Meet The Team

Balakrishnan ("Bala") Venkatachalam is President & COO of Pratham International, where he leads its work — partnering with governments, donors, and philanthropies to scale evidence-based foundational learning and youth livelihoods programs across low- and middle-income countries, increasingly through technology and AI.

Over 25 years, Bala has led and scaled high-impact organizations across the U.S., India and other emerging markets. He previously served as Executive Director of Pratham USA, transforming it into a fundraising and engagement platform. Earlier, he held roles at Innovations for Poverty Action, Monitor Group, and KPMG, and co-founded a mobile technology startup focused on field data in low-resource settings.

Bala holds an MBA from INSEAD, is a Chartered Accountant, and serves on boards in global education and the environment

Chinmay (Vibhaan) believes that the most powerful driver of change is a story told well, and at Pratham International, he puts that belief to work every day.

As Lead for Strategic Communications and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement, Chinmay connects PI's mission across its Education, Digital, and Youth Skilling verticals with the partners, donors, and communities who can amplify it. His career spans the UN, ILO, and leading NGOs across three continents, grounded in a deep commitment to making international development work more visible, credible, and human.

He holds a Master's in International Affairs from the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID), Switzerland and an undergraduate degree in Psychology, English, and Journalism (triple majors) from Bangalore University, India.

Managing Director of Pratham's Shah PraDigi Innovation Centre and Visiting Scientist at MIT Media Lab. Focuses on scalable, inclusive ed-tech solutions for underserved communities. Under his leadership, initiatives including the AI-powered BaalSakhi chatbot and speech-based reading assessments have reached over 500,000 children across India.

Karishma Galani is Co-Lead of the PraDigi Innovation Centre at Pratham, where she builds AI and ML products for education across rural India and the Global South. She has spent over a decade at the intersection of technology and learning, having co-founded an ML-powered edtech startup in Singapore and London, served as COO of an AI teaching engine backed by Founders Factory in the UK, and conducted research at the MIT Media Lab. A published author of two books in the field, she holds a Masters in Educational Technology from Harvard University.

Gillprit is a strong proponent of the idea that the most powerful solutions are simple, community-rooted, and that technology, when designed with context, collaboration, and care, can be a genuine force for equity in education.

She currently leads Pratham International's global portfolio of AI and digital initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. She drives the full arc of each project, from partnership development and program design to product strategy and field implementation, working directly with governments and local implementing partners.

Prior to this, she managed large-scale education and skilling programs at Pratham Education Foundation, impacting over 400,000 children across 20,000 villages. She brings additional experience in public policy and sustainable development through her work with the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

She holds a Master of Arts in Development Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics from the University of Delhi.

Hellen firmly of the view that digital innovation delivers the greatest impact when it is designed with context, guided by data, and implemented with a clear focus on users.

As the Digital Programs Manager for Kenya at Pratham International, she leads the organization's growing technology portfolio and drives digital expansion across Africa. She oversees the design, rollout, and scaling of AI-enabled learning tools, working closely with field teams, researchers, technical collaborators, and local partners to ensure solutions are practical, context-responsive, and impactful at scale. Her work sits at the intersection of digital innovation, program delivery, and evidence-based decision-making.

Hellen has over nine years of experience in digital programs, portfolio management, and data analytics. She holds an M.Sc. in Data Science from KCA University - Kenya and a B.Sc. in Applied Statistics with Information Technology from Maseno University - Kenya, as well as a Diploma in Generative AI, PRINCE2 and Monitoring and Evaluation Certification.

Sravana believes that the transformative potential of technology lies in its thoughtful application to address social issues. At Pratham, she leads the AI team, building AI enabled applications that automate assessments, support student learning and program delivery.

She holds a PG Diploma in Liberal Studies from Ashoka University and a Bachelors in Engineering (Electronics) from IIITDM Kancheepuram.

Dyutima believes that education's most transformative work happens at the intersection of human connection and behavioural change; where data informs action, and every child counts.

She currently works in Programs & Partnerships at Pratham International, where she supports AI and digital initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Her work spans the full project arc — from proposal development to field coordination and product strategy; in close collaboration with governments, foundations, and cross-country teams to deliver scalable solutions for children.

