coalitions. Based in Delhi with his wife and daughter, Naren continues to champion transformative, inclusive approaches to sustainable rural development.

Navdeep is a Founding Member and Board Leader at Kachi Sadak Foundation, with 14+ years of learning, community volunteering, and building alongside overlooked communities. His journey began with volunteering while working in the corporate sector, and grew into co-creating education and leadership solutions shaped by the lived realities, aspirations, and voices of communities and children. He believes the answers to a more just world lie in shifting the scales of power towards communities and children, rather than towards the systems meant to serve them. His work has reached 105,000+ children and 10,000 families across 4 states, whereas he continues to find & unlock answers for a world where coexistence & true collective progress thrives, where no one is left behind.

Naveen is leading the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) since 2022. Prior to that, he was the COO at AKRSP(I) for seven years and a field Manager. Before joining AKRSP(I) he worked at the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) and was involved in the marketing of dairy products. He has professional experience of over 19 years in designing and managing large development projects in the areas of sustainable agriculture, youth skilling and enterprise development, and rural women empowerment. During his tenure as program head of the organisation, he led the transformation of programs through promoting innovations, climate resilience, better designing of programs and use of digital technologies. His current interests include climate resilience, work & enterprises for rural youth, and civil society development. He did his graduation in computer engineering and post-graduation in Rural Management from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) which is a premier management institute in India. Naveen serves as a board member on the boards of OCA and DSC Foundation and is also a member on the academic council of KIIT university.

Nayanika Das has over eight years of experience in fundraising and communications in the social sector, and is currently associated with Pravah. She has managed fundraising processes from grant proposals and donor relationships to building internal fundraising cultures and the second-line leaders who sustain them. She has worked with funders across the spectrum, from large institutional philanthropies to individual donors, and has supported early-stage social entrepreneurs and youth leaders in building their fundraising capacities to sustain their initiatives. Prior to this, Nayanika worked as fundraiser with Iswar Sankalpa, a Kolkata-based organisation that works with homeless persons with psychosocial disabilities. She holds a Master's in Social Work in Mental Health from TISS, Mumbai, and a Bachelor's in Mass Media (Journalism) from Sophia College, Mumbai.

Neelanjana Pandey is a Statistician and Social Demographer with over 15 years of experience generating and translating evidence to strengthen programmes, policies, and systems for adolescents, girls, and young people in India and multi-country settings. Her work sits at the intersection of adolescent sexual and reproductive health, gender, education, and social and demographic change, with a strong focus on understanding vulnerabilities, programme effectiveness, and pathways to improved adolescent well-being. She has designed and led large-scale longitudinal and mixed-methods studies, impact evaluations, RCTs, and learning initiatives, working across the full evidence-to-policy action cycle, and translating findings into actionable recommendations for programme improvement and developing knowledge products.

Dr. Nidhi Pundhir is an international humanitarian services and socio-economic-environmental development specialist. In the capacity of Senior Vice President, Global CSR, she leads the global CSR agenda for HCLTech and heads the HCLFoundation, which is the CSR arm of HCLTech, in India. Dr. Pundhir has strategized as well as executed impactful programmatic frameworks that are aligned to the global Sustainable Development Goals, for the most disadvantaged and isolated communities, including environmental targets. She has a deep understanding of poverty issues and delivers realistic approaches towards poverty alleviation. In her current role, Nidhi has envisioned HCLTech’s flagship Global CSR Policy. She has built the HCLFoundation’s vision, mission, and strategy to the next level, ensuring high-quality programme delivery, that brings about meaningful difference on ground. With more than 27 years of experience in actualizing Human Rights and Environmental action at national and international levels, some of the key portfolios she has held were with SOS Children’s Villages as Director Programme Development, Asia, and at Plan International’s International Headquarters as Global Advisor on Child Protection in Development. Dr. Pundhir holds a doctorate in Public Health Management, with her thesis on “Right to Health During First 1000 Days of Life for Children Living in Slums”, from IIHMR University, Jaipur and M.Phil. in Health Systems Management from BITS, Pilani, India.

Nivedita Krishna founded Pacta in 2017 and is a law and public policy consultant with over 15 years of experience in the social sector. In the last decade, she has focused on law and policy initiatives to strengthen India's public education system.

Nivedita is a Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, has completed her LL.B from ILS Law College, Pune and holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Princeton University’s School of Public & International Affairs.

