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Smile Foundation is a people-driven organization – right from the people who started it with a vision, to the people who work with us to bring change at the grassroots, to the people who support our work, and most importantly the people who we serve on the ground through our work. Committed, responsible people who are passionate to make a difference to the world around them are the backbone of Smile Foundation.
Mr Santanu Mishra, a law graduate, a Company Secretary, and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), specializes in strategic management, enterprise transformation and Institution building. After an illustrious career in the corporate sector spanning over 16 years and holding various leadership positions, he started his own practice as a Management Consultant and has been working with several Indian and global brands since then.
In 2002, Mr Mishra joined hands with some of his like-minded friends to set up Smile Foundation. He has spearheaded the scaling up of the organization since the inception, helping it evolve from an idea to an Indian social institution of repute.
A Chartered Accountant, Cost and Management Accountant and a Company Secretary, Mr. Manish Kumar specializes in Strategic Management Consulting, International Finance and Entrepreneurship Development. As an Investor and a Philanthropist he has multidimensional exposure spread across various sectors in India and abroad. He has been associated with various charitable organizations and social causes aimed at alleviating various social malaise and bridging the gap or disparity in the society through various initiatives on education, healthcare, livelihood and capacity building since last two decade.
A lawyer by profession with specialisation in economic laws. He practises in Delhi High Court and Supreme Court of India.
A Masters in Business & Economics (MBE) from Delhi University. He advises leading corporate houses in India on various strategic issues
A fellow member of ICAI. He specializes in strategic management and consulting. He gives strategic advices to companies.
An investor and a philanthropist, Ms. Poonam Chopra has multidimensional exposure spread across various sectors in India and abroad.
Mr Santanu Mishra, a law graduate, a Company Secretary, and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), specializes in strategic management, enterprise transformation and Institution building. After an illustrious career in the corporate sector spanning over 16 years and holding various leadership positions, he started his own practice as a Management Consultant and has been working with several Indian and global brands since then.
In 2002, Mr Mishra joined hands with some of his like-minded friends to set up Smile Foundation. He has spearheaded the scaling up of the organization since the inception, helping it evolve from an idea to an Indian social institution of repute.
Currently, he is playing the role of a mentor to the management team at Smile Foundation. His leadership and vision as a social change-maker have been widely recognized by several forums including the Social Impact Leaders & Change Makers Award by Business World, Sustainability Leader of the Year by UBS Forums & IBM, Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar from the then President of India late Shri Pranab Mukherjee, and the Odisha Living Legend Award by Odisha Diary. He is also a regular contributor to esteemed publications including the Economic Times, Business World, Times of India and Indian Express
Working together towards humanity
Puneet has a rich experience of over 25 years marked by remarkable achievements and impactful leadership in the fields of banking, sustainable development, fundraising, marketing, and communications. Puneet has done his Bachelors in Commerce from the University of Lucknow, and further pursued management from IIM Lucknow. He has led organisations including Care India, Helpage India, Dainik Bhaskar Group and Citi India. Throughout his career, Puneet has consistently demonstrated a keen ability to drive positive change and achieve significant milestones. As the Executive Director at Smile, he envisions building it as an impact institution of excellence in India in the coming years. Puneet loves to read, and enjoys cooking and gardening in his free time.
A graduate from the Bombay University, John has pursued Business Administration from the Krish Pennathur Associates MT Program. He has over 38 years of experience working with both non-profit and for-profit organizations including Ummeed Child Development Centre, Habitat for Humanity India, Helpage India, Tass Inflight Systems, and Alcon Resorts & Condominiums. John has also conducted trainings at various management institutes and has participated as a Speaker in conventions at TISS, IIM-Ahmedabad and more. At Smile Foundation, John has been spearheading strategic partnerships, sustainable development and operations for the West Region.
Pratap Ray, a commerce and law graduate with over 20 years of experience in Finance, Audit, and Legal, has been a dedicated leader at Smile Foundation since 2005. He currently heads the Finance and Governance department.
He is also a member of the Lawyers Club of India, where he helps individuals of less means access their legal rights through government mechanisms. Furthermore, he provides guidance to over 100 NGOs supported by Smile Foundation, enhancing their governance capacity. His multifaceted contributions reflect his commitment to his professional role and social impact.
A development professional with Masters in Social Work and NGO Management, Bipasha is committed to work for the underserved with 19 years of experience in Centre for Youth and Social Development, Butterflies and Concern India. She excels in project management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and proposal development.
