A room of builders.
The leaders, founders, policymakers, and practitioners turning ideas into action
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Aakanksha spent her early years in investment banking and strategy consulting, before transitioning into the development sector ten years ago. She is currently the CEO at ACT Grants, where she oversees ACT's venture-style grants across Education, Environment, Health and Women verticals. ACT also serves as a platform that helps catalyse programs and collectives to further deepen and accelerate their portfolio's progress by bringing together startups, NGOs, public and private sector organizations. Prior to ACT, she led strategy and program design as the Chief Program Officer at Teach For India.
Before moving into the impact sector, she supported financial sector clients at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She started her career in mortgage backed securities and loan portfolio strategy at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers. It is this diverse set of experiences that shapes Aakanksha's strong belief in the need for cross-sectoral collaboration in solving India's biggest social challenges in the coming decade.
Aakanksha was an F.C. Austin Scholar at the Kellogg School of Management where she received her MBA, and graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a double bachelors degree in Mathematics and Economics.
Aakash Sethi, a visionary leader, is transforming the education-to-employment landscape in India by driving innovative learning solutions that equip young people with 21st century skills and cultivate self-learning mindsets. Under his leadership, Quest Alliance has pioneered experiential learning models that prepare young learners for an evolving world of work, impacting over 2 million learners to date.
Aakash has facilitated a community of over 40 non profit organisations working in the sector to share knowledge, worked with over 10 state governments to integrate a dedicated curriculum and build capacity of teachers and principals to create a self learning environment.
He has launched the Quest Learning Observatory, a collaborative space that integrates sustainable practices, interdisciplinary experimentation, and emerging trends, where members can reimagine, experiment, and co-create regenerative cultures for their organizations
Aakash’s vision has shaped Quest2Learn, a flagship event into bold, creative, participatory process, co-created with young people in India who are demonstrating critical thinking, self awareness, reimagining career pathways and innovative, community led solutions. (This point can be re-written from an impact lens of our work)
An Ashoka Fellow since 2019, Aakash continues his unwavering commitment to empowering marginalized youth and shaping transformative educational pathways that redefine India's future of learning and employment.
Aarti Mohan is a Co-founder and Partner at Sattva. She currently heads the Practice areas of Gender and Responsible Supply Chains, working with diverse ecosystems across business and development, to deliver impact on the ground. Over her 15+ years in the impact sector, Aarti has had the opportunity to bring several large-scale initiatives to life in partnership with global and domestic philanthropies, non-profits, and governments, across India and geographies in Africa and Asia. She has made notable contributions in the areas of women’s economic empowerment, digital transformation, agriculture, healthcare, and water.
Aarti’s worldview is rooted in the belief that markets should work for and with everyone, and that building inclusive business models and supply chains is equally good for business AND society, which is why she pushes for sustainable pathways in business.Passionate about curating action-oriented spaces for business, government, and society to come together, she has led flagship research projects bringing data and evidence towards informed decision-making and established multiple ecosystem engagements.
Her gender-focused work includes advising philanthropies on Gender Equality portfolios and leading initiatives around women’s entrepreneurship, women in agriculture and women groups. She has partnered with organisations such as USAID, Mastercard Foundation, JP Morgan Philanthropy, UN-Women, the World Bank, SEWA, IDH, Shell Foundation and Frontier Markets, in designing and helping bring their missions to life. Aarti has also contributed to policy engagements, addressing gender & work and gender & health in India.
Aarti holds a degree in Computer Engineering from BITS Pilani and is an alumna of the Management Programme for Women Entrepreneurs (MPWE) at IIM Bangalore, and the GS10K women’s programme.
Abhishek Sharma is a Senior Manager at IDinsight, where for the past four years he has led multiple research and advisory engagements with state governments and philanthropic organizations. He is a development professional with over twelve years of experience across public policy, implementation, and evaluation, having previously worked with Kudumbashree National Resource Organization under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, UNDP, the World Bank, and Harvard Kennedy School’s Evidence for Policy Design.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from NIT Hamirpur, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Rural Management from IRMA, and a Master of Public Administration (International Development) from Cornell University
With over two decades of diverse experience across Indian and multinational organizations, Aditi established LinkedIn India's government affairs and policy function. As Board Director and Country Head of Legal & Government Affairs at LinkedIn India, Aditi champions efforts that blend policy, purpose, and platform—leading work on AI, digital skilling, gender equity, and climate partnerships that translates LinkedIn’s global vision—creating economic opportunity for every member of the workforce—into actionable impact through collaboration with governments, NGOs, and multilateral institutions. With accolades such as the GC Powerlist and Young Achiever’s Award, she continues to influence change at the intersection of law, technology, and policy.
Prior to LinkedIn, Aditi has worked at ITC Limited and Johnson & Johnson and holds post-graduate degrees from Stanford University.
Aditi Surie is a senior researcher and faculty member at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements. She specializes in gig and platform work in India, studying how digital platforms shape labor outcomes and worker experiences in informal economies. Her research connects the strategies of platform companies with on-the-ground realities of workers—especially women and migrants—and examines how emerging forms of services like quick commerce, data annotation, and traditional services like taxi driving, care work are being reconfigured in the Global South.
