Board Members
Our Board
Bim Bissell
Bim Bissell, the wife of late FabIndia founder John Bissell, has run the Playhouse School and worked as a social secretary to US Ambassadors John Kenneth Galbraith, Chester Bowles, and Judge Kenneth Keating in New Delhi. She has spent 21 years with the World Bank and worked as a senior accountant and executive ASP for the Government of India’s Tourism and Travel Account from 1972 to 1975. She worked as an external affairs officer at the World Bank in New Delhi from 1975 to 1996. In 1992, with the help of Japanese government funds and the World Bank, she founded Udyogini, an NGO that works with assetless, landless women in India, with Ela Bhatt of SEWA as chair.
Sumita Ghose
Ms. Sumita holds master’s degrees in Economics and Conflict Resolution and has received multiple honors, including the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2016. She is the founder and managing director of Rangsutra, a social enterprise promoting socio-economic development in rural India by connecting communities with markets. Before establishing Rangsutra in 2006, she spent over a decade working in rural Rajasthan with the URMUL Trust, driving social and economic initiatives. She serves on the boards of several organizations, including URMUL Trust, Udyogini, and PLD, and is a certified yoga practitioner and teacher.
Smita Mohanty
Ms. Smita is a leader with 28+ years of expertise in Corporate Social Responsibility, renewable energy, and sustainable development. She is the Promoter and Whole-Time Director of Cognisphere Solutions Limited and a Director at Amazon Infratrade Pvt. Limited. A champion of social impact, she is a Founder Member of the Institute for Group Facilitation (IGF) and serves on the board of Udyogini. With 18 years at PRADAN, she has contributed to organizational development, gender equality, and leadership initiatives. Her expertise includes strategic planning, impact assessments, and facilitating gender awareness programs.
Lalitha Iyer
Reshma Ghoshal
Ms. Reshma is a seasoned professional specializing in communications, branding, and corporate responsibility. As Founder Director of The Good Edge (since 2015), she champions sustainability and ethical business practices. Previously, she led social impact initiatives as VP of Group Communications and Corporate Responsibility and honed marketing strategies as Group Manager at 360 Degrees. Her experience includes roles in content consulting and brand management, along with international NGO consulting in Manila. Reshma’s career is defined by her commitment to aligning brand goals with positive social change.
Rashmi Saxena
Dr. Rashmi, with 22 years of experience, specializes in training, development communication, and organizational capacity building, focusing on gender-sensitive approaches for marginalized communities. She holds a Ph.D. in Development Communication and is skilled in behavioral change and skill-building across sectors like health, education, and enterprise development. A certified NLP practitioner and ISABS member, she has worked with organizations like the American, Red Cross and Oxfam, contributing to sustainable development, watershed management, and women’s empowerment.
