Our Board of Trustees and Principle Advisor

  •

    Leena Kejriwal

  • Nikita Tulsian

  •

    Anju Dhandhania

  •

    Jacob Ninan

  •

    Ujwal Thakar (Principal Advisor)

Leena Kejriwal

Leena Kejriwal is a photographer and social artist based in Mumbai and Kolkata. Her work has been exhibited in various locations in France, NY, India, Iran, Germany and broadcasted in several media including BBC, Al Jazeera, SBS World News, the Guardian, The Telegraph, The Sunday Tribune, The Hindu.

MISSING is a direct response to her experience of over thirteen years (before founding Missing Link Trust) in the grassroot spaces of the rural trafficking belts of West Bengal and the red light districts of Kolkata.

She has been honored with multiple awards and accolades for her unique artistic take on this grave social issue: Her Story Woman On a Mission Award (2019), the mBillionth award for the Missing Game (2018), the YFLO Women Achiever Award (2016), and the Yes Foundation Changemakers Award (2015), to name a few.

Nikita Tulsian

Nikita is a passionate, executive level salesperson with 20 years of experience of heading sales departments of leading television companies like BBC Earth, AXN and TV Today Network. She has received various awards and recognition throughout her career, including the Top 50 media persons in the country. Her sector expertise includes financial planning, forecasting and strategy, operations and teambuilding.

Anju Dhandhania

Anju is a believer of women independence and works tirelessly towards better facilities for vulnerable women and girls. A Rani Birla graduate in arts, she is a contemplative person with keen eye for culinary skills.

Jacob Ninan

Mr. Jacob Ninan is a Trustee with various NGO’s. He was associated with Axis Bank Foundation as an Executive Trustee & CEO.

After completing his graduation in Science from Bangalore University, he started his career in banking with Catholic Syrian Bank and thereafter joined Axis Bank in 2000. In a banking career of over 3 decades, he has served in various capacities and dealt with the areas of Retail Banking, Corporate Finance, MSME Lending & Trade Finance among many other functions.

Forbes Middle East in 2014 recognized him for his contribution to the local economy and listed him in the top 100 CEOs. He is also a director on the Board of Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation, a Section VIII company formed in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra.

Working in a team environment brings out the best in Jacob and building and nurturing relationships comes naturally to him. Volunteering and engaging in community service is a deep-rooted passion that is close to his heart. Other areas of interest include photography and movies.

Ujwal Thakar (Principle Advisor)

Ujwal, a banker for 28 years, has held key senior management positions at several leading banks. After his banking career, he went on to become the CEO of Pratham and then, Give India. Since his retirement from active employment in 2010, he has worked relentlessly in the social sector chairing boards of various NGOs and banks, and more importantly, giving advice and mentoring them in their path to success.

Ujwal holds a Masters degree in Biochemistry and post-grad qualifications in Bank Management. He has been a speaker at leading business schools in India, USA & UK.

Advisory Board

  •

    Nayan Patel

  •

    Sanjoy Roy

  •

    Osama Manzar

  •

    Geetanjali Jha Chakraborty

Nayan Patel

Nayan Patel is a risk management specialist with over thirty-five years of experience in International Banking having held a number of senior leadership positions in the financial services industry in the UK.

A committed social entrepreneur and a change leader, Nayan has expertise in building strategic links between organisations – a skill which he shares widely to help address and find solutions on a range of social and humanitarian challenges locally and
internationally.

Nayan currently sits on the advisory board of a number of NGOs, charities, social impact enterprises and academic institutions. A Rotarian of long standing, Nayan is recipient of Paul Harris Fellow and also bestowed with Rotary International’s highest honour, the “Service above Self” Award in recognition of his contribution to the organisation and for his extensive charitable work globally.

Sanjoy Roy

Sanjoy K. Roy is Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, which produces over twenty-five highly acclaimed performing arts, visual arts and literary festivals across forty cities across the globe, including the world’s largest free literary gathering — the annual Jaipur Literature Festival.

Roy is a founder-trustee of Salaam Baalak Trust working to provide services for street and working children in Delhi. Roy works closely with various industry bodies on policy issues within the cultural space in India.

Osama Manzar

Osama Manzar is the Founder-Director of Digital Empowerment Foundation. He is a global leader on the mission of eradicating information poverty from India and global south using digital tools through Digital Empowerment Foundation, an organisation he co-founded in 2002.

A British Chevening Scholar and an International Visitors Leadership Program Fellow of the US State Department, Osama is a social entrepreneur, author, columnist, impact speaker, angel investor, mentor, and sits on several government and policy committees in India and on international organisations working in the areas of Internet, access, digital inclusion and Misinformation.

Osama has instituted 10 awards for recognising digital innovations for development in South Asia. He is a Member of Advisory Board for
Alliance for Affordable Internet; Member of Licensing Committee for Community Radio in India at the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting among others. Osama Manzar has
travelled to more than 2000 villages and visited more than 50 countries.

