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I am passionate about equality for the LGBTQ+ community, and I am a strong proponent of challenging gender stereotypes

What I achieve from being a part council:
As a part of the council, I feel a sense of contentment within me because of the response which I provide to the team . The small help which I do may create changes which gives me satisfaction . Trying to understand the team is an essential thing which I learn . All these things put together helps me to grow as an individual

I am passionate about mental health issues faced by students.

What I achieve from being a part council:
(still needs to answer)

Passion is a huge word, I’d rather go with purpose. I do see my purpose in amalgamating my personal interest with social impact. My hobbies in reading, art and academic interests in Engineering and Entrepreneurship, all have a unique role to play in my journey as a social change-maker.

What I achieve from being a part council:
A lot of us are high school students from diverse backgrounds, with the council I hope to reduce the informational gap that exists amongst us. From college admissions to networking events, as a part of this council I hope our efforts add another dimension to the ISLumni Community.

Amruta is an educator who has been working in the nonprofit education sector for 4 years. After completing her fellowship with Teach for India in 2019, she worked as a Program Manager at Udaan India Foundation. She is a strong advocate for inclusivity and safe spaces and thoroughly enjoys curating and facilitating reflective learning spaces for children and adults alike. 

Amruta is a Philosophy graduate with a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Bristol. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing poetry, cooking and offbeat, experiential  travelling.

“I believe the world needs young leaders who are dynamic, empathetic, kind and resourceful. There is tremendous leadership potential in the youth today, which just requires direction, support and guidance from experienced individuals. At ISL, we work towards creating that conducive environment, which allows young adults to identify and tap this potential within them.”

An alumnus of Stanford University. Paula Mariwala is a well-known venture capitalist, who has been part of building the early stage start up ecosystem in India since 2006. One of the first women VC in India, she is the founding partner at Aureolis Ventures, which invests in innovative companies focused on social and environmental impact, Founder/President Emeritus of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs India (“SAE”), an active angel investing platform of Stanford University alumni and Founding Managing Director of Seedfund Advisors. She is also Promoter Director of The Hinditron Group of Companies, a leading technology company with a global footprint. 

Paula brings a rich experience of investing in early-stage companies in the USA and India. Through her investments in these companies, she hopes to have a deep impact across the most fundamental spaces of mobility, healthcare, education, climate and sustainability, and women leadership to name a few. Some of her key investments include Unacademy, Pixxel, Chalo, Terra.do, InSpirit.

Paula is deeply committed to the causes of education, environment, gender equality, and human rights. She supports several NGOs and serves on the boards of The Gender Lab, Avanti Young Women Leaders Program and Katalyst India. She is an advisor to the SDG Philanthropy Platform, India, The UN India Women Entrepreneurship network, social impact platform iDobro and on investment committees of social impact funds Ankur Capital and Beyond Capital. In addition, she mentors women entrepreneurs and young women from socially disadvantaged backgrounds through various personal and professional networks.

Paula wants to help foster entrepreneurship and science & technology in India. Her roles as the founding member on the Board of Management of KREA University, The Governing Board of K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering, and on Advisory Boards incubators like Riddl-BIRAC, GoMassive and FITT-IIT, Delhi, allow her to do so. She plays an active role in bringing in cross-border experiences and collaborations as Member of the Advisory Board of The Centre for Human Rights and International Justice at Stanford University and Board Member of Stanford SEED. 

Paula holds an MS in Applied Physics from Stanford University and BSc (Hons) in Physics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Paula lives in Mumbai with her husband, Dr. Ravi Mariwala. She loves painting, writing poetry, hiking, cooking and engaging with community and social issues.

Abigail is a student of Economics from St.Stephen’s college Delhi. She has since been a teacher, a facilitator, and a researcher but most importantly a continuous learner. Her experience of having taught and worked with students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds as a Teach For India Fellow alongside her own lived experiences have propelled her on her quest to advocate for research, policies, and spaces that actively promote inclusion and social justice. She’s passionate about curating learning experiences and reflection spaces that allow individuals across contexts to start envisioning and acting on change along those lines.

Vinaya is from Asade village of Pune district in Maharashtra. She attended United World College Maastricht in the Netherlands from 2013 to 2015. After graduating from UWC, she pursued her bachelor’s degree at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon in the United States. At Lewis & Clark, Vinaya served as co-chair of the highly acclaimed 56th LC International Affairs Symposium, the oldest student-run symposium in the United States. She also served as the President of International Students of Lewis & Clark for a year. For her contribution to the institution, she was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Service Award in 2018.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in Economics in 2019, Vinaya worked at the American Political Science Association as a Program Assistant for Teaching & Learning and the Centennial Center. After returning to India, she worked at the Anubhuti Social and Women Empowerment Foundation. She is currently pursuing her Master in Public Policy at Kautilya School of Public Policy in Hyderabad.

