The cBalancers
Vivek Gilani
Vishwajeet Poojary
Philippe de Rougemont
Unais Painat
Shruti
Savitha Narayanamurthy
Vinita Rodrigues
Dharmesh Patel
Anusha Mohan
Griet Verbeeck
Maya Seshagiri
Hasan ul Banna Khan
Saranya Acharya
Vedangi Sohoni
Vipul Patil
Afzal N
Mujahid Khan
Mudabbir Dalal
Kirti Makhija
Vivek Rakotu
The Team
Vivek Gilani
Vishwajeet Poojary
Philippe de Rougemont
Unais Painat
Shruti
Savitha Narayanamurthy
Vinita Rodrigues
Dharmesh Patel
Anusha Mohan
Griet Verbeeck
Maya Seshagiri
Hasan ul Banna Khan
Saranya Acharya
Divya Chaudhari
Vedangi Sohoni
Vipul Patil
Afzal N
Mujahid Khan
Mudabbir Dalal
Kirti Makhija
Vivek Rakotu
Knowledge-Anchored Growth & Equity: Each of the permanent members will be a shareholder in the company – in proportion with their total current value to the enterprise. Hence – this value is a dynamic assessment and leads to equity amongst all pillars to keep the enterprise plinth in balance. It recognizes the intrinsic growth potential of a being. All profits are reinvested back into the company to further the mission. Boundary Conditions: no full-time employee is paid less than INR 25,000 (FY 17-18 terms), all relevant legal codes related to health-insurance are followed, no one is expected to work more than 40 hours/week on a routine basis, a standing trend of working conditions/hours that lead to undermining of personal health will be relayed to relevant team members and steps taken to ameliorate conditions
Managing Director & Executive Board Member Director of Strategy, Energy Services, Ecolabelling Services, Sustainability Consulting, Research & IT Products, and Carbon ERP, is an Ashoka Fellow. An Environmental Engineer (MS Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts) with expertise in Water, Wastewater Treatment and GHG Inventorying, and Energy Auditing/Analytics. A Bureau of Energy Efficiency (India) Certified Energy Auditor. Co-founder of India’s first Carbon-Footprint-Calculation and Reduction movement – the NO2CO2 project at www.no2co2.in, Developer of India-specific Carbon ERP Tools and GHG Emission Factor Databases under the Climatenomics Platform, Co-Founder and Member of the Steering Committee for the First Ecolabelling Program in India – TheGreenSignal, and a civic-rights interventionist working to usher in an era of informed participation in democracy in India as Founder of the ‘Informed Voter Project’ currently on the web at www.MumbaiVotes.com.
Executive Board Member Vishwajeet holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from M. H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering, Mumbai. During his graduation, he was involved in a number of technical projects and has participated in competitions held at intercollegiate and national levels like ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge India 2015, RoboCon 2014, RoboWars, Mahindra Design Quotient, National Design Competition etc., won prizes in some of them. He was a volunteer and participant of Green 2013, organised by his college, which aimed to spread an awareness within and around the campus about incorporating simple lifestyle changes to help the environment. Post graduation, he completed a short course on HVAC Design. He is a member of the professional body ISHRAE.
Executive Board Member Philippe de Rougemont, Co-founder of Fairconditiong, Senior researcher and Coordinator of Noe21, a Swiss NGO specialised in solutions to to reduce GHG emissions. Specialised in energy sobriety, nuclear phase-out and renewable energy phase-in.
Associate Unais, an explorer of life, by listening to his life and life of others, striving to be living in balance between the inner and the outer world. He learned social science, commerce, ecological farming, sustainable living, Permaculture through formal education. In the last decade, he spent most of his days working in/with soil and listening to stories of people from different walks of life. As a sociology student, he is keen to observe, learn and relearn about the dynamics of relationships among people, that involves social, political, cultural and economic elements that informs and influences the day to day functioning of their world. His world view revolves around the philosophy where, his livelihood should enable and help other beings to thrive and live their life to the fullest. Therefore, learning and practicing different skills and techniques are integral for him, as it helps to realise his dream of living in a peaceful and ecologically sensitive world.
Project Associate Shruti has her cultural roots from Salem (Tamil Nadu), Telugu being her mother tongue. She was brought up in Mumbai and completed her schooling and college there. In the course of doing her Masters in Biotechnology and dissertation in Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, she grew her interest to know about birds and water-life conservation. Shruti currently resides with her partner, Parth and family in Surendranagar (Gujarat), and also in Haridwar sometime of the year.
She loves walking barefoot, connecting with the soil and being immersed in nature. She loves doing yoga-pranayama, cycling and challenging herself to adventurous trips. Music is a fond interest to Shruti, she loves listening to folk, traditional and classical music. She’s learning to see the interconnectedness of life and the mysteries of the universe.
