ILSS Founders

The Convergence Foundation

Ashish and Manisha Dhawan

Ashish Dhawan is the founder and CEO of The Convergence Foundation (TCF). Ashish is also the founding Chairperson of Ashoka University and Central Square Foundation and was recently appointed to the governing board of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Before his second career as a philanthropist, Ashish was among India’s most successful private equity investors. He founded and ran ChrysCapital, the country’s leading private equity firm. Ashish graduated from Yale University and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Manisha is a founding Trustee and Advisory Board Member of The Convergence Foundation (TCF), which is focused on accelerating India’s economic growth and development. Manisha wears several hats at TCF. She is an ardent supporter of women’s empowerment and serves as an adviser to The Udaiti Foundation. She is also passionate about making quality education accessible to school-going children in India and is a Trustee at the Central Square Foundation. She is a core Founder of Accelerate Indian Philanthropy, which promotes strategic philanthropic giving. Prior to her role across TCF’s portfolio organisations, she taught English as a second language in economically weaker sections of society. Manisha completed her MA from Lady Shri Ram College and MPhil from Delhi University.
TCF incubates nonprofits focused on creating system-wide impact in the areas of economic growth, equality of opportunity, and sustainability. Its current portfolio includes organisations working on jobs and investment, rule of law, governance and state capacity, economic empowerment of women, science and technology, air pollution, unlocking philanthropic capital, and improving the effectiveness of nonprofits.

Founder, Ananta Family Office

Jaideep Khanna

Jaideep Khanna is the founder of Ananta Family Office, managing investments across listed and private markets with a focus on technology, sustainability, and real estate. Prior to Ananta, Jaideep was a partner and co-founder of Artha Capital Management, an emerging market fund based in Connecticut. Jaideep co-founded the firm in May 2002 and served as president, portfolio manager, and director. He has also served as an executive director and managed pools of funds at Morgan Stanley Asset Management in New York and London.
Jaideep generously funds and supports several philanthropic organisations dedicated to educational initiatives, the environment, and socially responsible causes. He serves on the national board of directors for Pratham USA and on the New York regional board of Room to Read. He previously served on the international advisory board of the Centre for Advanced Study of India (CASI) at the University of Pennsylvania.
He received a BSc in accounting and economics from Muskingum University and an MBA from Duke University.

Director, Forbes Marshall Group

Rati Forbes

Rati Forbes has been a director of the Forbes Marshall group since 1992, where she headed the human resources function till 2011, together with learning and development. During her tenure, Great Place to Work ranked Forbes Marshall — not once but thrice — as a top-25 company to work for in India, the highest rank being six.

At present, Rati heads the Forbes Foundation and is responsible for its CSR and foundation activities. She is recognized for her social initiatives, both within the company and beyond. She chaired the western region cell of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for six years, working on social development. The cell’s main objective is to sensitize corporate entities to their social responsibilities.

Rati has served on the boards of two international foundations, and continues to serve as an independent director on the boards of several listed companies, foundations and non-profits across India.

Rati graduated with psychology (honours) and sociology from the University of Mumbai, and has also undergone executive courses on human resources, organizational behaviour, and strategic philanthropy. She holds a master’s degree in sustainability management and leadership from Cambridge University, UK.

EXECUTIVE CHAIRPERSON OF ANTARA SENIOR CARE AND VICE CHAIRPERSON OF MAX INDIA LIMITED.

Tara Singh Vachani

Ms. Tara Singh Vachani is the Executive Chairperson of Antara Senior Care and Vice Chairperson of Max India Limited.

As founder of Antara Senior Care, her vision was to give a new dimension to the senior care space in India. In line with its vision to be the most trusted brand for seniors and their families, Antara has positively impacted over 50,000 lives through its various offerings that cater to the evolving lifestyle and lifecare needs of the elderly. Today, Antara encompasses five verticals – Residences for Seniors, Care Homes, Care at Home, MedCare and AGEasy by Antara.

Tara is also the Managing Trustee of Max India Foundation, a role she is extremely passionate about. Max India Foundation plays an active role in the not-for-profit space through grant giving for capacity building in the Education sector and runs a program on Social Emotional Ethical (SEE) learning in collaboration with Emory University. Tara is a partner in Learning Matters, which is a dynamic, child-centred education organisation for children, parents and educators.

Furthermore, Tara holds positions of influence on various boards and organizations, including a board seat at the prestigious Indian School of Business. She is the member of the National and Delhi board for Teach for India. Tara contributes as a Governing Council Member of The Vedica Scholars Program for Women, an innovative MBA program tailored for women. She dedicates her time as a mentor for KARM Fellowship, enabling young women from less-privileged backgrounds to pursue their educational and professional aspirations. She is also the founder member of Giving Pi of Dasra — a philanthropic network where she leverages her personal experiences and connections to address India’s developmental challenges.

Throughout her journey, Tara remains a dedicated learner and embodies the core values of Max Group, including Sevabhav, Excellence, and Credibility

Her achievements are widely recognised. Tara was named a member of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2020 and featured as one of the ’40 under 40′ leaders in The Economic Times in 2018.

Tara has a major in Politics and South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, supplemented by courses in Strategy Management at the London School of Economics and Hospitality Business Strategy and Management at Ecole ho telie re de Lausanne, Switzerland. She is an avid traveller who maintains a deep connection with India, driven by her love for family and country. Known for her organizational skills and pursuit of perfection, Tara’s interests include reading and theatre, and she is always looking for new experiences. As the youngest child of the renowned business leader and visionary, Mr. Analjit Singh, she is married to Mr. Sahil Vachani and is a proud mother of two daughters.