Reinventing Purpose

A postgraduate from IIT Delhi, Sumathy Krishnan spent over a decade in the corporate world before taking a leap of faith into the NGO sector in 2010. What felt uncertain at first, proved to be profoundly rewarding. What began as an experiment became a calling, shaping her most fulfilling professional years. Today, she leads Sustainpath in Singapore and continues her association with TIDE, the NGO she once helmed in India. Her book, A Career without an Expiry Date: Finding Work, Growth and Fulfilment in NGOs, is the guide she wishes she’d had: offering clarity, stories, and direction to those seeking purpose and growth beyond conventional careers.

After spending a year at UTI learning to be a fund manager, Akshay spent 17 years as an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley before boredom struck and he decided to quit the investment banking world. He happened to see a LinkedIn ad for The/Nudge Institute while on his break, and landed up for an interview because he had not been there, not done that. That curiosity started a 7-year journey in the social sector, where at The/Nudge Institute, as Managing Partner – Livelihoods Ecosystem, he conceptualized and ran India’s first nonprofit accelerator (working with over 100 entrepreneurs), sparked new products for the social sector like the Indian Administrative Fellowship, and led the independent backbone for India’s first Collective Impact initiative, a collaboration of 10 organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit, working together to improve the quality of life of Bangalore’s informal waste pickers and enable them to lead more dignified lives.

Archana Ramachandran is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at ILSS. Having joined the organization in its early years, she has played multiple roles — leading Programs, Alumni, HR, and more — and has been instrumental in shaping ILSS into what it is today.

Driven by a deep belief in the power of human potential, Archana envisions a world where more people are discovering and becoming their best selves, growing not just individually but also helping others grow. Her passion lies in harnessing Human Capital and Leadership as key levers for strong teams and thriving organizations.

Her career spans the corporate, government, and social sectors, with a consistent focus on learning and leadership. Before ILSS, she served as City Director at Teach For India (TFI), where she led strategy and operations for both the Fellowship and Alumni Movement. She has also worked with the Infosys Leadership Institute and Boston Public Schools, focusing on human capital, competency development, and diversity and inclusion.

At the heart of every role she takes on, Archana remains both a learner and an educator — the core around which her work revolves.

She holds a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Master’s in Management from T.A. Pai Management Institute. Archana currently lives in Chennai, a city she proudly calls home.

Shalini Umachandran is editor of Mint Lounge. She splits her time between New Delhi and Bengaluru.