Prior to her international role, she drove program management and fundraising at Pratham Education Foundation, reaching over a million children across rural India.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is also a published author, with a poetry collection that explores the ebbs and flows of human life.

Sweta believes that education can unlock opportunities, when learning experiences are designed to be accessible, relevant, and engaging.

At Pratham, she works on projects like Creativity Club, using research and data to understand learning experiences and inform stronger program design and decision-making. With a background in engineering from SCE, Bangalore, she brings a structured, analytical approach, combining data, field insights, and experimentation to deepen impact.

Nirmal believes that technology is most meaningful when it creates a real impact in people's lives. As an AI Engineer, he focuses on building AI technologies that can create meaningful impact at scale, regardless of language or access barriers.

His work spans multilingual and efficient natural language and speech systems, with a focus on creating practical AI solutions that work effectively across diverse real-world environments. He is particularly interested in building systems that are scalable, efficient, and capable of serving users across different languages and communities.

Nirmal holds a Bachelor of Science in Data Science from Noida International University. Through his work, he aims to bridge advanced AI research with practical applications that can positively influence everyday lives.

Sahil Bhandari works as an AI Engineer at PUSA Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (PULS), where he contributes to the development of AI-driven solutions and intelligent systems for educational technology initiatives.

Prior to joining PULS, Sahil worked across a variety of domains, including legal technology, healthcare, education, and computer vision. Previously, he worked as an AI Engineer at Smart Data Enterprises, where he developed enterprise-scale legal intelligence systems using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), LLMs, and agentic AI architectures to enable intelligent querying of large legal knowledge bases. He also worked at Hillsage Technologies, contributing to advanced generative AI and computer vision solutions involving image generation, facial analysis, diffusion models, and multimodal AI workflows.

Abhinav believes that data creates the most impact when it goes beyond measurement to uncover the stories, patterns, and insights that shape meaningful decisions.

As an Associate in Research & Analytics (Digital), he works with large-scale datasets, experimentation, predictive modeling, and textual analysis to support product innovation and strengthen program decision-making.

He has a background in Data Science and Applications from Indian Institute of Technology Madras and also holds a bachelor's degree in Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University.

Talk to him about statistics, data, research, and applications in education

Abhishek works as a research consultant for the digital team at Pratham International.

He tracks education, policy, and technology developments and synthesize insights relevant to Pratham International's work and supports the organization's participation in policy, technology, and analytics-focused forums, meetings, and conventions. He works with product, research, and program teams to support partnership conversations and helps identify connections between Pratham's on-ground work, data, and broader education system priorities with technology. He assists in maintaining relationships with government, research, and implementation partners and prepares briefs, notes, and presentations for external and internal audiences. He also works closely with the AI and Product teams to create documentation of our technical work in a way that resonates with organisations that may be interested

He has a Bachelor's Degree in Literature, Psychology and Political Science, a Master's Degree in Education Administration and B.Ed in Teaching Social Sciences and English. He spent two years teaching grade 5 students as a homeroom teacher and spent another two years working in the research department of an IB school. He is passionate about education research and education policy. He is endlessly curious about why students learn, what students learn and how students acheieve their learning goals and objectives.

Pawan Joshi believes, in the words of Kai-Fu Lee, that "AI is going to change the world more than anything in the history of mankind. More than electricity" — and he sees education as the most powerful place to direct that change. He is deeply passionate about leveraging AI to make learning more accessible, personalized, and engaging for children, by supporting educators and building scalable solutions that reach every learner.

As a Junior AI Engineer at Pratham International, he works on AI and data-driven solutions across machine learning, computer vision, and intelligent automation systems.

Pawan holds a degree in Computer Science and Engineering and further strengthened his AI expertise through advanced learning and project work at Jio Institute. He has also gained international academic exposure through a program at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

He lives by his own belief — "Hard work never lets you lose, and luck makes you win. When you never lose, one day you win — people just call it luck."

Krutika Choudhary believes that a product is only as good as the last mile it reaches, and at Pratham International, that conviction shapes everything she does. As Product Implementation Manager, Krutika bridges the gap between AI/ML solutions and the communities, partners, and systems they are built to serve — ensuring that products don't just launch, but land. Across government, the private sector, and international development, she has built a career at the intersection of AI, product, and public good — where digital inclusion and equity are not outcomes to aim for, but principles to build from. She holds a Master's in IT in Business (Analytics/ML) from Singapore Management University and a Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology from NMIMS University, Mumbai.