In her free time, she likes dancing, watching tv shows and exploring different types of food.

“I wish I had something like ISL when I was growing up in an underprivileged community. At ISL, young people are equipped with skills and knowledge to solve the most pressing problems in their communities which I believe will create a ripple effect and lead to a larger social impact.

Vinaya is from an economically disadvantaged village of Pune district in Maharashtra. She received full scholarships to study in the Netherlands and the United States. She attended United World College Maastricht in the Netherlands from 2013 to 2015.

After graduating from UWC, she went on to pursue her bachelors degree at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon in the United States. At Lewis & Clark, Vinaya served as co-chair of the highly acclaimed 56th LC International Affairs Symposium, the oldest student-run symposium in the United States. She also served as the President of International Students of Lewis & Clark for a year. For her contribution to the institution, she was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Service Award in 2018. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in Economics in 2019, Vinaya worked at the American Political Science Association as a Program Assistant for Teaching & Learning and the Centennial Center. After returning to India, she worked at the Anubhuti Social and Women Empowerment Foundation. She is currently pursuing her Master in Public Policy at Kautilya School of Public Policy in Hyderabad.

In her free time, she likes to dance, watch tv shows and explore different types of food.

“I wish I had something like ISL when I was growing up in an underprivileged community. At ISL young people are equipped with skills and knowledge to solve the most pressing problems in their communities which I believe will create a ripple effect and lead to larger social impact.”

I am passionate about eradicating gender bias and making communities inclusive, primarily for kids and adolescents

What I achieve from being a part council:
Understanding and learning to amend programmes and adapt to different people’s perspectives. Cater to the needs of participants and think from their shoes.

Sneha has been working in the education sector for over five years and is passionate about facilitating rigorous yet safe spaces for young adults to learn and thrive in. In 2017 she joined the Teach For India fellowship and worked as an English and Social Sciences teacher at an under-resourced government school. Post this, she worked at Avasara Leadership Institute for a couple of years as a High School English teacher.

Sneha holds a degree in Journalism from Mumbai University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Education from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She likes reading, travelling, cooking, working with her hands and taking up new art projects in her spare time.

“I believe young adults are at a cusp of growth and transformation where they need grown-ups who believe in their potential, help them push their limits and support them through ups and downs. At ISL, we’re trying to be these grown-ups.”

Sakshi was born and brought up in Pune and is a first generation student in her family. She is an Akanksha alumni and has graduated from Krea University with a degree in BSc Psychology. She has worked with organisations like Artery India, Suryoday Trust and Krea University on short term projects.

She likes to read, listen to music, cook for herself and travel to new places.

“I believe that this generation needs leaders who support and appreciate each other. With the right kind of education, exposure and a safe space , the youth can explore the leaders in themselves. I think ISL is the space to experiment and explore.”

Jackson is a Business and Marketing educator, with over 7 years of experience in youth mentoring and mentoring management, career counselling, curriculum and pedagogy development. He was briefly engaged in the for-profit space, in sales and marketing, and market research both in India and Australia.

Jackson holds an MBA from RMIT University, Melbourne. He also has certifications in Blue Ocean Strategy and Inductive Research from IIM-K and XLRI-Jamshedpur, and has received a few excellence awards as an educator and researcher. A fitness and nutritional science enthusiast, he enjoys cooking, gardening, travelling, history and culture, people and places. It is the youth and their holistic development that he is most passionate about and what draws him to the non-profit space.

“I perceive ISL as the right ecosystem in the country, nurturing passionate young minds that will become excellent socially-conscious leaders of tomorrow. ISL with its great mix of talent and resources, I believe, will take them from ‘being’ to ‘doing‘.”

Pramath is a pioneering force in Indian higher education. He is the Founder & Chairman of Harappa Education, which strives to become India’s largest online institution focused on teaching habits and skills critical to workplace success in the 21st century. 

He is the Founding Dean and a member of the Executive Board of ISB which rapidly became one of the top-20 business schools in the world. He is also the Founder & Trustee of the acclaimed Ashoka University, a liberal arts university which launched the popular Young India Fellowship.

Pramath has been instrumental in setting up a wide spectrum of change-based higher education initiatives, including a management program for career-oriented women, an entrepreneurship fellowship for the Himalayan region, and a solution-focused design education for the built environment. 

He has also been a media entrepreneur, education consultant and management advisor at the 9.9 Group, which he founded, the CEO of the Ananda Bazar Patrika Group, and a Partner at McKinsey & Company.