Ms. Ray brings with her rich experience of over 25 years in Corporate, Government & Development Sector organisations such as Rural Communication & Marketing, Ogilvy, Mudra, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Ministry of Health, Wish, Access Health International, Nasscom Foundation, PSI etc. In her past roles, she has worked in Internal & External Communication Strategy, Creating & Implementing Communication Plans and extensive work in these functions. In her role at Smile Foundation, she is leading the Communication Team.
Vikramjit has over 11 years of experience in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development. As an integral part of Corporate Partnerships at Smile Foundation since 2015, he manages a substantial CSR funding portfolio, develops fundraising strategies, and oversees a team of fundraisers. Vikramjit’s educational background includes a PGDBM in Marketing and Global Business. His passion for initiatives in Education, Skill Development, Health, and Women Empowerment drives his dedication to creating a positive societal impact. He loves playing cricket in his spare time, besides spending time with his family.
Yogeshwar Nayyar, a highly experienced administrative professional with 36 years of experience, currently serves as the Head of Administration at Smile Foundation for the past 5 years. His career includes diverse roles in corporate affairs and executive assistance at various organizations. He holds a B.Com degree from Delhi University and is proficient in Microsoft Office applications. Yogeshwar’s extensive administrative experience is a valuable asset to Smile Foundation.
Subroto Roy has done his BE (Civil) from the National Institute of Technology followed by PGDM from the Xavier Institute of Management. He has an experience of more than 24 years from organizations such as Development Alternatives, Educomp, Wish Foundation and Tara Livelihood Academy. His journey with Smile Foundation started with leading the programmes division and he is now part of the operations and management team.
Rashmi is a business partnership and strategic collaboration specialist with more than 16 years of work- experience in the Corporate and Development sector. She has worked extensively on developing long-term, high-impact partnerships with funding partners globally and in India. She is academically proficient with an MBA in Marketing and Diploma in Mass Communication. After having worked in the financial sector with Kotak Mahindra Bank and HSBC she made a paradigm shift to the development sector in 2011 and joined Save the Children. At Smile Foundation, Rashmi is leading corporate partnerships and strategic collaborations. She sees corporate and civil society collaborations as first-hand facilitators of sustainable development and social equity, and believes we must take proactive steps towards achieving these.
A trained counsellor and post-graduate in clinical psychology, Seema is working from last three decades as a development professional. With versatile experience, ranging from working in education at NCERT to youth and women issues at different NGOs, she is leading the education and women empowerment programmes at Smile Foundation from last five years. At Smile Foundation she has been actively contributing towards strategic planning, programme management and designing along with team development.
Shived has a rich experience of around 20 years of working with organisations like SOS Children’s Villages of India, Serco Global Services (American Express corporate cards), HDFC Bank Ltd., Axis Bank Ltd., CitiFinancial Consumer Finance India Limited, Indian Market Research Bureau, Standard Chartered Bank and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company. In his past roles, he has experience in marketing, channel sales, acquisition and retention, fundraising through individual partnerships, digital fundraising, data analysis, banking, insurance, Business Development and Corporate Sales, generating revenue and new business opportunities. In his current role at Smile, he is leading the B2C fundraising and nurturing vertical.
Ashok is a seasoned marketing professional with 14+ years of experience in driving growth through data driven customer acquisition strategies. He has pursued his BTech from Biju Patnaik Universtity of Technology and PG in Marketing Management from IMT Ghaziabad. He has worked on digital transformation and growth strategy for start ups and non-profits, performance-linked business plans on digital marketing, affiliate marketing, and on brand alliances. At Smile, he has been leading digital marketing and fundraising and has served in several strategic roles over the years. Ashok is a passionate technology enthusiast and loves watching films in his spare time.
Irteza is a computer engineer with advanced certifications from CISCO in networks. He has 15 years of experience in IT, working in India and abroad. His expertise include digital transformation and IT infrastructure. At Smile Foundation, Irteza has been leading the IT Team and has been playing a key role in the organisation’s digital transformation journey aimed at improving scalability, reliability and resiliency. Irteza loves to travel and takes keen interest in music and food.
Rajesh comes with 30+ years of diverse background in social compliance, emerging technologies, corporate social responsibility, business development, and direct sales. Rajesh has done his Bachelors in Engineering from the Madurai University followed by a diploma in Management from IGNOU. An expert in fundraising, relationship management, and technology implementation, he has worked in key positions with organizations including Magic Bus India Foundation, Oracle, Novell, and Tech Pacific. Rajesh is a firm believer in the power of motivating the last-mile delivery team to create a meaningful impact in the lives of those in need. Rajesh is also an avid reader and takes a special interest in technology and current affairs.
