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Our Team

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Varsha Venugopal

Co-Founder

Varsha leads various activities across Suvita, including strategy, partnerships, communication and fundraising.

Varsha has more than 15 years' experience of setting up and running development projects and programmes in global institutions including the World Bank and the Open Society Foundation. She has a Master’s degree in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s in Urban Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture in India.

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Fiona Conlon

Co-Founder

Fiona leads various activities across Suvita, including strategy and programme design and improvement.

Fiona holds a double first-class degree from the University of Cambridge in Natural Sciences and Management. She worked at the World Health Organization in Geneva, organising a conference on non-communicable diseases. Fiona also worked on the planning, implementation and evaluation of health interventions in Dar es Salaam, with the student-led charity Cambridge Development Initiative.

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Shweta Saxena

Head of Technology

Shweta works as Head of Technology to design and develop new ways to leverage technology solutions to deliver Suvita’s programmes and expand our reach and thus impact.

Shweta holds a Master's degree in Computer Applications from Banasthali Vidyapith and a Bachelor’s in Physics from Delhi University. She has 16 years of corporate experience in software engineering, solution design, project & team management. Shweta previously worked as VP, Technology Manager with Deutsche Bank and also in roles with IBM India and HCL Tech. Shweta also founded Adopt A Family which works to support families in Pune who lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Manoj Raj

Senior Software and Data Engineer

Manoj brings a strong foundation in data operations, automation, and analytics. Before joining Suvita, he worked at Cropin for over three years in Data Operations, where agricultural systems, enhance decision-making, and improve service delivery for farming communities. Manoj holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Amrita School of Business and recently completed the Professional Executive Development Program (PEDP) in Data Science for Social Impact from Ashoka University.

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Natasha Ahuja

Innovation and Data Manager

Natasha works on using data to make Suvita’s programmes more effective. She builds systems that help the team learn what is working, why, and how to improve — and runs focused projects that support strategic choices about programme design and direction.

Before joining Suvita, Natasha worked with field-leading organisations including the What Works Hub for Global Education at the University of Oxford, Youth Impact, and Our World in Data. She holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and a BA (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram College for Women at the University of Delhi.

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Vinoj Raj

Senior Technology Generalist

Vinoj is a dedicated advocate for sustainability and the circular economy, blending data-driven strategies with profound social impact. Internationally recognized as a leading youth entrepreneur, Vinoj has received several accolades, including the National Youth Award for Social Entrepreneurship. At Suvita, Vinoj is committed to leveraging innovation to meet global sustainability goals.

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Mario Pinto

Head of Finance, Legal & People Operations

Mario works to strengthen Suvita's internal systems to enable greater organisational impact. Mario works across functions including HR, legal, regulatory compliance, finance, accounting, donor reporting, infrastructure, and equipment.

Mario has 14 years' experience in the corporate sector, working across functions including profitability & pricing, programme management & operations, product management, and scientific research. He holds a Master’s degree in Computational Science from the Indian Institute of Science, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP).

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Edward Lewis

Finance and Legal Operations Associate

Edward works to maintain and develop Suvita's legal and financial operations as it continues to scale.

Edward holds a Masters degree in Physics from the University of Birmingham and previously worked on process improvement within semiconductor manufacturing. He is passionate about health and development and aspires to maximise his impact in this space.

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Anushree Gangavathi

Finance and Legal Operations Officer

Anushree is a finance professional with experience in auditing, compliance, and financial reporting, having worked with global clients at EY, BPB and other CPA firms before joining Suvita. She is passionate about applying her skills to strengthen non-profit operations and support Suvita’s mission of increasing childhood vaccination uptake across India.

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Deepali Khanna

Senior Manager - Finance and Legal Operations

Deepali brings over 14 years of expertise in finance, administration, operations, compliance and risk management in the social sector. Previously, as Finance & Admin Manager at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in India, she led financial oversight, operations, and HR functions, ensuring efficient delivery of donor-funded initiatives.

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Zhen Paintal

Senior Operations Generalist

Zhen serves as Suvita's Generalist and as an Interim People Operations Manager, where she develops processes, policies, and systems to drive organizational growth. As a Terra.do alum with a strong foundation in environmental awareness, she is deeply committed to fostering social impact and addressing the interconnected challenges of environmental and social issues.

Prior to Suvita, Zhen held leadership roles in various organizations, where she enhanced workflows, drove expansions, and built thriving communities.

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Aastha Saumya

Senior Manager - People and Culture

Aastha brings experience across law, psychology, and management to her role at Suvita. She has worked in organizational development, people functions, and innovation within the for profit and nonprofit sectors, helping teams grow with purpose . Her diverse background enables her to bridge strategy with people-centered practices, and she is deeply passionate about creating effective teams that work with empathy.

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Sara Saleem

Operations Officer

Sara holds an MBA in Finance and HR from SASTRA University. She has worked with HDFC and Kotak Mahindra Bank, and later at an edtech firm, gaining a deep understanding of process design, financial systems, and strategic implementation. I enjoy translating big ideas into practical systems and building processes that help teams work more smoothly and purposefully.

