Varun is the Vice President of Growth at Global Good x Amani, where he leads the organization’s efforts in expanding its impact and reach. Having previously served as the Country Director of Amani Institute India, he played a pivotal role in shaping its work as a base for supporting changemakers across Asia. He brings vision, humor, and entrepreneurial grit into developing individuals and organizations that drive social impact. Passionate about purpose-driven work, the intersection of technology & society, news/media literacy, and behavioral economics, he thrives in strategy & planning, building high-performing teams, and forging win-win partnerships. His vision is to support organizations and individuals in becoming great leaders, innovators, and collaborators while enabling the broader social impact ecosystem to drive sustainable, positive change.
Prior to joining Amani, Varun has worked across different sectors such as events, public relations, copywriting, marketing, design, and intercultural training, before formally switching to the world of social impact. In 2016, he co-founded Reach, a company to support social sector organizations with their program design, monitoring & evaluation, and impact measurement. The company also launched Besides, an initiative to build awareness and nuance towards critical yet polarizing information, and crowdfunded Mantri Cards, a top-trump card game on the members of parliament in India. Varun also volunteered for five years as City Leader for Sofar Sounds in Pune.
Through his experience working with stakeholders across the spectrum of the social and private sector, he is sensitive to the operational and managerial issues, challenges, and motivations of gig workers, project managers, and organization heads. This experience, along with his background as a social entrepreneur, greatly informs his role at Amani Institute. Parallel to work, Varun enjoys staying up to date on current affairs, trends in business, politics, and tech, science communication, comedy, and the NBA.