Sushanta comes with 27+ years of working experience at senior positions in the areas of large-scale operation, strategic planning, capacity building of NGOs and advocacy initiatives in the field of education, women empowerment, livelihood, and water conservation. He has held leadership positions at Magic Bus India Foundation, Bharatiya Jain Sangathan (BJS), Pune, Naandi Foundation and CRS-India programme. Sushanta always looks forward to opportunities to innovate and experiment with various low-cost scalable & sustainable program designs for the benefit of the development sector. His passion is to work towards larger community engagement and sustainability in the sector. He likes watching TV, though mostly news and if time permits he likes to play cricket.
Mr. Satnam Singh is working in the capacity of AGM – Programs handling portfolios of Health, Disaster Response and Engineering Scholarship from last 8 years in Smile Foundation. He comes with a social development background with Masters in Sociology and has over sixteen years of experience in primary healthcare (encompassing Maternal and Child Health, HIV/AIDS and gender issues), Micro Finance, Informal Education and Vocational training. Besides the technical knowledge base, he has expertise in strategy development, project design and management, evaluations and documentation. He has previously worked with Council of People Advancement and Rural Technology (MoRD), Navjyoti India Foundation, SHAPE India & Sukarya.
Sarita holds M.Phil. in Sociology from the Central University of Hyderabad and a post-Graduate Certificate in Business Management from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar. Sarita comes to us with 23+ years of experience at the national & international levels with government & private sector consulting and with development sector organizations in providing image-building plans and advising the organizations for innovating social responsibility plans & exercises.
She has spearheaded initiatives for caring for the community, gender specialists, and contributing to the underprivileged communities by supporting a wide range of socio-economic, educational and gender equality initiatives. She holds expertise in designing and providing technical assistance to community-based & non-governmental organizations in program development, community assessment, evaluation and governance.
Sarita is an avid reader and loves reading autobiographies, romantic stories and thrillers. She loves travelling and exploring new places and loves watching movies. In her free time, she reads story books, and researches varied cuisines as she loves experimenting with new recipes. She likes to research places to travel.
A graduate in Zoology Hons from Delhi University, Gargi has done her Masters in Social Work from Vidyasagar University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, and in Human Rights, International Humanitarian and Refugee Laws from Indian Society of International Law. She has 18+ years of experience in social development with specialization on grants management & donor relationship, and managing education and community based disaster management projects. She has worked with Bharti Foundation, SEEDS and Herbal Specialties Ltd and has been heading the Education vertical of Smile Foundation for over 11.5 years now.
Sonia Tohan is an accomplished finance and accounts professional at Smile Foundation since 2007, presently holding the position of Deputy General Manager (DGM) – Finance and Accounts. Armed with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, she’s shown her leadership and expertise by introducing innovative financial systems that have significantly improved the foundation’s financial performance. Her dedication, strategic insights, and commitment to transparency have played a pivotal role in enhancing the organization’s financial stability, furthering its mission, and expanding its outreach. As an inspirational leader, Sonia is a strong driving force behind Smile Foundation’s impact.
A graduate from Delhi University with PG diploma in Marketing, Rajeev has over 18 years of experience as a strategist in generating resources for social welfare activities. He has worked with organizations like Prayas, Khushii and ITC before joining Smile Foundation. Rajeev is currently leading Smile Foundation’s US Chapter.
Puneet has a rich experience of over 25 years marked by remarkable achievements and impactful leadership in the fields of banking, sustainable development, fundraising, marketing, and communications. Puneet has done his Bachelors in Commerce from the University of Lucknow, and further pursued management from IIM Lucknow. He has led organisations including Care India, Helpage India, Dainik Bhaskar Group and Citi India. Throughout his career, Puneet has consistently demonstrated a keen ability to drive positive change and achieve significant milestones. As the Executive Director at Smile, he envisions building it as an impact institution of excellence in India in the coming years. Puneet loves to read, and enjoys cooking and gardening in his free time.
Subroto Roy has done his BE (Civil) from the National Institute of Technology followed by PGDM from the Xavier Institute of Management. He has an experience of more than 24 years from organizations such as Development Alternatives, Educomp, Wish Foundation and Tara Livelihood Academy. His journey with Smile Foundation started with leading the programmes division and he is now part of the operations and management team.