Manpreet is a Power BI Developer and Data Analyst with 4 years of experience working with diverse datasets and building data-driven solutions. She specializes in the end-to-end data process—from extracting and modeling raw SQL data, transforming it in Power BI Query Editor, to creating interactive dashboards that support informed decision-making.

At Pratham, she has worked on projects like Creativity Club and Sports Camp, using data and insights to understand program participation and learning experiences. She has also developed content dashboards to support program monitoring and reporting.

With a structured and analytical approach, she enjoys translating complex data into simple, meaningful insights that enable teams to make better decisions.

Rakesh Sahni works as an AI Engineer on the digital team at PUSA Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (PULS). He is primarily involved in creating AI pipelines and intelligence systems for ATM, including the 2nd Chance Program, ATM CBSE question generation, grading, and feedback.

He completed his B.Tech in Computer Science from Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Before joining the digital team at PULS, he worked as a Machine Learning Engineer at a Canadian medtech startup, where he helped convert complex medical reports into simple, easy-to-understand language for patients and their families.

As an associate in the research and analytics (Digital) team, Ashwin has been involved in qualitative/ textual analysis using LLM based workflows to highlight TaRL classroom challenges and attempted workarounds , in synthesising research literature on error taxonomy methods for early grade numeracy tasks, in creating dashboards for 'Angrezi Yes Please' and occasionally in Knowledge management/ documentation for ATM. He's also worked on benchmarking LLM performance on readability based psychometrics.

Ashwin completed his bachelors in Computer Science with a post graduate diploma in Advanced Studies and Research in Media Studies / Visual Arts from Ashoka University, Sonipat. Before joining pratham, he had done a brief stint in Marketing with QAI, and a legislative research internship for the office of former RBI director, Professor M.V. Rajeev Gowda during the 2024 Winter Session of the Indian Parliament.

Meera Tendolkar is the Director of Content & Training (Math) at Pratham International. She works on designing and researching numeracy pedagogy and supports Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) programs across different countries. Her work includes training governments and partner organizations to adapt Pratham's learning approaches to local contexts.

She has been associated with Pratham Education Foundation for many years and has contributed to foundational learning initiatives internationally, including TaRL programs in Africa and Latin America.

Meera Tendolkar has also authored children's books for Pratham Books, including: Where is my bat? We Are All Animals

She is based in Mumbai and is active in international education and foundational numeracy work.

Divya Arora believes in supporting Pratham's ambitious goals because they are grounded in reality. At Pratham International, she spends her days building partnerships, managing programs, and doing whatever it takes to turn ideas into action.

As Associate Director- programs and partnerships (Education) at Pratham International, Divya works closely with governments and civil society partners across several geographies to advance Teaching at the Right Level, with a recent focus on Southeast Asia.

Her experience spans international development, education, and philanthropy through roles with Pratham Education Foundation in India, the Moving Minds Alliance, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Oak Foundation.

Divya holds a graduate degree in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, and an undergraduate degree in Business Studies (Finance) from the University of Delhi. Outside work, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her dog.

Ambika believes in bridging evidence and practice to create real-world impact. At the centre of her work is the conviction that data, when made actionable, provides a clear roadmap for problem-solving.

As Senior Manager of Measurement, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Ambika leads the MME team's work to develop effective data systems and build the technical capacity of partners implementing education initiatives. Her career is grounded in deep field experience, from managing large-scale impact assessments across India to building the research and learning vertical for a local youth nonprofit.

Ambika holds an MSc in Behaviour Change from University College London (Dean's List) and an MA in International Relations from New York University.

Indresh Talsaniya believes in strengthening foundational learning through practical, contextualized, and scalable approaches. As Senior Manager in Pratham International's C&T team, he supports content development and contextualization, core trainer groups, mentoring systems, and programme review and refinement to help teams adapt TaRL and other educational approaches from India across diverse global contexts.

He works closely with governments, partner organizations, and education systems across Africa, MENA, Southeast Asia, and LATAM to strengthen implementation quality and build long-term team capacity. His experience also includes working with state governments, central government systems, PRI structures, and community-based initiatives in India.

