I am thrilled to invite you to engage with the inaugural issue of our newsletter, Leadership Inspired-Social Impactors for India, for which I am delighted to have served as the issue editor. This issue brings together our thinking in social sector leadership, guest columns, the latest developments from ILSS and our network, and news from the ecosystem.

Anu’s Foreword to this inaugural issue is a testament to the importance we accord to this newsletter which brings to you inspiring insights, stories of innovation and transformation, and the latest developments in the sector to inform our work and approaches. In my Cover Story, I talk about the importance of young leaders for the social sector. I am using this platform to announce the launch of our newest offering, The ILSS Young Leaders Program, which commenced on Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October 2024.

Following the Cover Story, is an Alumni Spotlight that features Gautam Lahiri, an alum of The ILSS Leadership Program, our flagship offering. Gautam leads a noble endeavour at TIDE, an organisation that has been making a significant impact on the development of needy communities through Dr Rajneesh Chowdhury Head – Centre of Excellence for Leadership, ILSS technological interventions.

In the ILSS Conversation section, we share edited excerpts of a recent #ILSSOnline, where Anu Prasad, Founder & CEO of ILSS, spoke with Jayant Rastogi and Arun Nalavadi, Global CEO and Executive Director of Sustainability and Livelihoods, respectively, at the Magic Bus India Foundation. The discussion delves into Magic Bus’ efforts to empower young people from underserved communities and uplift them, providing key insights into their strategies for navigating challenges, building sustainable models, and scaling impact.

As part of the ILSS Tips, Meenal Manolika, Senior Program Manager at ILSS, discusses how purposeful CSR partnerships between nonprofits and funders can unlock immense resources to solve our toughest development challenges.

For our Guest Column, Shradha Roy, Senior Manager at ILSS, collaborates with Gayatri Das Sharma, Co-founder of Timshel Coaching and Consulting and an academic partner to The ILSS Emerging Women’s Leadership Program. Shradha and Gayatri delve into the topic of empowering women to embrace the chaos they encounter in the various spaces of their personal and professional life. They highlight inspiring anecdotes from women who have attended our Program.

Finally, there are updates and events from ILSS and our network, as well as selected news items from the ecosystem. Enjoy the read and please feel free to share your feedback and ideas on this inaugural issue of Leadership Inspired.