Mission Allies | 2024 Cohort

Hari Avula is an enterprise strategy and finance executive with extensive experience as a board member and audit committee chair. He has a track record of driving transformational change, building and leading high-performance, cross-functional teams, and delivering exceptional business results in diverse environments. His expertise spans balance sheet and P&L management, mergers and acquisitions, enterprise risk management, business process re-engineering, digitalization, and the establishment of shared services, as well as business restructuring and the conceptualization and implementation of complex IT systems. 

As a collaborative leader, he is committed to delivering long-term shareholder value and is passionate about improving access and affordability of essential services like nutrition, healthcare, shelter, and education for all. 

Varun has 18+ years of global experience spanning software development, product management, business development, partnerships, and strategy. He has worked in diverse fields, ranging from software and spirits to food and beverages, and has successfully helped early-stage startups grow and scale their businesses. Before joining eGov Foundation, Varun was the Global Head of Sales & Product at LitmusWorld, a SaaS Customer Experience platform. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Calcutta University, a Master’s in Computer Application from Vellore Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

Amit is a seasoned C-suite executive with over 25 years of leadership experience, acquired across private equity (PE) portfolio companies and Fortune 500 public corporations. His expertise spans corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and equity story development for PE-owned assets in the industrial and energy sectors. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor at Aggreko, a PE-owned energy services company and a growing leader in the Energy Transition. He also serves as a Member of the Court (Board) of Glasgow Caledonian University, a world-leading university for social innovation including creating higher-education opportunities for students from challenging backgrounds. Amit is an alumnus of McKinsey & Co. and the MIT Sloan School of Management. 

His 35-year career spans two corporations: ICI (1987-1998) and PepsiCo (1998-2022). He retired from PepsiCo as Senior Vice President of Finance & Transformation for the Asia-Middle East Sector, based in Dubai. Before that, he served as CFO for the Middle East and CFO for Asia-Pacific (based in Hong Kong). Mannu also spent four years in New York working in corporate planning and global R&D functions. He joined PepsiCo in India as the CFO for the Frito-Lay business. His first 10 years post-qualification as a CA were with ICI India, where he honed his skills as a finance professional in various roles across businesses like agrochem, pharma and rubber chemicals. Mannu is a Chartered Accountant and a B.Com from St Xaviers, Kolkata. He is currently on the Advisory Board of Foster & Forge and is looking to increase his level of engagement in the social sector. 

Reena is a highly competitive, persuasive, profit-oriented Chief Executive Officer with demonstrated success in increasing revenues, market share and earning and improving client satisfaction in customer-facing operations within large, diverse organizations. She is an innovation-focused change driver with a history of transforming sales with decisive action and revolutionary operational strategies. Reena excels at catalyzing business reorganizations to capitalize on emerging opportunities. She is an exceptional relationship manager with the ability to quickly win the trust of stakeholders, while being recognized as a natural CEO and leadership coach with high EQ who consistently produces sustainable results. Reena is an Independent Director on the board of two companies – KKM Management Centre & Pan India Foods. 

Akash works on planet-scale Internet, Cloud, and AI/ML infrastructure at Google. He is an entrepreneur, business executive, technology pioneer, organizational leader, and investor with a proven track record of achieving impact at scale through creativity and innovation. Previously, he served as CTO at Polycom and as a Distinguished Engineer at Cisco.

Akash holds a B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT-Bombay and a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC-Berkeley, where he also taught and conducted research that led to the founding of Teja, a VC-backed startup.

Firoz Dosani is the President of Tara Consulting Inc. and has worked at McKinsey & Company. Some of his strengths include team-building, coaching leadership teams, innovative thinking, and strategic expertise. Firoz has made notable contributions to education, revamping the focus and improving the quality of education for thousands of children in India. He has also worked on transitioning children from lower-tier to higher-tier schools and extensively studied the challenges in the public education system. Firoz has been one of the most engaged Mission Allies in the ASPIRe Cohort 2, giving much of his time and energy to the Mission Team he was a part of. 

