Lead India, Reform India

Archana’s work experiences have focused on leading projects and teams in Learning and Leadership across the Corporate, Government and Social sectors. Prior to ILSS, she worked as the city director at Teach for India (TFI) where she led the strategy and operations for the TFI Fellowship and Alumni Movement to create a movement for educational equity. Prior to Teach for India, Archana worked with Infosys Leadership Institute and Boston Public Schools in the areas of human capital, competency development, change management, and Diversity and Inclusion.

Archana is an alum of the master’s program in education (M.Ed.) at Harvard Graduate School of Education at Massachusetts, master’s program in management (MBA) at T.A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal and the bachelor’s program in commerce (B.Com) at Stella Maris College, Chennai. Across all roles and teams, being a learner and an educator is the core of her work.

Jesleen Lalmuanawmi has over 25 years of work experience focused on leadership and management roles across fellowship programs, higher education and capacity building in the development sector. As the founding director of the Naropa Fellowship in Ladakh, she mentored over 300 Fellows and supported more than 150 sustainable ventures for Himalayan youth. She was part of the founding teams of the Young India Fellowship, Ashoka University, the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women, the Indian School of Development Management, the Harappa School of Leadership at Harappa Education, and Shakti Super 50, a leadership program for women in Odisha. Jesleen also led marketing efforts for the University of Boras, Sweden, India Office.

Jesleen holds a master’s degree in history from NEHU, Shillong, Meghalaya, and taught in a government college in Mizoram before transitioning to management and the development sector. Originally from Mizoram, she has extensive grassroots experience across Bihar, Ladakh, and Odisha. Passionate about community work, hiking, and gardening, Jesleen lives in Delhi and is currently Lead – Centre of Excellence for Leadership at ILSS.

Dr Shradha has a career spanning around 10 years covering diversified sectors including R&D, technology development, and social impact. With expertise in program management and leadership and acumen for strategic thinking and decision making, she has been able to show excellent results working in high-pressure and fast-paced situations with stakeholders including government, corporations, nonprofits and global organisations. Awarded with the MEXT Govt. of Japan Fellowship for her PhD nominated by MHRD, Govt. of India, she is an alum of the University of Tokyo, and has done her doctorate in the field of Plant Molecular Genetics. Positive and passionate Shradha enjoys music and mingling across cultures.

Simran Gupta is a Senior Program Manager at ILSS. Simran’s career has spanned across research, teaching, program management, business development, and career services. She has worked with think tanks and educational organisations, in both the social and corporate space.

Prior to ILSS, Simran has served as a Senior Program Manager – Career Services at Masters’ Union where she worked with the founding team building the brand of Masters’ Union, making it India’s unique B-School offering industry immersive business education. She has also worked at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences managing end-to-end academic engagement of Customized Short-term Study in India Programmes for foreign universities and at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements in the resource development domain creating more visibility and fundraise for the institute.

Simran holds a M.Phil. in Development Studies from the TISS, Mumbai, M.Sc. in economics (Development Studies) from the Symbiosis School of Economics, Pune and a BA economics (H) from St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi.

Prerna is currently a program manager at ILSS, working within the Harish and Bina Shah Centre for Talent and Leadership.

Her professional journey spans advertising, the cultural sector, and higher education. She began her career as a digital copywriter before moving to the St+art India Foundation, and later spent three years with the academics team at the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women, supporting curriculum design, classroom learning, and student mentorship. Working closely with students and faculty shaped her enduring interest in how learning unfolds in practice.

Prerna studied English literature at Hindu College, University of Delhi, is an alumna of the Young India Fellowship at Ashoka University, and holds a master’s degree in Literary Art (Creative Writing) from Ambedkar University, Delhi. Alongside her institutional work, she continues to write, edit, and translate independently.

Vanisha Tiwari is a Learning and Development professional passionate about designing transformative leadership journeys that enable individuals and organisations to thrive. She began with a deep curiosity about people: what shapes their confidence, how systems influence their growth, and what it truly takes to build workplaces where everyone can thrive. She is passionate about creating reflective, experiential spaces where leaders can pause, challenge their assumptions, and grow with intention.

She has extensive experience of working with various social impact organizations. Her recent experience with EquiLead-Climate Asia deepened her understanding of organisational systems and gender equity, while her engagement with Youth Waging Peace (UNESCO-MGEIP initiative) strengthened her belief in dialogue, youth leadership, and collective change. These experiences continue to shape her approach to learning design  grounded in the belief that leadership is as much about consciousness as it is about competence.