United Way Bengaluru | community organization

WHO WE ARE

About us

Have you ever come across a problem that cripples the society and the people, and thought — “How do I bring about visible, lasting change?”

We at United Way Bengaluru have the answer to this.

Every city has a plethora of serious, unique, and multifaceted issues — from environment and health to income and education. To truly overcome these challenges and make a worthwhile difference, we must bring together everyone involved — everyone with a common interest and purpose, to work on a solution for a better Bengaluru. And we do just that.

We are a not-for-profit organization that works with communities to take local action for global impact. We partner with the people, listen to their concerns, identify the problems, and empower them to tackle these challenges head on. But we don’t stop there — we ensure our efforts reap long-term returns by staying connected with the communities.

And that’s how we bring visible, lasting change.

OUR MISSION

To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good.

OUR TEAM

Our team of driven and committed individuals brings to United Way Bengaluru, a bouquet of talents that can create solutions for complex societal issues.

Governance

We abide by United Way Worldwide’s requirements to guarantee the highest standards in financial reporting, governance, ethics, and operations.

The organization is governed by a voluntary Board of Trustees to ensure effective governance over the policies and financial resources.

Board of Trustees
Team

Board of Trustees

Prashanth Prakash

Chairman

Serial investor and successful entrepreneur, Prashanth has his finger on the pulse of the Indian technology scenario. With his keen ability to spot emerging opportunities, he began investing in Indian technology start-ups (as early as in 2004), much before they acquired global attention. Prashanth started his investing career as co-founder of Erasmic, one of India’s first early stage funds. Prior to that, he founded two enterprises in the Internet and Multimedia Publishing domains. Today, as a key member of Accel’s India team, he focuses on consumer Internet services, online marketplaces and SaaS. He has led investments in BookMyShow, HolidayIQ, PropTiger, BlueStone, QwikCilver/GiftBig, WizRocket, Healthcare Magic, Deeksha, and other early stage companies. Prashanth holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from the University of Delaware, and an Undergraduate Degree in Computer Science from the Bangalore Institute of Technology, India.

M.P. Hariharan

Secretary

The Chief Thinker at Rezonant, a design and advertising firm, Hari leads strategy and design for the company’s clients across domains and helps organisations build better brands. He trained as an architect at IIT Roorkee but migrated to design and advertising when he set up the firm in 2000. Hari is passionate about entrepreneurship and keen to help build the entrepreneurial eco-system in India. A believer in philanthropy, he has nurtured the concept of design-volunteerism in his organization, where each person has to devote some time to charity-related activities. He also set up Gween, a toy company that started out as a philanthropic venture to generate more business for artisans from Channapatna, a town in Karnataka famous for its wooden toys. Gween’s toys are retailing in the US and have generated great interest among customers and reviewers.

H. N. Swamy

Treasurer

Swamy, as he is popularly known, has over 33 years of experience in diverse industries, in India and abroad. In addition to being the Co-Founder of CaptiveAide, which assists multinational organizations to set up/ build/ manage their entities in India, Swamy is also a strategic corporate advisor and an independent consultant to SMEs. During his career, Swamy has donned leadership roles of VP Finance, Senior VP Finance, CFO and COO, in mid and large sized organisations like Collabera Inc., Adea International, ICICI OneSource (now FirstSource) and Planetasia. He has also worked overseas at global companies such as Xerox Corporation and KPMG. Swamy’s achievements in the recent past include raising several rounds of equity, capital restructuring, M&A deals and integrating acquired entities. He is well networked with investment bankers and funds – both Private Equity and Venture Capital. Swamy has been a featured speaker/ panelist in professional forums, and is widely respected in the financial industry for his views

