MHMH COMMUNITY MEMBERS INNER CIRCLE – 35 MEMBERS
1. ABHINAV SINGH (J 100): -
Abhinav a resident of Lucknow is an Environmental Engineer from mind and Environmental Conservationist from heart. He did his Masters from BIT Mesra in 2011 and started working in the fields of Renewable Energy in the upper Himalyan region. Subsequently he worked as Projects associate in IIT Delhi and later as Assistant Professor in a University based out of Delhi NCR. Soon he realized to pursue his passion by “Creating an ecosystem where nothing goes waste”. He believes that permaculture is the quintessence not only for the rejuvenation of environment but also for the bonding of one's soul with mother nature. Abhinav brings a different energy to this group. He is the second notable youg turk of the group and one of the founders.
2. AMIT JAIN (M 100): -
Amit Jain with an experience of 19 years along with his studies at the age of 21 started his journey as an entrepreneur and founder of Wizard Infoways Pvt.Ltd. Noida, an IT Solution company. His hands-on experience while working with diversified industry domains from dispersed geographic locations has helped people encapsulate creative enterprise systems. As an architect for various services, he believes in enterprising output-driven solutions which are authored on research-based facts. Amit is an alumnus of the Institute of Management and Research and Institute of Management Technology and holds BBA in Management and PGDIT Degree respectively. He belongs to a small village of Bihar, he has his heart set in rural India. He loves to travel to offbeat destinations in India and has also visited more than seven countries to date. He aims to combine his love for rural India with his IT knowledge and contribute to the vision of MHMH.
3. ANKUR RATSOGI (M 100): -
Ankur has been one of the finest professionals in India in luxury segment of hospitality sales and marketing. He can easily be rated as one of the finest brains in this country in this field. He has worked with some of the finest hospitality brands in the USA and Australia. After the incident of 9/11 he had to return to India. After his repatriation he has successfully turned around many dead hospitality products in Goa. He has been credited of morphing Alila Diva from a non descript property without a beach to most sought after destination wedding address in Goa. Presently he has been working with Hyatt International in a senior sales and marketing position.
4. APALA (DR) (J 100): - Dr Apala Baduni is an Oral medicine and Radiology specialist, she is a fellow in Oral Oncology and member of International Academy of Oral Oncology. She has a special interest in oral cancer and tobacco cessation and a secretary of Ekohum Foundation working towards spreading awareness about early screening and detection of oral cancer. Spending her formative years in DehraDun, and exploring Uttarakhand, she wishes to fill the lacuna of adequate healthcare facilities in the hills, hence is working towards her aim, launching of Ekohum Foundation’s centre for early oral cancer detection in
Kotdwar in Uttarakhand
5. ARPITA NAG (M 100): -
Arpita is an artisan cheesemaker & baker based in Kolkata by qualification she is Masters in English literature & B.ed. However her disillusionment with the education system, propelled her to opt for a career in food, something that she has always been passionate about. She is inspired by the global slow food movement, one that is an antidote to the fast food culture that has engulfed the food scenario everywhere. She believes in sustainable practices. Arpita's motive behind joining the MhMh community, is twofold. Mountains and rural life have always fascinated her. In fact, she was quite inspired by her visit to TGV Nag Tibba, a few years ago. She aspires to work with various types of milk, found in abundance in rural areas, lending a unique taste, flavour & texture to the cheese made from the same. Her hobbies include, travelling, reading, writing and storytelling.
6. ASHOK MEHRA (S 100): -
Ashok is a Chartered Accountant by profession with diverse experience of over four decades. He was the Senior Executive Director in Eicher and Group Chief Executive in Bausch & Lomb India and Sakata Inx Ltd. He has complete faith in the youth of the country and their ability to drive innovation and growth for the nation. Over the years he has mentored and invested in a number of starups including some tech startups. An avid reader, writer and traveller, his articles feature regularly in various journals. He has keen interest in History and environmental issues. He believes in human relationships and is constantly involved in social networking. What attracted him to MHMH is it's vision of building a pan Indian community that will work towards holistic rural development.
7. BHARAT KINGER (M 100): -
Bharat a Delhiite with Masters in Population Statics and Social welfare, in 1996 he became an accredited regional level tour guide for Northern Part of India and has a vast experience and large network of tourist across the world. His father from the department of tourism and that helped him shape his career and life. And took it to the next level of understanding by embracing the Cultural, social, ethnic and spiritual magnificence of the country. He has also studied history and political sciences as personal endeavors with great zeal. He believes that rural tourism is the next big phenomena. He has worked with organizations like Imperial Hotels, en Tours , Luxe India LPTI, A& K , Banyan, Mikato , TCI Distant Frontiers. Bharat is an avid yoga practitioner and has attended a few workshops of Isha Foundation.
8. DEEPIKA CHOWDHARY (S 100): -
Deepika Chowdhry is a highly reputed professional with 25+ of experience as marketer in the world of hospitality and tourism. She is well connected with the MICE, luxury, travel agent, adventure tour operators and wildlife tourism professionals in India and overseas. Her extensive experience includes roles with renowned international exhibitions such as IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America, ILTM Cannes, ILTM Asia, IT&MA, ABAV- Brazil, Luxperience- Sydney, AIME- Melbourne etc. She is the Founder CEO of Candid India, a tourism & hospitality representation company based in New Delhi- India. She is a true veteran of the trade who is capable of handling anything from marketing to events to communication, hospitality and PR. A channel for new ideas and adaptability, Deepika leads and motivates her team with her own example thus ensuring the best results for her clients. Her warm and assuring smile coupled with her ability to remain calm even when faced with challenging circumstances make her a favourite with the clients. She has recently launched a holistic wellness startup along with her son, Krish Chowdhry to promote wellness and health products such as teas & superfoods etc.