Academics are his first love: He received a PhD and an MSE from the University of Pennsylvania and a BTech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2018. 

Sridhar Pabbisetty is Founding Director of Kautilya School of Public Policy. Kautilya aims to create a pool of public policy professionals formally trained in evidence-based policy making, implementation and leadership, towards a mission to empower leaders who solve 21st century problems, through rigorous public policy education.

Sridhar has had a decade long engagement with work in public policy and governance before which he worked in technology, innovation and management. Sridhar has served as the COO, Centre for Public Policy at IIM Bangalore, and as the CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation, where he was able to bring in innovation in the delivery of public services and improve urban governance. He has also served as the Advisor to Government of Karnataka’s Sakala Mission and served on various Government appointed committees for Sustainability and Lake Governance.

Saurabh Taneja is the CEO of Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit organisation with a mission to build the largest network of innovative schools that empowers children to maximise their potential and that influences systemic reform. Today, Akanksha is one of the largest urban networks of public-private partnership schools of its kind in India. It runs 27 schools, catering to 10,000 children, across Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.

Saurabh graduated from IIT Delhi, and began a corporate career. Due to a small stint as a volunteer, Saurabh discovered his passion for making a difference. In 2009, Saurabh joined the Teach For India fellowship as part of its founding cohort. During his fellowship, he observed the stark difference in opportunities available for children coming from low-income communities as compared to wealthy neighbourhoods, and was committed to the cause of education for life. In 2013, Saurabh founded and successfully ran the first Akanksha Secondary school in Pune, before moving into the role of Akanksha’s CEO in 2017.

Prashant Loyalka is an Associate Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. His research focuses on examining/addressing inequalities in the education of children and youth and on understanding/improving the quality of education received by children and youth in multiple countries including China, India, Russia, and the United States. He also conducts large-scale evaluations of educational programs and policies that seek to improve student outcomes.

Prashant holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University in International Comparative Education as well as an M.A. in Economics from Stanford University.

Manu Chopra runs Chopra Foundation, which tackles extreme poverty in rural India by giving people access to dignified work. It also runs universal basic outcome experiments in 52 villages across the country. It currently works in 1,000+ villages across India and has moved over 100,000 rural Indians out of poverty in the last 2 years. He also runs Project Mahatma which is an invite-only club for India’s future leaders. It takes the most promising students, and grooms them to be the leaders India needs and deserves.

Manu graduated with a degree in Computer Science with focus in Artificial Intelligence from Stanford University, and has always been interested in using technology to improve human lives, beginning with the invention and patent of an anti-molestation device for women, while he was in high school, for which he was awarded by the Indian President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam. At Stanford, he co-founded CS+Social Good, Stanford’s first student group focused on the intersection of CS and Social Good, travelled to Japan and China for engineering projects, participated and won several hackathons, researched on building state of the art neural networks to classify syllables from EEG data. He has taught Computer Science to kids in Jharkhand, India, worked with nonprofits in Kano, Nigeria to motivate healthcare workers and in Chongqing, China to engineer better sanitation and transport systems.

Kuldeep Dantewadia is the CEO of Reap Benefit. With a conviction that young people’s ideas and energy can solve civic and environmental issues, he started Reap Benefit at the age of 23. Reap Benefit has created a new method of environmental education for children and youth by merging theory and practice, instilling the empathy, knowledge, skills, and experiences to identify and solve environmental problems.

A strong ethical leader, Kuldeep has won several accolades including being elected as Ashoka’s Lead Changemaker, part of MIT’s Global Startup Weekend, Changelooms Fellowship, S3IDF Fellowship, StartingBloc Fellowship, and Architects of the Future, and more.

Kavitha Iyer is the founder of Cresca Consulting Pte Ltd, specializing in the Leadership Development needs of senior executives and organisations in their leadership and talent agenda. She is an experienced Organisation Consultant and Development specialist who is based in Singapore and consults globally. Her focus and interests are primarily in the areas of working with individuals and small teams, towards strengthening intra and inter-personal understanding, individual and team consciousness, with a strategic focus on its impact to leadership.

Kavitha holds a Master of Science in Positive Organization Development and Change (MPOD) from The Weatherhead School of Management at the Case Western Reserve University. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral studies in Organizational Change at The Ashridge Business School in the UK. She is also a Leadership Development Practice Director at INSEAD, where she works with leaders in both open enrolment and company specific programs, in both individual and group settings.

Syed Akbaruddin is a Retired IFS officer and former Permanent Representative of India to the UN. He is currently the Dean of Kautilya School of Public Policy. Syed joined the Kautilya School of Public Policy on 1 June, 2021, following a distinguished diplomatic career spanning more than three decades.

