India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) conducted the fifth edition of its flagship ILSS Leadership Program from April 5 to 13, 2019. The nine-day residential course was once hosted at Ashoka University.

Over nine days, the best minds in the social sector helped program participants gain a deeper understanding of the development landscape in the country, including the challenges, complexities and opportunities. Seventeen senior executives from diverse industries, such as finance, media and infotech, attended the latest edition of the ILSS Leadership Program.

“It is our endeavour that program participants step out of the ILSS Leadership Program with greater clarity on how they can contribute to the country’s development agenda –  some might transition to the social sector while others might volunteer more effectively or even start social enterprises of their own,” says Anu Prasad, Founder-Director, ILSS.  “We also support our leaders’ journey in the social sector through placement support and mentoring.“

As always, the latest program featured an impressive list of over 30 speakers:

1. AK Shivakumar, development economist and Senior Policy Advisor at UNICEF
2. Abhishek Choudhary, Saajha
3. Anu Prasad, India Leaders for Social Sector
4. Apoorvanand, University of Delhi
5. Ashok Kamath, Akshara Foundation
6. Ashok Sircar, Azim Premji University
7. Benedicte Faivre-Tavignot, HEC-Paris
8. Chakshu Roy, PRS Legislative Research
9. Dr R Balasubramaniam, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement and GRAAM
10. Farah Naqvi, writer and activist
11. Gaurav Goel, Samagra
12. Gautam John, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
13. Mekhala Krishnamurthy, Ashoka University
14. Mihir Mathur, DESTA & TERI
15. Moomal Mehta, Crossover Catalyst
16. Pradeep Nair, Ford Foundation India
17. Priya Naik, Samhita
18. Purushottam Agarwal, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
19. Rajen Makhijani
20. Ravi Sreedharan, ISDM
21. Reshma Anand, HUL Foundation
22. Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Ashoka University
23. Sangeeta Menon, India Leaders for Social Sector
24. Saransh Vaswani, Saajha
25. Satyam Vyas, Arthan Careers
26. Shaveta Sharma-Kukreja, Central Square Foundation
27. Srikanth Viswanathan, Janaagraha
28. Sudha Srinivasan, N/Core
29. Surabhi Bikhchandani, Quadrangle
30. Svati Chakravarty Bhatkal, Paani Foundation
31. Urvashi Butalia, Zubaan Books
32. Venkatesam Eshwara, Ashoka University

With this fifth edition of its nine-day leadership program, ILSS’s alumni  strength has touched 85. ILSS alumni are today placed at reputed organisations such as Central Square Foundation, Kaivalya Education Foundation, Public Health Foundation of India, Social Finance India and Educate Girls, among others.

Applications are now open for the next edition of the program, which is scheduled for August 23 to 31, 2019.