Pratiksha, from Badarpur, Delhi, is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science Technology. She joined Lend A Hand India as a Skill Mitra in 2024 (Cohort 6), where she worked with school students to promote skill education and vocational awareness through workshops and mentoring. She has shared her journey at Charcha 2024 and on the NITI Aayog Best Practices platform. Having later mentored Skill Mitra Cohort 7, Pratiksha continues to inspire young learners while honing her leadership and communication skills.

Praveen Singh is the CEO of Apnalaya, based in Maharashtra, India. He has extensive experience in the social impact and development sector, having previously served as Director of Impact at Magic Bus India Foundation and Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at TechnoServe. Praveen has also contributed to organizations like ARPAN and CRY – Child Rights & You.

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He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Rural Management (PGDRM) from IRMA – Institute of Rural Management, Anand and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from St. Columba's College.

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Praveen brings a strong background in program management, impact evaluation, and strategic leadership to his work in driving social change.

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Preeti is currently pursuing her Master’s in Tourism Management from Delhi University. As a Skill Mitra with Lend A Hand India, she has gained hands-on experience in leadership, communication, and vocational skill development. During her fellowship, she supported employer onboarding, facilitated student orientations, and represented the organisation at the Delhi Job Fair. She also hosted the "Conversation with Intern" series, which strengthened her confidence and teamwork skills.

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Pritha is a Partner and Co-Head, Asia and Africa at The Bridgespan Group, and also serves as the head of the India office. She advises philanthropies/ donors, governments, nonprofits, and the private sector on a wide range of global development opportunities. Her work has ranged across strategy, business plans, operating models, and partnerships for social impact initiatives in over 25 countries in South and Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Pritha has led and co-authored knowledge reports and articles on strategic and collaborative philanthropy, a more resilient NGO sector, community driven change, and public health, among others.

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Prior to Bridgespan, Pritha established and led the New Delhi office of Dalberg Global Development Advisors, where she co-led the Global Health and Nutrition practice. Previously, she was a Director and India office head at Cambridge Economic Policy Associates (CEPA), UK; and earlier as a financial specialist at the World Bank.

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Pritha holds a Masters in Development Management from the London School of Economics and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, including an exchange program at Melbourne Business School. She is a recipient of the Citibank Leadership Award and V-WA Award for Women Leaders. She serves on the Advisory Boards of Social Alpha and Bahaar Foundation; and is a mentor at WomenLift Health.

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Priya Anant is the Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Life Circle Health Services Pvt. Ltd., a social enterprise delivering affordable, home-based care for older adults across India.

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At Life Circle, Priya leads initiatives in quality, customer engagement, and caregiver skilling. Her work focuses on strengthening India’s care economy through gender-inclusive employment, competency-based training, and technology enabled operations that support ageing in place.

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Life Circle has been recognised with the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award and awarded by the UN Women led Asia-Pacific Care Accelerator, supported by Groupe SOS France and the Ministry of Social Justice, Govt of India, for its elder-care solution. Priya also contributes to national curriculum and policy development in geriatric care, serving on expert committees that advance professional caregiver training and advance quality in care delivery.

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Gaurav Verma, is a Professor of Polymers and Nanotechnology at the Chemical Engineering and is the Director of a premier Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory at Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. He is a holder of CV Raman Post-Doctoral Fellowship from MIT, Cambridge USA and a PhD in nanotechnology & materials from PU, and is amongst top 2% influential scientists list published by Stanford-Elsevier Statisticians. He has published a text/reference book on Nanostructures (https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820048-3.00013-9) and about 80 research publications with 2100 citations. Granted with 02 Indian Patent he has filed 03 others. He is a recipient of Nottingham Trent University Research Grant (2022), Go Global Exploratory Grant of British Council (2021), MARIHE visiting fellowship (2020/21), Indian Chemical Council recognition for contribution to nano- agriculture (2019), DST Travel grants (2018, 2012) ChascoVention Young Investigator Award at 2012 Chandigarh Science Congress and has also bagged five best paper awards at IIT Madras (2008, 2010), ICT Mumbai (2014), and Panjab University Chandigarh (2010, 2004). He was instrumental in setting up the Drone fabrication and repair facility at PU.

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His research interests include applying nanotechnology and materials science and adoption of AI to various applications like nanocomposite coatings, agriculture, energy, and waste management. He foresees integration of nature and nanotechnology, which will benefit the human race in future. He extensively lectures internationally and around the country at various forums and also is an avid cyclist and sports enthusiast.

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With fearless determination and a pioneering spirit, Ms. Pushpa Bector stands at the forefront of India’s retail evolution. As Senior Executive Director of DLF Retail, she has been instrumental in shaping DLF Malls into benchmarks of excellence, consistently anticipating global industry trends and evolving consumer needs. Under her leadership, DLF Malls have not only adapted to changing market dynamics but have also set new standards for innovation, experience, and growth in the Indian retail sector.

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Ms. Bector’s professional journey began in the hospitality industry with Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, followed by her role as Head of Marketing at Domino’s Pizza (Jubilant FoodWorks). These early experiences honed her expertise in customer engagement and brand positioning—skills that would later prove invaluable in her retail leadership journey.

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At DLF, she first made her mark as Vice President and Mall Head of DLF Promenade, where her creative marketing strategies and operational acumen transformed the mall into a leading fashion destination—even amidst the challenges of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. She also played a pivotal role in establishing six successful food courts for DLF before assuming her current role overseeing the entire retail portfolio.

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Today, Ms. Bector provides strategic leadership across marketing, leasing, finance, and operations, steering DLF Retail toward continued innovation and excellence. An alumnus of Harvard University, she balances her dynamic professional life with a love for music, cinema, and family time.

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Raj Gilda, Co-founder & Director (Strategy and Development), a banker-turned-social entrepreneur leads resource mobilization and external relations at Lend A Hand India. With over 20 years of experience in education, banking, insurance, and IT, he transitioned to full-time in social development sector in 2011. His past roles include positions at Citibank and Deloitte Consulting in New York. Raj has been involved in various government advisory roles, such as a member of the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) from 2014-17 appointed by Gov of India, part of the committee to review scheme of vocatioanalisation of school education and part of the Curricular Area Group for Vocational Education under the National Curriculum Framework(NCF) 2023. He is a Chevening Gurukul Scholar at the London School of Economics. He's recognized as a top 100 graduate alumni of the University of Texas at Austin and received an award for community service from the U.S. President. Raj is an Electronics Engineer from the University of Pune, and holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

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