OUR CULTURE
Our approach is centered around the pillars of excellence, trust, dedication and transparency. All of us believe in open communication and positivity, with the goal of delivering results for our partners. Our culture is one of partnership, diversity and ensuring our employees are happy. While striving for excellence, the key for us is to ensure purposeful engagement through which organisational and individual goals are aligned.
Sneha Arora
Chief Executive Officer
Vernon Dsouza
Chief Programme Officer (CPO)
Vanita Kariappa
LEAD CONSULTANT, PROGRAMMES
Aishwarya Menon
LEAD CONSULTANT, PROGRAMMES
Vaishali Janarthanan
SENIOR CONSULTANT, ACCELERATOR
Kavita Pandya
Senior Consultant, Programmes
Sanil Gharat
FINANCE MANAGER
Anuj Mirchandani
ASSOCIATE - FINANCE, HR & ADMIN
Sunita Mirchandani
ASSOCIATE
Saumya Sharma
Consultant, Programmes
Shalini Kapoor
Consultant, Programmes
Jeevitha C
Volunteer Programme Manager
Megha Amati
Consultant, Accelerator
Abhishek
Consultant, Programmes
Bedashree Choudhury
Consultant, Programmes
Sukanya Barman
Associate Communications
Supriya Jha
Associate Consultant
Siddhi Pokharkar
Operations Executive
Abhinav Vivek
Business Development Associate
OUR CULTURE
Our culture is centered around the pillars of excellence, trust, dedication and transparency. We believe in open communication and positivity, with the goal of delivering results for our partners.
Our culture is one of partnership, diversity and ensuring employee satisfaction. While striving for excellence, the key for us is to ensure purposeful engagement with all our stakeholders, ensuring that organisational and individual goals are aligned.
BOARD MEMBERS
Dimple Gujral
Trustee
Dr. Neha Deshpande-Kamat
Trustee
Gayatri Nair Lobo
Advisory Board Member
Prasad Baji
Advisory Board Member
Meghna Rakshit
Advisory Board Member
Sucharita Kamath
Advisory Board Member
Chief Executive Officer
Sneha is the Chief Executive Officer at Atma and is leading the Fundraising, Governance and Communications verticals. She has close to fourteen years of experience in the private and development sector. An MBA from the Indian School of Business, Sneha has held multiple positions across strategy consulting and corporate finance. She is deeply passionate about making a positive impact in people's lives through her work and is excited to drive this through the capacity building of NGOs at Atma. She has been selected as an Acumen Fellow in 2022. Before joining Atma, she worked at Boston Consulting Group’s Social Impact practice and has experience in supporting large-scale transformation projects in Education and Water with State governments in India. Sneha is an avid runner and has completed over 10 half marathons. She also loves reading, baking and is a big TED fan.
Chief Programme Officer (CPO)
Vernon is the Chief Programme Officer at Atma and is leading the Programme vertical. He has two decades of experience in the development sector with leadership experience in helping organisations design and operationalises impactful, scalable, and sustainable projects. He is deeply passionate about education and enabling individuals to gain access to quality education to rise to the challenges of a developing yet globally competitive country and is excited to drive this through the capacity building of NGOs at Atma. Before joining Atma, he worked at the British Council and has experience in designing and delivering large-scale transformation projects in Education with State governments in India; partnership development, relationship building, strategy, operations, governance, and project management. Vernon loves reading, food and is an avid football fan.
LEAD CONSULTANT, PROGRAMMES
Vanita Kariappa is the Lead Consultant at Atma with over 7 years of experience in running, working, and Consulting for educational NGOs in India. She has a degree in Psychology and a post-graduation in Development Management from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research. As a former Founder of the Rangmanch Foundation, she understands the resource constraints that organisations have and the importance of scaling up in order to provide quality education to all children. She loves to travel and highly values new ideas and innovation and believes that entrepreneurs are the real changemakers!
LEAD CONSULTANT, PROGRAMMES
Aishwarya is a Lead Consultant at Atma and manages the Knowledge, Impact and Programmes (KIP) vertical. With a degree in law from NALSAR University of Law and a PGDM from the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, she has close to 8 years of experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors. During her time at Atma, she has worked on supporting the capacity development journey of a number of Atma's NGO partners across areas such as strategy, fundraising and monitoring and evaluation. When she is not working, she can be found holding forth on the latest movies and TV shows or huddled in a corner with her Kindle.
