About Us

First Sutra Foundation (FSF) started in 2022 as a research-based not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to building a society where every individual, regardless of their background, is empowered to thrive with equality, opportunity, and compassion.

Through our Transformative empowerment programs in Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Health & Well-being, Rural & Community Development, Environmental Sustainability, and Disaster Relief, we are creating opportunities to build an inclusive and sustainable future for all.

Leadership

Siddhartha Behera

Director

Siddhartha comes with more than two and half decades of work experience in corporate, education and development sector, is an expert in designing and managing strategic programs and policy interventions in various areas such as livelihoods, entrepreneurship, education, social inclusion and development, local governance, and poverty reduction programs. He has worked in partnership with Government bodies, the United Nations, and Non-Governmental development organizations. Siddhartha's competence extends to capacity building, policy advocacy, donor management and building ecosystem support mechanisms for development work.

Sanjib Dash

Director

Social entrepreneur and not for profit virtuoso with over 25 years of experience in volunteering, entrepreneurship, education, program implementation and social advocacy. He has developed and implemented comprehensive diversity programs to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in our workforce, including women , LGBTQ+ individuals, and persons with disabilities. He has been instrumental in designing and implementing Education and Youth activities which aims at empowering young individuals in rural communities through up-skilling, education and cultural engagements.

Prakash Waman Kamat

National Director Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Mr. Prakash Kamat has worked as a Senior journalist in Goa for many years and has represented The Economic Times, The Hindu and other Newspapers. He has spent many years working in the field of Disability, Inclusion and Social services. He is also presently a Member, Goa State Advisory Board on Disability.

Abhijeet Kumar

Abhijeet Kumar has been working at the intersection of social impact, technology, and behavior change for the last six years post transitioning from his corporate life of 7 years across automotive, mining, and consulting organizations. Having worked across private and public health domains designing and implementing projects, he has developed the ability to balance strategic and nuts and bolts perspectives. He has advised and worked with multiple number of local and international NGO's and CSR teams on designing their policy, guidelines and operating roadmap. He is a poet at heart who has also studied engineering, management, and public policy. He is also a mentor to multiple startups incubated in IIT Kanpur and T-Hub and helps them with strategy, marketing, scaling up their operations and storytelling

Junesh Thomas

Junesh Thomas has 17 years of experience in the Livelihood and Micro finance sector. Presently working as a trainer and organizational development consultant. As a trainer he has imparted trainings to more than 5000 urban youth and 3000 rural tribal women on entrepreneurship/employability skills and financial literacy. He has worked with Shram Sarathi, where he was heading overall operations and responsible for expansion of work, team management, planning, training, and designing of financial products specifically for labour and migration dependent families. He has also established two community-based women (SHG based Micro-finance) organisations. He is passionate about microfinance and the opportunities of structuring financial tools to drive livelihood opportunities for rural development.