Our Mentors
Dr. Nagesh Simha
MS(Gen Surg), MSc Pall Med (Cardiff), FRCP Lon (Hon)
Dr.Nagesh Simha is one of the founders and Medical Director of Karunashraya, a cancer hospice in Bengaluru as well as the Bagchi Karunashraya Palliative Care Centre, Bhubaneswar. An Adjunct Faculty at the Dept. of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, Dr. Simha is also an Honorary Tutor, School of Medicine, Cardiff University. He practiced as a surgeon for many years and trained in palliative medicine from Cardiff University. He is a past president of Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar and Indian Association of Palliative Care. His interests include spiritual care and communication skills.
Dr. Ashwini N.V.
Ashwini is the founder-director of Muktha Foundation which is an organization committed to preventing interpersonal violence and promoting mental health. She is also the CEO of 'Flourish Lifeschool' and a trustee of Aweksha - A women's rights organization. She is also Yi Bangalore Member. A gold medalist in Post Graduate Studies in Psychological Counselling, she holds a PhD in Psychology pertaining to self-inflicted burns among Indian women. She was recognized as one of the 100 ‘leaders under 30’ from across the globe for her idea titled ‘FOCUS formula to foster mental health in low and middle income countries’ at St. Gallen Symposium, Switzerland in May 2015. She is the recipient of Rotary Bangalore’s Vocational Service Award 2018-19 for her work in the area of training and promotion of mental health.
Ms. Madhumitha Venkataraman
Madhumitha Venkataraman is a pioneering voice in DEI in India, having led diversity and inclusion at organisations like Netflix India, Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages, and Snapdeal. As a founder of Diversity Dialogues, she has partnered with over 100 organisations in their diversity and inclusion journey. With a background in HR and certification in therapy, she is also qualified in gender & sexuality, sign language, and counselling. Recognized by Women Economic Forum and World HRD Congress, she's one of the top 17 D&I Professionals in South Asia by Biz Divas Foundation and one of the top 24 DEI professionals by Human Resource Association of India. As a counsellor, she largely works with underrepresented communities and has authored a paper on making mental health accessible for the deaf community, published by Mariwala Health Initiative. She regularly speaks at conferences and corporations on diversity and inclusion, and has been featured in the media for her work in D&I and her personal journey as a woman with disability.