Lahari Shekar

I have primarily worked in the social sector, engaging with its three major actors: governments, nonprofits, and philanthropy. My work spans operations and strategy, equipping me with a broad understanding of how different stakeholders drive social change.

In my previous role at Central Square Foundation, I focused on the education sector, working at the intersection of technology and systemic change initiatives. This experience gave me insight into scaling impact-driven solutions and working with multi-stakeholder partnerships.

For the past 3.5 years at Bridgespan, I have worked on strategy, funding models, and operating models for systems change organizations across multiple sectors. My engagements have included advisory work, coaching, and curating communities of practice that explore innovative facilitation techniques.

As a co-curator and facilitator of a community of practice at Bridgespan, I focus on harnessing collective power, fostering shared learning, and driving reflections on systems change. Additionally, I dedicated two years to the Pay-What-It-Takes India Initiative, where I developed public goods, tools, and engagement strategies for funders, nonprofits, and intermediaries. This initiative promotes true cost funding, shifting mindsets and practices through narrative change and behavioral shifts.

My journey in the social impact space began through volunteering in Delhi, working on women’s empowerment, sex workers’ rights, and education. I hold a bachelor’s degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University.

I remain deeply committed to unlocking learnings, fostering collaboration, and shaping more sustainable funding and operating models for impact-driven organizations.