Team
Manas Rath
Founder
Manas enjoys helping organizations and entrepreneurs to perform at their peak. At Avendus Capital, he helped companies raised PE/VC capital from leading global investors like Blackstone and Warburg Pincus, and close cross-border M&A deals. At BORDA and CDD Society, he ran training programs for government officials, helped set up the Blue Water Company and India’s first PPP in FSM, and led a circular economy investment planning exercise for the Udaipur Municipal Corporation. He is currently helping the Dutch Take-a-Stake Fund set up an urban-WASH Impact Fund and earlier was the Director for capacity building and philanthropy development at Dasra.
He is a graduate of MIT and the Sloan School of Management, is a Reiki Master and teacher, and a student of Vedanta, Buddhism and Shamanism.
Karanbir Singh
Associate—Sustainability and Workshops
Karanbir has experience in manufacturing systems (at Honda and Harley Davidson), business development (at BYJUs), and urban systems and services. He has a Masters in Urban Management from CEPT University where he helped the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation reform how it manages agencies providing sanitation services, and has done evidence-based research and community engagement activities for Janaagraha. He studied Mechanical Engineering at Manipal University and has worked with TERI and CEE, and represented the Gujarat State Football team playing at the National Level.
Rishabh Shandily
Associate—GPP and Partnerships
Rishabh has evaluated projects in facilities management, parking, water supply and other aspects of urban services and management, and public administration and policy. He helped a waste management startup develop a business model and plan and as an architect, he has worked on various industrial, commercial and residential projects. He studied architecture at the GD Goenka University (Gurugram) and has a Master's in Urban Management from CEPT University. He has also studied bamboo-based construction and product costing and pricing strategies.
Dhaval Mistry
Manager— Innovative Finance
Dhaval is a graduate from the Indian School of Business (ISB) with majors in Marketing and Strategy. He has previously worked with a boutique debt advisory firm where he helped raise funds for financial inclusion and gender lens covering Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia. Dhaval has also worked with Credit Suisse within the Credit Risk team for 6 years. He is also a Chartered Accountant and enjoys reading about history and economics.
Tara Rao
Program Associate— LEAP Mumbai
Tara is an honorary graduate in Political Science and International Relations from Ashoka University. She also possesses a diploma in Media Studies and Creative Writing from the same university. She is interested in Sustainable Citizenship and working in the Social Sector. She is an avid reader, a fan of 19th century history and has a keen interest in politics.
Graina Fernandes
Graina has been working in the non-profit space since the age of 16. She graduated in Anthropology and Sociology and did her Post graduation in Therapeutic Counselling from the College of Social Work- Nirmala Niketan. She also has training in Child Rights. She has a diverse experience of eight years in the sector working in teams across Human Resources, Fundraising, Communications and Program Management. Graina's interest in building capacities of NGOs and advising Philanthropists stems from her experience working in a resource-poor, grassroots, social sector in India. Solving common organisational problems by pooling resources and experimenting with unique strategies excites Graina the most about working in the non-profit space.
Sanjna Urval
Sanjna is a Bachelor of Design graduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Her previous research, development and strategy work includes curriculum development for sustainable design for IITC and developing nature-based experiential learning strategies with IEXP 360. Social sustainability and urban food systems are her areas of interest and focus. She is passionate about biophilic architecture, urban infrastructure and artificial intelligence.
Advisors
Anmol Nayyar
Partner, DMI Finance
Anmol Nayyar is a Partner at DMI Finance which is a leading diversified financial service firm in India. Prior to this he founded and exited two businesses in financial services. He started his career as a corporate lawyer at leading global law firm Ashurst in London. Anmol is an investor, board member and advisor to multiple businesses in India, the UK, and the US. He received a BA (Phi Beta Kappa) from Reed College and a JD from Northwestern University’s College of Law.
Anupam Yog
Managing Partner, Light on Life
Anupam Yog is an established global expert and trusted adviser to cities, companies, universities, communities and entrepreneurs. Over two decades, Anupam has held leadership roles and senior management appointments in Real Estate, Consulting, Technology, Higher Education and Social Impact organisations.
In September 2020, he initiated ‘The Big Sit’, a monthly social meditation and community mindfulness in Singapore’s CBD. As an avid mindfulness practitioner, Anupam brings an intentional and thoughtful approach to advising cities, organisations, and their leaders, as they navigate uncertain times.