Tony D'Souza, co-founder of 10x Impact Labs, is passionate about co-designing and building technology and data solutions with communities. His organization collaborates with non-profits, philanthropies, governments, and social enterprises to reimagine technology, data, and design for scaling impact in the Global South.

Tony brings over 7 years of experience working with social impact organizations such as Video Volunteers, The Nudge Institute, Udhyam Learning Foundation, and Jan Sahas. He has a particular interest in product development, human-centred and systems design, innovation management, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and action research.

Vineet Jawa is an entrepreneur who has launched multi-million-dollar businesses in Inclusive Finance and RegTech domains. As a Co-founder and Director of IDfy, he has helped individuals and businesses eliminate fraud and establish trust. As a Co-founder and Director of CredRight, he has contributed to pioneering unsecured business loans in communities without access to formal finance. Vineet studied Economics at Sri Ram College of Commerce (2001) and Management at the Indian School of Business (2005). 

Siddhartha is responsible for providing technology-driven insights and supporting decisions on funding and catalyzing innovative projects in health and education. He leverages data, AI, and digital technologies to promote the well-being of young people. Siddhartha draws inspiration from various disciplines and is deeply committed to facilitating the responsible use of technology and algorithms for the common good.

Siddhartha grew up in India and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT. He also earned an MSc in Biomedical Engineering and a CAS in Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, both from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. He brings many years of interdisciplinary professional experience in technology, research, and innovation roles across different organizations and countries.

Navneet is a Financial Services executive with over 20 years of experience in banking across treasury, credit structuring, secured financing, corporate banking, and cash management. She has a track record of delivering outstanding results in various roles and leading multidisciplinary change projects. In her last role, she served as the Treasurer for Portfolio Management, Syndicate, and Barclays' Broker Dealer businesses, focusing on Rates, Credit, and Municipals. Navneet was part of key committees at Barclays, including the Americas Treasury Committee and MD and Non-MD Promotion Committees. 

Navneet holds an MBA from London Business School and has lived and worked in the US, UK, and India. Committed to social impact, Navneet is also a board member and the finance committee chair of a New York-based charity, Start Small Think Big. This organization provides pro bono legal and financial aid to low-income entrepreneurs, helping them build and sustain their businesses. 

Rajiv is the Co-Founder and CTO at More AI, a machine vision platform that unlocks the potential of machines to see at their optical limit. Earlier, Rajiv served as a Co-Founder and CTO of Light Labs, a company dedicated to multi-view computational imaging and its application to depth perception. From 2006 to 2011 he was SVP of Technology at Qualcomm Inc. Rajiv received Ph.D. and Master's degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, all in electrical engineering. Rajiv has received several awards for his pioneering work.

After 7 years of building software in an agile, multicultural and multi-located team at Amadeus in France and the UK, Pradnya moved back to India and took a new perspective on technology. Working as a Python trainer made her realize the hurdles faced by the youth of today and her experience with startups taught her a diverse set of skills. While volunteer work helped Pradnya understand the needs and hurdles faced at the ground level of societal change, it was Tech To The Rescue (TTTR) that allowed her to use tech skills and innovative thinking to solve real-world problems by building impactful solutions in the Zero Hunger Hackathon. 

Siddharth works as a Strategy and Planning Manager at Cisco (Hardware as a Service | RTM/GTM | Finance). Earlier, he was a Consultant at The World Bank in Washington DC focusing on Strategy & Operations (Investment Climate/FDI | Renewable Energy | Education). For more than 10 years, he has been serving as a Board Director for the Medha Learning Foundation (Education) and The MINDS Foundation (Mental Health). Additionally, Siddharth co-founded In Plain Sight, a mental health project aimed at fostering social networks. 

Siddharth received his BA in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, MA in Economics from Loyola College, Masters in Political Theory from the London School of Economics, Managament Diploma from the Swedish Institute, a Diploma in Human Rights Law from the National Law School of India University, and was a Pforzheimer Foundation Nonprofit Fellow receiving his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School with a Certificate in Management, Leadership, & Decision Sciences. 