SENIOR CONSULTANT, ACCELERATOR
Vaishali has worked in the development sector for the past 7 years. She brings grassroots experience and learnings on issues of child rights, violence against women, and education. She holds a Masters in Education from TISS, Mumbai. She is interested in law, caste, and gender. She enjoys eating Pani puri at every corner of the country.
Senior Consultant, Programmes
Kavita is working with Atma as a Programme Consultant to provide support on capacity-building projects. She has over 12 years of experience in the development sector in managing diverse roles like providing mentoring and capacity-building support to nonprofits and social enterprises, leading and executing programmes and building organisational processes. She has done her MBA in Human Resources. Previously, she has worked with EdelGive Foundation where she managed the corporate employee volunteering programme and with UnLtd India where she managed the Incubation programme along with mentoring social entrepreneurs. She has also worked with different NGOs as a consultant, her key skill areas include strategic planning, financial budgeting, impact measurement, process development and human resources. Her interests are reading, writing, art and music.
FINANCE MANAGER
Sanil Gharat is an Accounts Associate at Atma, with a Master's in Commerce from Mumbai University. Previously, Sanil has nine years of experience with Texperts and Medialexicon as Sr. Accounts Executive and Accountant, respectively. At Atma, he looks over book-keeping, financial audits and other compliances. Over the weekend, Sanil makes time for cricket and action movies.
ASSOCIATE - FINANCE, HR & ADMIN
Anuj is a Finance Associate at Atma. He is a Chartered Accountant and has seven years of experience in tax & transfer pricing consultancy, corporate finance, and audit across the finance, banking, insurance, manufacturing, hospitality, and information technology sectors. He has previously worked with Ernst & Young and Deloitte and has assisted large MNCs in pricing their intra-group transactions, setting up remuneration models/ policies, complying with taxation rules, and dealing with Indian as well as Foreign Revenue Authorities. He associates strongly with the causes of education development and animal welfare and wishes to contribute towards the same. Apart from work, he has his own little creative world where he does painting, doodling, fashion illustration, watches movies, and is learning theatre and music.
ASSOCIATE
Volunteering with Atma has been an opportunity to realize my passion for working with NGOs which promote quality education and the growth of marginalized children and youth. I have worked on projects to build the capacity of NGOs in the HR and Monitoring & Evaluation domains. I work with the Atma leadership team to manage the NGO mentorship programme under which NGOs are mentored to overcome challenges in different aspects of their work. It's a pleasure to volunteer at Atma as the projects are challenging, and the Atma team is vibrant and dedicated. Atma has an inclusive work environment, where the opinion and contributions of volunteers are valued. Sunita has a Masters in Management Studies Degree in Finance. She has experience of twenty-eight years in the IT services sector and over 8 years as a volunteer in the development sector. She volunteers with Angel Xpress Foundation, a grassroots NGO to teaches children. She joined Atma as a volunteer in Jan 2020 to work on building the capacity of nonprofits using her experience in management. In her spare time, you can find her listening to music and reading.
Consultant, Programmes
Saumya is a business development associate at Atma. With a bachelor's in chemical engineering from BVDU Pune, she set out to build her foundations in the development sector by completing the Teach For India fellowship. In her tenure as a fellow, she worked closely on the ground in a low-income private school in Mumbai and built data-informed structures, and mobilized volunteers and stakeholders to improve the learning levels of 137 students. She is a literary enthusiast with a keen interest in poetry. She practices Kathak in her free time and loves watching all kinds of movies.
Consultant, Programmes
Shalini, currently a consultant, embarked on her impactful journey in capacity building through the Future of Impact Collaborative programme at Atma, enhancing the capabilities of over 30 NGOs. Her formative experiences as a Teach for India Fellow were instrumental in shaping her expertise and experience in the impact sector. She has also played a pivotal role in the rollout of educational initiatives in collaboration with state governments and local communities as a Program Manager. This journey provided her with the foundation for building meaningful relationships, non-profit management, fundraising, and hands-on experience in managing and coordinating multi-stakeholder projects that create holistic ecosystems. A 2022 graduate of the GGI Fellowship, Shalini is fervently dedicated to generating positive social change. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is an enthusiastic PADI-certified open-water scuba diver, revelling in the mysteries of the ocean. Leisure times often find her engrossed in a variety of shows, movies, or documentaries, accompanied by her favourite bowl of chocolate ice cream and a cold coffee.
