Rural Futures

Joanna Dawson is involved in developing strategy, publications and partnerships for the Balipara Foundation, to advance the organization's vision and goals for the Eastern Himalayas. She brings an anthropological approach and experience in the development sector and marketing to the organization's human-centric conservation strategy. She is also involved in shaping the organization's thought leadership and original material for the Foundation's communications strategy & publications, including articles in regional & national publications. Her prior experience is in the development sector in India, and in marketing - communications, analysis and research. Joanna holds an M.A. in the Social Anthropology of Development and a B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology. Ranjit Barthakur is a social entrepreneur, with over 40 years of experience in both the public and private sectors in the areas of IT, hospitality, FMCGs, sports and sustainability consultancy with leading Indian organizations. He is committed to pursuing social change through innovative, cutting-edge, proprietary concepts such as NaturenomicsTM and Rural Futures, driving community-based conservation and livelihoods in the Eastern Himalayas through his organization, the Balipara Foundation. Saurav Malhotra is the Co-Founder & Chief Designer of the Rural Futures Framework of the Balipara Foundation. Saurav applies human-centered design to conservation and believes that humans lie at the center of any conservation program. Through the Rural Futures program, he is providing a framework for the restoration of forests and at the same time, linking this restoration pathway to socio-economic mobility of the forest-fringe communities through various livelihood generating programs. Saurav has a bachelor's degree in biotechnology and a master's degree in the biological sciences. Prior to his association with the Balipara Foundation, Saurav has held various research, teaching, and conservation awareness positions in Europe.