Impactful Journeys

Resembling less of a podcast episode and more of an informal relaxed dialogue, this one is a delight to listen to. If you listened in without any introduction, you wouldn’t know that the guest is one of the most respected social entrepreneurs of our time. The discussion with Anshu Gupta, the founder of Goonj, explores topics of special relevance to non-profits:

* the importance of dignity as a core intrinsic and universal value

* taking a dignity-centered approach in a social organization’s relationship with its stakeholders, and,

* the ‘scale’ approach and the ‘corporate’ NGO

There was so much to talk about that a pre-cap would be unfair so I'm sharing the entire conversation without any teasers and edits.

Don't miss this enlightening conversation. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 🎙️✨

#ImpactfulJourneys #Podcast #SocialEntrepreneurship #AnshuGupta #Goonj #DignityInService #HumanIntegrity #SocialImpact #NonProfit #Inspiration #ListenNow

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

Excited to introduce Nidhi Anarkat, co-founder and CEO of NavGurukul, on the latest episode of Impactful Journeys. 🎙️💡

Nidhi, with her impressive background in computer sciences and education technology, shares NavGurukul’s mission to empower underprivileged women by providing them with the skills and opportunities to achieve financial independence. 💪👩‍💻

Key Highlights:

* Empowering Women Through Education: NavGurukul offers a free, 18-month residential program that equips women from marginalized backgrounds with essential tech skills and 21st-century competencies.

* Overcoming Barriers: Addressing economic, social, and educational barriers, NavGurukul’s holistic approach ensures that students are not only job-ready but also empowered to make independent life choices.

* Impactful Outcomes: With over 830 students placed in tech careers and earning significantly higher incomes, NavGurukul is transforming lives and creating ripples of change in communities.

* Vision for the Future: Aiming to reach 20,000 alumni in the next five years, NavGurukul is working on innovative pedagogy and partnerships to scale its impact across India.

Nidhi’s inspiring journey and NavGurukul’s impactful work are a testament to the power of innovation in driving social change.

🎧 Tune in now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform to hear more about how NavGurukul is changing lives one student at a time.

#ImpactfulJourneys #Navgurukul #WomenInTech #EducationForAll #Philanthropy #Podcast #SocialImpact

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

Join us for a fascinating conversation on the latest episode of Impactful Journeys with Debottam Toshy Bose, India's first art and philanthropy lawyer. 🎨✨

In this episode, Debottam shares his unique journey and insights into the intersection of art, philanthropy, and law. From managing high-value art collections to connecting benefactors with impactful organizations, his role is as diverse as it is crucial.

Key Highlights:

* Art as an Investment: Discover how art is starting to become an attractive investment vehicle in India and the legal complexities involved in managing, appraising, and safeguarding valuable art collections.

* Philanthropy Beyond Writing Checks: Learn about the importance of engaging with projects and organizations on a deeper level, investing time and resources for a more meaningful impact.

* The Role of Relationships in Philanthropy: Understand how building and nurturing relationships between donors and organizations can lead to sustainable and impactful giving.

* Trends in Indian Philanthropy: Explore the shift in giving patterns post-pandemic and the opportunities for increased engagement from the Indian diaspora.

Debottam’s journey is a testament to the power of cross-cultural experiences and the importance of bridging gaps between diverse sectors. Don’t miss out on this insightful discussion!

🎧 Listen/watch here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast platform.

#ImpactfulJourneys #Philanthropy #ArtLaw #GivingBack #NonProfit #Podcast #SocialImpact

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

In our latest episode, we invite back Ravi Trivedi, who transitioned from a successful corporate career to making significant contributions in the social sector. This episode is a must-listen for anyone contemplating a similar shift or curious about the challenges and rewards of working closely with government initiatives and technology in agriculture.

Key highlights include:

* Ravi’s Transition: Insights into why and how Ravi made the move from corporate to social work.

* Indian Administrative Fellowship: Ravi's experiences working with government departments, busting myths, and revealing the realities of bureaucratic collaboration.

* Technology in Agriculture: How AI and other technologies are transforming agricultural practices and the importance of climate-resilient farming.

* Future Trends: Discussing the broader implications of AI, robotics, and climate change on the future workforce and societal impact.

Tune in to hear Ravi’s valuable perspectives and stories from his impactful journey.