Volunteer Programme Manager
Jeevitha is an empathetic educator passionate about creating a more inclusive society. With a Master of Arts degree in Education from Azim Premji University and experience working with grassroots-level organizations and individuals across India through her work at U&I and the Parag initiative of Tata Trusts, she has promoted quality education and community engagement. Currently serving as the Volunteer Programme Manager at Atma, Jeevitha collaborates with volunteers to drive social impact. In her free time, she enjoys taking long walks, trying different types of coffee, and gardening.
Consultant, Accelerator
Megha is a development professional with over 8 years of practical experience in leading education and health projects and teams. She has a strong passion for the development sector, having grown up in a rural part of Uttarakhand. Her upbringing in the mountains has been instrumental in shaping her career path in the development sector. She possesses rich experience in report writing, documentation, supervision, coordination, and networking with various stakeholders. She has 5 years of experience in donor and volunteer management. She has successfully conducted fundraisers and other organisational events. This comes naturally to her, as she is a people person and enjoys networking greatly. Before Atma, she worked at Ashraya Initiative for Children (AIC) as an Education Director. In her last 4 years with AIC, she has led teams and projects, and supported in shaping the vision of the programmes and providing stability in the routine operations of the programmes.
Consultant, Programmes
Abhishek brings with him a problem-solving lens. He has built lean tech startups leading their programmes and business verticals. While he optimizes the use of data to strengthen systems and processes, he appreciates the subjectivity that different contexts bring with them. Nutrition, tech, education, and art pique his interests.
Consultant, Programmes
Bedashree comes from a multidisciplinary background of anthropology and water science. She joined Atma in April 2024 as Consultant - Programmes, and brings with her over 6 years of experience working in grassroots, medium-sized, and international non-profits. Outside work, she can be found volunteering across youth networks to advance climate education and nature-based solutions. She swims, paints, and enjoys science fiction in her leisure.
Associate Communications
Sukanya is a Communications Associate at Atma, where she channels her passion for the development sector. She has worked extensively in areas like women's safety using the RCT method, CSR partnerships, strategic planning, implementation and evaluation, and impact measurement. Sukanya also has a knack for designing company annual reports and enhancing brand presence to strengthen outreach and online engagement. She holds a Master's degree from the Delhi School of Economics, and has earned a gold medal in bachelor's degree from the University of Delhi. Sukanya's vision is to build a potent global-ecosystem that serves strategic philanthropy and social impact to the youth. Her commitment lies in bridging the gap between social initiatives and market realities, ensuring projects are not only impactful but also sustainable in the long run. On weekends, Sukanya enjoys exploring cafes with great food and indulging in her passion for painting, holding a diploma in Fine Arts. She believes in the power of daily affirmations, with her favourite being, "Everything happens right on time, so dream big and trust the journey.
Associate Consultant
Supriya Jha has joined Atma as an Associate Consultant. She will be focusing on NGO recruitment, impact measurement, and stakeholder engagement. With close to six years of experience in the social sector, Supriya has dedicated her career to advancing community welfare and capacity building, working with different NGOs on various thematic areas. Supriya holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Postgraduate degree in Rural Management from XISS Ranchi. Before joining Atma, she worked at Sambhav Foundation, Miracle Foundation India, and Jan Jagran Sansthan, honing her skills in program management, research, and project coordination. Supriya is deeply passionate about making a positive impact in people's lives through her work and is excited to drive this through the capacity building of NGOs at Atma. In her personal time, Supriya enjoys reading and playing with her children. She is also a spiritual person, drawing strength and inspiration from her spiritual practices. Supriya's dedication to social impact and her well-rounded interests make her a valuable addition to the Atma team.
