Sunayana is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research India, working on improving multilingual and multicultural evaluation of large language models. A PhD from Carnegie Mellon University, she leads globally influential research, datasets, and benchmarks, and plays a key role in shaping the NLP research community.

Deepti George has 15 years of experience shaping India’s financial sector policy, including work with the securities regulator, central bank committees, and Civil20 during India’s G20 Presidency. She is the founder of Yutadhi, a think-and-action tank focused on delivering measurable value to citizens through policy reform.

Khushboo designs human-centred systems that enable rural communities to earn and learn through the AI ecosystem. Her work blends social design, research, and storytelling, grounded in close collaboration with communities.

Shiva brings over three decades of hands-on market experience across print and interactive design. As an independent consultant, he specializes in brand strategy, UX design, and digital marketing, with deep expertise spanning content marketing, e-commerce, mobile, social media, and advertising.

Sai Rahul leads efforts to strengthen India’s free and open-source software ecosystem through community-building and advocacy. An end-to-end software developer, he brings deep technical expertise shaped by years of consulting and product development.

Kumar Subham is the Co-Founder and CEO of India House, where he works to build institutions that nurture public leadership and youth-led social change. An engineer by training, he brings over a decade of experience across governance, public policy, social entrepreneurship, and institution-building.

Sarayu is the Founder of the Apti Institute, where she leads accessible, foundational research at the intersection of technology and society. Her work focuses on the future of workers, governance and welfare, and the data economy.

Akhila works at the intersection of open-source tech, nonprofits, and community building. With prior experience at The/Nudge Foundation and Amnesty International India, she focuses on enabling mission-driven organisations to sustainably adopt digital tools for social good.

Harsha Bhowmik is the Director of Digital Economy and Fintech in the Government of India, with over 23 years of experience across public policy, fintech, payments, banking, and digital transformation. He plays a key role in shaping national-level policies on financial inclusion, digital public infrastructure (DPI), and emerging financial technologies.

Safir is an AI ethics and critical design researcher whose work sits at the intersection of responsible AI, social justice, and Majority World / Global South perspectives. He is currently a PhD candidate in Interdisciplinary (AI) Design at the University of Cambridge, where his research focuses on reimagining AI systems that are inclusive, human-centred, and responsive to non-Western contexts.

Raj Shekhar is an AI Regulation Fellow at ProductNation/iSPIRT Foundation, where he works at the intersection of public policy, technology, and innovation. His work focuses on leveraging India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) leadership to shape forward-looking approaches to AI regulation that enable innovation at scale while prioritising public trust, safety, and accountability. 

Prof. Manisha Pathak-Shelat, is a scholar, educator, and media researcher whose work spans academia, research, and professional practice across India, Thailand, and the United States. She holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, and a Ph.D. in Education from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India. She is currently associated as a Faculty with MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad), India.

Irene Coletto is a visual futurist, group facilitator, design strategist, and researcher specializing in visual storytelling, futures thinking, and collaborative innovation. With more than six years of experience as a graphic facilitator and illustrator, she supports organizations and teams in making complex ideas visible, actionable, and engaging. A member of the Forwardto team and a 2021 Next Generation Foresight Practitioners Fellow, her work explores how imagination, visuals, and collaboration can help people navigate uncertainty and create meaningful impact.