Our Team

Founder CEO

Swapnil Chaudhari

Swapnil has over fourteen years of experience leading conservation and development programs in South Asia, Hindu Kush Himalaya, Eastern Africa, and Europe.

Swapnil has over fourteen years of experience leading conservation and development programs in South Asia, Hindu Kush Himalaya, Eastern Africa, and Europe. Having served in different capacities at national, regional and international levels, his work focused on climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration and transboundary cooperation. He has managed complex multi-partner, multi-country programmes from design, development, implementation to monitoring and evaluation, which have contributed to several policies issues in Asia. He is an alumnus of University of Cambridge Conservation Leadership Program, Inlaks Foundation, Salim Ali School of Ecology Pondicherry University, Bharati Vidyapeeth, and Ecological Society of India.

e: swapnil@groundupasia.com

Head – Grassroots Strategy

Radhika Kothari

Radhika has been working in the Himalayan region for over twelve years. Having worked with several NGOs/CSO’s, she specialises in community-based conservation and developing grassroot capacities.

Radhika has been working in the Himalayan region for over twelve years. Having worked with several NGOs/CSO’s, she specialises in community-based conservation and developing grassroot capacities. She is an alumna of University of Cambridge Conservation Leadership Program and a recipient of the Robert Sansom Scholarship and Shared Cambridge Commonwealth Award, LEAD Fellowship, and the Dalai Lama Fellows program.

e: radhika@groundupasia.com

Operations Manager

Abhishek Narvekar

Born in Amboli, a small village in India, Abhishek had travel dreams from an early age. Over the last 16 years, he has explored every corner of India, traversing roads on foot or cycle.

Born in Amboli, a small village in India, Abhishek had travel dreams from an early age. Over the last 16 years, he has explored every corner of India, traversing roads on foot or cycle. He has extensive experience in developing alternative livelihood and tourism related strategies. He has also led projects in various operational capacities.

e: abhishek@groundupasia.com

Associate – Livelihoods

Bhuwan Joshi

Bhuwan is a cultural enthusiast with interdisciplinary research and field experience. He is interested in employing ethnographic techniques, particularly into conservation, livelihood, and education program design and implementation.

Bhuwan is a cultural enthusiast with interdisciplinary research and field experience. He is interested in employing ethnographic techniques, particularly into conservation, livelihood, and education program design and implementation. One of his notable projects is the state-wide study of 110+ last mile schools across 3 districts in Uttarakhand impacting ~1Million school students.

e: bhuwan@groundupasia.com