The seventh edition of the ILSS Leadership Program concluded on January 25, 2020 at the IIT Delhi Campus in Sonepat, with 26 senior participants-leaders from reputed corporates, NGOs and foundations-participating in a 9-day journey of learning and discovery to understand the development landscape in India from some of the best minds in the social sector.
Over nine days, 28 speakers, including NGO founders, practitioners, development economists, social activists and foundation heads, helped participants gain a deeper understanding of social development issues, guiding them on how they can engage more deeply with the task of addressing persistent, complex development challenges.
Through the program the participants were able to see, among a range of new things, the interconnectedness and complexities of various social issues, the wickedness of these problems, and how the universal values enshrined in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution are more than just words but anchors to guide action.
In addition to though-provoking sessions and deeply inspiring talks, the participants also had opportunities to reflect upon their own leadership values and motivations as well as ask themselves questions on their role in India’s social development. The nine-day residential program is curated to help these leaders discover ways to engage with the task of solving India’s complex development problems.
Speakers at ILSS Leadership Program, January 17-25, 2020
| Anu Prasad | Founder and Director, India Leaders for Social Sector |
| Ravi Sreedharan | Founder, Indian School of Development Management |
| Dilip Simeon | Author and Historian |
| Harsh Mander | Director, Centre For Equity Studies |
| Nivedita Narain | Programme Director, PRADAN |
| Osama Manzar | Founder and Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation |
| Vivek Sharma | Director, Gandhi Fellowship Programme |
| Kruti Bharucha | Founder and CEO, Peepul |
| Seema Bansal | Director, Social Impact and Development Practice, BCG India |
| Sayantani Gaddam | Executive Director, Ahvaan Trust |
| Dr AK Shivakumar | Development Economist, Professor, and Senior Policy Advisor, UNICEF |
| Mihir Mathur | Founder, DESTA Research LLP; Vising faculty, TERI and TISS |
| Dr. R Balasubramaniam | Founder, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement & Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement |
| Vanessa D’Souza | CEO, SNEHA |
| Anshu Gupta | Founder, Goonj |
| Arghya Sengupta | Founder and Research Director, Vidhi |
| Vinita Singh | Managing Trustee, We, The People; Independent Consultant on Ethical Trade |
| Shireen Vakil | Head of Policy and Advocacy, Tata Trusts |
| Piyush Tewari | Founder and CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation |
| Neera Nundy | Co-Founder and Partner, Dasra |
| Jayant Rastogi | Global CEO, Magic Bus |
| Kamla Bhasin | Social Scientist; Advisor, Sangat and Jagori |
| Chakshu Roy | Head of Outreach, PRS Legislative Research |
| Shaveta Sharma-Kukreja | Managing Director, Central Square Foundation |
| Nikhil Dey | Human Rights Activist; Co-Founder, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) |
| Surabhi Bikhchandani | Partner-Executive Search, Quadrangle |
| Nikita Gupta | Associate Director, ILSS |
| Sudheesh Venkatesh | Chief People Officer, Azim Premji Foundation |