Debarati Sen

Member

Debarati Sen is the Managing Director of 3M India Limited and 3M Lanka Pvt.Ltd. with effect from June 1, 2016.Prior to this role, Debarati was Director, Corporate Sales Operations for 3M Company leading corporate initiatives critical to growth, sales effectiveness and efficiency. She was also the Director for 3M’s US Atlantic & Pacific Branch Operations (Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam & Alaska).Debarati’s career spans over 24 years in Asia and US with over 18 years in 3M in various global,regional and country roles driving marketing, sales and customer engagement, product development, business development, strategy as well as mergers and acquisitions. She also led the global Oil & Gas business for 3M and has also held the position of Vice President of Global Marketing – Equipment Protection Business at Pentair, Inc. Debarati is on the board of the 3M A3CTION (Asian Employee Resource Network) and is an Executive Member of 3M’s Women’s Leadership Forum. She also volunteers her time in reducing homelessness and poverty in the community; supporting education and empowerment in women and is on the national governing board of Jeremiah Program, a Minnesota based national charity. Debarati is also a member of the CII Karnataka State Council.
She holds a BS/BE in Electronics Engineering, as well as an MBA in Marketing & Finance. Her career with 3M started in India in 1996 in the company’s Personal Safety business.

Suneeth Katarki

Member

Suneeth Katarki graduated from National Law School of India University in 1996 and enrolled as an advocate in the same year. He is a Partner at IndusLaw, a national multi-disciplinary law firm. Suneeth practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investment. He also advises on various aspects of Intellectual Property including trademark protection and software licensing agreements.Suneeth is involved with organisations concerning mental health.

Sabu Thomas

Member

Sabu Thomas is the Chief People Officer at Allstate India Pvt. Ltd. Prior to this, he was Director – Human Resources at Qwest. An award winning and seasoned HR professional, he is known for his leadership, creativity and passion for change. Sabu’s experience of over two decades spans human resource management, organizational development and strategic management at several global organizations. His forte lies in conceptualising and building the HR function from scratch, scaling it, and setting up systems and measurement structures. A trained facilitator, he has conducted several workshops on strategic leadership and organisation development.

Suresh Nair

Member

Suresh has been the Head of Global Operation (US and India) and Managing Director (India) for MModal Inc., a leading provider of technology services to the healthcare market in the US, till recently. Prior to that, he was the CEO and Managing Director of Spheris India Pvt. Ltd. He has also been the COO of Max Healthscribe Ltd. Suresh started his career with Reckitt Benckiser Limited and became the Planning and Logistics Director of RBL for South Asia. Suresh is a Chemical Engineer, from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and has also undergone management programs at the Leeds University Management School. His passion and commitment to give back to the society brought Suresh to United Way Bengaluru.

K. T. Chandy

Member

As a partner with Ernst & Young’s tax and regulatory practice, KT Chandy is associated with the Technology, Communications and Entertainment Business Unit in India. A commerce graduate from the University of Mumbai and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, he has been with Ernst & Young since 2002 and is currently based out of the Bangalore office. At Ernst & Young, Chandy has advised a vast clientele of MNCs and Indian corporates operating in sectors such as technology, hospitality, defense, retail, education, financial services, real estate, etc., on Indian tax and regulatory issues. His key areas of expertise include merger and acquisition tax; inbound/ outbound investment structuring; international tax and tax litigation. His clients include Wipro Technologies, Flipkart, IBM, Manipal Group, TNT Corporation and also private equity fund players like Blackstone and Accel Partners. Prior to this, he worked with the Arthur Andersen Practice that merged with Ernst & Young in 2002. He has addressed several forums in India such as ASSOCHAM, NASSCOM, ICAI, and Chamber of Commerce, and also spoken at business schools on various tax and regulatory issues.

Lalit Ahuja

Member

LALIT AHUJA is the CEO-ANSR Consulting Founder-ANSR & Kyron Global Accelerator

He has also served as:
Managing Director of Mast Global Services India (an L Brands Company)
Managing Director of Lowe’s India
Chairman and President of Target India
CEO of NDS India Limited (now a Cisco Company)
CEO of News Corporation (STAR TV) and $300M News Corporation Venture Fund
CEO of LG Electronics
CEO of Datamatics Ltd, Mumbai
Senior Executive Advisor, Distribution Sector, IBM, Japan
Member of the Global Council, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Glendale, AZ.