Rajesh comes with 30+ years of diverse background in social compliance, emerging technologies, corporate social responsibility, business development, and direct sales. Rajesh has done his Bachelors in Engineering from the Madurai University followed by a diploma in Management from IGNOU. An expert in fundraising, relationship management, and technology implementation, he has worked in key positions with organizations including Magic Bus India Foundation, Oracle, Novell, and Tech Pacific. Rajesh is a firm believer in the power of motivating the last-mile delivery team to create a meaningful impact in the lives of those in need. Rajesh is also an avid reader and takes a special interest in technology and current affairs.
A graduate from the Bombay University, John has pursued Business Administration from the Krish Pennathur Associates MT Program. He has over 38 years of experience working with both non-profit and for-profit organizations including Ummeed Child Development Centre, Habitat for Humanity India, Helpage India, Tass Inflight Systems, and Alcon Resorts & Condominiums. John has also conducted trainings at various management institutes and has participated as a Speaker in conventions at TISS, IIM-Ahmedabad and more. At Smile Foundation, John has been spearheading strategic partnerships, sustainable development and operations for the West Region.
Rashmi is a business partnership and strategic collaboration specialist with more than 16 years of work- experience in the Corporate and Development sector. She has worked extensively on developing long-term, high-impact partnerships with funding partners globally and in India. She is academically proficient with an MBA in Marketing and Diploma in Mass Communication. After having worked in the financial sector with Kotak Mahindra Bank and HSBC she made a paradigm shift to the development sector in 2011 and joined Save the Children. At Smile Foundation, Rashmi is leading corporate partnerships and strategic collaborations. She sees corporate and civil society collaborations as first-hand facilitators of sustainable development and social equity, and believes we must take proactive steps towards achieving these.
Sushanta comes with 27+ years of working experience at senior positions in the areas of large-scale operation, strategic planning, capacity building of NGOs and advocacy initiatives in the field of education, women empowerment, livelihood, and water conservation. He has held leadership positions at Magic Bus India Foundation, Bharatiya Jain Sangathan (BJS), Pune, Naandi Foundation and CRS-India programme. Sushanta always looks forward to opportunities to innovate and experiment with various low-cost scalable & sustainable program designs for the benefit of the development sector. His passion is to work towards larger community engagement and sustainability in the sector. He likes watching TV, though mostly news and if time permits he likes to play cricket.
Pratap Ray, a commerce and law graduate with over 20 years of experience in Finance, Audit, and Legal, has been a dedicated leader at Smile Foundation since 2005. He currently heads the Finance and Governance department.
He is also a member of the Lawyers Club of India, where he helps individuals of less means access their legal rights through government mechanisms. Furthermore, he provides guidance to over 100 NGOs supported by Smile Foundation, enhancing their governance capacity. His multifaceted contributions reflect his commitment to his professional role and social impact.
A trained counsellor and post-graduate in clinical psychology, Seema is working from last three decades as a development professional. With versatile experience, ranging from working in education at NCERT to youth and women issues at different NGOs, she is leading the education and women empowerment programmes at Smile Foundation from last five years. At Smile Foundation she has been actively contributing towards strategic planning, programme management and designing along with team development.
Mr. Satnam Singh is working in the capacity of AGM – Programs handling portfolios of Health, Disaster Response and Engineering Scholarship from last 8 years in Smile Foundation. He comes with a social development background with Masters in Sociology and has over sixteen years of experience in primary healthcare (encompassing Maternal and Child Health, HIV/AIDS and gender issues), Micro Finance, Informal Education and Vocational training. Besides the technical knowledge base, he has expertise in strategy development, project design and management, evaluations and documentation. He has previously worked with Council of People Advancement and Rural Technology (MoRD), Navjyoti India Foundation, SHAPE India & Sukarya.
A development professional with Masters in Social Work and NGO Management, Bipasha is committed to work for the underserved with 19 years of experience in Centre for Youth and Social Development, Butterflies and Concern India. She excels in project management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and proposal development.
Sarita holds M.Phil. in Sociology from the Central University of Hyderabad and a post-Graduate Certificate in Business Management from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar. Sarita comes to us with 23+ years of experience at the national & international levels with government & private sector consulting and with development sector organizations in providing image-building plans and advising the organizations for innovating social responsibility plans & exercises.
