🐝Sanju Soman Email & Phone Number

London, Gb

Bengaluru North, Karnataka, In

In my role at ASAR Social Impact, I designed and implemented a national mobility campaign focusing on reducing emissions from last-mile delivery. I developed a national-level innovation challenge to engage youth in proposing sustainable mobility solutions, ensuring the content was aligned with the program's mission. My responsibilities included copywriting for marketing materials, guiding the social media team, and structuring content narratives for the India Evolve Innovation Challenge. I organized sessions, invited and coordinated with hosts and speakers, and supported the hosting of multiple training programs and capacity-building initiatives. This role involved extensive collaboration with partners to ensure the success of the campaign and alignment with key content initiatives.

Recognizing the significant gap in capacity building for local bodies and passionate individuals eager to work on climate change, I co-founded SUSTERA Foundation. Our mission was to identify and train dedicated people, turning their passion into professional expertise. As CEO, I led a dedicated team of 12, driving impactful campaigns and projects with a people-focused approach for resilience. I developed our flagship Climate Leadership Program, which trained over 300+ youth leaders in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand. I coordinated the Marine Litter Project, mobilizing over 3,000 volunteers for 270 beach clean-ups in Trivandrum, and managed multiple medium-scale national donor-supported programs.My role involved liaising with government, INGOs, and stakeholders to scale up climate adaptation initiatives. I spearheaded youth and local government capacity-building initiatives, ensuring equity and inclusivity in programs. I led projects on green job promotion and provided support for vulnerable communities through innovative climate communication strategies. Additionally, I hosted multiple round table discussions on climate resilience, managed fundraising efforts, and oversaw the Coastal Champions Program, which trained youth to address community issues and enhance local resilience.I consistently focused on promoting conservation, building resilience, enabling relevant institutional processes, and fostering effective engagement with experts and government officials. My work also included climate finance projects, ensuring sustainable funding for long-term impact.

-Overseeing a team of 12 to expand impactful climate programs across regions.- Spearheading Climate Leadership Program, equipping youth with skills to drive climate action. Ambitious about scaling CLP to all states in India.-Initiating the Participatory Climate Action Project, uniting contributors for mitigation and disaster relief.-Crafting innovative climate communication agendas, and promoting localized climate solutions.-Developing the Uttarakhand Climate Action Network UCAN.- Focused on working towards understanding the psychological impacts of environmental challenges on the community.

New York, Ny, Us

As part of the "We the Change" campaign by the United Nations India Office, I was selected as one of 17 young leaders from India to inspire and mobilize youth to engage in climate change initiatives. The campaign aimed to identify and work with the best minds in the country, driving youth participation in climate action. My responsibilities included spearheading the campaign, creating content to inspire and educate, and collaborating with other young leaders to amplify our impact. Additionally, I was invited to participate in the United Nations India Day celebrations and the launch of the International Solar Alliance by the Government of India, representing the campaign and contributing to high-level discussions on climate action.

Facilitated multi-level climate governance in Kerala by leading a dedicated 6-member team in comprehensive research and data collection efforts. Our team interviewed over 40 local self-government institutions and multiple sectoral departments across Kerala. The responses were compiled, analyzed, and assessed to understand the state of climate governance in the region.-Played a pivotal role in program management, ensuring the successful execution of the project.-Acted as a bridge between WISE and local self-government institutions, managing partnerships and onboarding climate partners.-Led impactful outreach initiatives to enhance awareness and understanding of climate governance, engaging stakeholders from government departments to community members.-Traveled extensively across Kerala’s vulnerable regions to conduct on-the-ground assessments and data collection.-Engaged in policy discussions, advocating for climate-resilient governance through evidence-based insights derived from thorough data analysis.-Delivered the final report, providing comprehensive insights and recommendations to improve climate governance in Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, In

Bhava, a pioneering social enterprise co-founded by myself and two dedicated partners, has been a driving force in transforming the lives of women in Kerala's Vembanad region. Faced with the dual challenges of dwindling fish populations due to climate change and pollution, and the environmental menace of cloth and plastic waste in water bodies, Bhava emerged as a beacon of innovative solutions.Our flagship initiative, aimed at participatory conservation of the wetland ecosystem, embarked on an ambitious mission to reduce plastic waste, restore ecological balance, bolster local climate governance, and achieve energy sustainability. The ingenious idea to repurpose beautiful Indian sarees into eco-friendly bags not only curbed cloth waste pollution but also provided an alternate income source for women from the fishing community.By engaging these resilient women in crafting cloth bags from pre-owned fabric, Bhava succeeded in delivering an additional livelihood to over 80 women and upcycling a remarkable 30,000+ kg of cloth waste. The impact was felt not just in terms of waste reduction but also in the socio-economic empowerment of these women, fortifying their resilience in the face of environmental challenges.The journey, however, encountered an unexpected hurdle due to the COVID-19 crisis. With a momentary pause in operations spanning nearly three years, Bhava's commendable efforts were temporarily suspended.Through the project, we were also able to support indigenous people from Wayanad involved in bamboo craft by selling their produce. We also were able to support other women entrepreneurs involved in upcycling from across Kerala. The project was presented at the Asia Pacific Climate Week hosted at UNESCAP in Bangkok.