His diverse professional experiences in the fields of journalism, finance, consulting, commodities trading, non-profits, and filmmaking have enriched his perspectives on life and on issues that shape the world. 

Dr. Sree Rajan is a seasoned technology and management consultant leveraging 30+ yrs of experience in the corporate sectors. He is passionate about converting strategy into scientific and data-driven hypotheses in various industries and translates his ideas into financially viable opportunities generating free cash flow. Dr. Rajan has founded and exited multiple technology startups in the semiconductor industry. He possesses a distinguished track record of delivering client success through the strategic optimization of the supply chain, process optimization, digital transformation and go-to-market strategies. Dr. Rajan holds advanced degrees from IIT, MIT and also holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management and is an Alumnus of McKinsey & Blackstone. 

Mohit has a 16-year career predominantly in startups, including Flipkart and UdaanCapital. His career journey began in engineering and transitioned into data science, culminating in product and engineering leadership roles. Currently, Mohit serves as the Vice President and Head of Product, Engineering, and Design at UdaanCapital.com, a B2B-focused lending platform. At Udaan, he designed and built a comprehensive lending technology stack from scratch, enabling access to credit facilities for hundreds of thousands of small retailers. This initiative has significantly improved their livelihoods, introducing many to formal credit for the first time. Mohit is deeply engaged with the latest trends and developments in startups, fintech, lending, compliance, and policy.

Before moving to the UK from India in 2000, Mayank ran a successful business for 16 years procuring steel and hardware for some of the largest OEMs and infrastructure projects in India. Mayank has an MBA from Leeds University and has conducted his doctoral research on supplier diversity. Bbased on his vast business experience and passion for advocating for diverse and inclusive supply chains, Mayank founded MSDUK in 2006 which has now become a globally recognised supplier diversity advocacy network with a mission to uplift and economically empower minority entrepreneurs, fostering a truly inclusive and diverse supply chain. 

After 18 years at the helm of MSDUK, Mayank stepped down as its CEO in March 2024 to focus on setting up European Supplier Diversity Programme (ESDP) as its founder and CEO and has also co-founded the global think tank on supplier diversity, Global Supplier Diversity Alliance (GSDA). 

Dhiraj Sinha is a spiritually inclined entrepreneur working in the capital markets. After graduating from IIM Calcutta in 1994, he built his career in IT services with companies like Infosys, Dell, and Capgemini before venturing into capital markets.

He has founded a fintech firm with its proprietary algo trading platform and is set to launch a quant-powered hedge fund. Dhiraj actively supports social causes in education and healthcare and is a signatory to the Living My Promise initiative. Based in Bangalore with his family, he tries to integrate personal values into professional achievements, aiming to make a positive impact on both capital markets and society. 

With over nine years of combined experience in product management, strategy and corporate finance, Kunal is driven by a passion for creating value and impact through his work. He has successfully led and delivered projects on building and scaling digital platforms, driving digital customer acquisition, designing and executing go-to-market and growth strategies, optimizing business processes, leveraging data to deliver hyper-personalized experiences to users, enhancing customer experience, designing and implementing risk mitigation strategies and developing strategic roadmaps for banks, insurance companies, wealth managers and fintechs. Additionally, Kunal has delivered due diligences on banks, asset managers and fintechs on behalf of institutional investors. He is passionate about leveraging data to design creative innovative and impactful solutions for financial inclusion and empowering businesses. 

Earlier, Kunal has been associated with such companies as McKinsey & Company, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tyke and others. Currently, he’s working with Navikenz, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) focused IT Services company that helps Enterprises discover and implement Artificial Intelligence enabled solutions to improve business processes and supplant ‘human effort with human intuition’. Kunal is a CA and a PGP from IIM Calcutta. 

Ambuj is a strategy & growth professional who brings with him a perfect combination of a 'planner' and a 'doer'. He started his career as a management consultant and has advised multiple private and public enterprises across business functions. Post this he went on to undertake corporate leadership roles and has worked closely with CEOs and Business Heads to drive strategic transformational programs. Most recently, he led global sales for a research & advisory firm and managed critical accounts for a B2B SaaS company. 