Lalit started his career in the Indian Navy before retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. While in the Navy, he was the Head of the prestigious Naval Computer Applications Center in Lonavla and was Senior Engineer Officer at INS Vindhyagiri and INS Shakti. Lalit holds an MS in Computer Science from IIT, Bombay and an engineering graduate from Birla Institute of Technology

Team

Rajesh Krishnan

COO

Rajesh has wide experience in Sales, Marketing and Business Development, having spent many years in multinationals such as Consul, APC (later Schneider Electric) and CommScope in various leadership roles at both National and Asia Pacific level. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and is a first-rank holder from Karnataka University. He also holds a Masters Degree in Marketing Management from Bhavans College. His strong views on ‘Be the change you wish to see’, made him change course and take up teaching in a low income school, where he taught Science, Maths and English to over 140 children from Grades 3-7. He joined United Way Bengaluru as a volunteer towards the planning and implementation of Nandi Hillathon. Convinced that Social Engineering is where his passion lies, he has joined United Way Bengaluru. A stickler to detail he has a penchant for cooking, travel and history.

Venkata Sudhakar Namala

Director (Finance, Administration, and Human Resources)

Venkata is a Finance Professional with specialization in the NGO sector. He holds a MBA-Finance from Osmania University, Hyderabad. Venkata has 15 Years of experience in the development sector in the domains of finance, accounts, grants and administration at both national and international organisations. He has worked at management levels in various organisations and developed financial manuals/Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Prior to UWBe he worked with Saathii, Marie Stopes International (MSI) and Plan International (India Chapter). Venkata has considerable work experience in budgeting, cost analysis, grants management & donor reporting, partnership management, financial management trainings, statutory compliances and analytical skills. He is familiar with Tally ERP, SAP, Quick books and SUN financial packages. Venkata’s interests include music, spending time with family and gardening.

David Kumar

General Manager

David has over a decade of experience in Social Development. It includes a stint as a Senior Executive Officer at CRY (Child Rights and You), where he facilitated and handheld partner organisations to evolve child-centric approaches. He has played a key role in implementing initiatives that foster change across the state. David was appointed a District Resource Person (DRP) by the Hassan District Administration to train Gram Panchayat members on local self-governance and resource mobilisation skills. He founded Samagra Foundation, an NGO that trains local communities on matters such as good governance, livelihood options, natural resource management/organic farming etc. He has also published reference manuals on government schemes for the rural poor and for community education on Panchayat Raj Institutions.

Mahesh H. C

Senior Manager (Community Engagement)

Mahesh is the man behind our flagship campaign ‘Wake the Lake’. He has a Post Graduate degree in Psychology from Bengaluru University. He has 18 years of experience in the development sector and was earlier associated with organisations such as Jagruthi, Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT), Shell Foundation, Shankara Eye Hospital, Bengaluru, The Akshaya Patra Foundation and others. He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt from Anexas Denmark and in ISO 9001 Internal Auditor from DNV.

Smita Sharma

Senior Manager (Community Engagement)

Smita Sharma leads our Born Learning Campaign at State and Pan India level. She has over a decade of experience in the development sector, and has worked on health, education, livelihood, gender equity, inclusive and sustainable development issues with corporates, UNICEF, UNDP India, State Planning Department, State Women Commission, academic institutes, NGO networks and community-based organizations. She is certified professional in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs-New Delhi (IICA), Sustainability Reporting from Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) with CII, New Delhi, and Advanced Public Health Management from Institute of Public Health (IPH), Bengaluru. She holds post graduate degree in Foods and Nutrition (Gold Medallist) from Rajasthan State Agriculture University. Smita likes to read and listen to music.