9. FAIZ MEMON ( M 100)
Faiz memon has 20 years of experience providing investment advice in the US and India with the last 10 years growing a healthcare company in India. He Built a team from the ground up with world class service infrastructure serving global clients and has a deep experience in creating and building business systems and infrastructure at scale. His belief - Helping improve people's lives is my ultimate goal.
10. GAURAV TIWARI (M 100): - Gaurav is an IIT BHU (B. Tech) & Warwick Business School (MBA) alumni, residing and working in the UK. He is a keen & purposeful traveler, having experienced culture & humanity of 20 countries across 4 continents. He patronizes financially-inclusive & sustainable business models that bring joy to all stakeholders & provide the best value to shareholders. He specalizes in product investments, development, partnerships, and growth. Originally from UP but have a special bond with Uttarakhand region.
11. ISHAAN SHARMA (J 100): -
Ishaan Sharma, a Mechanical engineer and currently pursuing MBA in Innovation Entrepreneurship and Venture Development from DTU. Last 5 years he is managing more than 100 bikers community called “Royal Enfield Club, Noida”. On an ongoing project in his college on rural tourism, he got connected with Mr. Roopesh and visited Nag Tibba and one of the mud house- Hideout Kumali. Mr. Roopesh way Of explaining and his leardership the analogy metaphorically is most amazing part which inspired Ishaan to be part of this project. It's been 10 months now that he have been connected with the hideout project and virtually met many amazing people – He want to contribute in the execution of this Vision.
12. KIMBERLEIGH (M 100): -
Kimberley, is a qualified Chef & horticulturalist who lives in Spiti Valley with a combined degree in Asia Pacific Studies / Development Studies & a Permaculture design certificate (teaches about natural buildings). She has experience of natural building workshops and has interest in working to conserve the diverse vernacular architecture of India. A small hotel along with small organic shop to promote the traditional produce and handicrafts in Spiti Valley is run by her along with her boy friend Karan which gives an inside perspective/ meaningful journey through the valley. Karan is currently in the process of establishing an online presence for the local community to promote their home stays.
13. DR.KUMAR RAAJESH (M 100): - Dr. Kumar Raajesh has been a TV journalist since 1992, with well known media houses, including TV Today (Newstrack, AajTak, Dilli Aajtak etc), India TV and NDTV, to name a few. Presently, as consultant with ABP Ganga, he produces and presents inspirational weekly shows on unsung heroes. M.Phil from JNU and later Ph.D from DU, he has also authored a book, “The Janata Enigma 30 out of 60". His desire is to return to his village roots at Pahapura in Bihar. With MHMH, he hopes to co create much needed development in the almost virgin unexplored ‘Chanakya-Aryabhatt-Vatsyaya’ triumvirate, very close to his ancestral village.
14. KUNAL MEHRA (M 100): -
Kunal Mehra an Explorer, a passionate Traveller and an individual who has seen life from both ends of the spectrum. The only question on his mind is “Where to next” – I am a thrill-seeker who’s always in the midst of planning his next trip. 2 decades of experience in the Hotel & Travel domain now it makes him an expert at what he does. He wants to create lifelong memories for my high-profile clients and a great travel experience. He began his career journey in 1999 with Park Royal. Over the years he have worked with finer properties and brands like Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Imperial Hotel and Radisson Malhipalpur. Moving on from Hotels he have explored opportunities at Kuoni, Sita travels (Logistics Manager Sita) and LPTI. In 2017 with the Changing of Management at LPTI he had two options either to look for a new job or become an entrepreneur. Deciding to take on the latter he started with 3B travels in 2017
15. KUNAL GOYAL (M 100)
Kunal Goyal having a 20+ years of my life he worked in Australia and overseas, trying to force himself a- true self to adapt to the illusory ways we are conditioned to live within and succumb to, becoming yet another screen in God’s theatre on which he projected another episode of his play called Life. After many years of search, he had the opportunity to come across a community of like-minded fellow humans who are driven by the same vision as mine, that of going beyond the traditional material belief systems and having the courage to chart their own path in terms of coming together and making a noticeable difference in the lives of many others, apart from their own, by better utilising their respective experience, knowledge, etc. gained while manoeuvring around the materialities of the world we live in. There are many different elements involved in what the MadHouse to MudHouse community endeavour to achieve and it would be an honour to be able to positively contribute towards a few or many of these elements to co-create the Absolute.
16. MANI MAHESH (J 100): -
Mani Mahesh Arora worked as a Writer, Editor, Radio Jockey and an Anchor for India Today, The Times of India, 92.7 BIG FM, All India Radio and a few reality shows. After 7 years of hustling in the media, at the age of 23, settling off on a self-actualization sabbatical in the Himalayas, his unnerving, yet deeply satisfying journey with Green People started as a trekker, followed by boarding in as a volunteer, and eventually transforming into the role of a Co- founder. A bagful of hazy ideas were thus replaced with a common vision. Mani has been quite innovative in his marketing ideas and has been a focused professional. Mani is a disciplined practitioner of meditation and has got a spiritual bent of mind. Though he has a quiet and calm demeanor his passion speaks louder.
