Eli is our yin to yang and known for her go-getter attitude! Eli has dedicated her life working for Milaan since her early twenties! Mother to a baby girl, she aspires to build an inclusive and equal world for every girl child. A skilled baker, animal lover, and photographer in her spare time, Eli's love for creativity, storytelling, and simple designs drive her motivation to achieve the very best for the Girl Icon program. She also serves as a guiding light and our support system to ease out the most difficult challenges!

Rohit has a background in sociology and political science and has previously worked in the BPO sector for 3 years. Being content with what he has instead of craving for what he doesn’t are words he strives to live by. Rohit loves playing cricket, listening to music, and spending time with friends.

Mamta Kaushik has great experience working as an educator in different parts of the country like Jamshedpur, Ahmedabad, Raigarh, and Udaipur for over 30 years! She has been a Biology teacher for more than 24 years and as a school principal for 3 years. Born and brought up in Jamshedpur, the Steel City, she is now working as an Academic Coordinator with Milaan’s Swarachna School. A great listener, Mamta is also an ardent animal lover and has many hobbies such as gardening, reading, interior decorating. She is the happiest when interacting with children and believes in the philosophy of “live and let live"

''Be a little kinder than necessary'' are words Anjali lives by. She has a master’s degree in Population Education and Rural Development with a specialization in Reproductive & Child Health. With training and travel being core elements of Anjali’s work, she has learned a lot through her journey of working with women and youth on leadership and gender. Anjali has a spirit imbued with wanderlust. She finds peace in trees and shrub-lined avenues and loves exploring places, experiencing diverse cultures, meeting new people, and telling her stories through paint and canvas. 

Amrita Chaturvedi is an accomplished educator having over three decades of academic and administrative experience. She has served as Principal, Army Public School, Mathura - a premier institution under the South Western Command, and various other institutions of repute in and around Lucknow. Her passion includes working for the upliftment of educational standards in India and preparing children to be able to apply knowledge in their lives. She is a silver medalist from Kanpur University in MA (Geography) and a gold medalist in Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Education.    Amrita loves travelling and is delighted to be engaged in pursuits of learning. Her motto in life is 'Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is achieved.'  

Ranjana has always wanted to work with and for children. From very early on, in grade 12, she began interning for organizations within this sector. She is extremely proud to contribute to the lives of children who are differently-abled. Ranjana feels a special connection to the hills and loves traveling and capturing beautiful vistas on her camera. You will always see her smiling and laughing, lifting the spirits of those around her 

Amitabh has a  B. Tech in Electrical engineering and has been an IT industry professional for the last two decades. He has lived and worked in India and SE Asia, interacting with colleagues and clients across diverse cultures and different regions of the world. Amitabh is passionate about touring on the motorbike, loves a well-brewed cup of coffee, and enjoys music, especially even more if surrounded by pets. For him, it is “Do. Or do not. There is no try.

Bhawna has a background in sociology and gender studies. She is enthusiastic to work on the issues of gender, psycho-social disability, and sexuality and use her acquired skills to the fullest at Milaan. She believes that there are many things that we can learn from Milaan’s grassroots girl leaders and is completely inspired by the way in which they accept and own their expressions very proudly. An old school from the heart, she has a sweet tooth and passion for writing poems and letters.

Farhan studied Human Rights and has worked in the development sector for over 8 years. He is an advocate of personal authenticity and is mindful of his impact on the future. Farhan is a die-hard fan of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's voice, loves trekking solo and experimenting with food. He believes in the saying, “stick to the personality that has been given to you, if you change your personality you change your coming generation”

Anita has been working in the social development sector for the last ten year. She is the president of the domestic workers' women's union and takes care of the office just like she takes care of her house. She is an excellent street play performer and loves to cook, sew and sing, her favorite genre being folk songs. We also fondly call her the ‘Iron Lady’ 

Devinder is a BCA Graduate with four years of experience as an Administration Executive. He is the rescuer in any crisis at work and always has a solution to any and every problem.  He is a fitness freak and loves listening to music. His mantra is the classic “live and let live”

