Board Of Trustees
Adv. Priyanka Behera
ChairpersonAdv. Priyanka Behera studied Law from the National Law Institute University, Bhopal and also from the University of Washington, Seattle; in Advanced Intellectual Property Rights. She heads the CSR activities of the RSB Group since 2014 with a special focus on Education, and Healthcare. Her work is recognized with CSR Excellence Awards. She actively collaborates with many NGOs across the country and has an in- depth orientation of the sector.
Mr. Jayant Vidwans
Vice ChairpersonMr. Vidwans is an MBA (Finance) and a Certified Financial Planner in Mumbai. Besides his successful career in Finance, Mr Vidwans is a popular Columnist on Financial Affairs. His role as an expert Trainer in finance is well appreciated by many. He is also actively involved in many Educational and Financial Institutes, Art & Culture Organization like ‘Sanskar Bharati’ and ‘Citizen’s Movement’ in Mumbai.
Dr. Prasanna Patil
SecretaryAn Ayurveda Graduate, Dr. Prasanna is with SPMESM since the beginning. He chose to stay in a slum and facilitated developmental initiatives there. Since 2008; he heads the PR and Fund- Raising at SPMESM. A Faculty in OD, Project Management and CSR; he is associated with many organizations in developmental, media and literary fields. Dr. Prasanna is also a Columnist and a Public Speaker.
Dr. Sandeep Daphale
Jt. SecretaryDr. Daphale holds a Degree in Ayurved and has completed Post Graduate Program in Development Management. He joined Dr. Hedgewar Hospital as a Medical Officer and later was given the profile of Community Health through SPMESM. At SPMESM’s Sant Rohidas Slum Health Project, he leads Preventive Health and Health Education work for slum clusters of the city. He has played key role in managing HR affairs at SPMESM.
Ms. Madhuri Gavit
Jt. SecretaryMadhuri holds a Major in Psychology, is a Certified Psychosocial Rehabilitator (Psychiatric) and Counsellor and a Certification in Research in Social Action. With a decade of experience in Mental Health, she has presented research papers on mental health and coping methods at International Conferences. Additionally, she has a deep interest in tribal development and actively supports SPMESM’s initiatives in Nandurbar and other tribal regions.
Mr. Dilip Bharadkar
TreasurerA veteran of the Indian Air Force, Mr. Bharadkar holds qualifications in Engineering, Humanities, Law, and Management. With over four decades of experience spanning the armed forces, industry, and the social sector, he is deeply interested in development. Previously, he was associated with the Azim Premji Foundation for Development. A certified Six Sigma Black Belt, he specializes in process excellence and operations management.
Dr. Sakharam (Suhas)Ajgaonkar
Jt. TreasurerAn Agronomist with Master’s and PhD in Environmental Science; Suhas had dedicated 7 years for Tribal Agriculture. At SPMESM, he heads many important projects for the marginal farmers. He plays a pivotal role in SPMESM’s Climate Change Mitigation Initiatives. He is a MASHAV fellow of Hebrew University and a Member of Institute Management Committee of ‘National Beuro of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning’ of ICAR.
Ms. Dnyanada Deshpande
TrusteeDnyanada is currently working as the Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy at IIT Bombay DRF. She brings 25+ years of expertise in fundraising, CSR, Public Policy and Social Research. She holds a Postgraduate Degree in Humanities and Religious Studies from Arizona State University and a background in Sociology. Her institutional experience includes WRI India and Deshpande Foundation alongside active contributions to TV Media as a writer and editor- anchor.
Mr. Rajendra Rathi
TrusteeMr. Rajendra Rathi is a Post- graduate in Commerce and is the Managing Director at Divya Seeds Company, Jalna. A social changemaker at the core, Mr Rathi has been providing an ardent support to many developmental initiatives in Education, Skill Development and Livelihood. Dedicating quality time, he has successfully built a network of Volunteers which supports many social and spiritual projects in the city.
Mr. Vasant Hingnikar
TrusteeMr. Vasant Hingnikar has pursued his Degree in Chemical Engineering and MBA in International Business. He has an experience of 20+ years in Agro- Food Processing in India and Africa. He currently leads a Green Technology- based Nutraceuticals Business. His expertise in Project Management has helped many commercial as well as non- profit entities plan and execute their major projects in time and with quality.
Mr. Karbhari Mangate
TrusteeA progressive farmer himself, Mr Mangate has led many important initiatives for small and marginal farmers. He has been an advisor to many FPCs and helping the farmers to establish and successfully run various agro businesses. His speciality is in taking the various government schemes to the poor farmers. Currently he is on the board of the ‘The Maize and Millets Council’ as an Expert Director.