Ambuj has been associated with companies like PwC, Suzlon Energy, Max India, RocSearch and AuthBridge, and has worked extensively across Energy & Renewables, EdTech, Financial Services, and ITES sectors. He led professional assignments in India, the USA, the EU, KSA, Indonesia and Australia. He has an MBA from the Indian School of Business and an Electrical Engineering graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU). 

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Olga Andrzejewska is a Strategic Design & Team Leader at Netguru in Poland. She excels in problem-solving, strategic thinking, and working collaboratively with designers, developers, and solution architects to bring digital solutions to the market. Olga's proud achievement includes participating in a Hackathon and creating a mobile app to educate young people about fake news and misinformation.

Shemeer Babu is a co-founder of Tech4Good, with over 12 years of experience in leadership, team building, entrepreneurship, design thinking, and technology for social good. Shemeer is proud of Tech4Good Labs' work in partnering with change-makers to address societal issues, engaging all stakeholders, and implementing simple tech solutions to serve communities better while also nurturing tech talent through their Tech4Good Fellowship.

Varun Basu is the Vice President of Growth and Partnerships at eGov Foundation, known for his ability to make interesting concepts market-viable and rebuild ideas that faced execution challenges. In his recent engagement, Varun revitalized the sales strategy and operations of a start-up, resulting in new accounts, cost savings, and improved product availability for thousands of daily users.

Geuko Bosker is a Strategic Program & Interim Manager at Move Beyond, with previous experience at NTT DATA. He excels in international business, ICT leadership, innovation, post-merger integration, emerging technologies, and business transformation. Geuko's notable achievement includes spearheading an award-winning innovation project involving the implementation of a farming robot platform across multiple global locations.

Siddhartha Chaturvedi is a Director of Product Management at Microsoft with a vast experience in health tech. He co-founded Tathaastu Social Initiative in India, which leveraged predictive analysis to improve health outcomes in rural India. He also led the development of Microsoft Premonition, a biothreat detection system for the epidemic prediction that has been recognized as a World Changing Idea by Fast Company in 2021 and has generated an ARR of over 10 million USD.

Sikai Chen, an associate director at TriSector Associates and Acumen Foundry member in Singapore, specializes in impact evaluation, social finance, and exit strategies. He played a crucial role in developing the Regional Investment Support for Entrepreneurs (RISE) Platform, catalyzing $3.2M in private capital for 20 impact organizations. Sikai takes pride in structuring a Youth Mental Wellbeing Social Impact Bond, addressing a critical issue of our generation.

Herve Courtier is the Managing Partner at Kerney Partners, with extensive experience in leading large Software R&D teams and serving as a board member for various B2B companies. He has also provided senior advisory services to notable private equity firms. Herve takes pride in achievements such as completing a company's software portfolio rewrite within a year and successfully integrating diverse software solutions and teams.

Sabyasachi Das is the Managing Director at Nanoheal, bringing over 15 years of experience from Hewlett-Packard. He possesses various skills and expertise, including delivery, portfolio management, sales and marketing, strategy, and business operations. Sabyasachi is proud of his achievements in setting up centre operations, driving growth, managing P&Ls, building client relationships, and leading global teams.

Firoz Dosani is the President of Tara Consulting Inc and has worked at McKinsey & Company. Some of his strengths include team-building, coaching leadership teams, innovative thinking, and strategic expertise. Firoz has made notable contributions to education, revamping the focus and improving the quality of education for thousands of children in India. He has also worked on transitioning children from lower-tier to higher-tier schools and extensively studied the challenges in the public education system.

Nampuraja Enose is a Principal and Head of the Industry 4.0 Centre of Excellence at Infosys in Finland. He specialises in leading technology-led innovation and leveraging Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to reshape industrial economies. Nampuraja is actively involved in global initiatives such as the World Economic Forum's 'Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains' and has contributed to developing the Industry 4.0 Maturity Index.

Michal Filip Kowalik is the Director and Head of Twilio.org International at Twilio Inc in the UK. He excels in building a customer engagement platform numerous businesses use and translating commercial customer engagement solutions into the social impact space.