Indresh was part of the pioneer team that introduced TaRL outside India, helping launch and contextualize the approach in Zambia and across African contexts. His work spans leadership development, training, mentoring, inclusion, and strengthening foundational learning ecosystems across varied contexts.

He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work, an LLB, and has completed a PhD focused on Learning Disabilities. Outside of work, he enjoys performing theatre, abstract drawing, writing poems, traveling, engaging with diverse communities, and contributing to conversations around education and social change.

Vikas believes that true development begins when every child gets the opportunity to learn well. Interestingly, his name itself means “development,” which connects closely with the work he does through Pratham. He works with teams across Africa, South Asia, and the MENA region to support Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) programs through content development, training, mentoring, and capacity-building support.

Mathematics has always been his first love, which led him to complete his graduation in Mathematics. To better understand the development sector and education systems, he later pursued a Master's degree in Development Management. Along with content and training, Vikas also enjoys working with data and believes it plays an important role in thoughtful decision-making and improving education programs.

Daniel Agudelo Navarro is the Regional Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean at Pratham International, where he leads the design and scale-up of evidence-based programs to improve foundational learning outcomes. He is an education project manager, university lecturer, researcher, and social entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience driving high-impact initiatives in education leadership, humanitarian response, and global collaboration. A Teach For All alumnus and Aspen Institute Colombia Fellow, Daniel is deeply committed to advancing educational equity through transformational leadership.

Meenal Joshi – Manager, Content and Training at Pratham International, specializing in foundational literacy and Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) implementation across multiple countries across Sub Saharan Africa, Latin America and South East Asia.

She has led content development and training for Language Learning from Familar to Formal (L2F2) programs across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Cameroon. She provides technical support for TaRL and early grade (Grades I–II) programs in El Salvador and Guatemala and Honduras. Recently, she has also supported the TaRL pilot in Cambodia.

She has contributed to the Empower Learning Africa's Learning Labs initiative in Kenya, including design of Grade I–II instructional models. Meenal has faciliated capacity-building workshops, literacy training, and content development sessions for international education teams and also led TaRL boot camps and advanced trainings for multi-country practitioners.

Meenal has previously developed digital and print literacy content and led educator training for Pratham programs in India.

Meenal holds an MA in History from University of Mumbai and a BA (Hons.) in Russian from Jawaharlal Nehru University

Outside of work, she enjoys reading, travelling and music.

Sohael Memon believes that real change in education begins in classrooms through meaningful learning, strong relationships, and opportunities that help people grow. His work is driven by the belief that education should be practical, inclusive, and connected to the realities of learners, teachers, and communities.

As an education leader, Sohael works with educators, government stakeholders, and partner organizations to strengthen teaching and learning practices across diverse contexts. His experience spans teacher professional development, program implementation, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building.

He believes lasting impact comes from listening, learning, and working closely with communities. Through his work, he aims to create learning environments where teachers feel supported, learners feel confident, and education becomes more meaningful and accessible for all.

Tanvi believes there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the complex challenges learners and their systems face. As Manager, Programs and Partnerships at Pratham International, she turns belief into practice by supporting partners, donors, and teams in adapting Pratham's education solutions to their needs and realities.

Currently, Tanvi is deeply passionate about setting up our first regional hub in Latin America. She also supports the organisation's fundraising efforts.

Previously, Tanvi has worked in global advisory and risk intelligence, and has a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from George Washington University.

In her free time, she enjoys learning about historical monuments and different cuisines, and catching up on her ever-growing list of books!

Kairav Kadakia is an Associate Manager in Monitoring, Measurement and Evaluation (MME) at Pratham International, where he works at the intersection of education, technology, and data. His focus is on enabling teams to make better decisions in real time, and grounded in the realities of implementation.

With a degree in engineering, Kairav started his journey in the education and development sector as a teacher and trainer, and has since moved into roles that connect field practice with systems, tools, and analysis. He is particularly interested in what it actually takes to make data-driven decision making work inpractice beyond the just the idea.

Outside of work, he enjoys playing football, spending time observing nature, and following his curiosity across a range of interests.