Vinod bhaiya's coffee gives Starbucks stiff competition! He does not rest until he's ensured that you have eaten enough and are well-hydrated. He pampers one and all in Milaan's Lucknow office with his warm smile and caring nature

Shefali is always on the lookout to pick up quirky skills ranging from 'how to grow cabbage' to 'how to play the bagpipe'. She did her Master’s in Media Studies from the University of Amsterdam and is passionate in creating communication design that is impactful and engaging. Shefali loves being on the field and interacting with communities, especially children and girls- from whom she derives much of her inspiration and drive. She is a trained classical dancer, loves to write travel pieces, and do photography. The quickest way to grab her attention is by mentioning the following words: ‘puppies’, 'chocolate cake', and ‘redistribution of wealth’

Charul likes to talk in metaphors. Her first love is theater. She likes to play the ‘tabla’ and brings a harmonious vibe during trainings. She thoroughly enjoys when people don't get her sarcasm and loves to watch them squirm.

“I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy." Pragya from a young age knew she had to break the patriarchal mindsets and empower girls and women to stand up. Her experience drew her to study Master's in Social Work from Delhi School of Social Work and then LLB to work in the development sector. With over 4 years of experience, Pragya has been relentlessly working to nurture girls and young women. She often pours her heart in writing, poetry, and reading. Pragya is on a mission to work for women’s rights to achieve gender equality. 

Tina is a big fan of chai, reading in the sun and Buddhism! She is passionate about bringing positive and powerful stories that have an inspiring and lasting impact on people. Tina also holds a medical degree in Physiotherapy and has over 11 years of experience working for diverse corporates and organizations. Milaan’s personal therapist and soon to be Yoga guru, Tina’s kindness and strength drive Milaan’s energy!

Saudamini is the silent one, an avid listener and an observer. She likes to create listening spaces for any and everyone around her. Her life mantra is 'Leap and the net will appear'. Her interest lies in spirituality, exploring historical places and collecting souvenirs, especially handicrafts.    

Tripti is fondly called as ‘Triptea’ for her obvious love for chai! She draws her energy from Girl Icons and brings with her wise thoughts and wide smiles. For the last two years, Tripti has been working in the field of community development and advocacy. She has been following her dream to equip and empower vulnerable sections of society. Tripti lives by the philosophy of ‘Listen, observe and serve’ which helps her in fostering girl leaders and equitable communities. In her free time, Tripti likes to sketch and doodle to bring out her creative juices. 

Dhiren is your person for ‘chai pe charcha’ who loves conversations and shaking as many new hands, He helps the team achieve Milaan's vision through strategic advice and streamlined management. A poet by heart Dhiren often reflects with his writing his love for life, he loves to break boundaries and explore the world. He is the yin to our yang.

Nagaveni has been extensively working with children for over four years in Karnataka and uses her secrets of psychology to interact. In her spare time she can be found performing in musicals and dramas as a freelance theater artist.

Priya fell in love with Milaan’s work with girls and decided to bring a decade of her experience working in different sectors. She likes making everything as efficient, effective, and equitable as possible and shares the same enthusiasm with the team. Priya is also a caring mother and loves spending time with her 2 year old daughter. In her spare time she likes exploring historical places and digging into the former times to learn more about the monuments.

Ranjana believes in lifelong learning and her goal is to be a successful woman. An open minded person who enjoys every moment to the fullest, Ranjana shares the same philosophy with Girl Icons and works closely with them to achieve their dreams. She enjoys cooking, dancing, spending time with her children, and is always up to dabble in something she has never done before.

Uzma started her journey as a Girl Icon with Milaan. She is writer who loves to share her thoughts on social issues. Uzma thoroughly enjoys studying and binge watching television shows. She wants to see her two younger sisters do well in life.