Noshir H. Dadrawala is CEO, Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy (CAP), offering compliance related advisory to nonprofits and corporate social initiatives. His 40-year nonprofit career spans global organisations, foundations, social enterprises, and start-ups. Noshir's main role at CAP involves simplifying the confusing and complex maze of the ever-changing regulatory regime in India.

His previous international affiliations include serving as member on the governing board of the International Center for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL), Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support (WINGS), Resource Alliance, and Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium (APPC). In India, he serves as trustee of the Forbes Foundation, Collective Good Foundation, GuideStar India, G. J. Kapoor Foundation, Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra, and the Bombay Community Trust. He is also a member of the Audit Committee of Akshay Patra Foundation and an Advisory Committee Member of the Masina Hospital in Mumbai.

Noshir has authored several resource books, including “Governance of Nonprofit Organisations in India” released in October 2024. He is an active blogger on compliance related issues for NPOs and guest faculty at Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Parikshit Luthra is Director for Policy & Government Partnerships at The Convergence Foundation, working with teams across the Foundation's partner organisations on policy reforms for economic growth and human capital development. Prior to TCF he was a Senior Anchor and Chief of Bureau at CNBC-TV18, a journalist and anchor for 20 years covering economic policy, business, politics, international affairs and the defence sector.

Poonam heads the Open Learning Network at the C4EC Foundation (Centre for Exponential Change), leading the creation of collaborative, community-driven learning networks. Prior to C4EC, Poonam worked across India and Nepal across diverse domains, spanning foundational work at Teach for India to multi-sector initiatives in learning, entrepreneurship, agriculture, food systems, and artificial intelligence.

Prabhakar brings 38 years of experience, including 31 years with ITC, where he has worked across Human Resources, Agribusiness, FMCG, Information Technology and Corporate functions. Since mid-2021, Prabhakar has led ITC’s social interventions focused on strengthening social and environmental capital, spanning Natural Resource Management, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Human Capability Development, Public and Community Health, and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods. He is also a member of ITC’s Sustainability Compliance and Review Committee. An alumnus of KREC, Surathkal and XLRI, Jamshedpur, he also spent seven years with TVS Motors and the Murugappa Group in Human Resources. He also serves on CII’s National Committees on CSR and Water and the Steering Committee of the India Sanitation Coalition, and has been associated with NHRD, EFSI, HMA and the Global Compact Network. Passionate about ecosystem approaches, collaboration and systems thinking, he brings a strong belief in designing for impact at scale and enabling communities to achieve sustainable development.

Pramada Menon is a queer feminist who has been working on issues of gender, sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, disability and mental health, livelihoods, philanthropy and organisational change management for four decades. She is a Co-founder of CREA (www.creaworld.org) and on the Advisory of a number of grant making organizations. Pramada is an independent consultant and works as an Advisor to Human Capability Foundation and The Greencliffe Foundation, both UK based grant making charities.

A committed social change enabler, Prasad partners with not-for-profits as a philanthropist and board member. He serves as Board Member and Chair of the Mumbai Chapter of Social Venture Partners (SVP) India, and is a Founding Member of IIT-IIT. He sits on the boards of Atma, FMCH, Apnalaya and Project Tech4Dev. With a finance background across ICICI, Edelweiss and JSW, he brings 30 years of experience across the corporate and social sectors.

Prasanna holds a graduate degree in Agriculture Engineering from College of Agriculture Engineering, JNKVV (Jabalpur) and a Masters in Aquaculture Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He began his career as Assistant Engineer with the erstwhile MP Fisheries Development Corporation, later spending almost two decades with the Government of Madhya Pradesh overseeing livelihoods, poverty alleviation, fisheries, and aquaculture initiatives in tribal areas of Chhattisgarh. Prior to joining SRIJAN in 2012, he worked extensively as a consultant on aquaculture, water conservation, and Integrated Natural Resource Management, with over 34 years of experience in designing large-scale development projects.

Dr. Prem S. Vashishtha is Former Director of the Agricultural Economics Research Centre, University of Delhi, and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), New Delhi. He has also served as Professor and founding Dean at Sharda University and Galgotias University, and as Senior Consultant at NCAER. He holds an MA in Economics from the University of Allahabad and a PhD from the University of Delhi. Dr. Vashishtha has taught at Delhi University, Boston University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and held visiting fellowships at IDS Sussex, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Rand Corporation. His research spans agricultural and rural economics, health economics, public policy, applied econometrics, and social sector development. He has authored three books and published widely in leading journals. He has consulted with several international organisations and also served as member of some Government committees. The Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Economic Association (UPUEA) honoured him with the Kautalya Award in 2021.

Priya Subbaraman is Co-Founder and Director of Dhiraa SkillDev Foundation and a financial services professional with over three decades of leadership experience across Indian and global financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Kotak Mahindra Group and Standard Chartered Bank. Until mid-2023 she was Chief Regulatory Officer of the National Stock Exchange. She is faculty for ISDM's Certificate Program in SPO Governance and Compliance Management, holds a law degree, and is an associate member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Priyanka is a development professional with over 15 years of experience working across government systems to strengthen public service delivery and improve outcomes for underserved communities across India. As Program Director at Swaniti Initiative, she led the SPARC programme, supporting Members of Parliament to strengthen governance and public service delivery. As a Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellow, she worked with senior bureaucrats and local governments to implement flagship rural development programmes. She also held leadership roles with the Transforming Rural India Foundation. She is an alumna of the U.S. Department of State's Professional Fellowship in Governance and Society and established the Youth in Governance Initiative India (YiGII). She currently supports Breakthrough Trust in expanding government partnerships to institutionalize gender-transformative approaches within public systems.

Purnima Ramanujan is a development professional with 15 years of experience in education and policy research. She is currently Senior Lead – Research, Impact, and Learning at Transform Schools where she leads the organisation’s programme monitoring, evidence, and partnership agenda. Prior to Transform Schools, Purnima headed the Education, Child Protection and Skilling portfolio at Sambodhi and ASER Centre’s research unit. Her research spans early childhood and secondary education, school–community engagement, gender, life skills, school to work transitions and educational equity. She has led several large-scale longitudinal studies and impact evaluations in India in collaboration with UNICEF, the World Bank, UNDP, the University of Cambridge, University College London and Ambedkar University Delhi. Her publications address educational equity, early childhood education, community engagement, and mixed-methods research practice.

Radhika Bordia is an award-winning journalist, documentary filmmaker, and educator with over three decades of experience covering development, social justice, gender, public health, and communities across India. Her journalism has focused on issues such as hunger, food security, education, grassroots politics, women’s empowerment, and the experiences of marginalized communities, bringing nuanced perspectives on social and political change. Radhika has held senior editorial roles at NDTV and has reported and produced impactful documentaries from India and around the world. She has also contributed to education, serving as Professor of Practice & Director of the Global Program in Delhi at the University of Missouri, where she designed and led immersive learning experiences for aspiring journalists. She has also taught at O.P. Jindal Global University and serves on the board of Ideosync Media Combine.

Raghwesh Ranjan is Senior Director and Practice Lead for Social and Economic Empowerment at IPE Global. He brings over two decades of experience in governance reform, social protection, nutrition, women’s empowerment and institutional strengthening across South Asia and Africa. He works closely with national and state governments to translate policy intent into scalable, accountable and citizen-centred delivery systems. His experience spans cash transfers, nutrition, adolescent empowerment, livelihoods and digital convergence platforms, with a focus on strengthening institutions, frontline delivery and interdepartmental coordination. Raghwesh holds an MA in Governance and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

Raj Bahadur Saini brings over three decades of grassroots development experience in Uttarakhand, with his work spanning rural livelihoods, health, education, women’s empowerment, and Panchayati Raj governance. He holds an MSW from Vinayak Mission University and a PG Diploma in Hindi Journalism from Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya.

He began his professional journey in Hindi journalism with Dainik Jagaran and Amar Ujala, before transitioning to the development sector, where he has built a career rooted in sustained engagement with communities and local institutions.

As CEO of Village Development Society (VDS), Haridwar, he has led diverse programmes, including HIV/AIDS prevention among migrant populations through the TI-Migrant project; maternal and child health initiatives under NRHM’s Udaan-Arsh project; and programmes focused on livelihoods, SHG formation, women’s empowerment, and education. His work has involved partnerships with institutions including NABARD, American India Foundation through MANSI, and Development Alternatives through TARA Akshar.

Beyond VDS, he serves as a panelist for the Deendayal Upadhyay Panchayati Raj Sashaktikaran Yojana in Uttarakhand and is a member of Voluntary Action Network India (VANI). His experience reflects a deep understanding of grassroots realities and the importance of coordination across village, block, district, state, and national levels.

Rajib Ghosh co-leads Azim Premji Foundation's Philanthropy work, which works with about 2000 partners across the country, with a team of more than 160 professionals spread across 12 locations. He has been with the Foundation since 2021 after a corporate career of more than 25 years primarily at Wipro across multiple businesses, functions and geographies. Rajib is an alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, is based out of Bangalore and travels extensively across India.

Rashmi Nagori is the Head of ESG and CSR at Nuvama Group, a leading non-bank wealth management platform in India. She leads the Group’s sustainability and social responsibility agenda, driving initiatives that create lasting value for stakeholders and communities. With over 30 years in the financial services industry including leadership roles at Kotak and HDFC Securities; Rashmi brings a strategic, people-focused lens to ESG & CSR. Her transition from Human Resources to Sustainability reflects a deep commitment to purposeful impact. Rashmi is passionate about embedding responsible practices into business strategy, advancing social equity, and aligning Nuvama’s ESG goals with global standards. She is currently focused on scaling high-impact CSR programs and fostering a culture of ethical, accountable growth.

Ravali is an educator, social entrepreneur, and anti caste feminist activist deeply committed to social justice and equity. She leads Esther, a civil society organization working towards a world free of gender and caste inequities. Esther’s work empowers young dalit and adivasi women from the remotest parts of Telangana to navigate and challenge societal norms, while providing access to resources and networks for them to build their agency and thrive in their personal and professional futures. Esther also works with grassroots NGOs, govt officials, corporates, and educational institutions to help them build gender and caste awareness in their practice. For more about her work, visit Esther.

Ravali’s beginnings as an advocate of social justice were shaped by her lived experiences of navigating gender and caste realities as a Dalit woman. She is an alumna of Teach for India and Citizens for Public Leadership, and holds a Postgraduate degree in Development Leadership from the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM). Previously, Ravali led the Entrepreneur Transformation Program at Udhyam Learning Foundation, where she worked with 500+ informal sector women entrepreneurs across India, helping them grow their businesses and increase their income. She has also worked with SRIJAN, closely supporting the Tribal Women Federation in Chhattisgarh.

Beyond her work with Esther, Ravali actively engages in the broader anticaste feminist movement focusing on the intersections of caste, gender, religion, labour, and wellbeing through her writing, public speaking, and advocacy efforts. Her work has been featured in platforms like Buzzfeed India, Feminism in India, Telugu Resistance, Asia Society etc. Ravali is also a published translator and spends a lot of her free time with her kittens and mobilizing hyperlocal communities around food, literature, cultural commentary, and fermentation projects.

Ravi Sreedharan transitioned to the social sector in 2011 after a distinguished 24-year corporate career. During his tenure at HSBC, he worked across more than 30 countries, holding key leadership positions including Regional Marketing Head for the Middle East and Africa, Head of Consumer Products for Asia Pacific, Consumer Banking Head for Indonesia, and CEO & President Director of Bank Ekonomi.

He later joined the Azim Premji Foundation, where he led initiatives focused on strengthening leadership and management within the education system. His work focuses on building stronger institutions, enhancing leadership capabilities, and driving sustainable impact across the social sector. Ravi holds an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT (BHU).

Reeya Mishra is Manager — Founders’ Office and Outreach at Kachi Sadak Foundation, where she works closely across programmes, partnerships, research, and organisational priorities. Her work spans early childhood education, foundational learning, community engagement, and building meaningful relationships with partners and supporters. She is particularly interested in how ideas rooted in communities can be communicated, strengthened, and taken forward through wider ecosystems. At Kachi Sadak, Reeya brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach to connecting people, ideas, and possibilities in service of more equitable learning opportunities for children.

Reshma Anand is the Regional Director at the Ford Foundation for India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. With nearly three decades of experience with mission-driven organizations, Reshma has worked across the private sector, non-profits and foundations. She held leadership roles at Hindustan Unilever Foundation and the Tata Trusts. She also founded social ventures including an accelerator for rural entrepreneurs and a donor-advisory practice. An Aspen and TED Fellow, she is widely recognized for advancing responsible philanthropy, women's leadership, and inclusive economic development. Reshma anchored a pivotal program for young women leaders in business, government and civil society, and she continues to bring that commitment to her role at the Ford Foundation as well.

Dr. Ria Sinha is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Climate Change and Energy Transition, Chintan Research Foundation (CRF), with over 16 years of experience in research, policy analysis and sustainable finance. She holds a Ph.D. in Sustainable Finance from TERI School of Advanced Studies and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Calcutta.

Her work focuses on climate and sustainable finance, with particular emphasis on financing low-carbon transitions, adaptation finance, financial intermediation, blended and innovative finance, green bonds, ESG, electric mobility and just transition. Her research examines how financial institutions, capital markets and risk-sharing mechanisms can mobilise private capital for emerging climate and clean-energy sectors.

Dr. Sinha has contributed to policy research, industry consultations and public discourse on climate finance and energy transition, and regularly writes on financing pathways for India’s transition towards a resilient, inclusive and low-carbon economy.

Ritika Sebastian is a Senior Research Manager at the Center for Data Science and Social Impact (CDSSI), Indian School of Development Management, with over ten years of experience in evidence-based research and development sector effectiveness. A mixed-methods researcher specializing in education policy, urban governance, and impact, Ritika has designed and executed comprehensive monitoring and evaluation frameworks across India. She has collaborated with global think tanks and government stakeholders, publishing in peer-reviewed journals and contributing to national policy on smart cities and gender-responsive development. Her expertise spans research design, impact evaluation, and translating evidence into actionable insights for social impact.

Robyn Mildon, PhD, is a global leader in implementation science, evidence synthesis, and evaluation. As the Founding CEO of the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI), she leads a global social purpose organisation with offices in Australia, Singapore, the UK, and Norway, driving impactful work across 20 countries. Robyn’s work has helped to advance the implementation of better evidence in policy and practice settings, improving the quality and effectiveness of health, education, and human services. She has authored or co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, commissioned evidence reviews, and book chapters, including the edited book Implementation Science 3.0 (Springer, 2020). A highly sought-after strategic advisor, Robyn has extensive governance experience across government, philanthropy, and the non-profit sector. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) and The Benevolent Society and is a member of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Evidence Advisory Committee. Additionally, she chairs the Board of Trustees for the Aotearoa Lifecourse Fund and the Research Committee for Systems 2. Robyn is also a frequently invited speaker with extensive experience delivering keynote speeches, facilitating tailored workshops, and chairing global conferences worldwide, focusing on areas such as early childhood development and education. Academically, Robyn is a Visiting Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS)—where she helped establish the Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development (CHILD) and the Behavioural and Implementation Science Interventions (BISI)—and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University. A recipient of the Campbell Collaboration John Westbrook Award (2022) for outstanding contributions to knowledge translation, Robyn also serves as the Chair of the Evidence and Implementation Summit 2025.

Sachin Oza is a rural development professional with 35 years of experience in sustainable livelihoods and participatory natural resource management. Since 2016, he has served as Executive Director of DSC Foundation, following 16 years as Executive Director of the Development Support Centre, where he expanded programmes across Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. His contributions span participatory irrigation and groundwater management, watershed development, sustainable agriculture, farmer producer organisations, crop insurance and natural farming. He has advised national and state policy forums on canal irrigation and watershed management and trained government, civil-society and international stakeholders in India, Nigeria and Ghana. His publications include Silver Springs of Sustainability (2025), Resource Book for Water Literacy (2019), and four volumes on Livelihood Augmentation in Rainfed Areas (LARA).

Sakshi is a service and social innovation designer with experience spanning preventive healthcare, social justice, museum education, and pedagogy. She works as a Design Strategist at the Centre for Exponential Change (C4EC Foundation), where she’s co-creating and developing frameworks that help changemakers navigate complexities and turn ideas into action to drive positive societal change.

Saloni Sinha is an alumna of JNU, New Delhi, a development communication professional and Trustee, Rajbala Foundation, Gurgaon. An expert in teaching learning innovation, she is committed towards SDGs awareness and integration in curricula. She contributes valuably to UN Innovation Network, UN PRME, UNESCO-Greening Education Partnerships, QS World Ranking 2024 and Academy of Management, USA. She was an invited expert for designing a DEI course by Axis Bank. She is internationally recognised for her sustainability projects. Saloni is a translator for PM’s speeches at PIB PM Unit, GOI.

Sameera Ahmed is Program Director at the National Foundation for India. Her profile highlights work in grantmaking, strategy, social justice, gender, leadership building, and donor management. She brings two decades of development sector experience, including eight years leading the Constitutional Values programme at the Azim Premji Foundation and earlier roles at Sightsavers India and Oxfam India. At NFI, this experience connects to the foundation’s work with grassroots organisations through capacity building, leadership development, and access to funding.

