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Author name: Pranita Ghag

About SAGE Foundation

Shahani Academic & Global Empowerment (SAGE) Foundation believes that the most impactful way to develop peoples’ lives is to enable them to develop the skills to earn their own livelihood. Since 2008 we’ve been working with partners to help educate & employ India’s underprivileged population

FCRA Registration Number: 083781294

80G Registration Number: AAKCS7990LF20079

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Poonam Mehta

President - Be The Change HK, Teacher, Writer, Counselor & Philanthropist

Country: Hong Kong

Poonam Mehta is the President of BE THE CHANGE, Hong Kong Ltd., a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting ethnic minorities and asylum seekers through education and counselling. She has a robust background in early childhood education, with a career spanning over five decades. Poonam began her professional journey at the age of 18 in India, and has held significant roles such as Deputy Principal in Hong Kong and Principal in Shanghai.

She holds a Master’s degree in Education and Counselling from the UK and is currently pursuing a PhD at the European International University in Paris. Poonam is also a published author, having written Joyful Journey on a Bumpy Road along with several children’s books. She is a member of the Racial Harmony Committee and the Rotary Club TST, receiving numerous accolades for her community service, including the Chief Executive’s Commendation from Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee.

Poonam continues to conduct educational workshops globally, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to excellence and her mission to improve the world through her efforts. Her passion for nurturing young minds and empowering underprivileged communities sets her apart as a leader in the field of education, with her contributions resonating both locally and internationally.

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Dr. Maya Shahani

Chairperson of the SAGE Foundation

Dr. Maya Shahani is the Chairperson of the Shahani Group and the Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management which are synonymous with the promotion of quality education. She is also the Trustee of the HSNC Board, which runs 27 prestigious educational institutes in Mumbai and is the parent body of the HSNC University. 

As the Vice Chairperson of Global Dialogue Foundation (GDF) Dr. Shahani works under the aegis of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations to bring Unity in Diversity through embracing all cultures. Through her efforts, India is recognized as the Global Headquarters of United Civilizations. 

Dr. Shahani is currently working with Dr. Tony Nader  (Leader of the Global Country for World Peace), along with Janet Attwood, to train the students of her various institutes in the technique of Transcendental Meditation for World Peace and to set up a Vedic Village in India.

A recipient of several prestigious awards, she is as comfortable meeting global leaders as she is working in villages and slums. With “Ethical Excellence” as her credo, she fulfills her duties with compassion, love, and commitment.

Dr. Akhil Shahani

Chairperson of the SAGE Foundation

Dr. Akhil Shahani is the Managing Director of The Shahani Group, which runs a franchised range of colleges. His colleges incorporate global, industry-oriented education systems that make their graduates truly employable. With an MBA graduate from the Kellogg School of Management and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Liverpool, Akhil is trying to bring international methods of education to India. He believes that quality education involves academic learning and developing one’s network, personality, and values.

In addition, Akhil serves as the Chairman of Global Discovery Schools, which is a franchised chain of 14 innovative schools. He was previously a venture partner at Kaizen Private Equity, which invests in education. He also mentors young entrepreneurs in his spare time.

Akhil has been listed among the 10 most influential education entrepreneurs and one of the top 50 thought leaders in higher education. He is the recipient of many awards for his work in education, like the Jamnalal Bajaj Award, the Bharat Shiromani Award, PIMR Outstanding Educationist Award, Rex Karamveer Chakra Gold Award, the Bharat Gaurav Award, and the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award, among others.

Jetu Lalvani

Independent Director

Jetu is a Managing Partner of Kaizenvest, an education focused fund management firm, headquartered in Singapore. He is responsible for driving the firm’s portfolio management, impact assessment and sits on the firm’s investment committee. He is Kaizenvest’s ESG officer and supports portfolio companies in strategy definition, operations execution, hiring, reporting management, and corporate governance.

He has 30 years of experience in investing and building companies from the ground up. Prior to his current role with Kaizenvest, Jetu has helped nurture emerging companies in the fields of engineering and chemicals with world-leading joint ventures in India, such as Saab from Sweden, Dresser Industries & Emerson Electric from the US and Degussa from Germany, among others.

