As the echoes of spring linger and the first hints of autumn dance in the air, we gather to celebrate our recently graduated cohort of 19 Acumen Fellows. Their transformative 7-month journey, commencing in March and concluding in September, has ignited the spark of moral leadership, setting the stage for a lifetime of unwavering commitment.
What distinguishes these remarkable individuals is their resolute mission to amplify unheard voices. Among them, we find a Sarpanch from the heartlands of Gaya district, Bihar, championing grassroots development, and a Non-Banking Financial Company-Microfinance Institution (NBFC-MFI), empowering low-income households through financial inclusion. These Fellows represent a rich tapestry of solutions, each poised to address India's most pressing challenges.
With unwavering determination, they are shaping a world where every life is cherished, where dignity prevails, and where innovation is the clarion call of hope. Let us join in honoring these remarkable graduates, the 2023 Spring Cohort of Acumen Fellows, as they transition into the Foundry.
At Acumen Academy, our mission is to unleash a new generation of system builders equipped with the determination and grit to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world. We define success not by how the privileged fare but by how the poor, the vulnerable, and the earth they inhabit are treated.
Collage of 19 incredible social innovators in India working to tackle problems of poverty and build a world based on dignity
Acumen Academy is unique not only because it is a place where entrepreneurs learn to model a different type of leadership, but it is the confluence where competence meets character and urgency meets action.
Meet the 2023 Spring Fellows and discover how they are changing the narrative in India.
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Adwait Dandwate Co-Founder of Vardhishnu Adwait is the Co-Founder of Vardhishnu a Social Research & Development Society at Jalgaon, Maharashtra in 2013. His collectives aim to create an ecosystem of learning and support for the holistic development of children from vulnerable backgrounds across the country. He holds a master’s degree in Sociology. |
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Ayan S R Founder of Katidhan Ayan is the Founder of Katidhan, which is currently at a pre-growth stage as an organization that works with more than 1500 rural and tribal farmers in Maharashtra who are in dire need of their technological systems to protect their lives and livelihoods from wild animal attacks. Katidhan is collaborating with more than 10 large developmental organizations to scale the implementation across the state and replicate the model in other states. |
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Dharamjeet Kumar Co-Founder of Ayang Trust Dharamjeet is the Co-Founder, and Director of Livelihood at Ayang Trust a non-profit organization working in northeast India. He leads the organization's work with women farmers and artisans to bridge the resource gap and collectivize them to form producer organizations. He holds a master’s in development from Azim Premji University, Bangalore. Since 2016, he has been working at the grassroots to promote livelihoods in the remotest villages of the northeast. |
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Dilip Suthar Co-Founder of Anubhuti Dilip is the Co-Founder of Anubhuti, a movement of local youth to bring educational equity at grassroot based at Gurgaon, Haryana. The organization's vision is to focus on educational equity at the grassroots with focused intervention towards out-of-school and dropped-out children across India. So far, Anubhuti has reached 8.40 lakh students. Dilip holds a master’s in social work from Udaipur. |
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Dolly Verma Sarpanch of Gram Kachhari Shadipur Dolly is the second time sitting Sarpanch of Gram Kachhari Shadipur in Gaya, Bihar. She has cleared almost 300 Disputes of her Panchayat with 95 % of closure rate. She has digitized law and order by bringing in systems to ensure that every process is transparent and digitally documented. She holds a master’s in business administration from Symbiosis University Pune. |
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Dr. Kuldeep Singh Founder of KIRAN Society Dr. Kuldeep is the Founder of KIRAN Society, a catalyst to empower persons with Disabilities (PwDs) through skill building. His vision is to ensure the inclusion of the differently abled and marginalized children and youth into mainstream society, where they can feel welcomed, supported and empowered. He holds a PhD in Public Health & is an expert team member of WHO national team for revised national tuberculosis program. |
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Irwan Malhotra Co-founder and Trustee of Givfunds Social Ventures Irwan runs GivFunds which aims to serve impactful and sustainable capital to neglected social enterprises. He has also founded and manages Vencap United, a successful debt firm based in New Delhi. He has 12+ years of experience working with SME debt. Irwan has also founded Gavaksh India, a school for the slum children in New Delhi. |