Geeta believes that strengthening teachers, trainers, and learning systems is key to improving educational outcomes at scale. Geeta is a senior education professional with over 20 years of experience in early childhood and foundational learning programs. As Senior Content Associate for Early Childhood Education at Pratham International, she supports the design of training systems, educational content, and foundational learning initiatives across diverse contexts.

She previously led the Early Childhood Education Program in Pratham education Foundation and has extensive experience in teacher and mentor capacity building, curriculum development, and hybrid training models.

She holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Savitribai Phule Pune University.

Vasant believes that when children are given opportunities to read or practice basic mathematics, the person working with them should focus on building confidence — both their own and the children's — that learning is achievable, from simple to complex. Community engagement is powerful and important for motivating families in their children's education.

He also believes everything becomes possible when youth feel comfortable and confident with the skills they already have. They may need guidance and some additional knowledge to understand what steps to take next. In today's technical era, people are learning how to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in meaningful and effective ways; if they learn what to use and how to use it to its full potential, they can progress at the pace they wish to achieve.

For Vasant, sustainability and capacity building matter more than reach. Knowing how to do that well automatically supports both the work and the sustainable development sector.

Diego supports Pratham International's measurement, monitoring and evaluation work for foundational learning programs across Latin America and the Caribbean, developing assessment tools, safeguarding data quality, and turning measurement into evidence teams can act on — with a particular interest in not just which interventions work, but why, for whom, and at what cost.

His work spans impact evaluations, large-scale assessments, and fieldwork on education and early childhood development policy in Colombia, built through roles at Innovations for Poverty Action and the World Bank. He holds a BA in Political Science from Universidad de los Andes with minors in Economics and Public Policy, and is pursuing a MITx MicroMasters in Data, Economics and Design of Policy.

Isabella Rojas is a Content and Training Associate at Pratham International, where she leads the pedagogical strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean. A lawyer by training, she has dedicated the past 11 years of her career to education, driven by the conviction that quality learning is the foundation for transforming societies.

Her career combines pedagogical design with hands-on field experience: she was part of Teach For Colombia (Enseña por Colombia), worked with refugee populations at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and served within the Colombian government as part of Bogotá's Secretariat of Culture, Recreation and Sport, contributing to citizen culture initiatives.

Passionate about experiential education, Isabella believes in learning by doing and in building pedagogical processes that connect knowledge with the realities of the communities they serve. Her work is guided by a deep commitment to integral, quality education that empowers people to transform their own environments.

Phani is an Associate in Measurement, Monitoring, and Evaluation (MME) at Pratham International. He supports education programs by training teams on assessment and data collection tools, strengthening data quality, and building dashboards that help teams make informed decisions.

With 14 years of experience in data management across education programs in India, he currently works with MENA region partners and government teams to improve implementation quality and build strong data systems.

Phani holds an MBA in HR and Marketing. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring new technologies, learning about AI tools, and growing his communication and professional skills.

Sabarish works across Research & Learning and MME (Education) at Pratham International, and is passionate about bridging the gap between research and practice, leveraging evidence-based approaches to improve educational outcomes. A former middle school teacher at a low-income public school, he holds a master's in public policy from the University of Chicago with certifications in data analytics and survey research methodology. He has a strong background in quantitative and qualitative research, project management, and data analysis.

Pragya Dhariwal serves as Director of Global Operations at Pratham International, where she oversees the organization's legal, finance, and compliance functions — ensuring that the infrastructure behind the mission is as strong as the mission itself.

Before joining Pratham International, Pragya built her career across law and nonprofit leadership — starting as a lawyer with The Indian Hotels Company (Taj Group of Hotels) and spending over a decade at Pratham USA, where she developed deep expertise in donor relations, grant management, and cross-border operations before stepping into her current role.

Pragya holds an MBA from Boston University's Questrom School of Business and a BA LLB from Symbiosis Law School, Pune.

Head of HR & PMO at Pratham International, partnering with the Executive Group on talent, operations, and organizational growth. Believes in focusing on unsolved problems — studying problems and existing solutions sharply, and building an ecosystem view of what's neglected and can benefit most from focus. Brings nearly 25 years of experience across Pratham International, GE/Genpact, Aadhaar, the Centre for Civil Society, and Positive Planet US, with expertise in organizational transformation, talent management, and capability development. Graduate of IIM Ahmedabad, certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and completed an Executive Coaching program at Columbia University.

