Our Team
Heeta Lakhani
Founder & Director
Heeta Lakhani is a climate educator and entrepreneur dedicated to empowering vulnerable groups in intergovernmental decision-making and taking climate action. As Founder & Director of the ClimAct Foundation and with a Masters in Environmental Studies from TERI University, she is dedicated to nurturing change-makers who combat the climate crisis with knowledge-based action. Heeta was introduced to the United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC) process at COP21 in 2015 and served as the Global Focal Point for YOUNGO during 2020 & 2021, playing a pivotal role in elevating youth voices on the global stage. She co-founded the Youth Negotiators Academy in 2022, to promote inclusivity in national delegations by training youth to be effective negotiators in the UN intergovernmental processes.
Medha Priya
Designer
Medha is a Designer from National Institute of Design, Bangalore. She has been a part of TCI's team for the past 1.5 years. In her role, Medha contributes to the organization's visual identity, communication strategies and produces a range of design materials that help TCI effectively convey its message. Her role is to enhance TCI's outreach and engagement efforts through visually compelling content.
Viveka Jani
Programme & Content lead
Viveka Jani is an environmentalist with almost 10 years of experience in the fields of education, communication, capacity building, research, and policy advocacy for climate change and sustainable development. She is the programme and content lead at the ClimAct Initiative (TCI). Aside from her work with TCI, she also works independently as an educator, trainer, and knowledge consultant on topics related to sustainability, environmental preservation, and climate change. Additionally, she works as a science communicator to distil complex scientific articles into more comprehensible and appealing textual and visual formats, including infographics and short animated videos. Across her experience working in the education space, Viveka has engaged with different stakeholders and organisations from India and internationally.
Aishwarya Sanas
Co-lead, Earth Talks
Aishwarya Sanas is a project co-lead at The ClimAct Initiative. She is a PhD candidate at the Department of International Relations at Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR. Her work concerns the political ecology of glaciers in the Himalayan region. Her research interests are India’s climate policies, Himalayan environmental politics, and sustainability governance.
Tulika Karmakar
Strategic Partnership builder
Tulika Karmakar can be suitably described as a dedicated communicator and strategic partnership builder. Her interests lie at the complex intersections of sustainable development, climate change, finance, and gender equality. She has honed strong skills in research, communications, and partnerships, demonstrated through her contributions both nationally and internationally. Currently she is working on a report for the Youth Constituency of UNFCCC (YOUNGO) on ‘Youth Access to Climate Finance’.
Ritika Chawla
Intern
Ritika Chawla is an intern at The ClimAct Initiative. She is an educator by chance and an environment enthusiast by choice. She has over 14 years of experience in the education sector, specializing in learning and development, and educational leadership. She holds an MA in Education from Azim Premji University and an undergraduate degree in Business Management from Symbiosis. Previously, she has worked with various organisations, including LEAD Group, India School Leadership Institute, Teach for India, Oye Happy and led the initiative called Human Library Hyderabad. Her deep love for the planet drew her to pivot to the environment, sustainability and climate change sector.