Mahamaya Navlakha is a social impact professional with over 15 years of experience building platforms, programmes, and narratives that drive dialogue and action. Their journey began with Christian Children’s Fund – India, where they supported child development programmes across six states, and grew through diverse roles that combined creativity, strategy, and facilitation.
Arjun Shekhar, a prominent figure in the vartaLeap Coalition, stands as a co-founder of Pravah and ComMutiny – The Youth Collective, alongside being the visionary founder of Vyaktitva, a distinguished performance support consulting firm. Renowned for his expertise in designing structured experiences, Arjun possesses a diverse range of interests and engagements in the realm of human development. His impactful contributions span both social and corporate sectors, where he has crafted innovative learning and leadership interventions tailored to nurture individual potential
Meenu Venkateswaran, an esteemed alumnus of Delhi School of Economics and IIM Bangalore, boasts over 30 years of rich experience spanning both corporate and social sectors. As a founder member and board member of Pravah and Community—The Youth Collective, Meenu has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of youth development in India. Additionally, she serves as a Trustee of Spanda, a performing arts Trust established by Ms. Leela Samson.
Dr. Ramnarayan Syag, affectionately known as Syag Bhai, holds a prominent role as a member and co-founder of the Samavesh Society for Development and Governance. With over two decades of experience, he has been a pivotal figure in the organisation's efforts to promote inclusive development and effective governance practices. Additionally, Dr. Syag plays an active role in the coordination team of the MP Swashasan Abhiyan, a civil society organisation dedicated to strengthening local self-governance bodies such as Gram Sabhas and Panchayati Raj institutions.
Fr Jerry Thomas is the director of Bosco in Jorhat (Assam) Institute affiliated with Dibrugarh University. The institute offers a Masters program in Social Work to prepare professionally sound and socially committed social workers in and around India’s North East.
Bappaditya Mukherjee serves as the Founding Secretary of Prantakatha, an esteemed organisation dedicated to fostering deep self-awareness for social transformation among youth. With a rich history spanning 18 years, Prantakatha operates as an intersectional youth space in Kolkata, West Bengal, impacting over 5000 youth from diverse backgrounds, with a focus on marginalised communities.
Ajay Pandit, an experienced Chief Executive Officer has a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organisation management industry. As one of the founding members and Executive Secretary of Synergy Sansthan, he has played a pivotal role in driving the organisation's mission forward.
Demonstrating exceptional proficiency in business development, Pandit's expertise is underscored by his extensive experience in the field. His skill set encompasses a diverse range of competencies including research, Microsoft Excel, management, customer service, and Microsoft Word.
At the heart of Ashraf’s journey is her deep belief in the power of people, and that unlocking their potential, and thereby society’s, is possible through collective action. A key contributor to the evolution of the inside-out youth leadership field, Ashraf is the Co-Founder of Pravah, ComMutiny The Youth Collective, Adaptatva and an incubating member of the vartaLeap Coalition. vartaLeap is a cross-sectoral community of 150 key stakeholders working toward the mission: Every Youth a Jagrik, Every Space Nurturing Jagriks.
Convener, ComMutiny - The Youth Collective Anchor, The vartaLeap Coalition
ComMutiny - The Youth Collective
Kanika has over 19 years of experience in the youth development sector. At ComMutiny, Kanika supports the facilitation of the community of collective of over 85+ org. spread across 18 states. She is a part of the core team that facilitates the vartaLeap Coalition. She is entrusted to build partnerships and alliances towards amplifying the 5th Space approach to youth-centric development. Under her leadership, the #Saathnirbhar campaign has also been recognized by the World Economic Forum’’s COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs.
Rajesh is co-building and co-nurturing collectives and coalitions of youth focussed and youth engaging institutions in India by bringing youth centric development practices as the driving norm in the sector. His work contributes to creating a pipeline of wholesome youth leaders (aka Jagriks- self awakened, proactive citizens) who are championing and addressing the most pressing needs of our times. He is Chief Operating Officer at ComMutiny- The Youth Collective, Delhi. He has led, designed and executed many successful campaigns at ComMutiny, such as Bas!