She has spearheaded initiatives for caring for the community, gender specialists, and contributing to the underprivileged communities by supporting a wide range of socio-economic, educational and gender equality initiatives. She holds expertise in designing and providing technical assistance to community-based & non-governmental organizations in program development, community assessment, evaluation and governance.
Sarita is an avid reader and loves reading autobiographies, romantic stories and thrillers. She loves travelling and exploring new places and loves watching movies. In her free time, she reads story books, and researches varied cuisines as she loves experimenting with new recipes. She likes to research places to travel.
Ms. Ray brings with her rich experience of over 25 years in Corporate, Government & Development Sector organisations such as Rural Communication & Marketing, Ogilvy, Mudra, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Ministry of Health, Wish, Access Health International, Nasscom Foundation, PSI etc. In her past roles, she has worked in Internal & External Communication Strategy, Creating & Implementing Communication Plans and extensive work in these functions. In her role at Smile Foundation, she is leading the Communication Team.
Shived has a rich experience of around 20 years of working with organisations like SOS Children’s Villages of India, Serco Global Services (American Express corporate cards), HDFC Bank Ltd., Axis Bank Ltd., CitiFinancial Consumer Finance India Limited, Indian Market Research Bureau, Standard Chartered Bank and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company. In his past roles, he has experience in marketing, channel sales, acquisition and retention, fundraising through individual partnerships, digital fundraising, data analysis, banking, insurance, Business Development and Corporate Sales, generating revenue and new business opportunities. In his current role at Smile, he is leading the B2C fundraising and nurturing vertical.
A graduate in Zoology Hons from Delhi University, Gargi has done her Masters in Social Work from Vidyasagar University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, and in Human Rights, International Humanitarian and Refugee Laws from Indian Society of International Law. She has 18+ years of experience in social development with specialization on grants management & donor relationship, and managing education and community based disaster management projects. She has worked with Bharti Foundation, SEEDS and Herbal Specialties Ltd and has been heading the Education vertical of Smile Foundation for over 11.5 years now.
Vikramjit has over 11 years of experience in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development. As an integral part of Corporate Partnerships at Smile Foundation since 2015, he manages a substantial CSR funding portfolio, develops fundraising strategies, and oversees a team of fundraisers. Vikramjit’s educational background includes a PGDBM in Marketing and Global Business. His passion for initiatives in Education, Skill Development, Health, and Women Empowerment drives his dedication to creating a positive societal impact. He loves playing cricket in his spare time, besides spending time with his family.
Ashok is a seasoned marketing professional with 14+ years of experience in driving growth through data driven customer acquisition strategies. He has pursued his BTech from Biju Patnaik Universtity of Technology and PG in Marketing Management from IMT Ghaziabad. He has worked on digital transformation and growth strategy for start ups and non-profits, performance-linked business plans on digital marketing, affiliate marketing, and on brand alliances. At Smile, he has been leading digital marketing and fundraising and has served in several strategic roles over the years. Ashok is a passionate technology enthusiast and loves watching films in his spare time.
Sonia Tohan is an accomplished finance and accounts professional at Smile Foundation since 2007, presently holding the position of Deputy General Manager (DGM) – Finance and Accounts. Armed with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, she’s shown her leadership and expertise by introducing innovative financial systems that have significantly improved the foundation’s financial performance. Her dedication, strategic insights, and commitment to transparency have played a pivotal role in enhancing the organization’s financial stability, furthering its mission, and expanding its outreach. As an inspirational leader, Sonia is a strong driving force behind Smile Foundation’s impact.
Yogeshwar Nayyar, a highly experienced administrative professional with 36 years of experience, currently serves as the Head of Administration at Smile Foundation for the past 5 years. His career includes diverse roles in corporate affairs and executive assistance at various organizations. He holds a B.Com degree from Delhi University and is proficient in Microsoft Office applications. Yogeshwar’s extensive administrative experience is a valuable asset to Smile Foundation.
Irteza is a computer engineer with advanced certifications from CISCO in networks. He has 15 years of experience in IT, working in India and abroad. His expertise include digital transformation and IT infrastructure. At Smile Foundation, Irteza has been leading the IT Team and has been playing a key role in the organisation’s digital transformation journey aimed at improving scalability, reliability and resiliency. Irteza loves to travel and takes keen interest in music and food.
A graduate from Delhi University with PG diploma in Marketing, Rajeev has over 18 years of experience as a strategist in generating resources for social welfare activities. He has worked with organizations like Prayas, Khushii and ITC before joining Smile Foundation. Rajeev is currently leading Smile Foundation’s US Chapter.