Working in alternative spaces like Prakriya Green Wisdom School made her realise how the inner and the outer are woven intrinsically, and the process work at Prakriya was an eye opener to a holistic way of living. She is tinkering ways to understand the roots of the problems like social discrimination, climate crisis, lack of empathy and apathy, by exploring observations with nature, indigenous knowledge, spirituality. At leisure, she enjoys reading, listening to discourses by scientists, artists, natural farmers and meeting mystics.
Associate Savitha, after a long career in Information Technology with last stint at IBM India Pvt Ltd, she made her move to explore the not so mainstream ideas of holistic education and sustainability. A year-long fellowship program at Bhoomi College in Bangalore on Holistic Education paved a path to pursue holistic life. Design, development and implementation of Child centric and Sustainability focused curriculums, creating participatory workplaces have been her focus during the last few years with alternative learning centers. Practices well-being through yoga, gardening and listening deeply to sounds of nature. Indian Knowledge systems is her other area of connectedness and has been seeking its wisdom through learning programs and practices. She believes in conscious exploration & experience of interconnectedness to make a meaningful and purposeful living.
Associate A fellow traveller on life’s journey; Vinita holds a Masters in Natural Resources and Governance from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. ‘When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it is hitched to everything else in the universe’- John Muir Acknowledging that every single thing we do has inconceivable impacts on our fellow human beings, wildlife, other organisms and elements we share our world with; she hopes to nurture her knowledge, skills and experiences to work better towards safeguarding our common home.
Project Assistant Dharmesh has a formal Education is Computer Science Engineering and is based out of Mumbai. He worked in the IT Industry for 15 years as Quality Assurance technologist with various multinationals into domains like ELearning, General Insurance and Financial Services sectors. Post this, he explored different paths in life by joining a year long fellowship program on Sustainable Living at Bhoomi College Bangalore. There he nurtured and healed himself and developed passion towards the development sector, natural farming and Climate Change. He developed greater respect and interest in conserving Soil, Water, Native Seeds and Biodiversity. He also holds interests in observing and learning from nature, ecology, biosphere and science and uncovered magic behind all of them. He practices well being through Vipassana, trekking and minimalistic slow living. He also keeps interest in Forest healing, creating spaces for listening and non violent communications.
Associate Anusha Mohan graduated in Industrial Production Engineering from PES, Mandya. She has prior work experience with an IT company as a Tech Lead managing deliverables across locations. She has completed her Fellowship Program in Sustainable Living from Bhoomi College, Bangalore. Her interests lie in Nature, Education, Travelling & Trekking, Fitness, Music & Dance. She has an experience of teaching English at two Government Schools for 5 years. She has lead an adventure club and has handled groups of upto 80 on treks. Also she has finished two half marathons and a few 10k runs. Currently, she is in a journey towards leading a sustainable lifestyle by bringing in changes to her daily routine and household. She believes that a balanced lifestyle with conscious actions would keep ourselves and the earth healthy and make the world a better place.
Executive Board Member Griet Verbeeck has an MSc and PhD in Architectural Engineering from the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL), Belgium. Between 1991 and 2007 she was a researcher at the Division of Building Physics, KUL and since 2007 she is the coordinator of the Sustainability Research and Education Team at the Faculty of Architecture & art, Hasselt University, Belgium. She is strongly interested in guiding people, students, and professionals in the building sector towards more sustainable choices, especially with regard to the use of natural resources, but with attention to social justice. She is inspired by the principles of doughnut economics and sufficiency and tries to introduce them both in her professional and personal life.
Project Associate Maya worked as an Architect being involved in ‘sustainable’ projects as much allowed in an urban industrialised society for a brief few years before moving to Montessori education for elementary children. Her work with children in alternate schools, NGOs- both full time and part time engagement involved understanding where children came from with a strong focus on environmental education from the lens of climate justice.
She meandered towards making changes in elementary school curriculum – focus being on learning to look at life from the lens of those cultures that have learnt to co-exist with their surrounding landscape reasonably in harmony. She is at a stage in life where she seeks solace and kinship in all those beings known, unknown, anonymous living a life of care in the face of anthropogenic onslaught. She believes in the goodness abundant in the world. She believes in everyday miracles. Architecture, conversing with nature, hikes in mountains, cooking with her partner, reading on neuroscience, botany, geology, experimenting with waste, dancing, counselling, creating gardens are things that interest her.
Project Assistant Hasan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Mumbai. During his graduation, he has been involved in a number of technical projects and led teams in competitions held at intercollegiate and national levels like ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge India 2015, RoboCon 2014, RoboWars etc., won prizes in some of them. He was a volunteer and participant of Green 2013, organised by his college, which aimed to spread an awareness within and around the campus about incorporating simple lifestyle changes to help the environment. Post graduation, he has been involved in teaching a number of subjects to mechanical engineering bachelor’s students, which include Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer and RAC.