17. MEENAM MALHOTRA (S 100): -
Meenam a science post graduate from New Delhi and from Army family, over two decades served in managerial positions in a leading nationalized bank(BOI). Post early retirement, worked in the area of Public Relations and as Volunteer with various NGO's and other organizations. Meenam is an ardent traveler, nature lover, photographer and takes pride in the diverse cultures and heritage of Rural India, therefore so much in tune with the Mission and Vision of MHMH. She believes that travel enriches and empowers people and interacting with different kinds of people enriches and empowers life. Now taking forward the cause of MHMH full time, in Public Relations and Village projects
18. NARENDRA KUMAR (DR) (COL) (S 100): -
Col Narendra Kumar an IIT Madras alumni and Ph.D holder, hails from Army family, settled in Greater Noida. He worked in 3 top MoD projects of national importance, integrating communication systems from IB to the Hinterlands. As Network Advisor, he automated the functioning of Central Ordinance Depots as part of Materials Management ERP (SAP implementation of whole supply chain). After superannuation, he has been Director of 5 elite University & Engineering Institutes, where he taught graduate & PG courses, also & headed R&D establishments, mentoring scholars of prestigious higher educational institutions. He is adept in design & development of clean, green, low cost & energy efficient houses, Accelerated growth & better yield of farm produce and minimizing damage, to get better yield. He joined Mad House to Mud House, to help create sustainable eco-systems in rural India, improve the carbon footprint as also to achieve reverse migration.
19. NIRUPAMA JYOTI SIVAKUMAR (M 100)
Nirupma Jyoti Sivakumar has 20+ years experience in the industry. Her corporate experience is leading business roles in large MNCs like Microsoft and Siemens. She ventured into entrepreneurship in 2011 and is currently involved with her third startup. The entrepreneurial ventures include a business research based subscription offering for the tech sector, a deep domain experts network for helping industry solve critical problems and a health tech (Smart health) offering helping healthcare service providers provide affordable and accessible primary healthcare and remote health monitoring services. Nirupma is a nature and mountain lover, a writer and a painter in her leisure. She is a big believer and follower of nature cure based healing practices and a spiritually aligned living based on yoga and meditation. As a family, they promote eco friendly living and eradication of
single use plastics.
20. PRADEEP TREEPATHI (M 100)
Pradeep has created many largest and toughest Miyawaki Forests PAN India. And so far, he and his team has protected and saved over millions of trees and planted around a million trees rejuvenated many water bodies. Currently he is dedicated to Ecosystem (Air, Water, Soil) Rejuvenation. He is a sustainability and environment consultant. He believes and practices modern technologies with Indian ancient wisdom and methodologies in the field of agriculture, farming, plantation and agro-farming. Awards: Water Hero by Ministry of Jal Shakti, GOI, World CSR Congress: 51 GLOBAL GREEN LEADER, 40 under 40 inspirational environmentalist by The New Indian Express, Rex Karmaveer Chakra Award, Green Hero by Nargis Dutt Foundation & ECOMO and many more. He is an avid reader, traveller, spiritual/truth seeker, an animal lover and loves to explore art, culture, music and less travelled places.
21. P RAVI (M 100) Ravi Padmanabhan, a South Indian by genes and Delhiite by heart, works in the travel industry. Aptly so since he himself is an avid traveller who has covered the length and breadth of the country. Although the city he lives in is known for promoting ecologically insensitive lifestyle, he himself strives to a sustainable life by being mindful of his carbon-footprint. He recycles water, plants trees, explores ways to imbibe minimalism. His eco-sensitivity led a natural path to bring him to MHMH for which he has volunteered to publish its monthly newsletter.
22. POOJA SUNDRANI (J 100)
Pooja Sundrani from Mumbai at the age of 18 a graduate from NIFT, she started her own blog called "One Girl, One Journey" and started her journey as a content creator and went on a solo trip to Bhutan at the age of 17. Since 4 years she has collaborated with top Fashion, Travel and Lifestyle brands for social media promotions. Her love for animals and the environment recently turned her Vegan and associated with “The Welfare of Stray Dogs” as a volunteer. Being an avid fitness enthusiast and trekker, she has completed treks like Annapurna Base Camp, runs like Hundred Days of Running and Half Marathon. To promote Circular Fashion recently she started selling her own
fashionable clothes on social media. Her only intent in life is to live it, to the fullest and make people smile along the journey.
23. PURABI SARKAR (M 100):
Purabi Sarkar, Master’s in both CS & IT and MBA with 8 years of industry and consulting experience with various MNC’s. She specializes in strategy, marketing and entrepreneurship skills, techniques of alternative livelihoods and also the Founder Director of a Pan India NGO Association of Organic Farmers which works on grassroot level with farmers. Her achievements include, served many initiatives of reducing carbon footprints, breast cancer , eradicating malnutrition, leprosy and tribal students educational initiatives. She gives guest lectures at various organizations like, NI-MSME, IIM and various other institutions and also part of few R&D projects. Presently she is a consultant with State Administration of Pithoragarh, Uttarkhand handholding of different self help groups. Needles to say that she has the right exposure to both grassroot and parachute i.e. urban and rural ecosystems in the capacity of management consultant. She played a important role in this spaceship moving towards our utopian green planet.
24. RAVI SINGH SURYANSH (M 100)
Ravi Singh an UPite moved to Bangalore became a blue blooded hotelier. Started his career Taj and worked with many brands like Marriott, Intercontinental, Sarover, Royal Orchid. Presently working with Ramada, Dehradun. Also manages a college of hospitality and started an online delivery model at Dehradun called Ambrose Farms. He always believed in rural India as most of his childhood holidays happened at Ballia where he had his own farms hence my interest in the rural landscape. Working towards this and always in search of opportunities he met Mani and Rupesh and wanted to be part of the Green People.
25. REETI TIWARI DAS (Dr) (M 100)
Dr. Reeti Tiwari Das a medical practitioner, Delhi based and have worked in most of the Govt. and private hospitals, particularly working in development sector (NGO). She started working in NGOs and has served as Director of an international NGO and currently supporting health of children orphanages across India and providing palliative care for cancer patients in Delhi. She and her husband are passionate about serving the underserved and even explored many remote areas in our zest towards our goal. Hence they both take keen interest in MHMH work as health professionals and could play an important role in developing sustainable living in rural and hard to reach communities.
