A scientist, teacher, philosopher and visionary. Always believed in “Simple living - “Selfless giving” and “Being the change”. Have been associated with many social welfare organization as member, patron and donor. It was his desire to create a permanent foundation which would help students and marginalized sectors for sustainable positive development. He is our inspiration and driving force. Dr.Vishanu Marathe was associated with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) over 35 years and has contributed greatly to the research of Chemical Physics and Quantum Mechanics. He was also associated as a guide with “Medical University of Lubeck- Germany” and University of Saarbrucken- Germany for few years. He has been working as guide for many PHD students and even after retirement, at the age of 85, he has desire to teach and guide students.
Swati Namjoshi is the Founder and Director of the Sarthak Welfare Foundation, which she established in 2017. She holds an M.Com MBA degree, a post-graduate diploma in NGO Governance and Management, and a diploma in Counselling Psychology. She has also received career counseling training under the guidance of renowned career expert Dr. Geet.
Prior to founding Sarthak Welfare Foundation, Swati had a flourishing 16-year career in the corporate banking group of foreign banks. However, she decided to quit her successful corporate career to pursue her passion for the social welfare sector.
Swati is a firm believer of "Be the change you wish to see in the world" She also has a strong belief that a Positive transformation in the society is always possible through sustainable consistent efforts with every sector, especially with students and youth.
During her professional journey in social welfare sector, Swati has worked with prominent organizations such as Tech Mahindra Foundation, CSR Pune, Shyamchi Aai Foundation (SAF), and Career Disha. This experience motivated her to create a foundation of her own, with the aim of making a positive and sustainable impact on society.
Sarthak Welfare Foundation is an amalgamation of over 40 passionate members who work under six verticals: Holistic Education, Skill Development, Women Empowerment, Physical and Mental Health, Scholarship and Mentoring Support for Economically Underprivileged and Talented Deserving Students, and School Infrastructure Development. The foundation also provides NGO advisory and support services.
Swati is an eminent author, expressing her thoughts on social media platforms as well as through books. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she wrote a book titled "Varsa" as a tribute to her father, who was her inspiration and an avid reader and philanthropist.
Swati has also contributed to writing a reference guide booklet on Entrepreneurship Development for Self-Help Groups (SHGs), which was published by the Pune Municipal Corporation's Mahila Balkalyan Vibhag.
Apart from her work, Swati is interested in Art, History, Music and travel.
Swati's dedication and contributions to the social welfare sector have been recognized by various eminent organizations, including Rotary, Jana Kalyan, and the Hiraben Nanawati School of Management, who have honored her with awards and recognition.
Pradip Namjoshi is a Chartered accountant with 28 years of work experience, of which almost 21 years has been as a Finance Head and CFO. He has worked in the engineering industry, chemical plants, automobile industries, agricultural products, media, including print media like news paper and a Marathi TV channel. He has also worked in the Education and IT sector.
After gaining his qualification, he has worked in various roles of Accountant, Training, Internal Audit, and System Implementation. Around 21 years ago he moved to his favorite role as finance head with a 100% EOU Company. He has worked with Lona Industries (Pigments and Chemicals), Alta Leasing and Finance (A finance company) and ION Exchange (India) Ltd (Engineering, Chemicals, Services, etc.). For the last 20 years, he has worked as a Finance Head and CFO with Union Batteries and BUI (100% EOU), Sakal Papers (Marathi News Paper), SAAM TV (Marathi News Channel). He has also worked with NKB Technovations group (including Automag – Conveyor manufacturer for Automobiles, Klaus Multiparking – Automated Car Parkers and ZYNQ Software – a Mobile APP support company for a USA based app). He extended his scope with German and Japanese GAAP as he worked with a couple of German and Japanese joint ventures while working at NKB Group.
Along with his Accounting and Finance exposure, he has a Teacher’s Bone. He has conducted more than 350 lectures in Finance, Accounts, Compliances, etc., for MBA, PGDBM at MIT College, and PICT – SITM, both in Pune. He has been a speaker on various platforms with Commerce Colleges and Institutions like D & B, MCCI etc.