K. Parameshwar, is a designated Senior Advocate practicing in the Supreme Court of India, with over 17 years of distinguished legal experience. He represents key public and private clients and has previously served as the Additional Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh. He regularly assists the Court as Amicus Curiae in numerous public law cases, including the TN Godavarman case (popularly called the Forest Bench), Open Prisons, criminal law reforms, and Dr. Balaram Singh v. Union of India which deals with the implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act. Mr. Parameshwar’s engagement in Court-appointed committees within the judicial administration, writing, and frequent engagement with some of India’s most impactful cases mark him as a respected thought leader and speaker in the legal community.
Aishwarya leads Atma’s programme portfolio, including its flagship programmes, customised NGO partnerships, OD diagnostics, ecosystem-strengthening initiatives, and workshop offerings. She holds a degree in law from NALSAR University of Law and a postgraduate diploma in management from the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, and was part of the 2024–2025 cohort of the Dasra Social Impact Leadership Programme. Aishwarya has 11 years of experience across the corporate and nonprofit sectors. After early stints in corporate law and FMCG sales, she chose to apply her skills to the nonprofit sector, supporting NGOs in building stronger systems and processes.
Ajaita Shah is a visionary entrepreneur, philanthropist, and impact investor with over 22 years of experience driving systemic change across rural India. As Founder and CEO of Frontier Markets, she has pioneered a model that empowers over 40,000 rural women entrepreneurs (Sahelis) through AI-enabled mobile technology, delivering essential goods and services to 4.3 million people across 5,000+ villages.
A global leader in gender inclusion and impact investing, Ajaita’s “She Leads Bharat” initiative transforms women into digital agents of change—unlocking economic opportunity, climate resilience, and rural prosperity.
Her leadership has earned global recognition, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business (2025), Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year (2024), and CNBC Women Entrepreneur of the Year, among others. She also serves as the first South Asia Advocate for UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women and speaks regularly at global platforms such as the World Economic Forum and the UN SDG Summit.
Ajaita’s vision is to empower 1 million women entrepreneurs by 2030, impacting 50 million households and unlocking $1 billion in rural commerce. Recently honored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her transformative work, she continues to redefine legacy—building prosperity with dignity through innovation, technology, and purpose-driven enterprise.
Ajit Rangnekar is the Director General of the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) – a pioneering initiative he co-founded with the support of the Government of Telangana to accelerate research, innovation, and technology-driven impact. He is also a Partner at Social Venture Partners (SVP) India, where he works towards strengthening social impact initiatives through collaborative philanthropy.
Previously, Mr. Rangnekar served as the Dean of the Indian School of Business (ISB), leading the institution to global prominence and securing a place among the world’s top 20 business schools. He was also the co-founder and founding Director of T-Hub, India’s leading start-up incubator.
Before returning to India, he had a distinguished international career with Pricewaterhouse Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt. Ltd. (Hong Kong), where he held key leadership roles including Country Head, Asia Head of Telecommunications, and Asia Head of Training.
An alumnus of IIT Bombay (B.Tech. Hons. in Chemical Engineering) and IIM Ahmedabad, Mr. Rangnekar combines deep expertise in management and innovation with a lifelong commitment to nurturing talent and advancing India’s knowledge economy.
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Dr. Alaa Murabit is a medical doctor, global strategist, and leader in health, sustainable development, and inclusive security. At 21, during Libya’s civil war, she founded the Voice of Libyan Women, launching the Noor Campaign to engage faith leaders in advancing women’s rights. Her advocacy helped shape UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, contributing to the formation of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 16 on peace and justice.
By 25, Alaa was influencing policy at a global scale. She has served as UN High-Level Commissioner on Health, Employment, and Economic Growth, CEO of IMPACT2030, co-founder of Phase Minus 1, and Director at the Gates Foundation, where she oversaw a $350M portfolio on maternal health, climate, and innovation. Currently, she leads Sustainable Growth investments as a Managing Partner at 500 Global.
Alaa is also Board Chair of Girls Not Brides, championing efforts to end child marriage, and serves on the board of Women for Women International. Her work has been featured in TIME, CNN, NPR, BBC, and Forbes, and she has spoken at TED, the UN, WEF, and Harvard. Honors include TIME100, Forbes 30 Under 30, MIT Media Lab Fellow, and WEF Young Global Leader.
She has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and received the Canadian Meritorious Service Cross. Alaa holds an MD from Zawia University and an MSc from the London School of Economics. A Harvard Radcliffe Fellow and middle child of 11 siblings, she attributes her skills in diplomacy and strategy to her family—skills she now puts to use as snack negotiator and bedtime peace broker with her two toddlers.
Ms. Alka Upadhyaya is an IAS officer of the 1990 batch, currently serving National Commission for Minorities, under the Ministry of Minority Affairs. She was previously serving as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India. Over her distinguished career, she has held several key leadership roles including Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development, Director General of the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency, CEO of the National Rural Livelihood Mission, and Director General of the Council for Advancement of People’s Action & Rural Technology.
She has played a pivotal role in shaping and implementing flagship rural development programmes, including the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, where she spearheaded the use of IT platforms, geospatial planning, and remote sensing technologies for effective monitoring and execution. With more than three decades in public service, Ms. Upadhyaya continues to contribute to strengthening rural infrastructure, livelihoods, and animal husbandry development across India.