Change Strategist

Background

As a newly minted Change Strategist, I am really looking forward to formally applying concepts I’ve been tinkering with since graduate school - systems thinking, circular design and behaviour change - to tackle environmental challenges through Forum’s portfolio of programs, especially in India. In this role, I look forward to prioritizing participatory approaches and am passionate about fostering solutions that further agency, choice, and self-determination.

Throughout my career, I’ve been working at the intersection of finance, international development and public policy. My experience ranges from enabling SMEs access formal financing mechanisms in India, to designing advocacy programs for civil society organizations in the Mekong region, to implementing participatory monitoring and evaluation techniques for grassroots groups in Cambodia, to developing organizational strategies with human rights organizations promoting freedom of expression in Malaysia. 

I hold a bachelor’s degree in International Relations with Business Administration from the University of Southern California and a master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University.

When not at the office, you can find me indulging in a good cup of coffee while listening to a trending podcast episode, or learning to drive a car in Mumbai or helping people find purpose and happiness in life.

Dream project

My dream project would be to delve into history and explore humanity’s relationship with food - tracing the development of agriculture through industrialization and eventually arrive at the food system we have today.

I find it incredibly fascinating that a system which feeds billions of people with a variety that we could never imagine at any other point in human history is also a system that’s poisoning the earth and inflicts cruelty on animals on a scale that is mind-numbing. Overall, I think this type of project would be really interesting from a systems change standpoint and involve raising profound questions about the relationships among humans, animals, plants, capitalism, technology, ethics and morality.

What floats my boat outside work

To unwind after a long day, I often tune into a dinner jazz playlist on Spotify and cook from an actual recipe book (currently learning to master a few Ottolenghi recipes). I also enjoy upskilling and have taken courses in human-centered design, non-profit fundraising essentials, lean data approaches to measure social impact and creative writing during the pandemic.

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