Jetu is also a trained DiSC® profiler under Thomas International for evaluating individuals and teams, a capacity he has used to conduct corporate team analysis for portfolio companies and conducted trainings in multitude areas including creativity, execution, effectiveness and business ethics. He has also provided corporate leadership advice and was the Ethics Officer at Emerson Electric’s Saab Rosemount for the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance.

A life-long learning champion, Jetu has been in the sector for close to three decades. His notable contributions include building village schools, working with student councils and teacher unions as well as holding various administrative and leadership roles at leading education institutions in Mumbai.

Jetu holds a Bachelor’s of Commerce from Sydenham College, Mumbai and an OPM (Owner/President Management) accreditation from the Harvard Business School.

Gaurav Singh

Independent Director

Gaurav Singh is the Founder of Futuristic Wealth Creation Network – a venture-building and scaling platform enabling the legends of tomorrow to support the #RiseOfBharat.

An adept business strategist, start-up mentor, and a growth leader with 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, Gaurav has proven expertise in business planning, growth strategy, and M&A across a wide array of sectors- education, aviation, consumer tech, real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, and leisure. He is a seasoned angel investor backed by a history of building a diverse and
robust global investment portfolio for large single-family offices and the UHNI community.

With a vision to enable entrepreneurs to become global giants, Gaurav has a penchant for impact-driven investments; supporting sustainable startups that are shaping the future. Gaurav has guided and mentored CXOs and Founders of young businesses, based on the fundamentals of geoeconomics, geopolitics, and spiritual economics. He has also set up various industry-leading VC funds and investment ecosystems.

Prior to his entrepreneurial stint, Gaurav has a rich experience in serving businesses from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies such as Thomson Reuters and Refinitv, where he managed a US$ 1 Bn financial intelligence ecosystem.

During his career, Gaurav has received various awards, recognizing his leadership skills and contribution to businesses’ growth achievement, the most recent ones being the ESG Impact Award 2022 for Empowerment of Rural Communities and the Global Visionary Iconic Award 2022 for his contribution to the startup ecosystem and the business world.

Gaurav holds a Masters degree in International Business from Aberdeen Business School and holds Board observer positions in various businesses. He is an Independent Director on the Advisory Board of SAGE Foundation- the foundation arm of the Shahani Group

Mike Handcock

Chairman at CIRCLE of Excellence Group

Mike is a professional conference presenter, expert trainer and business innovation coach. Known as Asia’s leading Edu-trainer, Mike takes a keen personal interest in promoting SAGE. Mike is the Founder of Rock your Life and Conscious Leadership Movement.

 

Landi Jac

Managing Director and Global Business Strategist at Circle of Excellence Group

Landi Jac is the Creator and Founder of The Consultant Code, and works exclusively with Consultants, Coaches, Trainers, and Speakers from all over the world, empowering them. Landi provides innovative solutions for SAGE and is an avid promoter through the Rock Your Life Conscious Leadership Movement.

Elizabeth Coffey

Founder of Spark Leadership

Founder and MD of Spark Leadership, is an internationally recognized consultant, focused on developing CEOs and Board Executives of FTSE 100 and the Global 500 companies. Elizabeth will help SAGE with skills training centres in villages and slums for creating Indian arts and crafts which will be marketed globally.

Janet Attwood

Co Founder of Enlightened Alliances, LLC.

Helps people live the life of their dreams through her Passion Test. Co-Owner of Enlightened Alliances and Co-Founder of The Transformational Leadership Council, Janet is also on the advisory board of Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, the educational body of SAGE Foundation.

Shazar Robinson

Consultant Advisor at SANKALP Rural Development Society

A Spiritual Activist, Writer and Transformational Educator, works on water sustainability in rural India and as a volunteer at the Shikshangram Shelter for Children supported by SAGE. She has lead Enviro Tours to raise funds through extraordinary journeys of learning, feeling, and giving back while discovering the heart of India.

Peter (Pece) Gorgievski

Chairman & C.E.O at Global Dialogue Foundation

Peter is a humankind enthusiast devoted to humanitarian progress. His greatest passion and focus is creating a culture of peace throughout the world. He is co-founder and Chairperson of Global Dialogue Foundation.

Iliana Schmatelka

Director Consulting Expert at CGI

Deputy Director- General, Global Dialogue Foundation, Vice President – International Leadership Institute, Founder & Managing Director Strategic Consulting, Business Coaching, Interim and change.

 

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