Lokesh Gujjarappa

Senior Manager (Research, Monitoring and Evaluation)

Lokesh comes with seventeen years of demonstrated experience in research, program monitoring and evaluation and impact management. His experience spans multiple sectors, notably, public health, education, livelihood, social accountability and social protection. He has designed, implemented and managed projects across sectors and geographies in India and also in Africa. He has demonstrated ability and skill in data management using both quantitative and qualitative data management software. He has worked with INGOs such as CARE India, Justice and Care and also with grass root organisations in Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states of India. Lokesh is passionate about bringing context to data which is at the heart of measurement. He holds post graduate degrees in Advanced Studies in International Health from University of Basel, Switzerland and in Health Sciences from University of Pune, Maharashtra.

Mahesh K

Manager (Accounts and Administration)

Mahesh K comes with 16 years of experience in the field of auditing and accountancy. He worked in organizations like Save the Children, Communication for Development & Learning (CDL), L. Vittal Rao Kaliswaran & Co, Chartered Accountants, Bengaluru and Green Foundation. He is an efficient, detail-oriented, organized person having strong analytical and problem solving skills. He also worked as a Financial Consultant for Terres des Homes (TDH) Germany, India Regional Office and HIVOS Netherlands, India Regional Office, Bangalore.

Arogyaraju K

Manager (Community Engagement)

Arogyaraju serves as Manager, Community Engagement at United Way Bengaluru. His responsibilities include project management and implementation, chiefly related to Integrated Rural Development. This includes specialization in rooftop rainwater harvesting, watershed development, vocational and livelihood projects. He has also worked intensively in the field of women empowerment, particularly with women farmers. He is currently developing his skills in building up farmer producer organizations. He has a B.A. degree from Christ College, Benngaluru and has been serving the development sector for over 14 years. Arogyaraju has worked previously at Labour Net Services India Pvt Ltd., KROSS, BMSS, Sujala Watershed Project and CAPART. He is passionate about social change and also likes sports, reading, and spending time with his family.

Jyothi Gupta

Manager (Community Engagement)

Jyoti Gupta leads the Born Learning Campaign at the State level and is based in Bengaluru. She is also handles Bengaluru Urban Projects which include scholarships, skill development, women entrepreneurship and livelihood projects. She has a Masters degree in social work and has been a part of the social sector since 2006. She has worked on urban poverty, livelihood, women and child health and education issues etc at CAPART (a nodal agency of Ministry of Rural Development, Central Govt. of India), and other national NGOs. She is a certified Praxis India PRA trainer, and a Master Trainer of ASHAs. She is also a CAPART Master Trainer for Young Professionals. Jyoti is a fun-loving person, who enjoys travelling, music and cooking.

K. Radhakrishna Pradeep

Manager (Community Engagement)

Radhakrishna Pradeep has 13 years experience in the social sector and has worked with Dr Reddy’s Foundation, Smile Foundation and InDeed. He has a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career in the automobile industry and shifted to the development sector as a facilitator. Pradeep has experience in project implementation, documentation, monitoring and evaluation, NGO partnerships, and donor nurturing. He likes cooking and travelling.

Pravin Kiran Yedurka

Manager, Community Engagement

Pravin Kiran Yedurkarserves as Manager, Community Engagement. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Electronics) and an MA in Social Work (Rural Development) from TISS Institute. He has three years of experience in the development sector. Prior to joining United Way Bengaluru, he worked with GyanPrakash Foundation in the capacity of District Education Specialist -Monitoring and Reporting; He is passionate about working with communities making sustained efforts to promote stakeholder involvement for solutions by putting theory into action. He likes traveling, reading, playing badminton and cricket.

Vinod P. R

Assistant Manager (Accounts and Administration)

Vinod is a commerce graduate from Bangalore University and has over seven years of experience with FCI, working in accounts and administration. After completing his ITI training, Vinod initially worked in the electronic and manufacturing industry. He has been an active volunteer in Kerala Saksharatha Mission’s level 1 and 2 programs to achieve 100 percent literacy.

Anil Kumar Y. N.

Assistant Manager (Corporate Relations)

Anil has a Bachelor’s Degree in science and Masters in Business Administration from Bangalore University. Prior to joining UWBe, he was working in sales and marketing with a few multinationals. He is social media savvy and has a strong passion for video making. He is currently looking after corporate relations at UWBe.

