India Philanthropy Alliance Staff
Alex Counts, Executive Director
The Alliance is led by Alex Counts, who was deeply involved in the founding of the Alliance back when he was CEO of the American India Foundation. He continues to guide the growth and development of IPA, in consultation with the board of directors, by designing strategies and annual plans that grow and shape the Alliance for the fulfillment of its mission and vision for the future.
Alex has been published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review and The Chronicle of Philanthropy among other leading publications. He is also the author of four books which include Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind.
Peg Fourré, Deputy Director
Peg Fourré began working with the Alliance in August 2021 and serves as the lead staff person for India Giving Day, the Youth Essay Competition, Digital Communications, and other programs. She assists the Executive Director in the day to day operations of the Alliance and stands in for them when needed.
Meenakshi Mahajan,
Chief Operating Officer
Meenakshi Mahajan began affiliation with IPA as the Director of Magic Bus. She now serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Alliance and oversees human resources, information technology, operations, and compliance. She also serves as the chief liaison to the technology-in-development working group and is on the India Giving Day team.
Dana Chan, Program Officer
Dana Chan assists in the administration of India Giving Day, the Youth Essay Competition, IPA board record keeping, and other key functions of the alliance. She is instrumental in evaluating candidate organizations for India Giving Day and identifying candidates for special grants to support India Giving Day events.
India Philanthropy Alliance Advisors
Brianne Fischer, Legal and Compliance Adviser (United States)
Brianne is the Founder and CEO of Fischer LMC. Her career launched at Grameen Foundation USA where she ultimately served as Director of Legal, Operations and Compliance for business transactions, anti-bribery and counter-terrorism compliance, international and domestic operations, governance, and general corporate legal needs. She also served as Legal Counsel at Innovations for Poverty Action before striking out on her own to start Fischer LMC.
Rahul Rishi, Legal and Compliance Advisor (India)
Rahul Rishi leads the Social Sector Practice at Nishith Desai Associates offering legal and tax counseling worldwide. A graduate of Gujarat National Law University with a Masters in Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, Rahul has extensive experience in advising clients on social impact bond, impact investing, foreign contribution laws, CSR and cross-border philanthropies.
Anjani Kumar Sharma, Legal and Compliance Advisor (India)
Anjani Kumar Sharma is the co-founder and Director of SAGA – Southern Accountability and Governance Alliance Pvt. Ltd. He is an advisor to leading corporate foundations, funding organizations, NGOs, government institutes and bodies, and universities. Anjani has authored various books and papers on subjects like, CSR, laws related to charities in India, taxation and start-ups. He specializes in legal, governance & finance issues related to voluntary organizations.