Entering the Indian Foreign Service in 1985, Syed retired in April 2020, upon completion of his tenure as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. He was the Official Spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs from 2012 to 2015. He is among the few Indian diplomats who has the distinction of also serving as an international civil-servant in a United Nations entity. Since his retirement he has written and spoken extensively on global public policy issues. He has a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the Australian National University.

Rajiv Prakash has 30 years of experience across entrepreneurship development, internet businesses, business consulting and financial services in firms such as KPMG, Andersen, Future Group, Cisco and Bank of America. Rajiv has been on the board of Deshpande Startups (DS) since 2016 and till recently was the interim CEO for the same. DS has an unique model that focuses on entrepreneurship development in smaller cities and rural areas in domains such as ag-tech, health-tech, fin-tech and edu-tech. DS has incubated over 100 startups and helped over 1000 students get hands-on experience with innovative problem solving and starting up. In 2016 Rajiv commenced an association with DS as a board director. Since then, he has been closely associated with strategy development, program design and business reviews for DS.

In 2010, Rajiv started NextIn, an entrepreneur-first boutique advisory practice to help select category-creating startups scale. He helped over twenty startups scale over multi-year deep engagements with founders apart from mentoring relationships with several more. Many of these deep-engagement startups have emerged as market leaders in categories such as Indian language technologies, rural distribution, blue collar livelihoods, software as a service, mobile payments, civic capacity building, etc. Rajiv is on the board of Reap Benefit, a leading civic leadership non-profit that has helped over 30,000 young people develop civic problem solving skills to become active and engaged citizens. Prior to NextIn, he was the CEO at Future Group’s eCommerce venture – Futurebazaar (funded by Kleiner Perkins & Sherpalo) and a pioneer in electronics eCommerce. Rajiv has earned his post graduate diploma in management from IIM Ahmedabad.

Nishant Pandey is the CEO of the American India Foundation (AIF). In this capacity, Nishant provides strategic leadership to AIF’s operations spanning the US and India. In his career spanning 20 years, he has forged several multi-stakeholder initiatives involving civil society, governments and corporate partners, big and small, global and local. He believes that in the history of humanity, we have never had so much resources, connectivity and power to make a positive difference to the lives of underprivileged and marginalised women, men and children. If channelled properly through credible and collective philanthropic platforms like AIF, these attributes can make a lasting impact in the lives of ordinary people, nations and the global community at large.

As a British Chevening scholar, Nishant acquired his Master’s in International Development & Finance from the University of Leicester, UK. He also holds M.A. in Economics, B.A. in Anthropology and Economics as well as Advanced Management Programme from the Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK. He has previously worked with a global charity called Oxfam in various capacities.

Professor Hayagreeva Rao holds the post of The Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources at Stanford University. Professor Rao studies collective action within organizations and in markets. His research and by implication, his teaching, revolves around scaling up mobilization, innovation, and talent in organizations. Professor Rao co-teaches courses on Scaling up Excellence, HR for Startups, and Launch to Liquidity. His most recent book, co-authored with Bob Sutton of the School of Engineering at Stanford, is Scaling Up Excellence. The book is a  Wall Street Journal bestseller, and was included in the best business books to read in 2014 by Financial Times, Inc Magazine, Amazon, Forbes, Washington Post and the Library Journal.

Professor Rao holds a Ph.D. from Case Western University. Prior to Stanford, he has held posts at Kellogg School of Management and Emory University Goizueta Business School.

Binay K. Jha has recently completed a career spanning 37 years with the Indian Revenue Service, working in a variety of assignments within and outside the Central Government, ranging from tax administration to finance, defence, law & justice and the planning and management of public utilities and service. He created, led, and implemented a number of programs across government to transform institutions and change the perception of stakeholders including public servants and civil society regarding public service delivery. Income Tax Social Responsibility (ITSR), an initiative founded by him in 2016 led to an outreach to over half a million school and college students, the setting up of hundreds of vertical gardens using discarded plastic bottles, and continued support to 34 schools for children in labour colonies.

In 2020, he organized over 10 million meals and other assistance for people in need, distributed more than one hundred thousand masks and hygiene kits and supported uninterrupted education for several thousand school children during the pandemic. Currently he is also coordinating a global tree plantation campaign to support the WASHPAP initiative of OneShared.World, an organization that has volunteers in 115 nations, working on critical global issues that affect our interdependent world.

