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.
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.
Advisor, ComMutiny and Mentor to youth and social Entrepreneurs
Ujwal, a seasoned professional, has seamlessly transitioned between the realms of banking and the social sector, demonstrating his versatility and leadership prowess. With a career spanning 28 years in banking, including stints at prominent institutions such as SBI, Standard Chartered Bank, Timesbank, and BNP Paribas, he ascended to executive roles and spearheaded retail banking divisions.
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.
Dr. P. Sivakumar, serving as faculty and Head of the Centre for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Impact Analysis (CMEIA) at RGNIYD, along with being the Head in-charge of the Department of Development Studies, brings a wealth of expertise to his roles. With a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Dr. Sivakumar has established himself as a distinguished scholar in the field.
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.
Ashraf has played a key role in shaping the youth work field for nearly three decades as co-founder of Pravah and ComMutiny - The Youth Collective. She is a passionate advocate of inside-out youth leadership and committed to strengthening youth-centric development and societal wellbeing based on the constitution values. Towards this aim she is currently part of co-creating the vartaLeap Coalition in her volunteering capacity.
Lokashish aka Loka, is the Sr. Consultant Programmes and is overseeing programmes and facilitating youth development initiatives along with strongly holding advocacy & fundraising portfolios. A development professional with experience of over 18 years across thematic such as gender, livelihood, child rights, youth development, and citizenship action across leading agencies in India like Vikram Sarabhai center, ASK, Pravah, and CRY- Child Rights, He has also worked with Pravah, heading the SMILE Programme and eventually the Youth Intervention initiative.
Sunish has led various initiatives and organizations in the areas of business consulting (focusing on SMEs), media and PR, Social Entrepreneurship, Public Safety, and Youth Development in the last two decades. Sunish currently leads Vitamin Angels in India, to generate resources to promote health and economic equity by ensuring that nutritionally vulnerable populations have access to evidence-based interventions.
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.
A co-founder of Manzil and a graduate from IIM-A, Ravi has given his life to transforming the education system by simply opening the doors of his home in Khan Market to learners. After transforming thousands of lives of people in Delhi, Ravi is now working with government school principals to enhance their capacity of work and effectiveness by facilitating their learning.
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.
For over two decades, Durba has been working with grassroots, national and international organizations in areas of gender and sexuality, youth development and participation, education, and applied arts. She has also worked with a range of MNCs, specifically in the area of behavior change. She is a Co-founder of Mittika, prior to which, she was Director-Communications at Pravah. She is a Commonwealth Professional Fellow and Co-Founder of ComMutiny - The Youth Collective.
She is a senior program advisor with AJWS, specializing in sexual health and rights in India. Rama has deep experience of working on gender with young women and men. In her previous avatar’s Rama has worked with ComMutiny and played a key role during its incubation years.
She has been working with Kaivalya for 10 years. Immensely experienced, she has more than 20 years of work in the area of youth development in classrooms and fields. Before this, Tripti taught English Literature to undergraduates, at a college affiliated with the University of Mumbai for over 12 years, before deciding to move out from the abstractions of theory to try her hand at practice: at getting things done. Currently, she is also working with the India Foundation for the Arts and manages their Gandhi Fellowship Programme.
Having worked in business leadership roles since 2005, Arvind has led diversified industries in the automotive and construction space. He is passionate about business leadership and transformation and has played a key role in setting out strategic road maps and action plans to deliver on the desired aspirations.
Nalini is currently the international director at Restless Development. She has held various posts at organizations like VSO, CARE, SBSS, Handicap International. She is also associated with groups like the “Women Empowerment and Leadership Network'' and the “India Leadership Network”. With a bachelor’s in political science and a post-graduate in journalism and mass communication, she has spearheaded many communication departments and managed many programmes.
Vartika Jaini is a rural development professional committed to bringing large-scale transformation in Central India. She has incubated several institutions and initiatives in themes including livelihoods, human and institutional development, youth development, arts, education, and health in a tenure spanning over 17 years at one of the oldest and well-respected foundations in India.
Sunrita is a journalist with various experiences and sundry. From editing, anchoring, and commissioning investigative stories and human interest features for newspapers and magazines to commissioning travel books and editing manuscripts and field reports for nonprofits, she has done it all. Specific to her field, she has worked on the desk and as a reporter with the Telegraph (Kolkata) and the Economic Times, as the London Correspondent of India Today, and as an editor with Manager magazine, Bangkok.
Executive Director, Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation
Bidhan Chandra Singh has over 20 years of experience in the social and environmental sectors. He has experience in designing campaigns and strategic action in the areas of climate change, child protection, Animal Rights, and Human Rights. He is a social scientist by training. He worked with Greenpeace for 16 years in national and international roles. He was instrumental in bringing the concept of Fail Forward in Greenpeace internationally and drafted the Accountability Framework for the organization.
She is a multiple award-winning singer and composer, trained in and adept at both, the Indian and the western traditions of music. Having performed in more than 28 countries, her star-studded portfolio includes collaborations with Sir Bob Geldof and Abida Parveen. She has been felicitated for her work in music with many awards, including the Femina Woman of Worth award, the Indian express Devi award, and the Global WIN Award for inspiring women worldwide.