Geetanjali Jha Chakraborty

Geetanjali Jha Chakraborty is the President of Apnalaya. She has a diverse background, with early years in the corporate sector and more than 15+ years in the Social Sector. Geetanjali has held leadership and CEO level roles in Concern India Foundation, CHILDLINE India Foundation, and ARMMAN, and is currently on the boards of Foundation for Mother and Child Health, Vihaan and Technoserve India Foundation. She is also on the Global advisory board of Tech Care for All. She is passionate about child protection, urban inequality, and mental health. She has a Masters in Social Work and LLM in Human Rights and Criminal Law. She loves to read Buddhist philosophy and enjoys solitary walks in nature.

Our Team

  •

    Amitav Barik

  •

    Aparajita Chatterjee

  •

    Arihant Kochar

  •

    Monish K

  • Nainish Tikoo

  •

    Nikita Anand

  • Radhika N

  •

    Shalini Arvindan

  •

    Suchismita

Amitav Barik

Amitav with a Postgraduate degree in Social Work and Anthropology, coupled with over 17 years of experience in the development sector have worked with a range of development organizations, focusing on diverse thematic approaches such as Child Protection, Gender Equality & Justice, Humanitarian Programs, Inclusive Quality Education, Health & Nutrition Programs, Community Development, Livelihood Development Programs, and Local Self Governance across 8 states in India. As a Manager Operations at Missing Link Trust, Amitav is responsible for planning and execution of programs, team capacity building and management in the operational states.

Aparajita Chatterjee

Aparajita has completed post- graduation from Azim Premji University with a Master’s Degree in Education. She is an Honours Graduate in Education from Loreto College.

Currently working as Program Associate; she is responsible for managing the program curriculum & resources, and execution of program related assignments and collaborations by engagement of field resources in online and offline modes. Managing partners and implementation of innovative pedagogy program at schools/NGOs.

Arihant Kochar

Arihant Kochar is a Chartered Accountant and Partner at Lalwani Kochar & Associates, bringing over 12 years of expertise in audit, finance, accounts, and advisory. At Missing Link Trust, he oversees the finance and accounts functions, ensuring financial compliance, efficiency, and strategic management.

Monish K

Monish K is a Learning & Development Associate with extensive experience in research, analysis, course creation, and curriculum optimization. At Missing Link Trust, he plays a key role in refining educational content and ensuring that learning assets are technically optimized for maximum impact. Additionally, he contributes to strategic branding and communications, enhancing the organization’s outreach and effectiveness.

Nainish Tikoo

Nainish is a social impact leader with over 15 years of experience in skilling, employment, education, and social protection. As Advisor for Programs and Partnerships at Save Missing Girls, he leverages his expertise in program management, team building, operations, and resource mobilization to drive the organization’s growth and strengthen its impact and culture.

Nikita Anand

With extensive experience in administrative management, Nikita focuses on improving efficiency and creating a positive work environment. She manages daily office operations to ensure smooth processes. Known for leading diverse teams, implementing strong policies, and supporting employee growth, she is dedicated to the organization’s success.

At Missing Link Trust, she uses her skills in recruitment, employee relations, and performance management to help the organization succeed.

Radhika N

Radhika is an experienced development communications professional, specialising in strategic communications, content creation and brand building rooted in participatory research methodologies. She has previously worked in organisations like – Praxis institute of participatory research, Women’s Fund Asia, India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) and more.

At Missing, she manages communications, advocacy, and partnerships, using storytelling and creative strategies to raise awareness and drive action in our mission to prevent child sex abuse and exploitation.

Shalini Arvindan

Shalini has more than two decades experience of research in the development sector with Grassroot movements, multiple State Governments, Think Tank and International Agencies. She has two Master’s degrees and a Diploma in Child Rights and Law. In her capacity as research consultant she evaluated Inclusive Education policy of Andhra Pradesh state for UNICEF, guided as a Technical Consultant for Child Fund International study on Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children with three State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. She is Key Informant on practice-based knowledge system with Safe Futures Hub, an International Global Alliance to end sexual violence against children. She has worked with Tamil Nadu State Government as World Bank consultant, Research Learning and Impact Assessment lead and contributed in Tamil Nadu State Policy for Children.

She is presently the Director Research Monitoring and Evaluation to build evidence based work of the organisation and create a common knowledge platform for bringing diverse narrative of CSA for systemic change.

Suchismita

Suchismita transitioned from the corporate sector to the development space, driven by her passion for education, gender equity, and social change. With two years of teaching experience as a Teach for India fellow, she developed a deep commitment to girl child education, personal safety, and addressing societal polarization.

At Missing Link Trust, she serves as the District Coordinator for Program Implementation, overseeing on-the-ground execution, stakeholder engagement, and impact-driven initiatives to strengthen child protection efforts.

Our Partners