He is a enthusiast traveller. Due to his jobs at Ion Exchange he has travelled almost all metros and mini-metros of India except the north east. Similarly from Sakal Papares he could visit lengths and breadths of Maharashtra. On personal account he has visited 25+ countries till date and he wishes to double that number as soon as possible.
Pradip is interested in Indian classical music. He has learnt Tabla for more than 12 years and had to give up after a couple of accidents. Presently he is ready to listen to anything in vocal or instrumental classical music at any time.
Pushkar M. Aurangabadkar is an acclaimed author and a seasoned leader with an expertise in L&D, entrepreneurship, and corporate trainings; backed by almost two decades of experience of working with corporate, academic, and social setups.
Education: Pushkar M Aurangabadkar, an accomplished professional with a diverse academic background including a B.Com, DBF, MBA (Finance), MA (Sociology), DEEP, EPAF (IIM Calcutta), and currently pursuing a PhD in Management Studies.
Entrepreneur: As Founder & Director of Legacy Platforms Pvt. Ltd. and Milastic Education Pvt. Ltd., he has successfully worked with business leaders and organizations to drive leadership development, operational efficiency, and organizational growth for various corporates and business leaders from diverse industries.
Author: In addition to his corporate achievements, Pushkar is an acclaimed author, having published eleven academic books on management and entrepreneurship, with several of them being recommended for MBA and BBA programs at prestigious institutions such as Savitribai Phule Pune University, Anna University Chennai, and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam University Lucknow. His recent publication is the biography of Mr. Sudhir Puranik, the visionary founder of Worldwide Oilfield Machine.
Educator: Pushkar’s passion for education and skills development is further highlighted through his academic engagements as a visiting faculty member at more than ten colleges across India. He has also served on the Board of Studies multiple times, where his contribution towards curriculum development for BBA and MBA programmes was important to align the industrial challenges with the vision of India’s National Education Policy (NEP).
Advisor: His role as an advisor to various platforms, such as Sarthak Foundation, Swayam Talks and CNKM Art College, highlights his commitment to inspiring young minds and shaping impactful, educational and artistic endeavors.
Family Roots: Rooted in heritage, Pushkar comes from a family with a legacy of preserving the Kirtan parampara for nine generations. He innovatively bridges tradition and modern corporate challenges through 'Corporate Kirtan', a unique methodology that connects leadership, professional challenges, and personal growth.
Awards and Recognitions: In recognition of his contributions, he has been honored with the Rotary International Vocational Excellence Award and was named ‘India’s Most Promising Training Provider’ by Silicon International Business Magazine.
Entrepreneur | Start-up Advisor | Financial Consultant | Family Office Advisor
Kedar Sabne is a dynamic entrepreneur and business leader with extensive experience across multiple sectors, including real estate, technology, finance, and social responsibility. He is the Founder of Associated Recons LLP, a well-established real estate firm specializing in redevelopment projects in prime localities in Pune area, and the Co-founder of a Technology Company focused on Data Science and AI opportunities. He also holds directorship positions in multiple companies including startups .
Education and Beliefs:
Kedar is a distinguished Rank Holder Chartered Accountant (ACA) and a qualified Company Secretary (ACS). He is also a commerce graduate from BMCC, Pune University. His belief in community transformation drives his involvement in initiatives that uplift underprivileged communities.
Social Engagement and Contributions:
Kedar is actively involved in various associations and social initiatives:
Convenor, Industry Study Circle, ICAI (KMCS)
Committee Member, Marathi Bandhkam Vivsaik Association (MBVA)
Advisor, VIM College (Curriculum Design)
Member, Finance Committee, PYC Club, Pune
Visiting Faculty, ICSI & ICAI Pune Chapter
Trustee and advisor for NGOs focused on education and welfare for underprivileged children
Kedar’s leadership in both professional and social spheres reflects his dedication to excellence and positive societal impact.
Entrepreneur | Career Advisor | Trainer
Mrunal Rajhans is a dynamic entrepreneur and career advisor with extensive experience in Healthcare, Education and Social Welfare. She is the Founder of Career Disha, Snehkunj Senior Citizen Care Centre and CEO of an NGO Sarthak Welfare Foundation, which is working in Education, Health, Woman Empowerment, Skill Development and Mentoring support to students from Financially deprived sectors.