Head of Finance, Legal & People Operations

Mario Pinto

Head of Finance, Legal & People Operations

Mario works to strengthen Suvita's internal systems to enable greater organisational impact. Mario works across functions including HR, legal, regulatory compliance, finance, accounting, donor reporting, infrastructure, and equipment.

Mario has 14 years' experience in the corporate sector, working across functions including profitability & pricing, programme management & operations, product management, and scientific research. He holds a Master’s degree in Computational Science from the Indian Institute of Science, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP).

Finance and Legal Operations Associate

Edward Lewis

Finance and Legal Operations Associate

Edward works to maintain and develop Suvita's legal and financial operations as it continues to scale.

Edward holds a Masters degree in Physics from the University of Birmingham and previously worked on process improvement within semiconductor manufacturing. He is passionate about health and development and aspires to maximise his impact in this space.

Finance and Legal Operations Officer

Anushree Gangavathi

Finance and Legal Operations Officer

Anushree is a finance professional with experience in auditing, compliance, and financial reporting, having worked with global clients at EY, BPB and other CPA firms before joining Suvita. She is passionate about applying her skills to strengthen non-profit operations and support Suvita’s mission of increasing childhood vaccination uptake across India.

Senior Manager - Finance and Legal Operations

Deepali Khanna

Senior Manager - Finance and Legal Operations

Deepali brings over 14 years of expertise in finance, administration, operations, compliance and risk management in the social sector. Previously, as Finance & Admin Manager at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in India, she led financial oversight, operations, and HR functions, ensuring efficient delivery of donor-funded initiatives.

Senior Operations Generalist

Zhen Paintal

Senior Operations Generalist

Zhen serves as Suvita's Generalist and as an Interim People Operations Manager, where she develops processes, policies, and systems to drive organizational growth. As a Terra.do alum with a strong foundation in environmental awareness, she is deeply committed to fostering social impact and addressing the interconnected challenges of environmental and social issues.

Prior to Suvita, Zhen held leadership roles in various organizations, where she enhanced workflows, drove expansions, and built thriving communities.

Senior Manager - People and Culture

Aastha Saumya

Senior Manager - People and Culture

Aastha brings experience across law, psychology, and management to her role at Suvita. She has worked in organizational development, people functions, and innovation within the for profit and nonprofit sectors, helping teams grow with purpose . Her diverse background enables her to bridge strategy with people-centered practices, and she is deeply passionate about creating effective teams that work with empathy.

Operations Officer

Sara Saleem

Operations Officer

Sara holds an MBA in Finance and HR from SASTRA University. She has worked with HDFC and Kotak Mahindra Bank, and later at an edtech firm, gaining a deep understanding of process design, financial systems, and strategic implementation. I enjoy translating big ideas into practical systems and building processes that help teams work more smoothly and purposefully.

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Sumit Swami

Programme Manager, Maharashtra

Sumit manages the implementation and scaling-up of our programmes in Maharashtra. He also helps us identify new stakeholders, and co-ordinate and nurture strong relationships with local government officials at the Maharashtra Public Health Department and State Family Welfare Bureau.

Sumit holds a Master’s degree in economics from Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. He previously worked on managing research activities, designing questionnaires, managing field teams, monitoring surveys and writing research reports. He is passionate about working in health, education and rural livelihood sectors.

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Dharmendra Padalkar

Programme Coordinator, Maharashtra

Dharmendra manages our survey team in Maharashtra, overseeing the successful execution of our SMS program & immunization ambassadors program. With a rich background in Public Health and Education, Dharmendra brings a wealth of experience, notably focusing on areas such as Tuberculosis, Mental Health, and Adolescent Health.

Beyond his professional achievements, Dharmendra is a certified Art-Based Therapist, seamlessly integrating the realms of Arts, Theatre, and Mental Health. His innovative approach has proven particularly effective in working with diverse groups

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Amandeep Singh

Programme Delivery Manager, Bihar

Aman oversees state-level programme delivery in Bihar. With prior experience in the Corporate sector, he has managed diverse teams and worked across functions to make data-driven decisions and enhance growth. He is passionate about Effective Altruism and aspires to maximise his impact in this space. He holds a Master's in Business Administration and a Bachelor's of Commerce.

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Deepak Bansal

Programme Coordinator, Bihar

Deepak manages our data entry team, ensuring accuracy and efficiency of data flow processes so that caregivers have a smooth experience of enrollment for SMS reminders. He also manages the survey team as they implement our immunisation ambassadors pilot.

Deepak has previously worked as a data officer, a surveyor and a field supervisor in various organisations including J-PAL, IDinsight and on a project for the University of Chicago. His experience spans both the education and health sectors.

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Nawaz Noor

Routine Immunisation Consultant, Bihar

Nawaz holds a Master’s degree in Rural Development from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and has worked with esteemed organisations, including UNICEF, Tata Trusts, and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), focusing on field operations, project implementation, and delivering impactful, evidence-based solutions.

He is dedicated to driving sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life in underserved communities through innovative and community-centric approaches.