Anupam holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Delhi, India, and a MBA in Entrepreneurship and Governance from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
Jayesh Parekh
Managing Partner, Good Protein Fund
An established Singapore-based venture capitalist, Jayesh is Managing Partner of the Good Protein Fund (focused on alternative protein companies) and serves on the Investment Committees of Aavishkaar Capitals' impact funds. He was earlier Managing Partner at Jungle Ventures Fund I & II and Co-Founder of Sony Entertainment Television in India, before which he spent 12 years at IBM in technical and sales roles in Houston. He studied at M.S. University (Baroda) and the University of Texas at Austin, is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at INSEAD, and author of “What Shall We Do With All This Money? Inspiring Perspectives on Wealth.”
Kartik Desai
Asia Partner, Kois Asset Management
Kartik is a partner at Kois Asset Management, focused on developing blended capital instruments for global investors. He set up and was Executive Director at Asha Impact, an impact investing and policy advocacy firm and led investments across housing, financial services, waste, education, healthcare, agriculture and technology for development. Kartik is a board member of the Indian Impact Investors Council, steering committee member of ANDE India, and member of the Prime Minister's ‘Champions of Change’ of young CEOs. Earlier, he worked in venture capital and investment banking in the US, helping set up Lok Capital II (focus: financial inclusion), and the Aavishkaar Frontier Fund. He studied at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and has a Masters’ degree in International Affairs from Columbia University (SIPA).
Luis Miranda
Chairman, Center for Civil Society and CORO
Luis Miranda connects dots. He started investing in India's infrastructure a long, long time ago when he started IDFC Private Equity and was earlier a part of the start-up team of HDFC Bank. He is an advisor to Morgan Stanley, and has invested in and has been on the boards of GMR Infrastructure, L&T Infrastructure, Delhi International Airport, Gujarat Pipavav Port, Gujarat State Petronet, and Manipal Global Education. Today, he and his wife spend most of their time advising and helping non-profits. He is Chairman of CORO and Centre for Civil Society, Managing Trustee for Collective Good Foundation, Founder of the Indian School for Public Policy, and active supports Take Charge, 17000 Ft Foundation, SNEHA, Sunbird Trust, Operation ASHA and Educate Girls. Luis received an MBA from the Booth School at the University of Chicago and is a member of their Global Leaders Group.
Pratap Raju
Founding Partner, The Climate Collective
A pioneer of solar energy since the early days of the National Solar Mission, Pratap is the founder of The Climate Collective Network and the Climate Launchpad, supporting climate and clean tech startups across South Asia, Uzbekistan and Israel. A graduate of Harvard University and Oxford University, he has started or been involved in IT, media, renewable energy and climate ventures for nearly 20 years and has helped dozens of companies and startups in these sectors.
Pratima Joshi
Executive Director, Shelter Associates
Arch. Pratima Joshi is a thought leader in the use of data and GIS maps to improve housing and sanitation for the urban poor. She is an Ashoka Fellow and the only Indian to receive the ‘Google Earth Hero Award.’ In 1994, she co-founded Shelter Associates, a Pune-based NGO that has helped over 3,70,000 slum dwellers with individual household toilets and town-wide slum redevelopment planning and affordable housing. Shelter has received the HUDCO Award for Best Practices in Sanitation, Times Network ‘Digital Social Innovation’ Award, ISC-FICCI Awards 2018, and the LPC Honor Award at the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum 10. Pratima studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning in London.
Smita Rawoot
Urban Resilience Lead, WRI
Smita’s team at WRI helps cities adapt to and manage climate risks while advancing human and environmental health, economic opportunity and social wellness. Earlier, she was the Associate Director for Global Solutions at 100 Resilient Cities (100RC, now the Global Resilient Cities Network), a Rockefeller Foundation-funded program. She helped 24 major North American city governments to identify, define, develop and implement priority resilience initiatives, and launched several multi-city challenges that supported joint problem solving. As an urban planner / designer and architect, Smita has focused on building inclusive communities with vibrant public realms and environmentally and economically sustainable places. She holds a Masters Degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Masters in Architecture from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor in Architecture from Sushant School of Arts and Architecture.
Veeralakshmanan Bagavathi
Head of Inclusive Business, Covestro
A veteran executive with deep technical roots, Lakshman heads the Inclusive Businesses portfolio for the $15 Billion materials and chemicals company Covestro, helping to bring innovations to those who need it most, in areas of affordable housing, food security and potable water, and safe sanitation. Over 28 years, he has managed businesses, led sales, built new ventures, and worked with strategic partners and governments across the Asia Pacific. He has a Masters in Applied Science from Anna University (India), as well as a Masters in Technology from Cochin University of Science and Technology.
Dr. Y. Malini Reddy