Vivaan Garg
Vivaan is a sophomore at Dartmouth College, where he is continuing to build on his interests in Economics, Technology, Social Entrepreneurship, microfinance and public policy. He graduated from Vasant Valley School in 2025 where he held leadership roles including Head of the Technology Council and Quiz Club and Editor of the school Science Magazine, while also leading initiatives focused on waste management and the circular economy.
In Grade 9, Vivaan founded Ignite India to advance financial inclusion and economic opportunities for marginalized women. He built a student volunteer team and developed partnerships with NGOs, helping identify nearly 900 women for microloans and facilitating approximately $50,000 in loans to 330 women to support small businesses and livelihoods. His interest in financial inclusion also led him to research microfinance in India and its intersection with public policy.
Aaryan Agrawal
Aaryan is a sophomore at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business, where he is studying Business Management and building on his interests in entrepreneurship, marketing, sports and digital strategy. He founded NextGen91 to connect high school students with meaningful workplace opportunities and created the AA Cricket YouTube channel, developing skills in digital engagement, content creation and storytelling. His internships with GMR Sports, Masters’ Union and Hatch Digital have given him practical exposure to marketing, market research and business strategy.
As Head of Content Creation and Strategic Partnerships at Ignite India, Aaryan brings a strong communications and outreach perspective to the initiative. He helps shape beneficiary narratives, strengthen partnerships and communicate Ignite India’s work and impact to a wider audience.
Ved Agrawal
Ved Agrawal is a high school student with a strong interest in business, technology and entrepreneurship. He enjoys applying classroom learning to solve real-world problems through research, innovation and data-driven decision-making. As the founder of Enduring Roots, he is building a digital storytelling platform that enables families to preserve their personal histories, photographs and memories for future generations. He is also developing PeerPath, a peer-to-peer college guidance network that connects prospective applicants with current university students, making the admissions process more informed and accessible.
Ved's commitment to creating social impact through technology is reflected in his work with Ignite India, a non-profit supporting women entrepreneurs. He analysed beneficiary loan and business data to identify patterns in repayment behaviour, fund utilisation and enterprise growth. He then developed a prototype scoring framework and dashboard to assess business readiness, financial discipline and mentoring needs, presenting recommendations to strengthen beneficiary selection and post-loan support. His work demonstrated how data-driven insights can improve program effectiveness, optimise resource allocation and create greater opportunities for aspiring women entrepreneurs.
Vaani Garg
Vaani supports Ignite India's mission of empowering women entrepreneurs through research on financial inclusion and microfinance. She studies how access to credit, financial literacy and entrepreneurship contribute to women's economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods. Her work includes evaluating beneficiary outcomes, researching successful microfinance models and government schemes, developing simple financial literacy resources and recommending strategies to strengthen entrepreneurship programs. She also contributes to impact assessments that measure how access to finance improves household incomes, business growth and long-term economic resilience.
Our partners
Chaupal
Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation
In 2022, Ignite India partnered with Ekal Vidyalaya to empower rural communities through a comprehensive financial literacy initiative. Ekal Vidyalaya, known for its vast network providing free education in rural and tribal areas, joined forces with Ignite India to develop a curriculum tailored for rural women entrepreneurs. This booklet offers practical guidance on managing finances, understanding microloans, and leveraging government schemes. Distributed across Ekal’s extensive network, and available in over ten regional languages, the curriculum has reached thousands of women, integrating financial literacy into Ekal’s educational framework. This collaboration advances both organizations' missions, fostering sustainable economic growth and improving lives in marginalized communities.
Shikshalay
Ignite India has partnered with Shikshalay, an organization focused on uplifting disadvantaged urban children, to develop and implement a financial literacy curriculum aimed at empowering slum communities. Leveraging Shikshalay’s strong community presence, Ignite India has conducted workshops on financial management, budgeting, and microfinance. The curriculum, distributed through Shikshalay’s network, has been pivotal in teaching slum residents how to manage finances and access poverty-alleviating government schemes. This collaboration has significantly enhanced both organizations’ impact, driving meaningful change in vulnerable urban communities