#ImpactfulJourneys #MakingtheSwitch #SocialSector #CorporateToSocial #TechnologyInAgriculture #AI #GovernmentCollaboration #ClimateResilience #Podcast

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

In this episode, we meet with Ravi Trivedi, who switched to the Development Sector in 2020, after a long corporate career.

Ravi has studied at MANIT (formerly REC Bhopal), IISc, IIM Bangalore, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and completed the ILSS Leadership program. No wonder then, that professional education is a cause close to his heart and he’s been involved closely with the SBA Emerging Youth Scholarship & Mentorship program from the beginning.

Ravi is extremely excited about the inaugural BCA (Bachelors in Computer Applications) at Eternal University that SBA is offering in partnership with NavGurukul, a reputed organization offering high-quality tech education to underprivileged youth. Applications for this program are now open. Learn more about this program and access the application form here: https://www.navgurukul.org/bca-programme

A unique aspect of these programs is the extremely high level of volunteerism involved. Volunteers include a Supreme Court lawyer, and an IIM Guwahati professor among others (including Ravi himself :) )

Hope you appreciate and enjoy learning about this work as much as I did.

In addition to this work, there is a ton to speak to Ravi about - his experience in switching to the social sector, working with the government in the Indian Administrative Fellowship program, Agriculture, and AI and we’ll call him back for that conversation in a future episode.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

In this episode which is the second part of the discussion with Donald Lobo, we talk to him about the various technology initiatives he has architected that catalyze program impact through critical technology - CiviCRM, Tech4Dev, Glific and the Fractional CXO program, etc.

Along the way, Lobo shares keen insights on certain guiding principles for NGOs looking to leverage technology to scale impact, as well as for well-meaning contributors/philanthropists when they want to help NGOs.

Lots of interesting tidbits and keen insights. Enjoy!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

This is a special episode with a special guest. Donald Lobo plays many roles in the Indian Non-Profit ecosystem - philanthropist, NGO leader, ecosystem leader, volunteer, advisor and role model.

In this freewheeling chat, we travel with Lobo from his growing up and schooling to his time at Yahoo!, to his switching to the social sector and his family’s philanthropy through the Chintu Gudiya Foundation; and along the way glean his many insights about giving back - so much to discover and learn.

If you contribute/donate to the social sector or want to, you don’t want to miss this episode! Also, check out Lobo’s recommended reading list

In the next part of this chat (the next episode), we’ll learn about Lobo’s technology initiatives - CiviCRM, Tech4Dev, and Glific that have and are catalyzing non-profit impact worldwide.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

In this episode, we discuss the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) and are joined by two guests who are most suited to share with us the ins and outs of leveraging the Social Stock Exchange in India. Dr Randhir Misra is a founder-director of SGBS Unnati, the first organization to list on the SSE and Rima Agarwalla is VP of Debt Financing at Unitus Capital. Unitus helped Unnati with their listing.

We cover the following topics and much more:

* what the social stock exchange is, and more importantly, what it is not

* when should social organizations think about the social stock exchange and being part of it

* the process for approaching the social stock exchange and being part of it

Unnati has made a wealth of knowledge available about SSE registration and listing on their website. You can access this repository of information here: https://unnatiblr.org/SSE

Dr Randhir Mishra’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m1shra/

Rima Agarwalla’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rima-agarwalla-556a78149/

SGBS Unnati website: https://unnatiblr.org/

Unitus website: https://unituscapital.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

We are joined in this episode by Aadya Singh, the founder of Margshala. I have written earlier about my experience visiting with Margshala - we now get to hear from Aadya herself about the problem that Margshala is working on, their approach, stories from the field, her inspiration and challenges.

Aadya’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aadya-singh-b18731b/

Margshala website: https://margshala.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com

In this episode, we're joined by Vishal Kumar, CEO of Waste Warriors Society and learn about the waste management crisis, especially in the Himalayan region.

Chapters:

Chapter 1 - Introductions

Chapter 2 - The Problem of Waste

Chapter 3 - The Waste Warriors Approach

Chapter 4 - Taking the approach to scale

Chapter 5 - Partnering with Government

Chapter 6 - Vishal’s journey

Chapter 7 - Vishal’s inspirations

Chapter 8 - The special donor supporters

Chapter 9 - Challenges

Chapter 10 - I have a Dream

Waste Warriors website: https://www.wastewarriors.org/

Vishal's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvishalkumar/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit impactjourneys.substack.com