Kavita Shastri, a finance and accounting professional holding CPA (USA) and CA (India) qualifications, oversees the Accounts and Finance operations at Pratham International. She is responsible for managing end-to-end financial processes with a strong focus on operational efficiency, financial planning and compliance, bookkeeping, data reconciliation, and financial consolidation. Leveraging strong analytical and organizational capabilities, she provides effective financial oversight and supports complex multi-entity finance operations. She is committed to upholding the highest standards of financial integrity, accuracy, and transparency in support of the organization's mission and objectives.

A qualified Chartered Accountant with over 10 years of progressive experience in finance, accounting, audit, and financial management. Currently serving as the Head of Finance at PUSA Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (PULS), leading the overall finance function including financial planning, statutory audits, compliance management, reporting, and consolidation with the parent company. Experienced in driving financial controls, streamlining processes, and supporting organizational growth through effective financial governance and strategic decision-making.

Trishna believes that getting the right people and systems in place is what turns ambitious missions into real impact.

As Talent & PMO Analyst at Pratham International, she manages global hiring, on-boarding, and organisational governance across PI and PULS.

Her career spans safety-critical systems delivery in Japan, regulated financial services in Canada, and research-driven consulting — all grounded in a commitment to operational excellence in service of meaningful work.

She holds an MSc in Comparative Literature (Distinction) from the University of Edinburgh and a BE in Electronics and Communication (First Class Honours) from RGPV, India.

Amanda is responsible for establishing and driving Pratham International's research strategy and evidence generation agenda. In this role she seeks to connect dots between diverse country experiences, strengthen the evidence base for our interventions, and transform internal learning into actionable insights for program teams, partners, policymakers, and the broader field.

Amanda has been an education and early years researcher for over 20 years, mainly focused on Asia and Africa. She has worked on a wide range of education research initiatives, for example applying A/B testing to program implementation, and studies related to improving teacher competencies, parental engagement in education, community-based early childhood programs, expanding pre-primary education, school choice, the political influence of teacher unions, and the learning crisis. Prior to joining Pratham International, she worked at Youth Impact, Mathematica, the World Bank, the Center for Global Development, Innovations for Poverty Action, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Amanda holds an MPA in International Development (MPA/ID) from the Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in international affairs and economics from George Washington University.

Anthony Mwakwasha is a Community Development Practitioner with 7 years of experience in leading strategy and implementing solution-driven programs across inclusive education, gender equality, livelihoods, and youth empowerment. Based in Mombasa, Kenya, he currently serves as the Industrial Liaison Officer for the Youth Skilling and Placement Program. In this capacity, he collaborates with the Vocational Training department to align training programs with labor market demands, manages student career pathways and placements, and facilitates employment readiness for youth to improve long-term employability.

His professional background is rooted in a proven track record within the development space, where he has consistently focused on creating sustainable and meaningful change across multiple sectors. Throughout his career, he has specialized in community mobilization, stakeholder engagement, and the management of impactful social initiatives. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development from Daystar University.

Jack Steve Otieno is a development professional with a Bachelor of Science in Climate Change and Development with Information Technology from Maseno University, Kenya. He has experience working with both local NGOs and Government institutions in Kenya, contributing to community development and youth-focused initiatives.

Currently serving as an Industrial Liaison Officer at Pratham International, Jack supports youth in Vocational Training Centres in Kisumu,Kenya by linking them with industry opportunities such as attachments, jobs and practical skills pathways. He builds and maintains industrial partnerships, provide student support, monitor youth program objectives and document program outcomes.

His passion for this work is driven by his firsthand exposure to youth unemployment and his commitment to empowering young people to access meaningful livelihoods and contribute to national development.

Kenneth Bidan believes that empowering young people through quality education, vocational training and skills development is key to creating sustainable social and economic transformation.

Kenneth works as an Industry Liaison Officer at Pratham International with a background in strategic management, research, stakeholder engagement and youth empowerment.