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Aspiya Sadiqhussain

Programme Delivery Manager, Maharashtra

Aspiya is a public health researcher with experience in community-based studies on communicable and non-communicable diseases and health systems. She is passionate about using evidence-based approaches to improve healthcare access and equity in underserved populations.

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Anupam

Senior Survey Officer

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Juhi

Senior Survey Officer

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Rakhi

Senior Survey Officer

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Swapnil

Senior Survey Officer

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Bhagyashri

Survey Officer

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Nirmala

Survey Officer

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Ashok

Associate Survey Officer

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Jayashree

Associate Survey Officer

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Nisha

Associate Survey Officer

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Rani

Associate Survey Officer

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Snehal

Associate Survey Officer

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Archana

Senior Survey Officer

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Manoj

Senior Survey Officer

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Sapna

Senior Survey Officer

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Sweety

Senior Survey Officer

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Devika

Survey Officer

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Sandhya

Survey Officer

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Divyani

Associate Survey Officer

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Mahesh

Associate Survey Officer

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Pallavi

Associate Survey Officer

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Sarita

Associate Survey Officer

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Yojana

Associate Survey Officer

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Asif

Senior Survey Officer

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Payal

Senior Survey Officer

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Sheetal

Senior Survey Officer

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Vivek

Senior Survey Officer

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Madhuri

Survey Officer

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Vishal

Survey Officer

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Govind

Associate Survey Officer

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Manna

Associate Survey Officer

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Rahul

Associate Survey Officer

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Shilplata

Associate Survey Officer

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Gopi

Senior Data Officer

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Chandan

Data Officer

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Shubham

Data Officer

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Mukesh

Senior Field Data & Engagement Officer

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Ram

Field Data & Engagement Officer

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Soni

Senior Data Officer

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Kahkasha

Data Officer

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Abhishek

Associate Data Officer

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Ravi

Senior Field Data & Engagement Officer

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Sonu

Senior Data Officer

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Kundan

Data Officer

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Amritesh

Senior Field Data & Engagement Officer

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Mohammad Munaf

Field Data & Engagement Officer

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Neela Saldanha

Neela is the Executive Director of Y-RISE, a Yale initiative which focuses on developing the science around scaling policy interventions to improve the lives of vulnerable people. A behavioural scientist by training, she also advises a range of initiatives on behavioural change, including recently working on a huge study to increase mask use during the pandemic. She was the founding Director of the Centre for Social and Behavioural Change at Ashoka University and sits on the board of several nonprofits.

Advisors

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Monica Jain

Dr. Monica Jain is a development economist with over 20 years' experience in evidence-informed policy. As Lead Evaluation Specialist at 3ie, she manages a global portfolio of policy-relevant evaluations focused on immunisation and other sectors.  Monica is also a member of the WHO working group tasked with developing guidance and tools to measure the drivers of vaccination uptake. She also conducts capacity development workshops on impact evaluation for policymakers in low-and middle-income countries.

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Patrick Stadler

Patrick is a co-founder and chair of the board of GiveWell-recommended nonprofit, New Incentives. He helped New Incentives scale from 0 to over 100,000 programme users for their vaccination programme in Nigeria. As a consultant at Stadler Trails, he supports a range of impact-focused organisations. Patrick was previously a political advisor for Switzerland’s economic development agency and worked on strategic communications for peacebuilding and mediation at the UN.

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Ujwal Thakar

Ujwal has led a distinguished career across the nonprofit and private sectors. He has served as CEO of both India's largest nonprofit, Pratham (driving its growth phase to ensure that "every child is in school and learning well"), as well as India's largest donation platform, GiveIndia. He is also on the board of several nonprofits, including Educate Girls. Before joining the social sector, Ujwal held various senior management positions in the banking sector. He now brings his expertise to support nonprofits in scaling and strategy.

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Joey Savoie

Joey co-founded Charity Science Health in 2017 and led the development of our original SMS reminders programme, after conducting a systematic research process through which he identified SMS reminders for routine immunisations as one of the most cost-effective focuses for a new nonprofit.

Joey has since co-founded Charity Entrepreneurship, which provides entrepreneurs with support and training to launch impact-focused nonprofits.

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Katriel Friedman

Katriel is the former CEO of Charity Science Health, which merged with Suvita in 2020. ​He led CSH's testing of enrollment strategies for SMS immunisation reminders, shaping the approach we use today. Katriel has also worked with the Center for Global Development, the World Bank and Innovations for Poverty Action on impact evaluations across the health, education and agriculture sectors. He holds a Masters in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard University.  

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Priya Ajmera

Priya is a former Director at The/Nudge Foundation, which incubates startup nonprofits (including Suvita) working to sustainably and scalably alleviate poverty. She has supported a range of high-potential startup nonprofits in India with strategic decision-making on the journey towards scale and impact.

 

Priya has a background in Strategy and Product Management with various major tech firms (including Yahoo and eBay). She has also provided strategy consulting to a range of tech startups. Priya has an MBA from IIM, Bangalore.

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In India, Suvita is a project of Development Consortium. In the UK, Suvita UK is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England and Wales (Charity number: 1198512). Suvita accepts tax-deductible donations in India, the US, the UK and the Netherlands - click here for more details.

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