Divya Sharma Email & Phone Number

New Delhi, Dl, In

New Delhi, Delhi, India

WRI India is a research-driven organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity & human well-being. ✓ My core responsibilities lie in managing the LAND ACCELERATOR & HARIT BHARAT FUND programs (with a focus on for-profit/hybrid startups, SMEs, FPCs etc.). Through these initiatives, I actively contribute to the broader Food, Land & Water program at WRI India in leveraging cutting-edge technology, robust analysis & advancements in knowledge, to provide innovative tools & strategies that promote the protection, maintenance & restoration of India's forests, agricultural landscapes & rural livelihoods.✓ Developing & implementing program strategy, ensuring alignment with WRI's strategic goals.✓ Building the capacities of enterprises through technical assistance & mentorship to accelerate the businesses & enhance their socio-economic & environmental impact.✓ Mobilizing ecosystem support from diverse stakeholders, incl. Govt. bodies (Startup India, Office of the PSA), Sustainability consultants, CSOs, Philanthropists, VCs, Impact investors, IP consultants, Startup law firms, Marketing & branding experts, Intl. development agencies, DFIs etc.✓ Researching, structuring & managing innovative financial solutions that blend public, private & philanthropic capital to optimize impact & returns.✓ Overseeing program monitoring, reporting & verification (MRV) to ensure impact measurement, transparency & accountability.✓ Preparing & delivering donor reports based on research, demonstrating achievement of program KPIs, impact, learnings & cost effectiveness.✓ Planning & managing strategic program communications to raise awareness & program visibility.✓ Managing a consortium of international & domestic donors & partners, fostering collaboration & achieving program objectives.✓ Contributing to securing funding through effective fundraising strategies based on research & donor relationship management.

Engaged in pro-bono consulting & coaching for strategy support across the fields of Business Development, Marketing, Communications, Go-To-Market Strategy, Product Design, and Capacity-building, with the objective to empower 'underserved entrepreneurs' to take their businesses to the next level of growth.

Deep into the entrepreneurship journey, I had understood that I wanted to continue to steer my career in this new direction further into the development space, and aim for wider, more meaningful impact. When our startup began to fail due to the pandemic by the end of 2020, I knew that I was going to require a fresh set of specialized skills for opportunities in the development sector. So, besides closing down the startup, and temporarily assisting in managing affairs and caregiving for a nonagenarian grandparent after the demise of the primary caregiver, I took time out to build my knowledge of international and national development, and to upskill by taking the 5 courses long MITx MicroMasters, a professional and academic credentials program. Here, the cutting-edge methodologies for alleviating global poverty were taught by Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, winners of the 2019 NOBEL PRIZE in Economic Sciences and pioneers in the field of development economics.- Learner (Part-time Jul'20-Mar'21 & Full-time Apr'21-Sep'22) at MITx MICROMASTERS IN DATA, ECONOMICS AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY (now known as 'Data, Economics, and Design of Policy') (Verified/Paid track), a Professional and Academic Credential Program by Massachusetts Institute of Technology & J-PAL- 3 CORE COURSES (completed): Data Analysis for Social Scientists, Microeconomics, Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations- 2 ELECTIVE COURSES (completed): Foundations of Development Policy: Advanced Development Economics, Good Economics for Hard Times(Please see 'Education' section for more details)

Ncr India

- Co-founded a category-disruptor, tech-enabled, D2C e-commerce retail brand, by identifying an opportunity gap in the INR 1000 Crore decorative lighting market growing at 15-18% annually (2017-18)- SOCIAL INITIATIVE: Collaborated with groups of artisan workers and small business owners for product development and production with the long-term objective to empower them with enhanced income opportunities- As a true multitasker, ‘wore many hats’ for end-to-end management of product design, marketing, communications, sales, operations, customer engagement, and financial performance; also nurtured strong partnerships with stakeholders- Effectively analyzed markets, consumers, competitors, complements and substitutes to inform marketing strategy - Implemented digital marketing tactics across multiple platforms, consistently driving website and blog traffic, over 3% engagement and 8-10% monthly audience growth on social media, for generation of hot leads and revenue growth- Capitalized on B2B partnerships with textile designers and manufacturer/merchant exporters for new revenue streams- Successfully raised funds for a Design Showcase at the Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) organized by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), and for Prototype Development of related products for DUBAI EXPO 2020

New Delhi Area, India

Hakuhodo India is a part of the HAKUHODO group, a global ‘top 10’ integrated marketing and innovation group with offices in 20 countries, awarded the world’s second largest advertising agency according to Ad Age’s “Agency Report 2022”- Partnered with leading Indian and Japanese clients on various marketing and communications programs and projects to drive business growth with innovative and impactful strategies- Collaborated with MSIL teams for the planning and implementation of extensive capacity-building activities throughout the organization for NEXA - Implemented PDCA methodologies in consultation with top management and in collaboration with key partners, to manage performance and results for brand NEXA

