A Sociologist by education, he has got more than 33 years of experience working in the development sector. He promotes initiatives on water & climate resilience starting from grassroots to Asia level and is now devoting a lot of energy in supporting the #Youth4Water campaign that he founded in March 2019. He also facilitates the 'Commons Climate Connect' initiative and 'Water & Climate Academy' besides many other innovative actions. Ranjan is currently also working as a Steering Group Member of the Global “Climate Migration and Displacement Platform” that engages in climate negotiations and initiatives. He is a Senior Fellow with the Foundation for Ecological Security and a member of the Strategic Academic Advisory Board at School of Sustainability, XIM University. He is also a founding member at the Climate Journalism Network at the OSLO MET University, Norway. He has also been profiled as “Odisha’s Conservation Master” by Hindustan Times; and recognized as ‘Mahanadi River Waterkeeper’ by the New York based global ‘Waterkeeper Alliance’. The New Indian Express featured him in its Sunday Express Magazine’s Cover Story “The Aqua Guards.” USA’s SPAN Magazine featured him as a leading environmentalist of India in its historic 75th Anniversary Issue.

Sasanka has joined the development sector after his post-graduation in Political Science and has meaningful experience of more than 22 years. He has worked extensively in remote tribal pockets as well as in drought prone area of Odisha and in other states. Sasanka had the experience of working with national and international organizations like UNDP and Save the Children. His core areas of expertise includes child rights, disaster risk management, relief and rehabilitation, education, health, nutrition and livelihoods.

Bijayini brings her 07 years of social sector work experiences to the board. She has an M Phil Degree in Social Anthropology from Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication from IGNOU. She is now perusing PhD in Anthropology from the Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Bijayini has also worked in the areas of child rights, right to food & gender with different organizations and continuously writing both in web and print media.

Jitendra has more than 20 years of experience on Accounting and Auditing. He started his career with local NGO in Odisha and later worked in international organizations like Concern World Wide and Plan International. He has a sound grasp of tax compliance, accounting and auditing requirements relevant for non- profit organizations in India. He is an MBA in Finance.

Basant has done his Masters in Life Sciences and has been a Lecturer of Botany in Panchayat College Dharamgarh since last 25 years. Apart from teaching, his passion, is using IT for public good. He has also passionately pursued a fellowship on applied nutrition and has been researching on traditional food and medicine in the district of Kalahandi.

By choice Narayan started working in remote tribal pockets of Odisha in early 90’s and spend most part of his career among the tribal and rural community. He has special interest in empowering the tribal community through education, capacity building and skill development. He has been an inspiration for many youths wanted to work in the development sector. He has done his Post Graduation in Odia and has been involved in development sector for last 25 years. Making use of his language skill, simplifying policies and programmes and taking them to the community through IEC, and other forms of educative materials has been his major achievement. His core areas of expertise have been on social audit, advocacy, community empowerment, governance & accountability.

After his post-graduation in Political Science Pramod started his career as a Lecturer in Bolangir district of Odisha. After almost one decade of teaching he left the job and tried his luck as pleader in Kalahandi district Court. But finally he has settled in the district headquarter town of Bhawanipatna as a successful businessman. He is passionate about serving the poor & marginalized sections of the society. He has been involved in various charitable activities.