Michael Fuchs is a digital transformation expert with two decades of experience. He helps clients optimize their business models and operating models for digital success. Michael has successfully supported a tech startup in securing significant financing for its sustainable cooling technology, addressing the energy demands of data centres. He aims to contribute to the teams' journeys by enhancing their thinking and resolving key issues.

Arda Gürtuna is an Associate Partner at CIVITTA, specialising in Strategy and Management in Spain. He has a strong personal interest in social issues, particularly those concerning women, children, and youth. Arda has actively supported a young orphan's education and volunteered with Ambitious Africa, assisting in securing funding, establishing an accelerator hub, and mentoring young entrepreneurs focused on water access, education, and health.

Agha Hamza is a Senior Specialist in the Research Network at S&P Global Market Intelligence and a Member of the Management Board at the World Summit Awards in Pakistan. He is a former founder, innovation manager, and trained venture capitalist with expertise in managing the startup lifecycle, building partnerships, and optimising operational management. He has successfully led the Educational Innovation Program at UK-Aid

Jitendra Jain is a Principal Technology Architect at Infosys with expertise in cloud, user experience, integration, and enterprise-level architectural consulting. He is a digital transformation leader with innovative thinking and a solid technical mindset. He started the TechCohere Chapter in Jaipur, Gurgaon, and the Indore Development Centres of Infosys to bring architects, technologists, content, events, platforms, and initiatives together.

Manish Jain is the Founder & Principal at Onefinity Labs, specialising in virtual/fractional CTO services and tech advisory to CTOs. With diverse experience in fintech and e-commerce, Manish excels in transforming visions into scalable tech-enabled products and defining Minimum Viable Architectures.

Mohit Jain is a Senior Principal Technology Architect at Infosys in India, specialising in Java, J2EE, Identity Management, and Portals. He leads the practice-wide initiative on 'Secure by Design,' which aims to integrate cybersecurity as an integral part of technology delivery from the design stage.

Siddhartha Jha, an on-demand advisor from Switzerland, specializes in artificial intelligence and digital innovation at Fondation Botnar. He has a talent for connecting dots and is known for his inquisitive nature and for creating generative spaces. Siddhartha has made significant contributions to the field, including inventing a patented algorithm used in modern hearing aids.

Deepthi Karnam, a senior technologist at Infosys in India, possesses a unique blend of experiences from both the tech and social work domains. She has worked on scalable social tech platforms in collaboration with the government, gaining a deep understanding of the national tech stack and platform engineering.

Ajay Kelkar is a Leadership Coach & Partner at Reflexion, with a background as the ex-CMO at HDFC and Shoppers' Stop. He brings a unique combination of skills from both structured corporate environments and entrepreneurial setups, encompassing logical thinking, agility, and the ability to navigate ambiguity. Ajay works with senior leaders undergoing transitions, helping them overcome limiting beliefs and leverage their internal resources.

Rahul Kelkarni is the Chief Technologist at Samagra and previously held the Head of Product Management position at Google. He strongly believes in the capabilities of individuals and teams, focusing on capability building rather than outsourcing. He started his own venture called DoNew, which is a mentoring initiative.

TV Kumaresh, a Managing Principal at Strategy to Outcome LLC in the USA, possesses superpowers in strategy, innovation, and digital experience, with a talent for problem-solving and structuring solutions. Throughout his career, he has successfully led business portfolio shifts, facilitated transformations in the real estate industry, and contributed to setting comprehensive learning agendas.

Abhishek Modi is an Engagement Manager at Sattva Consulting, specialising in Strategy and Management. With a focus on problem-solving, cross-sector expertise and embraces platform thinking, Abhishek has played a pivotal role in establishing and leading a knowledge practice in the emerging field of Digital public infrastructure, goods, and platforms. He has also contributed to the growth of Sattva's CSR Advisory Practice and successfully managed the development of internal initiatives like Shift and KNO.

