Board of Mentors PRAN Foundation
Board of Mentors
Distinguished advisors who lend their decades of experience and institutional credibility to guide PRAN Foundation’s advocacy, legal, and policy work.
At PRAN Foundation, we believe that systemic change requires a blend of youthful energy and institutional wisdom. Our Board of Mentors serves as a high-level advisory body, providing the strategic counsel and professional guidance necessary to navigate complex legal and policy landscapes.
Our mentors are trusted sounding boards who lend their immense credibility and decades of experience to ensure our advocacy remains impactful, ethical, and grounded in evidence.
Strategic Counsel
Advising on programmatic direction, partnerships, and campaign priorities to ensure PRAN’s work remains focused and high-impact.
Policy & Legal Review
Providing expert feedback on select policy briefs, petitions, and advocacy documents before submission to regulatory bodies.
Institutional Wisdom
Sharing professional perspective and guidance with our team of advocates and researchers through direct mentoring engagement.
Crisis Advisory
Serving as a steady, experienced voice to help the Foundation navigate high-stakes situations — litigation, media scrutiny, policy emergencies — with integrity.
A Note on Personal Capacity: All mentors associated with PRAN Foundation serve in their individual personal capacity. Their association does not represent, imply, or constitute an endorsement by any institution, organisation, employer, or body with which they are, or have been, affiliated.
Ms. Konopka brings over two decades of experience in complex criminal and civil litigation. She previously served as the Deputy Attorney General for the District of Columbia, where she oversaw major antitrust and consumer protection cases, building an exceptional track record in public interest law.
LinkedIn ProfileAn economist with over 25 years of experience, Mr. Parashar specialises in international trade, transport connectivity, and investment promotion. He has provided high-level advisory services to various organisations, including multilateral institutions, and brings a rigorous, evidence-based perspective to policy analysis.
LinkedIn ProfileA prominent figure in Indian public health, Dr. Salkar leads NOTE in advocacy efforts to strengthen tobacco-free legislation and drive cancer prevention through public awareness. His medical expertise and sustained policy engagement make him an invaluable voice in PRAN’s public health work.
LinkedIn ProfileA veteran in NGO management and policy advocacy with over 25 years of civil society engagement, Mr. Kumar has previously served as Country Lead for Tobacco Tax Policy with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK). His extensive field experience and deep institutional networks make him a strategic anchor on the Board.
LinkedIn ProfileA development economist and management consultant with over two decades of independent practice, Ms. Kaur has held senior leadership roles across the South Asian social sector, including as the first Executive Officer of Oxfam India and Regional Representative for South Asia at Oxfam America. Her expertise spans agriculture, gender in development, rural-urban migration, tribal area development, land rights, and institutional policy. She serves on the boards of several civil society organisations and brings to PRAN a rare combination of field-level depth and high-level strategic perspective.
LinkedIn ProfileShri Mavani Ji brings a unique blend of high-level legislative experience and grassroots consumer activism. As a former Member of Parliament and a lifelong champion of citizen rights, he offers invaluable insight into the intersection of public policy and lived reality — a perspective central to everything PRAN Foundation stands for.
LinkedIn ProfilePRAN Foundation follows a structured and accountable institutional framework designed to ensure both strategic direction and operational efficiency.
Core Leadership: Responsible for execution, legal strategy, and programme implementation across all verticals.
Board of Mentors: Provides independent, high-level advisory support on policy direction, legal strategy, and institutional positioning.
Legal Aid & Research Network: A growing national network of advocates, researchers, and volunteers supporting on-ground and digital interventions.
The strength of PRAN Foundation lies not just in its mission, but in the credibility and experience of those guiding it. Our Board of Mentors ensures that our work remains legally sound, policy-relevant, and aligned with national and global best practices.
This layered governance approach enhances institutional trust, strengthens stakeholder confidence, and enables PRAN to engage meaningfully with governments, multilateral agencies, and civil society partners.