Dr. Swati Mahajan
TrusteeAfter MBBS, Dr Swati pursued her MD in Community Medicine. Currently she is Professor and Head of Community Medicine at R K Damani Medical College, Shri Ramchandra Institute of Medical Sciences. She has the experience of 25 years of teaching medical students. Her areas of interest are Health Research, Nutrition Interventions & Epidemiology. She has guided many research projects by postgraduate students, PhD scholars and medical faculties.
Dr. Mayur Bhosale
TrusteeDr. Mayur Bhosale, MD Pathology, is the Director at Detect Diagnostics, with extensive expertise in Pathology, Transfusion Medicine and also in Quality Management Systems. He has served in institutions like St. George's Hospital and Dr. Hedgewar Hospital and has contributed significantly to research and education in Pathology. An IT enthusiast, Dr. Mayur has his med- tech start up. Mayur is also a voracious reader and passionate about Indology.
Dr. Priyanka Gaikwad
TrusteeDr. Priyanka holds Degree in Medicine (MBBS), MD (Biochemistry) and DPB (Pathology). She’s a Consultant Biochemist & Pathologist at Dr. Hedgewar Hospital and Assistant Professor at R K Dammani Medical College; Shri Ramchandra Institute of Medical Sciences. She is Technical Manager at NABL accredited Pathology Lab of Dr. Hedgewar Hospital. Dr. Priyanka is an active mentor to many medical students through Sevankur Bharat, a pan- India movement which works with budding doctors.
Ms. Vandana Surdakar
TrusteeOnce a beneficiary of SPMESM’s Developmental Initiatives, Vandana excelled in Social Work with a MSW and a Certificate Course in Child Care. Her journey as a community worker started as a volunteer at SPMESM’s Kishori Vikas Prakalpa. Today, she leads this project working with over 7000 adolescent girls. She also contributes in education field as an active volunteer at Vidya Bharati heading its Balika Shiksha initiatives.
The Leadership Team
Ms. Savita Kulkarni
Head- Women EmpowermentMSW by Education, Ms. Kulkarni, started working for slum women in 1992. She opted to live in the slum with her family and has implemented many vital projects in women empowerment and financial inclusion for the slum women. A large network of slum women and peer workers is the outcome of her work. She brings in a vast experience of working with women from marginalised communities.
Dr. Pratibha Phatak
Head- Process ExcellenceAfter completing her degree in Ayurveda, Dr. Pratibha joined the organization in 1993. She is the Founder Secretary of SPMESM. With Master's Degrees in Public Health and Rural Development, Dr. Pratibha is a well-known figure in community health. She has vast experience in strategising and implementing many rural health & development, tribal health and women empowerment projects.
Dr. Vishal Bedre
Head- Community HealthAfter completing his Graduation in Ayurveda Dr. Vishal joined SPMESM and spearheaded the Rural Health Movement for many years. He also lead the HIV- AIDS Prevention Projects and contributed in placing financial systems at place in the organisation. Dr. Bedre is a dedicated volunteer of Arogya Bharati, a health organisation.
Ms. Varsha Patil
Head- Skills & EntrepreneurshipMSW by Education, Ms. Patil opted to stay in the slum with her family to spearhead Women and Adolescent Girls' Projects since 1995. She has playing the pivotal role in Skilling, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood initiatives for the women from the urban slums.
Mr. Vijay Ukkalgaonkar
Head- PRVijay holds a Post Graduate Degree in Computer Science. After completing his education, he dedicated 6 years as a full time volunteer for working with students through ABVP. He has experience of 15 years in Pharmaceutical Marketing and has worked with many multinational pharma companies. He was heading a Pan- Maharashtra Non- Profit’s network before joining SPMESM in 2021.
Ms. Kiran Roda
Head - EducationMs Roda has 20+ years’ experience in Education. She holds degrees in Commerce, Science and Education with Masters in Social Work. Has a good experience in Curriculum Development and Educational Leadership.
Dr. Saraswatiprasad Waikar
Head- Radio & Relief WorkAn Ayurved Graduate by education, Dr. Waikar heads the slum health projects for many years. He has excelled in quality systems and is a certified Auditor. His played a pivotal role in implementing the QMS.
Mr. Kailas Rathod
Head- Sustainable DevelopmentMr Kailas Rathod has completed his Post Graduation in Rural Studies. He has a vast experience of working with rural communities and farmers. Before joining SPMESM, he has dedicated 6 years of his life as a full- time volunteer for social transformation in Marathwada region. He also leads the Gramvikas (Rural Development) initiative with a team of dedicated volunteers.
Mr. Shivkant Rajwad
Head- Natural Resource ManagementShivkant holds a Masters in Science in Applied Geology from IIT, Kharagpur. He has worked as the Deputy Manager- Geology at Coal India Limited for 5 years before deciding to dedicate his skills through social projects.
