Founder's Note

Pragya Kapoor founder of Ek Saath Foundation
Pragya Kapoor

Founder

Call it our passionate optimism, but we genuinely believe all of us harbour good intentions when it comes to looking out for our own home. Somewhere in the frenzy of the rat-race around us, it’s the outcome of those intentions that has taken a hit. As we all inch towards securing our future we drift farther away from the delicate relationship we share with nature. All the rising environmental crises are a result of this very rift. Through Ek Saath, we embark upon a journey to bridge that very gap and replenish this deteriorating relationship. Everything that we put out in nature unmistakably finds its way back to us again in one way or another. We try to guide our lives by the enlightening philosophies of Karma. If only we learn to apply the same logic to our relationship with our environment, we’d know that the only true salvation is a better tomorrow and the only promised heaven is here on our beloved earth. There are those who are yet oblivious to the far-reaching impact their actions have on the planet. While the ones already aware, simply don’t know any better. We’re not in the business of picking culprits out of victims for we stand to celebrate the very spirit of togetherness. If there’s anything to learn from our past then it’s the valuable lesson of how we learnt to overcome the darkest of times only by coming together. We seek to revive this very force in our pursuit by empowering all the lives we touch in our own humble ways. In our finite time here, all of us are capable of making an infinite difference. The time has come when just hoping for a better future won’t cut it until we step up to make it happen. Or as a wise kindred spirit once sang,
‘You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one..’

Our Advisory

Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza

Advisory

Dia Mirza is an award-winning Actor, Producer, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador & United Nations Secretary-General’s Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals.

An exemplary advocate of sustainable lifestyle, Dia was appointed as the United Nations Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India at the UNEA assembly held in Nairobi.

She has also championed the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution along with the UN to make India free of single-use plastics by 2022.

Her exhaustive list of titles includes- Founder member of Wildlife Trust of India's Club Nature, Ambassador Wildlife Trust Of India, Ambassador for the Swachh Bharat Mission's "Swachh Saathi" program, and the first Indian Ambassador of Save the Children initiative amongst many others.

Kilaparti Ramakrishna
Kilaparti Ramakrishna
Kilaparti Ramakrishna

Advisory

Dr. Kilaparti Ramakrishna (Rama) is WHOI's new senior advisor to the President and Director on ocean and climate policy, Principal Policy Advisor to the Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, and served as the Head of the UN Secretariat’s office for East and Northeast Asia, and UN’s Designated Official in South Korea.

In the past, he has helped in drafting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. Recently, he also concluded a three-year stint with the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Dr. Ramakrishna is also a member of the board of directors of the Woodwell Climate Research Center. He is also the Chair of the Strategic Advisory Group of the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project. In South Korea, he led a study by all the UN Regional Economic Commissions on how to successfully incorporate the newly adopted sustainable development goals (SDGs) into their work programmes and support member countries in implementing and achieving them.

Tor A. Dahlstrøm
Tor A. Dahlstrøm
Tor A. Dahlstrøm

Advisory

Mr. Tor A. Dahlstrøm worked for Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for nearly 40 years. Half the time at Embassies abroad. 12 years at Embassy in Tokyo as Deputy Ambassador. Last posting (2015 – 19) at Consull and Deputy Head at Consulate General in Mumbai.

Mr. Tor A. Dahlstrøm, was born in 1953 in Risor, Norway. He completed his studies at Oslo, London and Tokyo universities in M.A. - and MBA degree with focus on Asian affairs. Mr. Tor worked for Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for nearly 40 years. Half the time at Embassies abroad. 12 years at Embassy in Tokyo as Deputy Ambassador. Last posting (2015 – 19) at Consulate General in Mumbai. Mr. Tor A. Dahlstrøm has retired from Norweigian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) after finishing his four year tenure at the Royal Norweigian Consulate General (RNCG - Mumbai). Ever since it’s inauguration, Tor has made a significant contribution in setting up the Consulate General. Environmental protection has always been an important agenda for Tor, especially fighting plastic pollution. With a Motto: «Just Do It», Tor played a pivotal role by getting involved Norwegian Government in fighting plastic pollution on the beaches of Mumbai.

Our Team

Ashwin Malwade
Ashwin Malwade
Ashwin Malwade

Managing Director

Ashwin Malwade is a Master Mariner in the Merchant Navy and an Ocean advocate. After spending nearly 16 years on the high seas, Ashwin has seen the ocean literally change in front of his eyes. The crystal blue waters that welcomed him when he first joined sea at the age of 17 was slowly turning into a plastic ocean. Ashwin has worked on many beach cleanup movements across Mumbai starting with the World’s Largest Beach Clean up at Versova beach. He even met his life partner Nupur Agarwal at this very beach. The great naturalist Sir David Attenborough once said “Unless we all agree and come together, we are lost.” Embarking on this journey with EkSaath foundation, Ashwin hopes to continue to do his bit for the environment and be the voice for change.