Education:
Social Engagement and Activities:
With a diverse background in healthcare, education, and social welfare, Mrunal has dedicated over a decade to fostering meaningful change in the community. Holding qualifications in medical transcription and career counselling, Mrunal started her professional journey at Prophyla Biologicals Pvt Ltd as a Quality Control Officer, for four years. Her expertise in the medical field further extended to teaching Language of Medicine at Convergent Technologies Pvt Ltd.
Following this, Mrunal transitioned into hospital administration, managing operations at her own hospital. Driven by a passion for guiding young minds, she took comprehensive training in career counselling and formed Career Samvad, a group of expert trainers providing career guidance to students starting from the 10th standard.
In her quest for career development, she joined Shyamachin Aai Foundation, and further sharpened her skills in aptitude testing at Jnana Prabodhini, and secured their vendor ship. This led to the founding of Career Disha, a consultancy that collaborated with schools and corporates to provide aptitude testing, career awareness, career counselling and skill development ,impacting the lives of hundreds of students.
In 2016, launched the Sarthak Welfare Foundation, an NGO focused on improving the lives of underprivileged students and women. As the CEO for the past 8 years, Mrunal has been instrumental in leading impactful initiatives.
Responding to the needs of senior citizens, she started Snehkunj, a Senior Citizen Care Centre, in 2023, which offers assisted living services, underscoring her dedication to social welfare across all age groups.
Currently a doctoral research scholar in health and medical psychology at the Department of Liberal Arts, IIT Hyderabad, Shraddha has previously been a psychology lecturer and adjunct faculty at prominent universities in Pune, India.
She is a certified psychologist with training in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy from the Albert Ellis institute, New York and is certified in Mental Health First Aid by MHFA, UK. She is trained in and has worked as a queer-affirmative therapist and counsellor.
Alongside her work as a lecturer, she has also worked as a trainer, training module developer and in various other capacities at various organizations. She is one of the co-founders of Namaste Psychology, a mental health organization.
Education: After obtaining a BA in Psychology from SPPU, Pune, Shraddha has obtained an MSc in Health Psychology from the University of Surrey, UK and an MA in Psychology (Counselling) from IGNOU. She has worked, both as a research and project assistant as well as in the people-facing service industry during this time.
She has qualified the NET and has been awarded the PhD fellowship from the Ministry of Education, GOI.
Research: Passionate about health psychology research, Shraddha’s work primarily focuses on pediatric psych-oncology with particular emphasis on the parents of children with cancer. She has also engaged in research in women’s endocrinological health. Several of her research papers have been published in national and international journals. She is a part of the HACOS research group.
Personal: Alongside work, Shraddha finds time to write, both poetry and prose and enjoys painting and music, expressing a love for all things art. An avid cinephile, she has a keen interest in cinema and you can often find her at screenings. With a love for travelling that she has inherited from her parents, she will explore both the wilderness and busy cities with equal zest. All combined with an interest in cooking and eating a variety of cuisines of course!
Doctor by profession, He was the Co-Ordinator & Staff Training In-charge for 11 years at Sanjeevan Hospital, Pune. He is a Founder Secretary of General Practitioner Association. Hispassion was to guide students about their careers, Dr. Geet was an integral part of “Dyanprabodhini Sanstha, being a senior Career counsellor, he has guided more than 10000 students from Maharashtra and more than 1000 career counsellors. He was the key advisor for the “Maha Career Helpline” and was responsible for training all the dedicated counsellors from Maharashtra. Dr. Geet is also an author of 15 books on various career streams and medical profession. He is also associated with Pune medical association. Dr.Geet sir is our chief mentor and advisor and our inspiration.
“Doctor by education, Psychologist by profession and a great teacher by passion” Dr. Shirisha Sathe is a well-known personality in social welfare, and psychologist domain. Dr.Shirisha Sathe was associated with SAA and initiated support groups for Schizophrenic patients families. Dr. Shirisha has done an extensive work with patients suffered with addiction and was associated with Muktangan and Kripa foundation. She was also lecturer with SNDT and Flame and is associated with Samyak for cases related to domestic abuse and advisor for NGos. Dr. Shirisha is our advisor for mental health and a constant support, guide and counsellor to all the team members.