Each year, Acumen selects exceptional social innovators from across India to participate in a leadership development program focused on fostering moral leadership in their work.

Our Fellowship provides a space for these leaders to mutually inspire one another, fostering a space that encourages self-reflection on leadership, critical dialogue, community, and systems thinking, ultimately contributing to transformative changes in India.

Learn more about the Fall 2024 Acumen Fellows cohort below.

Bimal is the founder of Gangpur Ventures Private Limited, a social enterprise dedicated to commercializing rural value chains and addressing challenging societal issues. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Bimal served as the managing director of a nonprofit organization focused on creating livelihood opportunities for tribal communities. With extensive grassroots experience in developmental activities and a profound passion for rural development, he founded the startup, Gangpur Ventures, as a means to give back to his community and contribute to positive social change.

Divya is the founder of Baeru, India’s pioneering ocean waste recovery startup. Through collaboration with the fisheries community, Baeru transforms bycatch into opportunities for marine litter recovery. Divya is dedicated to strengthening coastal communities in Karnataka, fostering sustainable livelihoods, and empowering women financially. With a background as a Northwestern University alumna and a former Google employee, she brings a unique blend of skills to her environmental and community-focused initiatives. Baeru has gained recognition from United Nations Women and is listed among UNESCO’s Top 100 Green Citizens Projects.

Ishpreet is the co-founder of Sanjhi Sikhiya Foundation, an organization with a mission to cultivate a cadre of local young leaders in Punjab, aiming to transform the region into a land of hope, courage, and possibilities. In her role, Ishpreet leads a dedicated team focused on uplifting public education by collaborating with educational leaders to nurture foundational skills in every child. A former Teach for India fellow, she brings a wealth of experience to her work. Ishpreet holds an MBA and a B.Tech degree, and as a proud educator, she has committed 30 years of her life to making a positive impact in her home state.

Mary is the chief functionary of Prajayatna, a social organization working with the public education system by empowering teachers and communities to ensure quality education that seamlessly weaves together academic knowledge and essential life skills. She has been involved since its inception and plays a key role in its growth. Holding a master's degree in social work, Mary has more than 20 years of experience in the education sector. She is part of various committees at the state level.

Neha serves as the co-head of SEE Learning India (Max India Foundation), and works on the implementation of the program in schools and organizations. Neha is an Emory University certified cognitively-based compassion training senior instructor, specializing in compassion meditation, and a Level 2 facilitator for the SEE Learning Program. 

Rajesh is co-building collectives of youth engaging institutions in India to make youth centric development practices the driving norm in the sector. His work contributes to creating a pipeline of wholesome youth leaders who are championing and addressing the most pressing needs of our time. He leads operations at ComMutiny - The Youth Collective. He is deeply invested in the intersection of climate, active citizenship, and youth leadership.

Vijay is a distinguished zoologist by education, a seasoned banker by experience, and an impassioned entrepreneur driven by unwavering commitment. Throughout his life, he has dedicated himself to unraveling the symbiosis between humanity and the latent, untapped opportunities that exist. Influenced by Gandhi's social thought, his multifaceted career echoes with purpose, infusing every endeavor with a commitment to social transformation. Vijay’s impact is evident not only in his professional pursuits but also in the accolades he has earned over the years.

Sajid serves as the operations manager at Slum Soccer, a sport-for- development nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of youngsters from socio- economically marginalized communities and deaf youth facing economic challenges. Despite his background in electrical and power engineering, Sajid has devoted the last eight years to spearheading various social development projects across the country. His focus is on equipping participants with employability skills and providing accessible opportunities, enabling them to break free from the cycle of poverty.

Pranjal is a passionate entrepreneur with a commitment to creating value through positive impact. As a chartered accountant and a charter holder from the CFA Institute in Virginia, US, Pranjal initially pursued a career in finance. However, driven by a desire to contribute to early childhood education, he transitioned to become an early childhood educator and founded TiTLi. Pranjal is dedicated to building one of the largest platforms to train early childhood educators and caregivers, aiming to enhance the delivery of early childhood education and improve the long-term potential of India's human capital.

Sandeep, the founder of DigiSwasthya Foundation, is a childhood cancer survivor using technology to address health inequity among rural poor communities in India. With over 16 years of experience in healthcare organizations like CanKids KidsCan, Access Life Assistance Foundation, and V Care Foundation, Sandeep has been involved in supporting cancer patients and their families. His expertise extends to leading, training, and building capacities of individuals working in the healthcare sector, reflecting his dedication to improving healthcare access and outcomes.

Sasi leads Sub-K, a fintech company focusing on inclusion, and disrupting traditional financial models with customer-centric design and digital innovations. With over two decades of experience in financial inclusion and capital markets across 20+ countries, Sasi started at the grassroots level with the company Basix and later contributed internationally, in impact investments and strategic advisory roles. Holding two master's degrees from Princeton University and the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Sasi is dedicated to reshaping financial inclusion with innovation and expertise.

Shubham is the CEO and co-founder of Craste, focusing on innovative materials and a circular economy for a sustainable future. His work at Craste has earned recognition and awards, including the BIRAC SOCH Innovation Challenge Award and the Seoul Design Award. Shubham, a social advocate from a young age, founded the nonprofit Gramiksha in 2011, impacting the lives of less privileged children across six cities. He has been a TEDx speaker and actively shares insights on entrepreneurship, climate change, and education.

Srivathsan is the co-founder and chief programme officer at Madhi Foundation, dedicated to prioritizing foundational learning in public education systems for every child to thrive. Leading a 500-crore mission in Tamil Nadu, he impacts 1.2 million children annually across 37,000 schools. Leveraging his experience as a government school teacher through the Teach for India Fellowship, Srivathsan is also the editor and author of 50+ books for children and teachers. He is an alumnus of LSE and SRM University.

Surabhi is the founder and CEO of Sajhe Sapne, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation of young rural women from marginalized caste groups, enabling them to learn, earn, and excel in the modern world. The organization shifts the focus from "livelihoods" to "growth pathways," emphasizing consistent skill development, agency, job retention, and community engagement for rural women. Surabhi is also the creator of the widely acclaimed project, Basanti: Women at Leisure, which explores time and leisure as feminist issues.

Swapnil is the founder and CEO of GroundUp Conservation, specializing in developing large-scale landscape management programs in collaboration with the government, private sector, international development corporations, grassroots organizations, and civil society groups in India and Nepal. Prior to founding GroundUp, Swapnil has worked extensively on biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, transboundary cooperation, grassroots development, digital agriculture extension, and climate change adaptation across the Hindu-Kush Himalayas, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Vedhanayagi is the founder and chief functionary of Thendral Movement, an organization focused on empowering women as leaders in moral and social platforms. With a master's degree in social work, she is passionately committed to gender justice and equity, creating an ecosystem that supports women and children. Thendral Movement strives to make women decision-makers, stand up against violence, and ensure the protection of livelihood through community-based and women-centered programs.