In

As a consultant with ATREE, I played a pivotal role in capacity building and policy analysis for the Vembanad project. My responsibilities included developing key performance indicators (KPIs) and creating detailed reports. I trained the team and managed the hiring of volunteers and interns for various on-ground activations. I also contributed to climate communications, content development, and website management for the project, ensuring effective dissemination of information. Additionally, I hosted discussions, managed network and partnerships, and oversaw contract management, focusing on promoting sustainable, climate-resilient livelihoods for vulnerable wetland communities.

In

In my role as a Senior Program Officer, I supported seamless team collaborations, effectively managed internship programs, and spearheaded the conception of pioneering conservation projects for Vembanad Lake. Guided by an innovative spirit, along with the team I introduced community-led conservation approaches and led comprehensive policy reviews while facilitating invaluable knowledge-sharing initiatives. I also played a key role in producing impactful documentation for lasting outcomes. This extensive journey included close collaboration with a team of five and over 70 interns.-Model Wetland Village for Conservation (ATREE):An instrumental accomplishment was the conception and realization of a groundbreaking transformation – a panchayat in the Vembanad-Kol Ramsar region evolved into a model wetland village. This endeavor showcased the potential of sustainable practices, notably promoting eco-friendly menstruation practices that resonated across Kerala's local self-government institutions.Social Innovation Lab:My initiatives extended to facilitating innovative solutions such as repurposing pre-owned sarees into bags, effectively addressing the cloth and plastic waste challenge plaguing Vembanad Lake. Establishing a centre for training and innovation for women and college students from the centre for promoting sustainable alternatives to plastic where more than 300+ individuals were trained.

In

-Led a transformative two-year project focused on training middle school educators and young learners from Alappuzha's Vembanad region, primarily comprised of fishing and agrarian communities. Spearheaded the equipping of educators with innovative tools to facilitate habitat conservation learning, with a special emphasis on the vital role wetlands play in climate action. The project resulted in heightened community awareness and engagement, amplifying the significance of wetland preservation for climate resilience.-Initiated and directed an impactful endeavor that engaged over 150 educators and impacted more than 3000 young learners. Leveraging innovative story-based approaches, the project communicated the essence and importance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in an accessible manner.

Delft, South Holland, Nl

ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest green business ideas competition. Climate launchpad BootCamp was organized in Kerala to identify and bring together young entrepreneurs from across Kerala.

New York, Ny, Us

The overarching objective of the Global Schools program was to ignite enthusiasm for sustainable development within educational institutions. The program's focal point was to immerse students in understanding and embracing the SDGs, urging them to integrate these goals into their daily lives, behaviors, educational pursuits, and future professional paths. A selective group of 57 youth leaders also called Global School Ambassadors from around the globe were chosen to participate in the program, collaborating to orchestrate educational initiatives within schools and colleges across their respective regions.i. Integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into school settings.ii.Increase the capacities of educators and teachers to more effectively deliver education on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).iii. Give youth opportunities to engage with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local level.Impact Over 16 Months:-Engaged with 150+ Educators and 3000+ Young Learners: Facilitated extensive SDG education, raising awareness and understanding among educators and students alike.-Chosen to train 1300 school teachers across three districts in Kerala, spearheading the development of carbon-neutral schools.- Over the course, contributed to a pioneering project aimed at establishing carbon-neutral schools, setting an example for sustainable educational institutions across Kerala.

Maruthamkuzhy, Kerala, In

www.sarsas.in

Maruthamkuzhy, Kerala, In

At the heart of SARSAS was a compelling vision: inspiring young individuals to dedicate a small portion of their time each week towards impactful social endeavors. Through its nearly 7-year journey, SARSAS played a pivotal role in nurturing and guiding more than 800 enthusiastic volunteers. It served as a dynamic platform where these individuals could actively engage in meaningful social actions that left a positive mark on society. Notably, the organization operated as an entirely voluntary initiative, underscoring its grassroots ethos and commitment to fostering positive change. Along with a few amazing youth leaders I co-founded SARSAS in the year 2012.Accomplishments* Raised INR 50,000,00 for various causes in a period of 3 years.* Initiated 45 different social projects involving youth volunteers.* Increased volunteer base from 5 during inception to 200+.

Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG) is a Non-Governmental Organisation, registered as a society in J&K state in 1983. Its goal is to promote ecological and sustainable development of Ladakh, which harmonizes with and builds on the traditional culture.Role in Organization* Documenting benefits of Passive solar housing project (PSH).* Quantifying reduction in carbon emission caused due to implementing PSH at homes in Leh.* Organizing environment day programs in schools nearby.

Led and curated a prominent innovative fundraising race event in Trivandrum, focused on providing support to economically disadvantaged patients at the Regional Cancer Centre.➡️Key Contributions:-Spearheaded the planning and coordination of a significant fundraising race event in Trivandrum.-Successfully raised INR 5 million, directly contributing to covering the treatment costs for cancer and renal patients in Kerala, India.-Attracted participation from over 8000 people over the period of 4 years that the marathon was organized.

Main objectives of organization• Enable Local Self Government Institutions to implement the package of practices in sanitation. • Organize and monitor the implementation of Total Sanitation Campaign. • Provide technical support for sanitation programmes and projects. • Liaison between Local Self Government Institutions and other institutions /departments in the field of sanitation. Role in Organization* Implementing Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) system* Training on Roof top rainwater harvesting system.* Designing of graphic image on RWH model.* Did a 30 min video show on state TV channel explaining the need and method of RWH.* Initiated "Jalam" project in association with The Art of Living foundation, SARSAS and implemented RWH system in 40+ houses in Kerala conserving almost 50,000,00 Litres of water.

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