Rijo George is a seasoned development professional with 14 years of experience in regional and participatory development, poverty eradication, community-based organisations, skill development, agri value chain, and livelihoods. He has worked with Andhra Pradesh state livelihood mission, UNDP, the Government of India’s Ministry of Rural Development, and the British High Commission.

Rijo’s educational foundation is in Agricultural Sciences from Kerala Agricultural University (2003-2007), followed by a Post Graduation in Rural Management from IRMA, Anand (2008-10). In 2021-22, he completed a Master in Public Administration programme from the National University of Singapore.

Rijo’s professional journey began in 2010, following his MBA from IRMA. He started as a Young Professional at the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SRLM of Andhra Pradesh) where he worked on poverty eradication utilising microfinance and microenterprises through women SHGs, and supported the design and implementation of a large-scale household poverty survey. In his role as State Mission Manager for the Employment Generation and Marketing Mission (2012-15), Rijo was part of the upper management team implementing a large-scale skill development programme targeting rural unemployed youth in Andhra Pradesh. As the skill development initiatives were being scaled up nationally, he was also part of many policy discussions at the national level organised by UNDP and MoRD.

Rijo then served as a Project Officer for UNDP (2015-18), where he provided technical assistance to MoRD on convergence initiatives and GIS implementation in MGNREGA. He was part of organising more than 50 capacity building programs for bureaucrats and local government office bearers on the convergence strategy for development. In 2018, he assumed the leadership role for a Project Management Unit at MoRD on the convergence initiatives. He worked on focused development of select geographies utilising convergence of resources from multiple sources – existing government schemes, CSR, private sector inputs, and voluntary sector.

In 2020-21, he moved to the British High Commission and worked on promoting bilateral partnerships in research. He coordinated with national scientific bodies of India and the UK, as well as prominent universities and academicians to deliver research partnerships. During 2022-24, Rijo worked as an independent public policy consultant to multiple clients, tackling diverse assignments in the sustainability realm. This included projects on governance reforms in disaster management administration, agri value chain analysis for cooperatives, and policy analysis of parliament questions among others.

In his leisure time, Rijo enjoys reading popular articles and listening to podcasts.

Dr Henna holds a medical degree and is a practicing humanitarian, disaster risk management and development professional leveraging 17 years of cutting edge experience of working with communities for principled humanitarian action and sustainable development including 12 years as functional head for effective development and management of humanitarian and development Projects/Programmes, advocacy with stakeholders and capacity building in Emergency Preparedness and Response. She has a cutting edge experience of managing multi sectoral projects on Relief, Response, Rehabilitation, Gender in DRR, Psychosocial Support in Emergencies, SRH in Emergencies, Health Emergency Preparedness for Response, Social Development, Natural Resource Management, Child Protection in Emergencies, Disability inclusive DRR (DiDRR) with organizations like Action Aid, International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC), United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA), UNICEF, HCLF, World Health Organisation (WHO), IPPF, Pragya, UNHCR & Sphere India. Having worked with a National Coalition of 150 humanitarian agencies (Sphere India) as thematic lead for Accountability to affected population, Knowledge Management Program, Collaborative Advocacy Vertical & Strategic Partnerships, she has ensured effective communication with communities, implementation of accountability principles and CHS standards in emergencies, build capacity of Govt and civil society in integrating Humanitarian Standards & has established & managed high value partnerships with Government, UN Agencies, NGO Networks, Corporates, Academia, Global Networks for ensuring implementation of national guidelines/standards, core humanitarian standards in disasters and complex emergencies. Focal point for NAEPR (Network Approach to Emergency Preparedness & Response) Program for COVID-19 response and recovery, Focal Point for Sector Committees/Groups including Health, & Protection Sector Committee, Cash Working Group, Inter Faith Humanitarian Alliance, she has been instrumental in bringing together sectoral experts/think tanks for charting out effective roadmaps for risk reduction and resilience. Dr Henna has also been responsible for pilot testing of Multi-sector Coordination on Emergency Preparedness & Response in six sectors across 10 States of India, in collaboration with National Institute of Disaster Management. She has been deployed in field for emergency assessments, evaluations, preparedness and emergency response coordination during & post disasters and has supported the URS process for response, Alert reports, SitReps and Joint Rapid Needs Assessment Reports. Dr Henna has facilitated coordination and established partnerships/agreements with global networks, conducted evaluations post emergencies, harmonised cash transfer program and has been one of the Core Team Member in the Study on State of Humanitarian Systems in India Report. She has advocated for protecting the rights of the most vulnerable women and children and integrated gender, women and child friendly services and policies in the assessment processes in the aftermath of disasters and emergencies in India.