26. RIPAN DHAWAN (M 100) Ripan Dhawan is a pioneer in the field of travel and tourism with a career spanning over 30 years. His company "Earthen Experiences" has been curating unconventional experiences for travelers across the Indian subcontinent. Ripan believes in showcasing the diversity of India and his neighboring nations through the wide gamut of landcapes, cultures, cuisines, handicrafts and ethnicities. He upholds the idea of responsible tourism by generating employment for locals and collaborating with small scale rural and semi-urban artisans. An avid reader, adventurer and a foodie, he is always open to experiencing new cultures.
27. RITA SETH (S 100) Rita Seth work in mental health especially with people living with severe and persistent mental health issues like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in Gurgaon, for their personal and social recovery. Since a large population is impacted by mental health issues you could get in touch with Rita or their team at Sambandh health foundation for an informal chat about a way forward or local resources for any mental challenges.
28. RITU MAKHIJA (S 100) Ritu has been certified by GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council).She has been currently pursuing her M.Sc. Responsible Tourism from Leeds Beckett University, UK. Ritu comes from Travel and Tourism industry and she has handled corporate travel and events too. She worked with Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart for 3 years and presently working with NPO- Toftigers – whose prime focus is to bring awareness about sustainable tourism through their certification campaigns, workshops and events in the travel community. Ritu is a versatile professional and has the knack of handling functions ranging from business development to destination management. She believes in the concept of Mad House to Mud House and thinks that this
concept is walking the talk of being closer to nature and sustainable rural tourism.
29. ROOPESH RAI (M 100) Roopesh is one of the founders of an impact organization – The Green People. This organization has successfully been able to bring meaningful and positive changes in the lives of some villages in Garwahl as well as Kumaon regions of the State of Uttarakhand. He was one of the pre-opening team members of Taj Safari – a safari product offered by Taj group of hotels in Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. He has worked with Intercontinental Hotels, Taj Group Hotels and Thomas Cook in senior sales and marketing positions. Roopesh believes that there’s always an ‘idea’ in ‘idealism’ and he wears his idealism on his sleeves without fear or apology. Deeply affected by the scenes of death and destruction after the cloudburst at Kedarnath, he walked away from his‘working life’ — at Taj Hotels and Thomas Cook (India) — “to do something pro-climate, pro-people, and for profit”. But although his initial experiments of creating a brand of local goats' cheese ran aground in Uttarakhand — now infamous for outmigration, with over 1,800 ‘ghost villages’ — he didn’t stop looking for a “social engineering solution that also made good business sense”. Somewhere along the way, he started a company that now runs community-friendly farm retreats and homestays in eight Goat Villages, helped revive the traditional, climate-proof koti banal architecture, and began selling farm products under the ‘Bakri Chaap’ label. But what caught the imagination of young urban travellers in particular, was our Pay As You Like model, and the curious invitation to a Bakri Swayamvar (or a call for suitors for nanny goats). But that’s a story for another day! Roopesh is a resident of Noida and keeps travelling to Uattarakhand quite often
30. SANJEEV KAMDAR (S 100) Sanjeev Kamdar is a renowned Chartered Accountant from Mumbai and is a senior partner in Kamdar, Patil and Desai – a notable chartered accountancy firm in the financial capital of India. Though he practices chartered accountancy for living his heart and soul always lives in hills. He owns a small little quaint homestay by the name of Seegreen Birding Lodge at a place called Hathipano near Mussoorie in Uttarakhand. He often escapes to this place to fix his nature deficit disorder. His love for nature and cleanliness makes him participate in various cleanliness and anti- plastic drives in the hills. He is the missing link of the Mad House to Mud House gang – he is our financial engineer. His vast knowledge of company affairs and corporate governance gives us a peace of mind with matters regards to company law and compliance.
31. SHALLY MAKIN (J 100) Shally has experience of over 9 years in Marketing and Branding Communications. She creates content for multiple brands as a consultant to build thought leadership and increase brand awareness. She has demonstrated abilities in conducting special events, marketing plans, and devising brand building activities. Her passion project involves a community called RootsVida where she consults and offers tailor-made travel experiences for group and individuals. At RootsVida, she curates travel experiences by choosing exotic locations, adventure activities, music, sharing circles to rewire the participant's brain to experience joy. In a world where people believe in having stalwart careers, she believes in being mindful of what we are. She likes travelling to live new cultures and meet people from different demographics. Her typical day goes into connecting with people, hearing their stories and understanding their unique perspectives about life. She documents her perspective and learnings through her blog on www.RootsVida.com.
32. SHUBHA PORWAL (Dr)(M 100)
Dr.Shubha Porwal, doctorate in Microbiology. By passion an explore of Himalayas, resides in Dehradun which is like a base camp for her Himalayan voyages. An avid trekker and traveller, she has travelled more than 20,000 km in the region of Garhwal Himalayas. As a Himalayan explorer, the areas of her interest are wildlife specially birds, himalayan flora , culture (customs, traditions, fairs and festivals, folk music, songs and dances, folklores etc), cuisines and art & craft of Himalaya region and beyond. She has developed a great network of people of different backgrounds in the region.
33. SHUBHAM JAIN (M 100)
Shubham Jain runs a successful business enterprise, based out of Satna in Madhya Pradesh since 2013 with exposure to nearly 100,000 SKUs related to various industries including rural Madhya Pradesh. He is committed to do something meaningful pertaining to rural India. MHMH looks promising to him and he has a special intuitive feeling towards it, and strongly believes in the process of co-creation.
