A critical component of LGT VP’s approach is to work through local partners and regional teams so that we can better support our locally rooted portfolio organizations that are embedded in the communities they serve. In order to deepen our local expertise, networks, and reach, we are delighted to welcome Neera Nundy, India, and Isis Nyong’o, Africa, to the Board of LGT Venture Philanthropy. They bring a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, and we are excited to have them on board as we continue to work towards our mission to improve the quality of life of people facing disadvantages, contribute to healthy ecosystems and build resilient, inclusive, and prosperous communities.
Neera Nundy, is Co-Founder of Dasra, where she leads Dasra’s ecosystem-building initiatives in the areas of Adolescents, Urban Sanitation, and Democracy & Governance and facilitates collaborative platforms by engaging donors, non-profits, government, and other stakeholders.
She has initiated the Dasra Adolescents Collaborative, an impact-driven platform that has till date united institutional funders, technical experts, government stakeholders from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and seven social organizations to focus on four key outcomes for adolescent empowerment. She also initiated and led the launch of the Dasra Social Impact Leadership Program with Harvard Business Publishing, a first-of-its-kind executive education program for social sector leaders in India. Neera Nundy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is an Indian Leadership Fellow with Anantha-Aspen Institute. Moreover, she is a recipient of the Canadian Governor General’s Medallion for her dedication to addressing India’s critical development challenges, and the Forbes Philanthropy Award in the Crossover Leaders category. Neera asserts that "To foster greater societal resilience, philanthropy must acknowledge the reality of our interdependence and move beyond a charity mindset and siloed efforts by embracing a collaborative approach".
Isis Nyong'o, brings deep experience in navigating the Africa business and impact landscape. As a Partner at Asphalt & Ink, she advises leading global foundations, investors, and technology companies on their Africa strategies. She is well established in Africa’s technology ecosystem having played an instrumental role in shaping Africa’s digital economy through notable leadership positions at Google, InMobi, and MTV Networks. With a background that includes partnership development, early-stage venture building and board service (public and private), she possesses a nuanced understanding of how scale organizations across the continent. She is involved in various initiatives to improve gender equality including co-founding WomenWork, a digital network of entrepreneurial women through which she has a direct grasp of the challenges and opportunities in the women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem in Africa.
Isis is a graduate of Stanford University & Harvard Business School and serves on the board of the NSE, Nairobi’s Stock Exchange.
Isis Nyong'o shared her thoughts on LGT Venture Philanthropy, stating, "I am impressed with LGT Venture Philanthropy's unique approach to identify and back scalable solutions to systemic challenges faced in education, health and environment in Africa and India. I look forward to helping LGT Venture Philanthropy further its mission in Africa through my deep experience in building gender-inclusive and scalable technology solutions across the continent."
Dr Alexander Leeb, Chairman of the LGT Venture Philanthropy Board, welcomes the new board members: "We are delighted to welcome Isis and Neera to our board. They will add local knowledge in both our most important markets Africa and India. They also bring significant sector know-how and investment experience, best practice from other board engagements and most importantly their passion for our mission and their good humor. We are a much stronger board now with them."
Oliver Karius, CEO of LGT Venture Philanthropy, states: "We are delighted to welcome Isis and Neera to the Board of LGT Venture Philanthropy as we deepen our footprint across these two critical regions. We are confident that they will bring fresh perspectives and ideas to our organization, as we look forward to creating positive and lasting impact through our portfolio organization. Welcome to the LGT VP family!"
LGT Venture Philanthropy is an independent charitable foundation established in 2007 with teams in Switzerland and Partners in Sub-Saharan Africa and in India. The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life of people facing disadvantages, contribute to healthy ecosystems and build resilient, inclusive, and prosperous communities. LGT VP focuses on strengthening the capabilities of locally rooted organizations that deliver effective, scalable solutions across health, education, and the environment contributing directly to the SDGs. For more information, please visit www.lgtvp.com.