Anu Prasad is the Founder & CEO of India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), a Delhi-based non-profit that works to strengthen the leadership talent pool in the social sector. Prior to setting up ILSS in 2017, Anu was the founding Deputy Dean of the prestigious Young India Fellowship (YIF) and a founding member of Ashoka University, India’s first liberal arts university. Before joining the social sector, Anu held leadership roles at multinational companies such as American Express and TNT. At Amex, she led the implementation of Amex’s global financial re-engineering as a part of launching Amex Financial Resource Centre in India. At TNT she was head of finance for the company’s North India region. 

An entrepreneur at heart, Anu has also co-founded and managed a successful travel company. She has also been a consultant for Dell Foundation on its education projects. Anu is an avid reader, an active volunteer in civic causes, and a passionate believer in lifelong learning, all of which she incorporates into the ILSS proposition of learning and values-based leadership. She also mentors young professionals and senior leaders and sits on the Board of two non-profit organisations. Anu graduated from HR College, Mumbai, and received her MBA from IMI, New Delhi.

Cecilia Costa da Luz is devoted to creating community spaces in which people can live their authentic lives. She is originally from Brazil, but currently lives in Sonepat, Haryana. She earned a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations at Ashoka University. She was a student from the first cohort at the Latin American Leadership Academy where she currently works as facilitator and bootcamp manager. She is passionate about helping others find what really matters to them. 

Cecilia is on a mission to understand how political cooperation between developing states can uplift the lives of people. She loves to meditate, travel, spend time with her two cats and read historical fiction.

Ashraf Shaikh is a Naturalist at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. He also works as a Program Associate at Enabling Leadership where he employs design thinking to teach life skills and sustainable development goals to students using lego blocks. He is a member of the Madras Naturalists’ Society, Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network, Chennai Young Naturalists’ Network and the Forest Way Trust.

Ashraf has previously worked as a middle school science and gardening teacher at the Akshar Arbol International School, Chennai. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. His research interests include ecological restoration, regenerative agroforestry, political ecology and conservation education.

Mark is cofounder and CEO of FIECON, a health economics consultancy that supports pharmaceutical companies in bringing life changing treatments to patients. He holds a MSc in Health Economics from Sheffield University and a BSc in Mathematics from Warwick University.

Having organically scaled up FIECON from two people working in a home garage in the UK to over 70 people across 4 countries in just over 5 years, he brings knowledge and experience in setting up processes and systems that ensure sustainable company growth. A large reason behind Mark’s desire to grow has been to fuel charitable giving and FIECON have given well over £250,000 in their brief history.

“Education can solve our world’s most challenging issues from climate change to extreme poverty. ISL’s vision resonated with me. The subject of leadership is not routinely taught in education systems and equipping the next generation with leadership skills is essential if we want to address these world issues.” 

Ratan is an Entrepreneur in the IT space. He has worked as a consultant helping multiple companies with their Supply Chain Management process optimization. He grew up in Hyderabad before moving to the US to pursue his Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Electrical Engineering. 

Ratan lives on the US East Coast. He enjoys reading, exploring cities and is learning to Ski. 

“Having role-models and a strong network of motivated, ethical peers can be extremely transformative for students. ISL can help build this space for the students where they have the access to mentorship and community that will help them thrive and be better citizens.”

Rashmi has been a cofounder of multiple companies and is currently working on an edtech startup for young students. She learned her most important lessons from her struggles as an entrepreneur. She has three masters degrees: MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, MS from Stanford School of Earth, and a Masters in Engineering degree from Dartmouth College. She has been passionate about education and enjoyed tutoring children from low-income backgrounds in Hyderabad.

Rashmi lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her two young boys and husband. She loves learning and exploring with her children, traveling to national parks, visiting museums, and reading.

“Mentorship and a strong community are incredibly powerful. They can unlock magic within an individual. I am excited that ISL will unlock this magic for the young people who are embarking on a journey of leadership and social impact.”

Manisha Agrawal has over 20 years of experience in the social benefit sector, advising philanthropies and nonprofits in education, technology and healthcare, among others.  Her work has included crafting and guiding strategic planning processes, expansion, replication, and organizational design with organizations such as the Stanford Medicine, California Health Care Foundation, Children’s Health Council, EdX (an MIT and Harvard joint venture), and The Akanksha Foundation. She currently serves on the Management Board of Stanford Graduate School of Business.  

Manisha completed her schooling in Delhi and moved to the US where she earned her undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Communication from Mills College with Presidential Honors, and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, graduating in the top ten percent of her class.  She is a fitness and nutrition enthusiast and lives in the California Bay Area with her husband and two dogs.

“I’ve always believed that education and youth leadership are the most enduring engines of social change and am very excited for ISL’s expertise and ecosystem to help young Indians become the socially responsible leaders of tomorrow!”