New Delhi Area, India

- Successfully managed planning for the prestigious Maruti Suzuki (MSIL) account, working closely with the internal and external stakeholders and cross-functional teams for the launch of ‘NEXA’, MSIL’s modern retail channel of automotive showrooms across India, building a strong foundation for future growth target of driving ~20% of MSIL’s sales- Demonstrated creative and strategic leadership across multiple business sectors, including Consumer Healthcare/FMCG (Yakult, Unicharm, Kao), Automotive (Maruti Suzuki), Consumer Durables (Daikin, Sony, Hindware, Intex), Mobile Apps (LINE), Coffee Retail (Costa)- Contributed to advancing clients’ business goals with the use of data-driven business planning informed by original research into people's lifestyles, aspirations, values, attitudes, perceptions, awareness and behavior that probes more than just consumption (based on the philosophy of 'Sei-katsu-sha', that studies the customer as a 'whole person' with a 360-degree perspective on his/her life, and not just as a 'one-dimensional' consumer performing an economic function)

New Delhi Area, India

- Secured new businesses and achieved benchmark improvements in market and communications analysis with ‘GlobalHABIT’ (Hakuhodo Audience and Brand-User’s Index for Targeting), an R&D initiative covering 11 cities in Europe and the Americas, 24 cities in Asia and Oceania, 2 cities in Japan- Role and responsibilities:-- To be the agency’s catalyst, and attain creative and strategic leadership, by continually pursuing ideas that grow from an uncommon understanding of and intuition for the connection between the product or brand and people’s lives-- To ensure that brand communication is relevant to the target group, has the desired persuasive impact and is presented in the right media-- To play a vital role in cementing the agency/client relationship and, therefore, in securing business in the long term

Gurgaon, India

TNS Global (now KANTAR) is the world’s leading data, insights and consultancy company with presence in 80+ countries- Evolved as a well-rounded professional with a thorough and intimate understanding of people across cultures: how they think, feel and act, through grass-roots level experience, in markets of over 12 Indian states and UTs, including large urban centers, small towns and remote villages - Helped corporate clients find solutions to their business problems by planning and implementing numerous research projects, that included pitching proposals, developing and managing schedules and budgets, resource mobilization, fieldwork, analysis, presenting reports, along with other activities throughout the project lifecycle- Cultivated and managed an impressive portfolio of clients across a broad range of industries, including Healthcare (Dabur, Ranbaxy), Technology (Samsung, Airtel), Automotive (Nissan, GM), Consumer Goods (Nestle, GSK, Cargill, Godfrey Phillips), Consumer Durables (Orient, LG), Food Service (Jubilant FoodWorks), Fashion (W, Bata), Travel (Lonely Planet), Media (HT), Retail (Samsung)- Proved expertise in delivering actionable insights for effective decision making, at scale and at speed, with quick service (express surveys) as well as deeply diagnostic solutions, while working closely with clients, partners, consultants, vendors, field teams and research operations- Well-versed in a wide range of research methodologies, such as Custom and Syndicated Research, Mixed Methods Research, Secondary Research, Communications Research and Analysis, Concept/Product/Ad Development and Testing, Car Clinics, Eye Tracking Studies, Brand Performance Measurement, Brand Positioning Optimization, Market Segmentation Analysis, Customer Touchpoint Analysis, Emerging Trends, and Application of Behavioral Science with Cognitive Psychology

Bengaluru Area, India

Endorsed for excellent 'analytical skills' by the General Manager, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle (Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited)Performance Rating: 08/10- Internship Project: Market feasibility study of the to-be-launched value retail channel of Madura Garments, to reassure the organization of the strategy and the game plan- Worked with the retail operations, merchandising, sales and marketing departments

Bengaluru Area, India

- Responsible for design management, redefining positioning of in-house labels and brands, product portfolio planning, generating cues for the communication strategy and control of brand support expenditures to achieve profit objectives

Bengaluru Area, India

- Responsible for product design and prototype development for export orders from American buyers/buying houses, like Liz Claiborne, Abercrombie and Fitch, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Juicy Couture, L.L. Bean, and some European brands like Zara, G-Star, Jack & Jones

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Post-Graduate Diploma In Management, Market Research, Communications, Brand Management, 3.44/4.00 Cgpa

Activities and Societies: Implemented Google Apps in MICA, with Google India and FMS Delhi; Designed and implemented a brand launch.

Evaluating Social Programs

Why and when randomized evaluations can be used to rigorously evaluate the impact of social programs and how findings can inform.

Mastering Econometrics With Joshua Angrist

How to untangle cause and effect in a complex world (taught by Joshua Angrist, MIT Professor & winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economic.

Micromasters Program (Verified/Paid Track) In Data, Economics, And Development Policy, A Professional And Academic Credential Program By Massachusetts Institute Of Technology & J-Pal, 90.20% (Average Score Of All 5 Courses In The Program)

3 CORE COURSES (completed): Data Analysis for Social Scientists (84%, Grade A), Microeconomics (86%, Grade A), Designing and Running.

Fat Chance: Probability From The Ground Up, (Not Graded, Audit Track)

Fundamentals of Probability and Statistics

Graduate Professional Diploma, Fashion Design, 77.9%

Activities and Societies: Designed & developed a range of ‘Khadi’ Indo-western styled garments for K.V.I.C. in 2004; documented the Arts.

Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, 85.4%

Activities and Societies: Served as 'Cultural Secretary' and Member of the Students’ Council 2001-2002