Venugopal Rajaraman, a senior technologist and data scientist at Infosys, excels in tech architecture, prototyping ideas, software engineering, and data management. He is proud of his ability to build machine learning-powered products and enjoys utilizing open-source tools and technologies

Jagdeesh Rao Puppala, an Ashoka Fellow and the founder of FES (Foundation for Ecological Security) brings 35 years of experience in addressing poverty and environmental degradation through a systems thinking approach. Currently involved in designing the 'Common Ground' initiative, Jagdeesh aims to address climate change, economic opportunities, and inequalities through collaborative action.

Michael Rios is the Head of Digital X at UNDP, a former social entrepreneur, and an on-demand advisor. He specializes in creating platforms for large target groups and assisting social entrepreneurs with improving their pitches. With his social enterprise, 17 Triggers, he has worked on over 100 projects in various countries, focusing on areas such as health, sanitation, climate, and financial inclusion.

Vijay Sai Pratap, co-founder and CEO of Gram Vaani, is a visionary leader with expertise in business development and ICT interventions. He has successfully built a federated network of community media platforms for social change, serving millions of users across India and beyond.

Shivananda Salgame, a social entrepreneur and consultant from India, has been actively involved in citizen-centric projects, particularly in the realm of technology-enabled government initiatives. Notably, he contributed to developing the National Teacher Platform, reaching over 15 million users, and operationalised the program Nemmadi, delivering government services to 30 million citizens across Karnataka. His EdTech startup, Guru-G, also successfully implemented digital solutions in schools across multiple states.

Satyajit Sarangi is a software engineer with 15 years of experience and is currently working at Zerodha. He possesses the strength of bringing clarity and technological feasibility to ideas. He takes pride in his work at Zerodha and the tech culture they have fostered, which actively supports and champions various social causes.

Gaurav Shah is a Growth & Digital Transformation professional at GAP, with previous experience at BASF and McKinsey & Company. He is really proficient in developing strategic solutions for sustainable business scaling, leveraging his international experience and industry network. Gaurav specialises in growth strategy, digitalisation, organisational development, and procurement & supply chain.

Vinod Shankaranarayanan, the Head of Digital Public Goods and Infrastructure at ThoughtWorks India brings extensive corporate experience and a deep understanding of scaling technology for public good. He has successfully built a business unit focused on impacting 5 billion people, demonstrating the ability to punch above their weight within ThoughtWorks.

Shamal Shivshanker, the CEO of Coachfluence in South Africa, brings extensive experience in consulting, strategy, and technology consulting. Shamal was pivotal in commercialising Lifechoices Coding Academy, an NGO providing coding training and internships to underprivileged high school leavers.

Manu Srivastava is a seasoned professional with over 21 years of experience in delivering technology solutions for social impact. As the ex-Vice President of Service Delivery at eGovernments Foundation, he played a pivotal role in revolutionizing urban governance in India and improving service delivery for over 2.5 crore citizens. Currently, as Director at Arghyam, he supports the organization's mission to empower citizens through the effective use of platforms and technology.

Viral Thakkar, an Associate Vice President and Senior Principal Technology Architect at Infosys is a value-driven leader known for his expertise in continuous learning and innovation. With his grass-root technology innovation and passion for driving change, he founded the "Techzooka Technology Next" platform at Infosys. He actively represents himself on various technology platforms and co-authors the book "DevOps Tools from Practitioner's Viewpoint”.

Vishal Thakur, the Head of TechForGood at NASSCOM, is a creative and attentive leader who excels at problem-solving and making a positive impact. He has established various social enterprises and platforms such as Askaclass, Vedic Hindi School, FutureEpoch, ShoppersGreed.com, and ClassesonTV.

Natalia Urbańska is a Senior Strategic Design Consultant/Service Designer at Netguru in Poland. She is extremely good at written storytelling, plan setting, ideation, and facilitation. Natalia has been involved in a self-driven project called Rethinking Education, addressing challenges faced by the Polish education system during the pandemic.

Simon Vanstone, an independent consultant from the UK, excels in simplifying complex data and generating innovative ideas through collaborative efforts. With diverse work experiences, including tutoring, bartending, and consulting, he easily connects with people from different backgrounds.