34. SUNITA KUDLE (M 100) Sunita, the Inn Keeper of La Villa Bethany, award winning stay in the Himalaya. She has done her masters in Hospitality Management along with a MBA in Marketing and Green belt in Six Sigma, with 23 years of Hoteliering Experience. She has worked within the government as well as the private sector. While working with ITDC, she had the good fortune of serving 3 Prime Ministers and two Royals as their personal valet. She was part of the opening team of the ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton Hotel, Mumbai where she managed three F&B outlets. She is currently the Secretary of KEEN, an NGO which is at the forefront of waste management in the town of Mussoorie and Landour taking care of door to door garbage collection, segregation and disposal for the entire town. She is a recipient of the prestigious REX Karmaveer Jyoti Puraskar which is awarded by the International Confederation of NGOs in association with the United Nations.
35. VARUN CHAMADYA (M 100) Varun is an innovator from Satna, Madhya Pradesh His mantra in life is to empower people & believes in bringing about a holistic improvement to the lives of others. Through his venture "Proactive I", Varun has been helping people in the fields of business, personal finance, relationships, career, health and self discovery. For the past 10 years, he has been training individuals, families and corporate professionals across India and abroad through his workshops. Over the years, he has successfully created quite a few social initiatives. A humanitarian at heart, Varun upholds the idea of a "reciprocative society". His "Proactive Foundation" is a non-profit organisation that works towards the greater good and giving back to the society at large.
OUTER CIRCLE – 28 MEMBERS
36. ALAN D SILVA (S 100) Alan is a scriptwriter, a producer and a director of independent films and documentaries. With a background in English Literature, Anthropology and Journalism, Alan has over 3 decades experience in script writing and producing short digital videos/ films. He started his career in journalism seamlessly shifting to scriptwriting for ad agencies to satiate his creative thirst. Made many short films for corporate communications and human resource development. His production house ‘Corporate Corridor’, offers 360 degree communications solutions, through corporate films, AVs, TV commercials, content development, product promos, etc. His clients include Godrej, Mahindra, Voltas, Saint Gobain, and many more. An avid biker, Alan has ridden to various parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, coastal Maharashtra & Goa, and also Spiti & Ladakh. Currently he is based out of Mumbai.
37. ANUMIKA (J 100) Anumika (OC) is a native of Uttarakhand, has spent her life in different cities across India, owing to her father's profession as an Army officer. This experience gave her the scope to explore varied cultures, traditions and lifestyles of people from different parts of the country. Working for the benefit of the needy has always been her life's ultimate goal & she has grabbed every little opportunity that came across her way, to do the same. Anumika has served as a journalist with India Today and Indian Express and holds an overall experience of 5 years, in the field of journalism.
38. ANUPAMA KRISHNAN (M 100) Anupama is a graphic designer who is at the helm of a team in a leading publishing house. Weary of city life, she wishes to be a part of MHMH in order to get closer to nature. Anupama also has been a farm volunteer at The Goat Village, Nag Tibba, about 5 years ago. Her skill set includes designing, communication & team management
39. ANURAG BAHUKHANDI (Col) (S 100) Col. Anurag Bahukhandi was commissioned in the Indian Army, Electronics & Mechanical Engineers (EME) division in 1984. He completed his B.Tech & M.Tech, while in service. His experiences range from commanding workshops that repair equipments & weapons held by army units to being Commanding Officer of a training battalion, to being Commander, Eastern Store Division, for NE region & Bhutan. Commanded the Western Base Workshop, handling BRO projects in J&K, Uttarakhand & Rajasthan. He was awarded the Govt. Of India Commendation Card for the same and served as
the Regional Director, Ex Servicemen Contributory Scheme and improved the overall healthcare facilities for service personnel in NE states. Originally from Uttarakhand & currently based out of Rajasthan, Col. Bahukhandi is an avid traveller, photographer and a published author of poems & articles in various army journals.
40. CHANDRABHUSHAN KUMAR (S 100) Chandrabhushan is a teacher based in Kolrahiya, Muzaffarnagar, Bihar. Born into a farmer family, he could relate to the exploitation faced by small farmers and hence used his progressive farming knowledge to uplift the local economy. What prompted him to bring about this mini revolution in the agrarian community, was the mass migration of villagers from his surrounding villages due to lack of employment. Bhushanji has helped locals with canopy, compost and water management to successfully produce different varieties of mangoes. With a MA in Economics and a PhD in Agricultural Marketing, he is a true visionary who became 'vocal for local' long before it became a fad. According to him, all you need to run a startup venture is an entrepreneur spirit and the readiness to take the plunge.
41. DARRYL D'SOUZA (S 100) Darryl is a story that has inspired millions of people across the globe. His recuperation from 14 years of sickness in just one year by using integreted natural therapies to a state of complete well-being is a reminder to us all, to lead healthier lives. Darryl is the author of 'Become Healthy or Extinct' on curing chronic illnesses with integreted natural therapies has a readership in close to 200 countries. He has served as the Secretary of The World United - Doctors and Healers Association for five years. Conducts disease reversal as well as spiritual workshops across India and hosts platforms and events for doctors, healers and therapists to help them work in synergy. Darryl is also an organic farmer, an environmentalist, a TEDx speaker, founder of Earth Keepers Connect, ambassador of Vegan Nation, convener of The New Earth Summit and a speaker at The World Parliaments on Spirituality.
42. GAURAV LAMBA (M 100)
Gaurav Lamba currently working with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Uttarakhand. Most of experience is in the areas of Marketing, Liasioning, Business Communication and a little in many other areas because of my organisations diverse activities. Currently based out of Dehradun. MHMH ideas of connecting urban and rural communities, understanding and learning from each other and working towards holistic development, excites me.