Dr Deepak S Nikarthil Ph.D. is an inclusive and sustainable development expert and socioeconomic development professional with over 9 years of experience in India and Asia. He did his graduation from St. Stephan’s College, New Delhi and master’s from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He also holds a Ph.D. in Health Governance from Centre for Study of Law and Governance (CSLG), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.

In his last role, Deepak worked as Senior Program Coordinator with Cividep India in Bangalore, where he managed the Multi Actor Partnership Programme for Gender and Health. He undertook research on Health among women garment workers in export-oriented garment industry and creation of guidelines for health vulnerabilities in the garment factories in Bangalore. His prior role included, working as Inclusive Development Programme Lead in Swasti Health Catalysts in Bangalore. In this role, he worked closely with USAID India Health Office, for implementation of inclusion in their health programmes in the country. He worked with Neilsen India Pvt. Ltd. as a consultant/technical expert for NACO project on high-risk population in Uttarakhand.

In his another significant role, Deepak worked with Swadhikar-NCDHR as programme and Research Manager for International Advocacy. He has assisted in creation of Global Forum on Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) a global coalition of caste and caste like communities around the world. He was the first coordinator for the coalition. He was instrumental in this group to be recognized as one of the stakeholder groups within Maor Group and other Stakeholders (MGoS) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) both in Asia and Globally.

Harita has an impressive 18-year journey in social program implementation and impact advisory, with expertise in diverse thematic areas and geographies. Holding an MSW and M.A in Economics, her commitment to continuous learning is reflected in her academic credentials.

Her experience spans FPO/CSO capacity building, SHG & Federation development, entrepreneurship, livelihood enhancement, gender vulnerability, climate vulnerability, and the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Harita has collaborated successfully with renowned clients like GIZ, UNDP, Solidaridad, and IFAD in various regions.

Dedicating herself to social impact, Harita has played a crucial role in educational initiatives, women’s empowerment through SHG formation, vocational training, and gender sensitization programs. In the domain of livelihood and rural development, she has conducted awareness initiatives, health camps, and livestock camps while liaising with rural financial institutions and contributing to watershed development. Her commitment to social impact extends to the implementation of impactful programs across a wide spectrum. She has played a pivotal role in educational initiatives, focusing on learning level assessments, training needs assessments, and fostering reading habits among children. Additionally, she has championed women’s empowerment through SHG formation, vocational training, and gender sensitization programs. In the domain of livelihood and rural development, her efforts have included gender sensitization programs, capacity building, awareness initiatives, health camps, and livestock camps. She has liaised with rural financial institutions, facilitated fund generation, and contributed to watershed development and the dissemination of latest agronomic practices. With experience across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, Harita’s passion lies in emphasizing empowerment through education and fostering sustainable development.

Harita’s notable studies include the Endline Study of UPMA project for Trickle Up, the Baseline study on the “Regenerative and Resilient Sugarcane Supply Chain” project for Solidaridad, and the Assessment of the role of FPO in Rural Transformation for Reliance Foundation. She has also assessed the adoption rates of Soil Protection & Rehabilitation measures under ProSoil India for GIZ and conducted an Impact Assessment of SRLM Implementation using the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for UNDP. Additionally, Harita has contributed to the Impact Assessment of strengthening and fostering CSOs for Child Fund India.

Vandana Khurana is a professional with a strong academic background in Horticulture and Botany. In most recent role as Assistant Manager at Global AgriSystem Pvt. Ltd, she was responsible for managing and coordinating a diverse range of agricultural and development projects. She has gained experience in developing project proposals including technical and financial proposals, DPR preparation, feasibility study, conducting stakeholders’ meetings and consultations. Her work also included conducting primary and secondary research, developing reports and business strategies, and ensuring the alignment of projects with sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Throughout her career, she has developed expertise in project management, research coordination, and value chain analysis, with a focus on providing strategic recommendations and actionable insights. Her work has spanned key sectors such as agriculture, livestock, medicinal plants, and agro-based enterprises.

As a person, she values collaboration, adaptability, and empathy. She enjoys working in diverse teams, where she can contribute her expertise while learning from others’ perspectives.

Prince Dangariya is from the Jamnagar district in Gujarat. From May to August 2024, he served as an Agriculture Field Officer (on a contractual basis) for Gujarat and Rajasthan at Change Alliance. He holds a postgraduate degree in Agriculture, specializing in Genetics and Plant Breeding, from Junagadh Agricultural University, Gujarat.

Prince has also completed a three-month Research Internship at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, where he worked on Nutrients and Irrigation Water Management in Field and Horticultural Crops through Smart Agriculture Technologies. This internship was fully funded by ICAR (NAHEP-IDP) and Junagadh Agricultural University.

Prince values relationships, adaptability, and empathy. He thrives in diverse team environments, where he can share his expertise while also gaining insights from the perspectives of others.