Javed comes with over a decade of experience and draws his motivation and energy from working and interacting with the youth. A passionate writer and an avid reader, Javed is known for his friendly, approachable and thoughtful nature. He sometimes likes to think like an activist and often relishes Sufi and folk music. He is your go-to guy for pensive conversations.

Our very own heart throb Rajat when not engrossed in HR and organizational policies can be seen glued to reading about gadgets and staying up to date. This tech geek is also a cinema lover and spends his spare time absorbed watching sci-fi thriller and horror movies, quite unlike his personality.

Literature lover Vineeta enjoys poetry and fancies listening to original compositions. She adores heartfelt conversations with Girl Icons and making their experience even more awesome. Before coming to Milaan she has spent a decade working at grassroots empowering girls and women.

Neetesh is obsessed with numbers and enamored by the evolution of cameras. When he is not juggling with numbers, he can be spotted behind the camera. A man of few precious words, it’s been reported Neetesh is a secret master chef.

Rahul spends his days working along with the team. He likes the simpler things in life and manages to make the best of whatever situation he’s thrown into. Raised in the city of nawabs, Rahul is a party animal who loves spending time with friends, ,music and movies.

Phulan bhaiya is the MVP of Milaan, refreshing and energising us with his Kadak chai! He welcomes everyone in the office with the widest smile every day. He’s not only the caretaker of the office but also of the many puppies outside Milaan!

With over 15 years of experience in public relations, corporate brand communications and media planning, Neha started WordsWork in 2009. She has within a short span spearheaded successful communications campaigns for brands ranging from lifestyle, corporate, public diplomacy to sports. She leads strategy and content for all WordsWork clients and enjoys getting into the thick of client servicing and delivery beyond expectations. She has considerable expertise across corporate, consumer and sports PR. Her strength is in enabling collaborations which impact the business. This could include cross leveraging clients and beyond, basis for her business network. Prior to setting up an independent consultancy; she has been the Communications Director for several corporate initiatives of the Spice Energy Group of companies. This included complete management of communications & media tie-ups of Narain Karthikeyan, leading race driver and A1Team India representing the country at A1GP–the World Cup of Motor Sport. Her PR experience began with Genesis Burson Marstellar in India followed by a stint with Burson Marstellar in London.

Shantanu, based in Gurgaon,  is the CEO of Social Finance India (SFI), a catalytic impact investment intermediary for designing funding and programs for improved social outcomes at scale in India. Prior to that Shantanu spent three decades in corporations like Genpact, GE, Unilever and PwC (in reverse chronological order) in global business and functional leadership roles. Shantanu decided to move from the corporate sector to the social sector in early 2019 and mentored multiple organizations focused on education, gender equality, rural entrepreneurship before taking on the SFI role.

Sonali Khan leads Sesame Workshop’s educational mission in India to create innovative and engaging content that maximizes the educational power of all media to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder. As Managing Director of Sesame Workshop - India, Sonali spearheads the organization that combines the power of mass media with educational outreach to prepare children for school and life. Under her leadership, the organization develops and implements ground-breaking programs to reach children everywhere – especially those who need it the most.Sonali is a global advocate for human rights and for ending violence against marginalized communities, with an emphasis on girls and women. Her work has focused on promoting gender equity in education, empowerment of adolescent girls, along with ending domestic violence, sexual harassment and early marriage. She began her career as a television journalist covering politics and business and has since worked for a variety of organizations that harness the power of media for social change.Prior to Sesame Workshop - India, she was the Director of Knowledge Creation and Dissemination at Dasra, a leading strategic philanthropy foundation, where her work covered areas including urban sanitation, adolescent girls’ rights, and democracy and access to justice. Previously she has also served as the Vice President and then India Country Director for Breakthrough, where she spearheaded largescale program implementation, numerous multiplatform campaigns promoting gender equity, developed M&E practices and supported global fundraising and partnership development. She also sits on the board of Plan International.Sonali is a proud recipient of the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar (Women’s Empowerment Award) from the President of India. In 2016, she also received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship for her work in ending child marriage.