In 1985, Vijay initiated the Young Experimenters Group (YEG) in Ahmedabad, marking the beginning of his journey in youth empowerment. With a career spanning over three decades, he currently serves as the Director of the South Asia Peace Alliance (SAPA) since 2008 and has played a pivotal role in promoting initiatives like the Navyug Youth Centre and serving as a member of Jai Jagat International. In 2021, he co-founded We The Yuva, further extending his commitment to empowering young people and fostering positive change in society.
With over three decades of experience in rural development, Sudarshan brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience to his work. His journey has been dedicated to advocating for the rights of the poor and holding the state accountable while actively engaging in rural management and economic empowerment initiatives. As a first-generation farmer, Sudarshan has embraced a learn-by-doing approach, continually seeking innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by rural communities.
Faculty and Academic Dean Undergraduate Students- Srishti Institute of Art Design and Technology,Bangalore
Rustam Vania, an esteemed Art and Design professional, serves as the academic Dean at Srishti Institute of Art Design and Technology in Bangalore since 2005. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Applied Arts) degree, he boasts a multifaceted skill set spanning various disciplines such as Editorial Design, Information Design, Typography, Illustration, and more. As a seasoned practitioner, Rustam has made significant contributions to both print and digital media, particularly in Editorial and Publication Design.
With over two decades of experience in the development sector, Ritikaa Khunnah has played a pivotal role in advancing youth development initiatives. Serving as the CEO of Pravah since 2008, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to empowering youth. Ritika's contributions extend beyond organisational leadership; she has been an influential member of the UNWomen multi-country civil society advisory group, advocating for gender equality on a global scale.
Neha Buch, currently serving as an Advisory Board Member of Pravah, brings over 20 years of invaluable experience in youth development. Formerly the CEO of Pravah, she made significant strides, leading flagship interventions and fostering innovation within the organisation. Starting her journey as a volunteer in 2000, Neha's dedication and leadership skills propelled her to become the first and youngest non-founder CEO of Pravah.
Kuldeep embarked on his journey as a volunteer three years ago with Had-Anhad, where he found his passion for making a difference in education. Inspired by his experiences, he transitioned into a full-time role with the organisation after completing his graduation. His dedication to working with adolescents in education led him to take on the role of state manager, leading the Madhya Pradesh Collective group of 12 organisations.
Deep Jyoti Sonu Brahma emerges as a seasoned professional dedicated to reshaping youth attitudes toward agriculture by integrating hands-on farming experiences into the education system. With over two decades of experience in education and youth development, Deep has played instrumental roles in envisioning, designing, and implementing various educational initiatives. His expertise spans school development, community capacity building, and youth interventions, garnered through leadership positions at organisations like Pravah and The American India Foundation.
With a background in Information Technology, Ashok started his professional journey as a Network Security Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services from 2015 to 2018. However, his inclination towards social change surfaced during his college years when he participated in the Community Connect Fellowship with the Blue Ribbon Movement in 2013, marking the inception of his volunteerism. Since then, he has remained actively engaged with the organisation, leveraging his skills and passion for community development.
Sonal Roshan and is a Professional Life Skill Trainer. He has developed good knowledge and skills over working with underprivileged children and young people. He is currently mentoring youth groups to design and develop social action and learning projects. He has a strong ability in English writing and communication. He believes no matter how difficult is the target, motivation, and trust in oneself to achieve it determines its success, that’s the work of a facilitator, to show that a dream is not just about dreaming, but also to believe that it can be achieved.
Navendu Mishra is currently anchoring Agrini. He is a passionate person with a calm demeanor. He has been working with youth on change-making initiatives for many years now. One such initiative of his, “Shikshalaya” has proved to be a successful model of education and has been recognized and appreciated on several platforms. Besides Changelooms, he is also actively associated with various youth changemakers’ networks such as Jagriti Yatra.
