Dr. Venkatesh Raghavendra
Social Entrepreneur, Philanthropy Leader, and Social Impact Strategist
Dr. Venkatesh Raghavendra is a social entrepreneur, philanthropy leader, and social impact strategist with nearly four decades of experience in philanthropy, fundraising, social entrepreneurship, and international development. Throughout his career, he has successfully built global partnerships, mobilised significant philanthropic and corporate social responsibility (CSR) resources, and supported sustainable development initiatives across India and internationally. His work spans safe water access, social entrepreneurship, community development, diaspora engagement, leadership development, and institutional capacity building. He has advised governments, multilateral organisations, foundations, and civil society organisations on philanthropy, fundraising, innovation, and social impact, while teaching social entrepreneurship and leadership at universities in India and the United States. He is also an author, columnist, and public speaker on social innovation, philanthropy, and community development.
Current Positions/Affiliations
- Advisor - Safe Water Network
- Resource Person & Trainer - Government of Karnataka, Ministry of Social Welfare
- Advisor - Ministry of Finance, Government of India
- Advisor - Udhyam Foundation
- Ambassador & Thought Leader-at-Large -American India Foundation (AIF)
- Trustee - Ashoka India
- Adjunct Professor - Dayananda Sagar University
- Contributing Editor - American Bazaar
Past Positions/Affiliations
- Senior Vice President & Vice President - Safe Water Network
- Chief Philanthropy Officer - American India Foundation
- Senior Director - American India Foundation
- Managing Director, Global Partnerships - Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
- Strategic Advisor - RoundGlass Foundation
- Consultant - Common Purpose (UK)
- Advisor -National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Government of India
Co-founder - The Adventurers / Indian Institute for Adventure Applications
Educational Qualifications
International Doctor of Business Administration (IDBA), Lisbon School of Economics & Management (ISEG), Portugal
Master's in Social Justice, School for International Training (SIT), Vermont, USA
Publications
Singh, P. R., & Raghavendra, V. (2026, August 4). What if CSR stopped working in silos? India Development Review.https://idronline.org/article/philanthropy-csr/what-if-csr-stopped-working-in-silos/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=s
Raghavendra, V., & Shetty, S. (2021). CareerSense: Build Your Career in Uncommon Times. (Co-authored book).