Neethashree Srinivas

Assistant Manager –Marketing Communications

Neethashreeserves as Assistant Manager –Marketing Communications. She holds a degree in Psychology as well as certificates in Digital Marketing and Photography.She has five years of experience working in the social sector, a passion she has inherited from her mother. Neethashreehas served in Dignity Foundation, The AkshayaPatra Foundation and AdaraneCharitable Trust, where she was instrumental in designing and implementing events online and offline. She has organized several events and campaigns, which include online photo contests and musical concerts by Dr. K J Yesudas, Second Career Expo for Senior Citizens and others. She is fond of reading, art, and craft. Neetha, a mother of two is proud to restart her career with United Way after a maternity break of five years.

Johnny Silva

Senior Executive (Community Engagement)

Johnny came on board United Way Bengaluru as Senior Executive, Community Initiatives, which entails driving corporate volunteer engagements, ensuring Student United Way is strengthened and conceptualizing events to motivate greater numbers of volunteers from larger communities to get involved with UWBe. His interests include music, story-writing, organizing social cause events and riding bikes.

Ajay S. S.

Senior Executive (Community Engagement)

Ajay has been with UWBe for 3 years and is responsible for community mobilization and implementation of Wake the Lake. Ajay had a Master’s degree in Political Science from Bangalore University. He is a young parent and enjoys spending time with his wife and three month-old infant son. He plays cricket and watches films when he has the time.

Christian Joseph

Executive (Vendor Management)

Christian is known to make the impossible possible. He takes care of vendor management and works well in high-pressure situations. Quality is the first criterion in his purchase functions and has made it a process-driven function. Christian is a multi-tasker and can be depended on to step in and help wherever there is need for an extra team member. He is a team player.

V. Bhagya Kumar

Coordinator (Community Engagement)

Bhagya’s commitment to social change is reflected in her educational and career pursuits. She has completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s program in Sociology and translated this to action by engaging with NGOs. She has deep-rooted insights on government structures, community responsibilities and functioning of anganwadis from her 11 years of experience at Akshara Foundation, Bengaluru. She wishes to engage with and impact the lives of children aged 0-6 covered under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) program implemented by the government. She is patient, amiable, has a positive attitude and unwavering confidence which helps her engage with local communities and help the mission of the organization translate to action. She loves to listen to music and read story books in her spare time.

Sanjeevaraju P.

Finance Coordinator

Sanjeevaraju has an M Com degree from Bangalore University. He has worked for over 15 years in the social sector. He is proficient in working with Tally and Excel, and handles all accounting functions related to non-profits with ease. He has worked with Mr. L. Vittalrao – Chartered Accountants, Green Foundation, IDF and has been associated with various donor agencies, missionaries and not-for-profits helping them in maintaining accounting design and systems. His work has inspired and encouraged him to work where his potential can be used to its fullest.

Prakash Anthony

Administrator/Receptionist

Prakash has degrees in B.A, B. Ed., and a Diploma in Computer Applications. He has worked with Sumanahalli Society for Leprosy Rehabilitation, SUPPORT, and St Joseph’s School for underprivileged children and Project Vision for Blind. He has worked with United way of Bengaluru for over two years as an Administration Assistant and Receptionist, where his responsibilities include coordination all program activities. Prakash has a special interest in serving communities for a larger good. His other interests include music, gardening, cooking and watching films.

Aparna Jairaj

Member

Aparna believes that treading the Green Path and inculcating a greater understanding of nature-based solutions should be the way forward. Opening minds to work towards a sustainable future is her goal. She is a firm believer and patron of conservation and an avid animal lover. She has worked for nine years as a Program Coordinator for a beyond-the-classroom science program at Parikrma Humanity Foundation – an NGO that provides education to the underserved children living in the slums of urban India. A graduate from B.M.S. College of Engineering, she served in the software sector in India and overseas for five years. She travelled extensively on work and got an opportunity to experience different cultures. These experiences have made her aware of the world around her.

Victor Vinod

Office Assistant