Ancila John
Ancila John
Ancila John

Partnership and Collaborations Manager

I’m a Mechanical Engineer with a passion to work for the society. I have therefore pursued post graduation in Social Work (MSW) from College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan. I have worked in the social sector for 2 years so far in the donor relations domain. When I’m not on the job, I love watching live music, playing football, and travelling.

Vidhi Thakkar
Vidhi Thakkar
Vidhi Thakkar

Human Resource

Working with Eksaath has made me more concious towards the environment and my role in preserving our planet for future generations. But we can’t build a safe, sustainable future alone – we build it together. We need to live and work as a community.At Eksaath we work towards bringing more people to this cause.

Nizamuddin Shah (Kokari Project)
Nizamuddin Shah (Kokari Project)
Nizamuddin Shah (Kokari Project)

Project Manager

Nizamuddin Shah, an exceptional actor, writer, director, and the founder of Young Creative Production, stands as a beacon of creativity and social consciousness. With an illustrious 15-year journey in the theatre industry, he has cultivated a profound impact through his artistic endeavors, utilizing his skills to bring about positive change and empowerment. His journey began in the heart of the theatre, where he emerged as a luminary, mastering the art of stagecraft. One of his notable achievements is the creation of his family biopic titled 'YEH BALLET,' which has found a home on Netflix. His involvement in raising awareness about pressing social issues began in 2016, and since then, he has conducted an astounding number of over 30,000 street plays, each addressing 70 plus subjects. He has been awarded for the Best social Awareness Award.

Tanvi Patankar (Kokari Project)
Tanvi Patankar (Kokari Project)
Tanvi Patankar (Kokari Project)

Project Manager

Tanvi Patankar, a multifaceted Asian writer, filmmaker, artist, and co-founder of Young Creative Production, stands as a true testament to the power of creative expression in addressing social issues and making a lasting impact. With a Master's degree from New York, Tanvi Patankar embarked on a mission to bring untold stories to the forefront. In addition to her outstanding accomplishments in the realms of creative expression and social awareness, it's inspiring to learn about her dedication to wildlife rescue and her passion for environmental conservation.

Freishia Bomanbehram (Carter Cleanup)
Freishia Bomanbehram (Carter Cleanup)
Freishia Bomanbehram (Carter Cleanup)

Project Manager

Freishia B is a multiple award winning master of ceremonies who also uses her voice for countless marine beings and the mangrove forests.. She is also a producer, where she not only creates edutainment content for her YouTube & Instagram called Whack but she now runs a boutique agency that creates content for other influencers and companies as well. As an agent of change, 2yrs back she started Carter cleanup and Her prominent influencer profile on Instagram and strong networking skills often comes handy to spread awareness and get more corporate hands for the drives. She wants to bring the children back to playing on the beach just like she did as a child.

Nupur Agarwal (Carter Cleanup)
Nupur Agarwal (Carter Cleanup)
Nupur Agarwal (Carter Cleanup)

Project Manager

Nupur is a marketing consultant by profession and a rag picker by passion. Started off her environmental journey with cleaning Versova beach almost 5 years back and that's where she met her husband Ashwin. They decided to get married and organized a zero-waste wedding post which the idea of Greenmyna, their company was born which organizes ecofriendly weddings and events and has now evolved into being sustainability consultants. Carter Clean Up is Nupur's second baby, as she fondly calls it, started a year back when few passionate like-minded people came together to clean a stretch of beach on Carter Road which to popular knowledge never really existed.

Maansi Desai (Carter Cleanup)
Maansi Desai (Carter Cleanup)
Maansi Desai (Carter Cleanup)

Project Manager

Maansi Desai is a dedicated mother with a passion for making a positive impact in her community. She is the founder of "Carter Cleanup", a citizen movement focused on environmental conservation and cleanliness. In addition to her activism, Maansi is a talented artist who expresses her creativity through various mediums. Her expertise also extends to event planning, where she excels in organizing memorable green sustainable gatherings and experiences for others.

Gayatri Ashtekar
Gayatri Ashtekar
Gayatri Ashtekar

Social Media Associate

Gayatri Ashtekar, actively involved in advertising and passionate about the media industry, excels in designing, writing, and generating targeted ideas for social media platforms. She completed her undergraduate degree in advertising and is currently pursuing a post-graduate degree in the same field. At Eksaath, she actively contributes her creative ideas, effectively implementing them across diverse social media platforms.

Mayank Bannashi
Mayank Bannashi
Mayank Bannashi

Head - Finance & Accounts

I am a MBA in finance with over 11 years of diverse experience in the field of Hospitality and Production House. After spending 11 yrs in Finance it was time for me to learn & experience something new by going back to my roots. I have immense compassion for the people who believe in " The Change Begins With You" because that's how we can make a difference. By associating with Ek Saath I believe I will be able to be a part of the solution and start that change.