43. GAYATRI RAGHU (S 100) Gayatri Raghu an Educational consultant holds a cumulative work experience of 25+ years with a verifiable career track record in different segments. She has built new business relationships resulting in increased revenue and profits, within highly competitive markets. Gayatri has successfully identified and capitalized on market opportunities to drive revenue growth, expand market penetration and win dominant market share. She has the ability to communicate effectively with diverse internal and external constituencies, with experiences of working across India. She is also a Master Trainer from NSDC and her focus has been to drive market strategy, business development and build a wide networking base. Her primary key result areas (KRAs) have been Account Management, Channel Management, High Impact Presentations, Strategic Partnerships & Alliances, Team Building & Leadership.
44. PAWAN JINDAL (M 100) Pawan Jindal is a Delhi based travel journalist, whose skill sets include communication, publicity, fund raising, advocacy and media coverage issues. He contributes regularly to travel magazines. He has directed documentaries and made short movies as well and highly passionate about travelling. Weary of the monotony of urban life, he wants to join MHMH to connect to and be a resident of rural India. He has a degree in journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi.
45. RAJIV AGARWAL (S 100) Rajiv Agarwal is a self-driven and hard-working professional with 'Good' education (finest school, college and management institute). He has done B.A. (Hons) and M.B.A. and have spent three decades in Advertising. He has held leadership positions in organizations and from past five years he is associated with an NGO, working in the area of Mental Health. He wants to be associated with MHMH because he believes it is important to engage with spaces around us, and he would like to make the modest difference
46. RASHMI KINGER (J 100) Rashmi Kinger holds a Management degree in finance and has worked across finance, education and hospitality sectors. She is keen to share her knowledge with the underprivileged and help them find opportunities and fulfil their dreams. After her stints in finance departments at Singapore Airlines and Bank of America, she shifted to the field of education. She taught English to students preparing for competitive exams and volunteered to teach English to Jain saints, who had no access to formal education. After relocating to the UK post marriage, she worked as a Teaching Assistant and a Data Analyst. As part of the social responsibility she also worked with special needs children, cancer and old age charity organizations.
47. SUMEDHA (M 100)
Sumedha Agarwal worked as Assistant Professor in Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Faculty of Humanities and Languages, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. She is a Junior Research Fellow and pursuing her PhD from School of Business Studies, Sharda University and also she has done her Masters in Tourism Management and also holds a Master Degree in Conservation, Preservation and Heritage Management from Indraprastha University, Delhi. Edited book to her credit, two research papers published in International Journals of repute, and two book chapters in books of reputed publishers. She has presented her research works in nine International Conferences including one attended in University of Kragujevac, Serbia. Presently, she is working in the area of sustainable tourism, women entrepreneurship, community-based tourism, and home stays mainly in the sates of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as of now. She has widely travelled in India and abroad and prefers to associate her travelling with community-based research work.
48. SUNITA ANAND (S 100)
Sunita Anand is an entrepreneur, a healer, counsellor, and a trainer. She provides astrological readings and vastu consultancy. Being a Reiki master she conducts certified workshops for Self-Recognition and Self-Actualization. She believes India has a treasure in its villages in the form of amazing natural beauty and rich culture. She wants to be a part of MHMH because she thinks as a group, we all can do so much more and better work towards the common goal of contributing to society.
49. RAJESHWARI PRAKASH (S 100)
Rajeshwari Prakash is a writer, a gentle grammar nerd, a green innovation advocate, an entrepreneur, an urban farmer and a kind fullness practitioner. She has documented and written on sustainability, the environment, and Indic philosophy for various magazines and newspapers. Many of her articles got published in like A+D, South Asia Times, Life Positive, The Awakening Times, The Punch Magazine, etc. She quit from running a niche communications company, and started supporting green innovation and documents the interconnection of lifestyles, heritage, health, and food. Deeply influenced by Fukuoka, she regards Nature as her guru and believe that working together as a community will keep all on the right track and open all doors for all.
50. SHATABDI BASU (M 100)
Shatabdi Basu works as a financial advisor with Elara Capital and worked with Kotak group, Religare and other financial institute. She loves to read, eat, travel to unexplored areas and has a great passion to contribute to the society for a better world and environment to live in. When she travels in the interior part of India, she sees ample scope of developments. The talent over those interiors is not getting enough exposure because of lack of guidance. She appreciates the local culture, food, stories, vibes, and rituals.
51. SHAMBHU CHOPRA (S 100)
Shambhu Chopra a US and Europe educated lawyer doing Civil and Corporate Law practice at Allahabad High Court. He is an author of a law book and have taught law in Allahabad University. He is a nature and environment enthusiast and also the Convener of INTACH Allahabad Chapter. He is interested in spirituality and an open-minded person with a keen sense of humour. A pleasure to have you join MHMH community. He is hoping to relish the unique co creation process that we all are committed to.
52. DHRITIMAN BISWAS ( M 100)
Dhritiman Biswas is a corporate sector professional with about 20 years of work experience, mostly in communications and advocacy. He has worked with both MNCs and leading Indian companies. With MHMH, he desires to explore possibilities to transform rural abandoned houses to centers for employment and hospitality.
53. BIDISHA SINHA ROY ( M 100)
Bidisha is a Learning Consultant and Design Thinking Facilitator with Tata Consultancy Services. She has been an instructional designer and has been designing learning programs for close to two decades now. She has also been working on conceptualizing and evangelizing training programs on Design Thinking, an innovative problem-solving method that creates a mindset shift. Bidisha has always been keen to take educational opportunities to the deprived sections of society, as she believes that is the only key to their empowerment and taking informed decisions about their own life and livelihood. As an individual and as part of the TATA group she has been involved in related CSR activities. She has worked with handloom weavers in the rural sector for textile conservation. In the way MHMH has been conceptualized, she sees the possibility of being able to make a difference within a supportive thriving network.