Project Assistant Saranya holds a Masters in Environmental Science from Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu. She is keen to work on Sustainable development with a major interest towards water and wastewater treatment.
Associate - Divya holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from DYPCA, Navi Mumbai. To further study architecture in terms of environmental sensitivity, she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Architecture from BNCA, Pune. She is keenly interested in subjects of sustainability and climate change. Divya has been a finalist for the U. S. Dept. of Energy - Solar Decathlon Design Challenge 2020 for Office Building category. She is also enthusiastic about learning new languages and likes to sketch.
Project Associate Vedangi thinks she is part of a small unit of 3 Sohoni’s in Virar (Mumbai), and has been blessed with the best set of parents who helped her remain close to the culture and ethics of Maharashtra. Always questioning the norm, she decided to pursue Masters in Sustainable Development and Environment Management to pursue the task of bringing about change in her own way in the way the world perceives progress and success. On a regular day, she would be seen on a mountaintop or by the beach with a book in her hand and legs immersed in soil or sand, reading and questioning the existence of the universe..!
Associate Vipul likes to trek, run marathons and cook food. Has experience in volunteering for community-building activities and movements. He is fascinated with forest building and strives to live by first-principle thinking. Academically, he has a background in electrical engineering.
Project Associate Afzal is a Mechanical Engineer in training but he learned a lot outside of the typical pedagogy. Though he struggled in academics at college, extensive volunteering, leading volunteering teams and meaningful conversations with the people he met, gave him an insight into their lives. It allowed him to delve for a life lesson to carry forward. Afzal is working towards enhancing the capacity of youth by facilitating dialogues, sharing initiatives and practices, building communities and strengthening advocacy skills to build leaders who drive society in the coming future. He is also on a quest to understand the political, economic, social and cultural contexts of development and how they interact. He aspires to bring impact at the ground level which he believes can lead to sustainable positive changes.
Project Associate As a passionate Mechanical Design engineer, Mujahid has a mission to create innovative solutions that excel not only in performance but also drive social benefits with sustainability weaved into it. He believes in the powerful impact of precision engineering in shaping a better future for all and is committed for leveraging his skills to make a positive impact on the world.
Mujahid enjoys reading books, gaining knowledge from others’ thoughts and ideas, and seeking guidance from new life experiences and observations to contribute to the improvement of life on this planet.
Project Associate Mudabbir holds a degree in Electronics & Telecommunications from Pune. So far his journey has been a dynamic blend of technical expertise and a strong commitment to community well-being. He is a football enthusiast and loves diverse sporting activities. He finds joy in the balance between the precision of technology and vitality of sports.
After his graduation, he ventured into the role of a site engineer, immersing himself in the intricate world of project executions. Later, he joined his brother to contribute to their business. He also actively participats in various organizations and NGOs, aligning his efforts with causes dedicated to human welfare – as he is guided by the belief that saving one soul is akin to saving humanity.
Project Associate Kirti studied Architecture from APIED Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat. She has paved her life experiences by working as an Architect to working with various non-profit organizations in diverse domains. Having worked for over a decade with social organizations, helped her identify the missing connections with the larger ecosystem. She paused for pursuing a yearlong fellowship in Sustainable Living from Bhoomi College in Bangalore, from whereon she nurtured a holistic perspective of systems thinking and being a part of the larger system. She believes one’s perspective has to widen and evolve constantly and consistency is insubstantial. She is exploring the larger connection with the universe and how such an awareness can enrich our lives and planet. She derives her soulfulness from striving to practice a low consumption and a low waste life, cycling, backpacking, wilderness bathing and a lot of silence.
Project Associate Having an educational background in architecture, Vivek is intrigued by the intangibles of space-making and how cities live. He previously worked in the domains of social impact of tourism – land & informal livelihoods, shelter making with natural materials and alternative pedagogies of learning. Juggling between movements, academia and hands-on approach at the grassroots continues to shape his world-view. A connoisseur of texts, Vivek enjoys dissecting and deliberating ideas from diverse perspectives.
Associated With
Best Foot Forward (BFF) has helped several hundred organisations to manage and reduce their environmental impact and to tell the world about their achievements. They help businesses and government to cut greenhouse gas emissions and save money and to understand their opportunities and risks in a world of limited resources. They have calculated thousands of footprints for everything from carrots to county councils, from wine bottles to Wimbledon.They are seen as experts and thought leaders in the sustainability and footprinting sector. Their team specialises in different areas including FMCG, agriculture, health and transport.
Recent Developments :
- Became Carbon Trust Footprinting Company Footprint Expert™ accredited consultants.
- Started updating the carbon footprint of the London 2012 Olympics, having already calculated the footprints of a number of sporting events; Wimbledon, England World Cup 2018 bid, Chicago Olympics 2016 bid.
- Began calculating Eurostar’s footprint using the new GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard.