Yashashree Gurjar

A career development professional, I have spent three decades working with diverse organisations which include grassroots organizations, the government, large business houses and at the helm of a young non-profit in India. As an early entrant to Corporate Social Responsibility in the 90s, I have conceptualized and executed sustainable programs on a range of themes like primary health, education, income security, poverty alleviation, and care for people living with HIV, which have ably demonstrated that “doing well” and “doing good” are not mutually exclusive, a well-strategized CSR program can create long-term value for business. After having spent two decades leading CSR programs, I moved to the non-profit sector. As the CEO of Sulochana Thapar Foundation, I am currently focused on evidence-driven and sustainable solutions to address two critical development challenges – child malnutrition and governance deficit. The Sulochana Thapar Foundation has designed and implemented cogent, dynamic and flexible programs that have shown impressive results by way of reducing prevalence of malnutrition in young tribal children. Our work on improving local governance in small towns resulted in kick-starting municipal reforms, building capacities of elected representatives, administrators and citizen leaders to help them create sustainable and liveable urban spaces. Leading the Foundation in its early days has been a challenging yet inspiring and rewarding experience with incredible insights into the making of a successful organization.