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Keerthi J Deputy Commissioner at Government of Assam Keerthi is the Deputy Commissioner for Government of Assam at the cutting edge of policy, implementation & execution. She is currently working in the remote districts of Assam trying to bring a change through improved systems of delivery with better coordinated teams and breaking inter departmental silos. She is recipient of the Chief Ministers best administrator award and President’s award winner for elections. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering. |
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Mayank Lodha Lead Governance at Government of Punjab Mayank is the Lead Governance at Government of Punjab, working with political and bureaucratic leadership. Through a fellowship program, he empowers young professionals with knowledge, skills and mindsets to support decision-makers at various levels. He enables partnerships by facilitating handshakes across various entities inside and outside the government, bringing in innovation, resources, and expert-advice. |
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Mohammad Aatish Khan Co-Founder of NatureDots Private Limited Mohammad Aatish is the Co-founder of NatureDots, building a solution ‘AquaNurch’ to de-risk freshwater fisheries from environmental and climate risks using ecological science and AI. He is the recipient of the Fulbright, Andrew Sabin Fellowship, and Top Innovator at Uplink-World Economic Forum. Aatish holds a double master’s degree from Yale University and the Indian Institute of Forest Management. |
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Nivedita Krishna Founder of Pacta Nivedita is the founder at Pacta -a boutique law firm and policy think-tank. As a lawyer, Nivedita advises large philanthropies and grassroots non-profits on legal matters. As a public policy analyst, Nivedita's research in disability, education, gender, technology, and philanthropy has culminated in evidence-based policy briefs for the government and multi-laterals. Nivedita is also a Company Secretary and holds a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University |
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Naga M Reddy A Lead, Social Impact at PanIIT Alumni Foundation
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Pon Aananth Managing Director at Pinke Capital
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Purvi Bhavsar Co-Founder of Pahal Financial Services Private Limited Purvi is the co-founder of Pahal Financial Services Private Limited, a leading Non-Banking Financial Services Company working in the area of microfinance and enterprise lending. She has diverse exposure across the entire spectrum of Corporate and Retail Banking, Consumer Finance, Stock Broking, Distribution and Customer Service. For her pursuits, she was awarded one of the “leading women in telecom industry” during 2010-11. She was recently recognized as Top 10 women in Finance – 2020 |
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Rashmi Tiwari Founder of Aahan Foundation for Social Change
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Shubhra Hanjabam Founder of Meira Foods
Shubhra is the Founder of Meira Foods, which focuses on empowering the local youths & women self-help groups by providing skill training and helps selling their products in the market. She has work experience being a Lecturer, Community Organizer CVTC, Casual Hindi Announcer, Training Coordinator. She has a master’s degree in food and nutrition. |
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Shrinivas Kulkarni Vice President at BAIF Development Research Foundation Shrinivas is the Group Vice President at BAIF Development Research Foundation, which works on readying organization for future and bringing innovative tech-enabled solutions to rural communities with focus on improving livelihoods. With prior corporate experience and a tech-enthusiast Chartered Accountancy background, he brings a unique perspective to this fulfilling work striving for program and organizational sustainability. |
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Tejaswini Vavilala Director of Projects at Sphoorti Foundation Tejaswini is an International Development and Communications professional with experience in Public Affairs related roles across nonprofits and corporate entities in India and US. She is the consultant director at Sphoorti Foundation, which supports over 1500 destitute children. As Director- Projects, she is responsible for project management, fundraising, partnerships and strategy building. She holds two master’s degrees in international Affairs (The New School) and Public Relations from the US. |
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Yashna Jhamb Co-Founder of Ooloi Labs Yashna is a Co-Founder and Partner of Ooloi Labs, working at the junction of Knowledge sharing, Technology and Design. She co-leads the Strategy and Partnerships team at Ooloi. Her expertise is in design research, design strategy, and experience design. Her work in the development sector is spread across different domains such as education and livelihood, waste management and public health with the aim to implementing design centered solutions for communities. |
