Board Members

Sunit Mehra heads Hunt Partners’ Private Equity practice across Asia. Sunit has worked with numerous corporate boards and is an advisor to several Indian business houses on Corporate Governance. He co-founded Third Sector Partners (TSP), a not-for-profit search firm for the development sector. TSP in turn spawned the Katalyst program. Sunit is a past Chairman of United Way of Mumbai, Vice Chairman – American Chamber of Commerce, Mumbai, and Treasurer of the Wharton Alumni Association of India. Sunit received a business degree in marketing management from the Wharton School and a degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Kamlesh Sajnani is currently working as the Managing Director of IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd. He is widely acclaimed across the Test Preparation industry for his contribution in shaping students career. Under his leadership, IMS has become a multi-faceted education company with 120 centers across 40+ Indian cities, coaching 70,000+ students in diverse academic programs. He played an active role in promoting IMS’s business in other segments within the education Industry by starting business initiatives like Test Funda, Praxis Business School and IMS Proschool. He is an active speaker and has participated at numerous forums and discussions on Indian Education Industry and Career guidance.

Under his leadership IMS sets a realistic agenda of social impact through career guidance and coaching of the students and sustainable development of the Organization.

LINDA VAN DER WIJK has a Master’s degree inManagement and Organization from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. She is currently a PhD candidate at the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, in Bangkok, Thailand, where her research focuses on the third sector. After a number of years in the corporate sector she switched to the non-profit sector. Linda heads Fusion Study Foundation (since 2005) and Charity Fund Rijsholt (since 2011), where she also works full-time. Linda has worked on educational projects with partner organizations in India since 2005. She is an enthusiastic and passionate proponent of gender equality and education for all.

An alumnus of Stanford University, Paula Mariwala is a well-known venture capitalist who has been a part of building the early-stage startup ecosystem in India since 2006. One of the first women VCs in India, she is the founding partner at Aureolis Ventures, which invests in innovative companies focused on social or environmental impact. She is also the Founder/President of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs India, Managing Director of Seedfund Advisors, and Promoter Director of Hinditron Group. As an engaged philanthropist, she is deeply committed to the causes of education, environment, women empowerment, gender equality, human rights, and the arts.

An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, he has a career spanning 30 years across the FMCG and Media sectors with a track record of propelling significant business growth and creating long-term value for all stakeholders of the Company. Sudhanshu Vats was the Managing Director and CEO at EPL Limited in 2020 & 2021. He spent eight years as the MD and Group CEO of Viacom18 Media Private Limited. He started his career with HUL and spent about 20 years at Unilever in India in sales, marketing, and general management roles. He has been the Chairman of the National Media and Entertainment Committee of CII, Vice President of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, and Director of the Broadcast Audience Research Council. He is on the board of ASCI. He is also on the Global Advisory Board of Columbia University, New York.

Noopur did her schooling at Cathedral School and is a Life Science graduate from St. Xaviers College, Mumbai. She loves working with children and youth in various capacities. In 2004, she founded the Wonder Years Kindergarten School in South Mumbai which she ran successfully for 17 years. She has been on the board of the Institutional Ethics Committee in 2 hospitals in Mumbai - Kokilaben Ambani Hospital and the Bhaktivedanta Hospital. She is the CSR program director of Apar Corporation. She is very closely involved with several NGOs, including Annamrita (the Midday Meal Program), Bombay Medical Aid Foundation, and Katalyst India.

Sunishi Gabhawala is currently working as a board member with two nonprofits. Seva Sadan Society and Katalyst. She is part of the fundraising and education teams at Seva Sadan. Sunishi is a Chartered Accountant and spent over a decade at Hunt Partners in executive search before she switched to the social sector. She spent four years as a consultant with HelpYourNGO, an internet-based knowledge forum on Indian nonprofits. This stint was invaluable in providing her insights into a range of focus areas in the sector.

PETER KOKKINOS is a prominent leader in the EdTech sector, currently the Vice President and Managing Director of Udemy APAC. With over 30 years of experience, he has successfully led initiatives that have transformed workforce learning for thousands of organizations across Asia. Peter has 20 years of leadership experience in key markets including India, China, Australia, Japan, Korea, and Singapore. Beyond his professional work, Peter is committed to advancing educational access and quality in the region. His vision for the future of learning is rooted in the transformative power of education and technology guiding his mission to empower individuals and organizations.