54. SHREYA SAVE (J 100)
Shreya is an architect by profession with an expertise in varied architectural sectors that range from interior designing to urban planning. She hold a masters degree in landscape urbanism and has worked on several projects that take a conscious approach to energy and ecological conservation in the design. Her primary goal has always been to create attractive, affordable, and comfortable structures that are environmental friendly. Her passion for food and desire to experience different cultures led her to the hospitality industry where she successfully ran a guesthouse along with a thriving restaurant in Sri Lanka. Using locally sourced ingredients, she designed several seasonal menus
whose popularity led to a stronger local economy and also received rave reviews from customers. She currently freelances as a designer and a food consultant in Mumbai and hopes to make a positive impact on the community through her work.
55. RACHNA DUSHYANT SINGH (S 100) Rachna is Garhwali and among other things runs a 13-room boutique property in a village, between Dehradun and Mussourie. In 1990, she took an M.Phil from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, and then went on to teach at the Hong Kong University for over two years. She came back and continued to lecture in the Ministry of Tourism and finally to work in the travel industry. With a combined experience of over 25 years in leading tours, operating a travel company, writing articles, teaching and working in rural areas, to running a foundation, she also offers an international internship program engaging with Harvard, Princeton, Michigan and a few other universities in the US and Europe. The program also works with NIFT Delhi, St. Stephens, Miranda House, Delhi University, working in areas of livelihoods, farming, craft and health. Her foundation runs a successful knitting program, providing income to over 100 women, supplying to Fabindia among other retailers. She practiced ideas of connecting urban and rural communities, migrating back to the village long before it became fashionable to do so. She now hopes to start a small homestay to be a part of MHMH Hideaways.
56. NEERAJ CHAUDHARY (S 100): - Neeraj Chaudhary from Nainital served in Army. A owner of cottages and tent houses in Aksora village a fragrant belot of Kumaon, aspires and wishes to be the key facilitator for MHMH project from his village.He does organizes camps to educate rural children and wants to make sure about the quality education is being imparted. He does believe that Mad House to Mud House has potential to bring about sustainable growth in rural India and he aspires to become catalyst to this development. He is a key felicitator for MHMH in Kumaon region. He loves farming in his own agricultural land.
57. SAROJ DHYANI (M 100) Saroj Dhyani has completed Masters in environmental science, PG diploma in environmental management along with B. Ed which provides the best academic qualification to be a part of MHMH community. She therefore loves the idea to be a muddy because she believes in the philosophy of MHMH as it caters to the sustainable development of environment, rural area etc. She hails from a very small village of Pauri Garhwal, Uttrakhand & wants to contribute for the overall development of her Village so as to make it greener and cleaner. To do this, she along with her husband has started planting tress abundantly by motivating villagers to follow in their footsteps. They are also playing a key role in motivating teens of the village to work on proper water management as water resource is a big challenge in the village
58. PERIDHI BHANDARI (J 100) Peridhi Bhandari is a DIY video blogger with a focus on ethnic interior designing & architecture of Kumanu and Garhwal. She has off late become a youth icon, especially among the upper upscale Uttarakhandi Diaspora, and often found speaking on various forums catering to 'return to roots' audiences. Her father, former RAW agent and presently working with ONGC, New Delhi with a good hold on ONGC ecosystem. Bhandari ji was instrumental in getting Bakri Chhap annual corporate gifting orders from ONGC, although purely on merit.
59. SACHIN VAISH (M 100) Sachin Vaish a MBA in Marketing and Finance and has worked for 20 years with different telecom companies in India. He was one of the instrumental professionals who looked after the launch of Tata Docomo and Reliance Jio telecom networks in India. He believes that customers must be provided the same quality and level of service which we as customers expect from an enterprise. Though he has been living in a metro city his heart beats for rural India, in fact his primary education happened in a village. He believes that there is enough potential in India in agriculture, eco- tourism, medicinal plants and flowers. Sachin has interest in rural development and has some implementable ideas which can make a rural citizen self-reliant through business opportunities and training. After corporate career of 20 long years Sachin has realized that now he should follow his heart and the desire to contribute towards rural India makes him join Mad House to Mud House.
60. AMRITA MANGAT (S 100): -
Amrita comes from the land five rivers – Punjab. Her love for farms and agriculture is natural given her Punjab connection. She has been a catalyst to a few renowned farmers collectives in Punjab. We think her initiatives can make an a .. The most fascinating initiative of Amrita is a movement in Punjab called millet movement. This movement has been conducting millet awareness programs across Punjab for farmers as well as consumers and has been impactful. She keeps hopping between Punjab and Canada because she is also an Indian representative of many Canadian Universities.
61. SOMMAYA SINGH (J 100) Sommaya aspire to have his own organic and sustainable farm stay in near future in Uttarakhand. Passively, he is still farming his lands in his paternal village in UP. To align his professional goals with his personal goals, he has moved from completing his Masters in Wine from Brodeux to starting his own wine imports venture in Karnataka to building one of India's biggest online movie & events ticketing platform for Paytm to building innovative cashless payment solutions for events industry to organizing multiple international cricket tournaments, IPL seasons, multiple events/concerts of international and national repute to finally aligning himself in travel industry with India's biggest travel firm MakeMyTrip as a Product Manager for Holidays business where he is managing & making strategy for India, Nepal, Bhutan & Sri Lanka. His ambition is educate the local commuties to create suitable economic yet sustainable opportunities.
