Akanksha recently sat down with LiveMint to chat about m.Paani’s work and goals in India.  The lively discussion was captured in this feature:  We hope to become a national player, Akanksha Hazari

DNA India sat down with Akanksha to discuss our unique impact focused loyalty model and how we’re empowering the underserved: Entrepreneur gives loyalty programs a unique spin

Have you met Julie?

Julie is our Rewards Architect.  Her role is to design our life-changing rewards portfolio with creative, aspirational and impactful rewards. She loves what she does because she is passionate about empowering people with a sustainable, dignified approach, which is at the core of m.Paani. What’s her favorite perk about working at m.Paani? The early morning team yoga on the m.Paani terrace!

A little bit more about Julie:
Motivated by a future where all people can discover their true potential, Julie believes in the power of market-based solutions to solve some of the world’s most critical problems. She has enjoyed forging her own path in life, leading to studies and explorations throughout Asia, Africa and Europe. As a former economic litigation consultant, start-up operational strategist and non-profit board member, Julie is grateful for the enriching experiences that have allowed her to realize and pursue her passion for social enterprise. Her latest endeavor was serving as a Kiva Fellow with a microfinance institution in Uganda. Julie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Business Economics and Public Policy from Indiana University, where she co-founded a student organization that explores how businesses can help change the world.

We are excited to share that Akanksha has been identified to be one of the top 10 upcoming social entrepreneurs in India, in The Next Women Business Magazine!

“We are this Gen Next, where our dreams have no walls. Weʼre better connected, better informed, and better resourced than any other generation in history. This makes us incredibly powerful.”
- Akanksha Hazari, Hult Prize 2012 

Want some inspiration?  Check out this great list of inspirational women who are helping build a better India!

Love that m.Paani has made gamification guru Yu-Kai Chou’s ‘Top 10 Social Gamification Examples and Cases that will actually improve the human race‘! We believe in the power of behavioural sciences and gaming tools to create impact.

On Day 2 of IIT-Bombay’s eSummit, we had the good fortune of leading an IdeaBlaze meet. IdeaBlaze is a platform in which startups pose a case study specific to their model to a room full of participants eager to innovate solutions for a real challenge in less than sixty minutes. Our IdeaBlaze case pushed participants to solve socioeconomic development issues through a business lens. This was the first time that many of the participants had been exposed to the concept of business for good, so we were happy to turn on many of these bright minds to the possibilities of social enterprise. The solutions we received to our case challenge were creative and it was amazing to see the enthusiasm of the participants in their answers.

Our experience at e-Cell proved that even if you don’t have a background in business or development, you are still capable of deriving innovative ideas to push social enterprises forward. We look forward to a future where people from all backgrounds and qualifications increasingly use their knowledge and skills to make the world a better place.

There are a number of reasons why m.Paani calls Mumbai home. Our city is quickly becoming India’s hub for social innovation and a great launch pad for new ideas to take flight.  This belief was confirmed yet again during our participation in IIT Bombay’s e-Cell Entrepreneurship Summit today. The excitement surrounding new ideas and business models was palpable. It was reflected in the conversations held at our Start-up Expo kiosk and during the the social enterprise panel in which Akanksha participated. It’s inspiring to see so many bright young minds convinced that entrepreneurship is their path forward. We think this focus on entrepreneurship will prove to be absolutely critical to not only Mumbai’s future development but India’s as well.

We feel fortunate to be able to partake in this innovation-driven ecosystem and are excited for the eSummit Day 2.  Stay tuned for a rundown of our experience with IdeaBlaze, a business case competition that we are presenting tomorrow!

Thanks to Searchlight South Asia, a Rockefeller Foundation and Intellecap publication, for featuring our work in their January 2013 Issue: Customer Loyalty for Social Impact!

We are excited to have Samarth with us for the next month, as a winter Fellow.  He will be doing compelling ethnographic research on mobile phone related behaviour in BOP communities.

Samarth is a dreamer and an explorer.  He believes that enterprise is the solution to many of the problems we face globally today. He finds technology fascinating, and loves to code and read about issues that affect our lives everyday. Samarth is currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at IIT Kanpur, where he is majoring in Mathematics and Scientific Computing. With an entrepreneurial attitude, Samarth aims to capture each learning opportunity that crosses his path and connect the dots in innovative ways in the future.  He also has an artistic side and loves to dance and play music. Samarth is passionate about helping the less privileged. He believes in the mantra “be the change”, and is actively exploring how he may contribute to improving our shared world.

Welcome to the team Samarth!

Exciting news!   Vital Voices has identified m.Paani founder, Akanksha Hazari, as an emerging woman leader, selecting her for their elite Global Ambassadors Program.  Founded by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Vital Voices aims to identify, invest in and bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities.

As part of the Global Ambassadors Program, Akanksha will be paired with an accomplished woman mentor and role model.  The Program kicks off this coming week with an intensive and innovative mentorship initiative centred around the theme of “Women’s Advancement in India’s Growing Economy”, so stay tuned for updates and tweets from Akanksha!