Operations Executive
Siddhi Pokharkar is a results- oriented Operations Executive with a degree of PGDM in Finance & Accounting. With one & half year of experience at Savex Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Siddhi is passionate about driving organizational success, excels in Financial analysis. Siddhi is committed to delivering excellence in every aspect of operation management.
Business Development Associate
Abhinav Vivek is a Business Development Associate at Atma. He graduated from Jain University in 2021 with a Bachelor's in Computer Applications. Following graduation, he gained valuable experience in business development, working remotely for a year as a Business Development Associate at Creative Storm, an Edu Tech organization based in Hong Kong. Additionally, he freelanced for seven months, focusing on website building, content creation, and marketing. Abhinav's interest in the social sector was sparked during an internship at Quest Alliance in Bangalore. In his leisure time, Abhinav enjoys cooking, hitting the gym, embroidering, and going on bike tours.
Trustee
Dimple is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of professional experience. She was a founding staff member of Teach For India and spent a decade there as CFO; managing not just finance but also fundraising, technology and legal matters. Prior to Teach For India, she has worked in the Travel and Logistics industry in organisations such as Cleartrip.com, Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd., Travel Corporation of India, FedEx, and Ernst & Young.
Dimple was a partner at a small consultancy firm called Tatha Partners, the aim of which was to provide operational and financial guidance to small and new businesses, both in the private and non-profit sector.
Dimple is currently the Head of Finance at Dalberg.
Trustee
Dr. Neha Deshpande-Kamat will be joining the Atma board as an advisory member. Neha is a Ph.D. in Human Development and specializes in Social and Behavioural Sciences with 15 + years of experience in the field of health and education. She is a practicing Health Educator and Nutritionist in Mumbai. Neha has been associated with Atma for the past 7 years and has previously lead the Impact and Research Teams at Atma. We are happy to have her on board as a part of the Atma Family.
Advisory Board Member
Gayatri brings to ATE Chandra Foundation, a mix of close to 20 years of strategy consulting and development sector experience, having worked most recently as CEO of India School Leadership Institute (ISLI). Before joining ISLI, Gayatri was at Dalberg Advisors and prior to that the Chief Operating Officer at Teach For India, and was part of the scale-up of operations during its first six years. Gayatri has also previously worked at OC&C Strategy Consultants and Avalon consulting, working with clients across sectors. Gayatri has a Masters in Management Studies and a Bachelors in Commerce from Mumbai University.
Advisory Board Member
After 22 years in the corporate world across Siemens, ICICI, Edelweiss and JSW Group, Prasad transitioned to the social sector as a volunteer, advisor and philanthropist to non-profits in July 2018. With a vast experience across project finance, corporate banking, investment banking, institutional equities and investor relations, he not puts them into practice working with non-profits helping them to sustain and scale. He plays various roles for multiple organisations such as Partner, Social Venture Partners, Mumbai Chapter; Executive Board Member, Foundation for Mother and Child Health India; Member, Caring Friends network; and Founding Member, IIT for IIT (IITians for Influencing India's Transformation)
Advisory Board Member
Meghna Rakshit has over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications with corporate and social sector companies. She is passionate about leveraging communications to drive gender equality and womens’ empowerment through her role at The Womanity Foundation. She brings extensive experience in user-centered problem solving, communications, business planning, and design thinking to her work. She sits on the advisory board of ATMA (an organisation supporting education NGOs) and has been a speaker at several development sector forums. Prior to Womanity, Meghna was Partner & CEO of Subu & Rakshit (S&R). Under her leadership, S&R provided strategic communications solutions to organisations across health, education, community development, women empowerment, and housing to increase their impact. Meghna's previous experience includes leading the Communications team at Teach For India. She has previously worked on marketing strategy at Anand Bazaar Patrika and 9.9 Media, and media planning at Mindshare’s New York and Mumbai offices. Meghna holds an MBA from The Indian School of Business and a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Psychology from Hamilton College, New York.
Advisory Board Member
Sucharita has two and a half decades of a unique blend of experience in the Corporate and Sustainable Development space spanning the IT, non-profit, and social enterprise and consulting industries including various senior management roles. She is currently the India head of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs and also is a Partner at Emergence consulting. Sucharita is an MBA from the University of Oxford.