Saurabh Chopra is Senior Director, Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives at Central Square Foundation, working closely with central government stakeholders and leading engagements on the National Education Policy, NIPUN Bharat Mission, National Achievement Survey, DIKSHA and CBSE SAFAL. Prior to CSF he founded EnglishLeap, an online English learning application with two million users. He holds a B.Com from Shri Ram College of Commerce and an MBA from IIM Lucknow.

Dr Seema Murthy is a physician and a public health professional with over 20 years of experience in clinical medicine, research, teaching and practice of public health. She has worked with CCDC, PHFI and Forus Health prior to her current role as Senior Research Specialist with Aurora Health Innovations, LLP. She has been the Principal Investigator in several studies, has secured few grants and has several publications. She has a bachelor’s degree in medicine from Bangalore University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan.

Shalabh Mittal is a social entrepreneurship and rural development professional with over 25 years of experience across livelihoods, entrepreneurship, innovation, incubation, skill development, governance, and community-led development. He has worked extensively with government agencies, multilateral institutions, CSR foundations, academic institutions, and grassroots organisations to design and implement inclusive development initiatives. As Founding CEO of SSE India since 2015, he has built one of India’s leading ecosystems for social entrepreneurship and incubation support for mission driven enterprises. Under his leadership, SSE India has mentored and supported 200+ social entrepreneurs, including rural and grassroots innovators working in agriculture, livelihoods, health, sanitation, climate resilience, and women’s economic empowerment. His work has a strong focus on rural development and inclusion, particularly among women, tribal communities, backward communities, and youth from underserved geographies.

Shankhajit Sen, MEAL Lead, Economics Researcher & Development Research SpecialistEconomist and development researcher with over 10 years of experience in social science research, policy analysis, and program monitoring. Currently serving as MEAL Lead for FINISH Mondial India and Trust of People (ToP), overseeing multi-country research and evaluation initiatives on WASH, climate resilience, and financial inclusion. Doctoral scholar at University of Calcutta combining academic rigor with practical field expertise across India and South Asia. Proven track record in evidence generation, impact evaluation, and policy translation for international development organizations.

Sharon Weir is a development professional and co-founder of 4th Wheel Social Impact, established in 2010. With an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London, she has led over 200 research, evaluation, and communication projects across education, health, livelihoods, water and sanitation, and women’s empowerment. Her expertise spans social impact strategy, monitoring and evaluation, data systems, and impact assessment, serving governments, NGOs, corporates, and impact investors. She has designed evaluations using quasi-experimental methods, Social Return on Investment, social audits, participatory rural appraisal, and pre-post assessments. A Level 1 Social Value Associate and certified Social Auditor for the Social Stock Exchange, she has trained thousands of social sector professionals across India, strengthening evidence-based impact measurement and MEAL practices.

Shashi Bala Rai is a faculty of Marketing. She is a Fellow of IRMA and specialises in research in social and sustainable marketing. She has more than 11 years of work experience in higher education and consultancy. She is the first research scholar in the domain of Social Marketing to conduct a longitudinal survey tracking actual behavior change. She has presented papers at international and national conferences. My Case study “Netting profits in still waters” was one of the best Cases of the Sitaram Rao Livelihood Competition. I have been regularly conducting workshops for research scholars and faculty on topics such as Hands-on with SPSS, AMOS, NVivo, Tableau, Power BI, Research Methods, and Publication Strategies for Top-Tier Journals. My expertise encompasses Business Planning, Social & Rural Marketing, Sustainability, Research Methods, Marketing Research, Business Analytics, and Entrepreneurship. I have completed training and consulting assignments for Liberty Shoes Pvt. Ltd. Karnal; ISRPL, Panipat; IOCL; Better World Foundation etc.

Shivangi has over seven years of experience in the development and implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Circular Economy systems. She has worked with leading global brands such as Apple, Ericsson, Medtronic, and PepsiCo, supporting their compliance and sustainability initiatives. At Karo Sambhav, Shivangi oversees the Project Office, which leads initiatives to advance collection systems, R&D on the recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs), solutions for hard-to-recycle e-waste fractions, and the design of circular economy and EPR policy frameworks. She also oversees the development of strategic collaborations and growth partnerships to scale circular solutions. She holds an MSc in Environmental Studies and Resource Management from the TERI School of Advanced Studies, and a BSc in Chemistry from Gargi College, University of Delhi.