Leadership Team & Advisors

Rajeev Merchant is committed to innovative and socially responsible investments in emerging economies and frontier markets. Previously, as Director of International Strategy & Marketing at Intel Online Services and Director of AT&T’s Global Strategy & Business Development, he developed new markets and forged partnerships in Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and the Americas.  After two decades of global management and operational experience, he launched Strategy@work in 2000, a strategic consultancy advising venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to deliver leading-edge technologies.  In 2002, he founded Technoscenti to extend his clients' reach globally.  He has a Masters in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BA in Economics.  He taught Marketing in Technology as an Adjunct Professor and served on the Board of Directors of the Singapore India Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  As a social entrepreneur, he is an Advisor to Ashoka Fellows and Jagriti.  He is co-author of The New Asia:  Business Strategies for the Economic Region that is Shaking Up the World, published in June 2013 with David James.
Janice Merchant  has two decades of diverse experience as a Human Resources professional in the finance and technology sectors in crafting, implementing, and delivering successful HR strategies, programs, and services.  As Senior Vice President at the Pershing Technology Group (DLJ), she managed the HR team supporting a group of over 700 technology professionals in multiple locations.    At Swiss Bank Corporation, she was Vice President and senior HR consultant for Finance, Marketing, and Operations where she also designed, developed, and managed a state-of-the-art training facility for the North Americas.  In Asia, she was the lead consultant to senior executives from MNCs (Ford, Avon, US West) and Indian corporations (Citibank India, Eischer) on start-up operations and HR issues including recruitment, compensation, benefits, organizational development, best practices, career development, performance management, and succession planning.  With a passion for human development and capacity building, she has worked with NGOs to raise capital and build schools in Cambodia and sponsor scholars in the Philippines.  She has a Master's degree (Honors) in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She is the author of Expatriate in Myanmar, a guide to moving to and living in Myanmar.
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Dr. Rema Nanda, is Senior Advisor with The Karuna Fund offering philanthropic guidance to high net-worth individuals and companies interested in India. She manages the JAGRITI Trust, an Indian  youth-centric, youth-led initiative for leadership, employment, and health. Previously, Dr Nanda served as Country Representative, Pathfinder International, India. She successfully scaled up two large projects with four state governments including the renowned PRACHAR intervention. With over 25 years in the development sector Dr. Nanda has devised strategic solutions and entrepreneurial approaches to serve the bottom of the pyramid.  As a skilled negotiator, Dr. Nanda has implemented partnerships between public and private sectors to achieve interdependent goals. Through a distinguished career in India, the UN, and private global foundations, Ms. Nanda champions innovation to drive social change and economic development.  Her early work improved girl’s literacy and self-sufficiency, and mobilized communities to redress livelihood issues and  violence against women in India. Dr. Nanda holds a Doctorate in International Education from the University of Massachusetts, a Certificate in Health and Human Rights from the HSPH, and a Certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management from the Harvard Business School.
Manu Daftary,  Advisor, founded DG Capital Management in 1996 and is a member of the DG Capital Management Committee. He began his investment management career at the University of Southern California in 1985 where he was Assistant Treasurer – Investments. In 1988, he joined Geewax, Terker & Company as a Portfolio Manager and was co-manager of the firm’s institutional accounts. In addition, he also was Manager of equity short selling for the firm’s hedge fund assets and also designed the option overlay program that was utilized in the firm’s institutional accounts. In 1993, he joined Hellman, Jordan Investment Management Company as a Senior Vice-President/Portfolio Manager with lead responsibility for $500 million in institutional assets and was also involved in the management of $150 million in hedge fund assets. Mr. Daftary has a BA in economics from the University of Mumbai, India and a BS and MBA from California State University at Long Beach. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.