Darshita Gillies
Founder & CEO, Maanch
Darshita is Founder and CEO of Maanch, an award-winning global impact platform that leverages the power of emerging technologies to revolutionise the way that philanthropists connect with the causes they care about.
Through the development of smart tracking and measuring tools, Maanch enables donors to see the impact of their giving as part of a joined-up global picture, benchmarked by progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This puts Maanch at the heart of a growing community of change-makers who demand a more conscious and strategic way of addressing complex challenges.
Described as ‘a beacon of collaborative technology’, Maanch was awarded Start Up of the Year 2019 in the India Inc. UK/India Awards, while Darshita was included in the 100 Most Influential list.
It has been a remarkable upward trajectory for Darshita, whose early life in Mumbai was marked by constant poverty. Her family relied on financial contributions and other gifts from the intricate web of the Indian social system, but these roots made her as resilient as she is compassionate. Having earned her Bachelor & Master of Commerce degree from Mumbai University and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Darshita went on to study finance technology and blockchain strategy at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford and business sustainability at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Today, Darshita’s professional experience spans finance and strategy, leadership development, planetary sustainability and technology. She serves on Boards of ‘for profit’ and ‘not-for-profit’ organisations and advises various government bodies and corporations on blockchain strategy. In this capacity, she works closely with the UN, religious institutions, governments, multinational corporations, nonprofits and fellow impact investors.
At every stage, Darshita’s journey ‘from the bottom 1% to the top 1%’ has informed her vision to create a fairer future for the 100%: the whole world community. And Maanch is the manifestation of that ambition.
She is looking forward to sharing and enriching her experience through this important event.
Through the development of smart tracking and measuring tools, Maanch enables donors to see the impact of their giving as part of a joined-up global picture, benchmarked by progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This puts Maanch at the heart of a growing community of change-makers who demand a more conscious and strategic way of addressing complex challenges.
Described as ‘a beacon of collaborative technology’, Maanch was awarded Start Up of the Year 2019 in the India Inc. UK/India Awards, while Darshita was included in the 100 Most Influential list.
It has been a remarkable upward trajectory for Darshita, whose early life in Mumbai was marked by constant poverty. Her family relied on financial contributions and other gifts from the intricate web of the Indian social system, but these roots made her as resilient as she is compassionate. Having earned her Bachelor & Master of Commerce degree from Mumbai University and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Darshita went on to study finance technology and blockchain strategy at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford and business sustainability at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Today, Darshita’s professional experience spans finance and strategy, leadership development, planetary sustainability and technology. She serves on Boards of ‘for profit’ and ‘not-for-profit’ organisations and advises various government bodies and corporations on blockchain strategy. In this capacity, she works closely with the UN, religious institutions, governments, multinational corporations, nonprofits and fellow impact investors.
At every stage, Darshita’s journey ‘from the bottom 1% to the top 1%’ has informed her vision to create a fairer future for the 100%: the whole world community. And Maanch is the manifestation of that ambition.
She is looking forward to sharing and enriching her experience through this important event.