Our Fellows
Abhishek Hegde
Digital Green (New Delhi, India)A recent graduate from the London School of Economics, Abhishek has a Masters of Science degree in Management with a focus on ICT for Development, Technology Policy and Socio-Economic Development. Prior to joining LSE, he worked with Adobe Systems where he grew as an innovator and had multiple inventions filed as patents with the U.S. Patent Office. During this time, Abhishek co-founded a social engineering firm called Technojagriti that encourages technology in the creation of social value. Abhishek is working with Digital Green, where he will be helping to improve the sustainability of small and marginal farmers in rural India through the use of innovative financial models and communication technologies.
Bhavna Toor
Idiom Consulting & Design (Bangalore, India)Bhavna developed a deep curiosity for understanding the drivers of economic growth and social equity by witnessing socio-economic disparities firsthand in the half dozen countries around the world that she called home throughout her childhood. She has worked part-time with a number of non-profits and social enterprises by applying her business acumen to their respective issues. Bhavna recently completed her MBA from NYU Stern School of Business where she specialized in Social Innovation and Impact. She is now bringing her eight years of finance and marketing experience to Idiom Design and Consulting where she is helping to build and manage their Design for Social Change Fund.
Nowfal Khadar
Source for Change (Bagar, Rajasthan, India)Born in India, Nowfal moved to the United Arab Emirates with his family during his early childhood. Despite living in a foreign country, Nowfal's parents instilled in him a love for India from a very young age. He returned to India to pursue his undergraduate studies and went on to work for multinational companies in the engineering sector such as Larsen & Toubro and Kappa Group. During his time in India, he became increasingly aware for the need for inclusive growth and traveled extensively throughout Kerala to better understand the "Kerala Paradox." As part of the fellowship, Nowfal currently works with Source for Change, a rural BPO designed to create value-added, technology-based jobs in small towns and villages, primarily for women.
Vrnda Dalal
Mother Earth (Bangalore, India)Despite spending her entire life in California, Vrnda has a deep passion and appreciation for Indian heritage and culture. Vrnda pursued her passion for Indian dance by founding the Karma Dance Troupe which performs for and gives back to local communities by encouraging the use of art as therapy for children with life-threatening illnesses. For the past four years, Vrnda has developed a strong understanding of operations management. By working with Mother Earth, Vrnda will be able to utilize her skills in supply chain management to help small artisan groups to build their capacity and help the organization to build a strong and dynamic supply chain.
Avantika Dhingra
Earthy Goods (New Delhi, India)Avantika has spent the last four years working with Maesrk, one of the world's largest shipping companies, where she managed and developed relationships with some of the company's key clients. Prior to Maesrk, Avantika was an active member of AIESEC, an international student organization that offers young people the opportunity to be global citizens who will change the world. During her time with AIESEC, she developed a strong work ethic which penetrated both her professional and personal life as she quickly rose through the ranks at Maesrk while simultaneously pursuing classical piano training. Avantika is now looking forward to applying what she has learned thus far in her career at Earthy Goods, a Delhi based start-up dedicated to preserving rural handicrafts by introducing them to urban Indian markets.
Adithya Rao
Arohana Dairy, Pvt. Ltd. (Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India)After learning the inner workings of a bicycle at a young age, Adithya developed a deep curiosity about how things work. While studying Mechanical Engineering at Visveshwariah Technological University, he indulged his passion for cars by launching carsindia.com where he wrote reviews for cars he test-drove. Naturally, a career at GM India beckoned and soon after a stint at Ecole des Mines de Nante where he earned a degree in Logistics and Production Systems while pursuing his passion for learning languages. He went on to work with CHEP, India where he led initiatives in simplifying, codifying and implementing LEAN manufacturing methodologies. Adithya is now looking forward to pursuing a career in social impact and helping Arohana Dairy scale its efforts to create highly productive dairy clusters in Southern India.
Ankit Tulysan
Sarvajal (Ahmedabad, India)Ankit decided to dedicate his career to the pursuit of social innovation and impact after becoming inspired by Anshu Gupta, the founder of Goonj. Already involved in initiatives like the Joy of Giving Week, Teach for India and the TATA Jagriti Yatra, Ankit first acted upon his inspiration by organizing an annual, nationwide student festival dedicated to promoting and showcasing social entrepreneurship called Renaissance. After graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering from NIT Nagpur, Ankit went on to work as a Project Manager with Thermax, where he helped create sustainable energy and environment solutions. Ankit is now looking forward to learning more about the dynamics of a start-up social enterprise as he works with Sarvajal toward their mission to provide affordable, accessible, pure water for everyone.
Joyce Jauer
SMV Wheels, Pvt. Ltd. (Varanasi, India)Joyce recently completed her Masters in Public Service and Administration from Texas A&M University where she focused on International Economics & Development, Nonprofit Management. During her time at A&M, Joy took on many leadership roles, including founding the Professional Development Initiative at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service. Joy developed a strong interest in Microfinance during this time and is looking forward to combining her theoretical knowledge with her practical experience from working in the Financial Services industry as the Chief Financial Officer of SMV Wheels. Joyce is also looking forward to applying her social anthropology background from Harvard University to help empower the rickshaw pullers that participate in the SMV Wheels rent to own model.
Sumita Mitra
Jagriti Agro Tech (New Delhi, India)During her time at the University of Berkeley, Sumita simultaneously pursued her passions for creating change and creating music. She earned dual degrees in International Development and Environmental Economics & Policy and took her classical musical training to the next level by founding Kal Ki Awaaz, an all-female South Asian a capella group. Sumita put her theoretical knowledge of development into practice during a one year Fellowship with Indicorps in Rural Rajasthan where she gained a more complex understanding of grassroots development and social justice issues in India. Sumita is now looking forward to rounding out her understanding of development and India by working with a small-scale, for profit start up, Jagriti Agro Tech, focused on connecting rural organic farmers to urban markets.