62. VARUN DHAND (J 100) Varun is an enterprising millennial based in Dehradun and graduated from IHMCTAN, Mumbai in Bsc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration. He ventured into solo travels a couple of times which in turn made him curious for unknown things and instilled an absence of fear which is a great attribute to have. He entered HVS South Asia, Gurgoan as a consultant. Worked on a couple of feasibility studies for major hotels throughout India. Assisted his friend, for a startup Rosakue. Currently working at his own banquet resort, actively volunteering at Green People (Involved in multiple spheres), he has launched a cheese making start-up called Happy Goats which makes and sells goat and cow cheeses, planning to launch a venture which develops and markets environmentally sustainable products.
63. SANJEEV SHARMA (S 100)
Sanjeev Sharma, MBA and Human Resource professional with around 4 decades of diverse experience. Working with Pipelines Division of Indian Oil, he has exposure to different facets of HR and also lead the “CSR” team of Pipelines Division and taking care of thousands of villages falling in “Right of Way” of more than 14,000 kms of underground petroleum Pipelines traversing length and breadth of country. During this project they brought succour to the rural India in the field of water, livelihood, hygiene, women empowerment, health and education etc. The focus of MHMH is really exciting as it focus on rural India and makes me believe that sustainable development of rural India is an idea whose time has come and can do wonders.
64. MEENAXI MENSE (M 100): -
Meenaxi an ex NCC cadet and a proud grand-daughter of a devoted Gandhian from Belgaum and she herself has volunteered at Gandhiji's Sevagram Ashram at Vardha a few times. A freedom fighter and a farmer who her grandfather was - always taught her that 'one should learn to grow his own food'. Meenaxi believes in this idea and is keen on farming and worked in their farms during her childhood. She is quite conscious about environment and believes in one of Gandhiji's quotes 'earth has enough to cater for man's need but not man's greed'. Meenaxi is a science graduate and worked in organisations like JP Morgan Chase and Ocwen Financial Solutions. Her hobbies are cooking, traveling, reading and writing.
65. DIVYA TATE (S 100): -
Divya Tate, Founder of Audax India Randonneurs a national organisation of 85 clubs across India. Previously worked as an Architect, Ran an Art gallery, Home schooled 2 kids, Urban farming for 20 yrs on a terrace growing food, Creating art and craft. Also a Gift economy proponent, Active outdoors life, travel and writing for magazines, volunteer work with farms, forest, water conservation, sustainable energy. Currently transforming into a Farmer/Forest Custodian, looking to be a part of eco village communities. Practicing permaculture ethics since 20 years, Recently completed the Permaculture Design certification course and focussing on social permaculture. Re-learning through natural building workshops on using earth friendly techniques. Plan to move out of the city, support other such networks and communities, do healing and therapy through reconnecting people to nature.
66. DR. AMOD KUMAR TYAGI (S 100): -
An entrepreneur and leader with 27 years of progressive responsibility in clinical and preventive health care management. He is blessed with the talent of conceptualizing and an expert in Out-of-Box thinking. Dr. Amod Joined the Community Health Department of St. Stephen’s Hospital in 1993. At the time of joining, the department was a small outreach clinic. Under his leadership the department grew to become a model of providing Comprehensive Community Health and development services to a population of over 100,000. Dr. Kumar was instrumental in developing the Award-winning Mission Convergence program of the government of NCT Delhi, which has revolutionized the governance and implementation of welfare schemes. He was also instrumental in developing a system for delivering services for the homeless in Delhi by leading the Mother NGO project for Homeless for many years. Under his leadership number of shelters was increased from 17 to over 100 with much enhanced services. His team devised the Jan Ahaar scheme under which government has opened 47 NGO run low cost high nutrition food stalls for laborers and the homeless. His department had run 24 hours helpline and rescue services for the ailing homeless and destitute in Delhi.
67. PANKAJ MUNJAL (S 100): -
An alumnus of Delhi College of Engineering (ME) and Institution of Engineers switched over to Academics after tenure of around 10 years in service-based industry. Switched again this time to Training and Development after spending 15 years of my life in Academics where he spent rest of life now without any second thought as “Training to me is what air is to lungs”. Currently, an independent professional doing freelancing assignments related to coaching and facilitating humans (students, teachers and executives) at various platforms: schools, colleges and corporate about living a life of purpose and choices based on Values. By nature, he is an Explorer and wish to visit places, culture and intend to do some value creation for the society and rest of nature to make my life worthy of this noble birth.
68. MANPREET PANNU (M 100): -
Manpreet Pannu holds a masters degree in computer applications and worked in IT field for 10years before embarking on her passion - health and wellness. Certified as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, she is a firm believer in natural health and healing. She believes health does not come from pills or potions and one needs to get to the root cause of any symptoms. The primary cause of all modern day illnesses comes from our food and lifestyle and she believes food changes everything. Manpreet also practices sound healing using the Tibetan singing bowls.
69. MADHUVANTIGODSE (M 100):-
Madhuvanti Godse commerce graduate from Pune and has done her Linguistic course from German. She worked with Banking sector for 8 years. Being Nature lover and a mountaineer she, then decided to leave the job and work for her passion that is Adventure, Nature, wildlife and travel. She runs her own firm ‘Our Only Planet’ with a belief to create awareness about environment amongst the young generation. The firm organizes Adventure tours, Wildlife tours and theme tours such as Photography tours, cultural exchange, handicraft tours, and Educational excursions. Trekking since last 20 years, trekked all over Sahyadri’s and Himalayas including Nepal Himalayas Everest Base Camp. She is a trained Para glider and has took up adventure sports like River Rafting, Bungee jumping. Besides being an adventure junkie she is well aware of the social responsibility, associated with ‘Reliance Drishti‘ a Hindi fortnightly published in braille for Blinds and distributed all over India.She also writes a column about Travel destinations with the name ‘Mushafiri’ in a Thane based Marathi News paper Thane Dinman.