He is currently pursuing a Ph. D in Business Administration (Strategic Management) -ABD at Machakos University and holds an MBA in Strategic Management (Mt. Kenya University) and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Psychology, and Political Science (Multimedia University)

Rita Odhiambo is driven by the conviction that scalable impact is only possible when global education goals are met with precise, community-centered execution. At Pratham International, she serves as the strategic lead and primary point of contact in Kenya, overseeing the seamless delivery of programs designed to catalyze education and empowerment across the region.

As a Program Associate, Rita manages the full lifecycle of county-level skilling initiatives. Her days are spent orchestrating field operations, navigating complex stakeholder ecosystems, and transforming organizational vision into high-quality, measurable outcomes. Beyond operations, Rita acts as a vital bridge between Pratham and county-level leadership, fostering the partnerships and governmental synergies required to sustain long-term growth. She is also responsible for managing student career trajectories, coordinating essential placements, and tracking program impact to ensure that every initiative delivers on its promise of community transformation.

Rita holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from the University of Eldoret. A dedicated advocate for inclusive development, she remains focused on strengthening the structures that empower the next generation of Kenyan youth.

Anisha Das is a development sector fundraiser with experience in resource mobilisation, grant development, donor engagement, and strategic partnerships. She specialises in building strategic funder pipelines, developing compelling funding proposals, and translating social-impact programmes into strong investment cases for philanthropic and institutional funders. She has a background in law, holding a B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) from Symbiosis Law School, Pune, and has worked across fundraising and development initiatives focused on inclusive economic opportunities and youth employment. Her interests lie at the intersection of social impact, philanthropy, economic empowerment, and innovative approaches to development. At Pratham International she is Fundraising Lead, focused on building strategic funder pipelines and mobilising resources to advance youth skills development and employment in Kenya. She works across grant development, donor engagement, strategic partnerships, and fundraising strategy, with a focus on identifying aligned funding opportunities and developing strong, long-term relationships with philanthropic and institutional funders. Her work supports Pratham's efforts to scale innovative, evidence-driven programmes that connect young people with skills, learning, and employment opportunities.

Dr. Utkarsh Shrivastava is a seasoned development professional and Academic Coordinator at Pratham International, bringing over 14 years of experience in vocational education, skilling, livelihood promotion, and entrepreneurship development. He holds a Ph.D. in Tourism & Hospitality from Mandsour University and a Master in Tourism Management from IGNOU, Delhi.

At Pratham International, Dr. Utkarsh coordinates academic planning and implementation for international skilling and education initiatives. He works closely with cross-functional teams and global stakeholders to strengthen vocational education systems, enhance training quality, and develop sustainable, employability-focused interventions for youth and communities.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Utkarsh spent over a decade with Pratham Education Foundation in progressively senior roles — as Regional Academic Coordinator, Master Trainer, Senior Academic Associate, and Sr. Program Associate for Entrepreneurship Development Programme. During this tenure, he managed multi-location programs across Bhopal, Indore, Lucknow, Nagpur, Durg, and Raipur, overseeing 40+ training batches annually and building trainer capacity across 25+ institutions.

An NSDC Certified Trainer (Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council), Certified AICTE Trainer, and FICSI-accredited Certified Assessor, Dr. Utkarsh is also an IGNOU Academic Counselor. His academic work includes three peer-reviewed research publications and presentations at three international conferences on tourism and hospitality. He has also contributed to international skilling pilot initiatives in Kenya, supporting trainer capacity building and vocational training quality enhancement.

Dr. Utkarsh is deeply committed to creating meaningful livelihood opportunities through quality skill education, entrepreneurship support, and industry-aligned vocational training.

Rachael's conviction that evidence is the foundation of effective programs, and that data, when designed for real-world contexts, should actively shape better decisions and stronger outcomes.

As a Monitoring, Measurement & Data Associate at Pratham International, she supports youth skilling and employment programs across East Africa by building practical monitoring systems, strengthening data quality, and translating data into insights that inform program strategy and scale. Her work sits at the intersection of rigorous analysis and real-world implementation, with a focus on keeping data collectionuseful, and decision-oriented.

She has over four years of experience in education, research and impact evaluation in youth focused programs, including experimental, longitudinal studies and AB testing. She holds an MSc in Stochastics and Data Science from the University of Turin - Italy and a BSc in Statistics from Egerton University - Kenya.