Our Team

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Senior Management Team
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Sara D’Mello

Founder and Trustee

Sara D’Mello

Founder and Trustee

Sara D’Mello, a visionary and dynamic leader, founded CCDT in 1990 and began her work in a self-settled leprosy colony in Borivali, Mumbai, and in Kamathipura, India’s largest red-light district. Under her guidance, CCDT became one of the first NGOs in India to develop a Home-Based Care Program—a comprehensive community initiative for families impacted by HIV/AIDS. She also conceptualized and implemented a Residential Care Program that serves as a safety net for orphaned and vulnerable children, enabling them to turn crises into opportunities. Over three decades, Sara’s innovative programs have directly impacted the lives of over two million individuals across Mumbai, always keeping children at the heart of CCDT’s mission.

David Cardoz

Chairperson and Co-Founder

David Cardoz

Chairperson and Co-Founder

David Cardoz, a founder Trustee is an architect, actively involved in the planning and development of the Mahabaleshwar – Panchgani Eco – Sensitive Zone, Maharashtra, India, as a member of the Land Use Committee constituted by the Regional Board for the Regional Development Plan of this Hill station region. He is presently a Member of the Monitoring Committee appointed in 2012 by the Central Ministry of Environment & Forests for the Matheran Eco-Sensitive Zone in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. He continues to be a member of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee appointed by the Govt. of Maharashtra. Two of the conservation projects where he was the architect – St. Peter’s Church at Bandra, Mumbai and the Conservatory at the Bombay Zoo at Byculla, Mumbai have received Heritage Awards.

Sukanya Poddar

Managing Trustee

Sukanya Poddar

Managing Trustee

Sukanya Poddar, Managing Trustee of CCDT has extensive experience of working in the social development sector for the past 30 years across most major states of India and South-East Asia. Specialising in strategic thinking along with a range of other skill sets, she has consulted for agencies and corporates of international/national repute. She is also founder partner of “Partners in Progress Consulting LLP” and board member for MAMTA Health Institute for Mother and Child", a reputed NGO in India.

Anuradha Maheshwari

Hon. Secretary

Anuradha Maheshwari

Hon. Secretary

Anuradha Maheshwari is the Founder of Lex Mantis, a legal service firm founded in 2012, specializing in Corporate, Intellectual Property, Transactional, Real Estate, Constitutional and Human Rights Laws. In January, 2019 she was awarded the prestigious “IP Star Woman of the Year” at the Legal Era Intellectual Property Awards. In 2016, Lex Mantis received an award for ‘Best Practices in Patents & IP Excellence in India’ from Questel de Science Infoware, a global patent analytic data provider. Her firm was also declared one of the “20 Most Promising Legal Consultants of India”, especially for start-ups by Silicon India, a reputed technology magazine in 2015.

Dr. Prakash Mirchandani

Trustee

Dr. Prakash Mirchandani

Trustee

Dr. Prakash Mirchandani, gave up his medical practice to devote his services to the weaker sections of the society. His focus is on Public Health interventions and he has spent the last 30 years guiding organizations in India and Nigeria. He is one of the architects of the Community Ophthalmology Program in its present avatar. He has been the prime mover in the establishment of Mission for Vision, a leading, not for profit Organisation, based in Mumbai, and working, since 2000, for the eradication of avoidable blindness. He is also on the Board of several other Trusts in India and overseas

Francis Rozario

Trustee

Francis Rozario

Trustee

Francis Rozario is an accomplished banker with a specialized and diverse 35-year experience in Banking and Finance across the world. Working with reputed financial institutions like Asia Capital and Advisors Pte. Ltd., Singapore (which he founded in 2011), Citi Bank and Fullerton Financial Holdings, his efforts have been recognised for the leadership and service to the community both by the Government and the public at large. The focus of his work has largely been to provide financial institutions with People, Knowledge and Capital; to serve customer segments with creative and sustainable business models to achieve unique value for all stakeholders: Customers, Employees, Shareholders and the local Communities.

Pallavi Sawardekar

Head, Finance, HR & Administration

Pallavi Sawardekar

Head, Finance, HR & Administration

Pallavi Sawardekar heads the Finance, HR and Administration function at CCDT and has more than 25 years of professional experience in senior management roles. She holds a Masters degree in Financial Management and has worked with reputed organizations in the development sector.

Melvyn Castelino

Lead, Program

Melvyn Castelino

Lead, Program

Melvyn is an experienced Program Management professional with a strong background in the development sector. Currently serving as Program Lead – Skilling, he brings expertise in results-based project management and program development. Melvyn holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies with a specialization in Corporate Social Responsibility from the S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai. Passionate about creating sustainable impact, he focuses on driving skilling initiatives that empower communities, enhance employability, and foster long-term social and economic growth.

Ramchandra Adsule

Lead, Community Initiatives

Ramchandra Adsule

Lead, Community Initiatives

Ramchandra holds a master’s in social work from Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai, and has been an integral part of CCDT for over 19 years. Over the years, he has played a pivotal tole across several CCDT’s flagship programs, including Community Development, Health and Nutrition, and Child Protection, bringing both depth and continuity to CCDT’s work on the ground.

Deepak A. Tripathi

Lead, and Government Partnerships

Deepak A. Tripathi

Lead, and Government Partnerships

Deepak holds an MBA in Training and Program Development from NIBS and has over 16 years of experience across HIV/AIDS, health, education, gender equality, WaSH, and livelihoods. His cross-sectoral experience supports CCDT’s adolescent and child protection initiatives with insight and sensitivity.

Lavina Fernandes

Lead, Health, Wellbeing and Nutrition

Lavina Fernandes

Lead, Health, Wellbeing and Nutrition

Lavina holds master’s degrees in both nutrition and public health. With over 12 years of experience, she specialises in Maternal and Child Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, and Public Health research. Her work bridges science and community engagement, ensuring that health and nutrition interventions are both evidence-based and empathetically delivered.

Vishal Bodhare

M&E Specialist

Vishal Bodhare

M&E Specialist

Vishal Bodhare is a development sector professional with over nine years of experience in Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation. He holds an M.Phil. in Population Studies and began his career as a Research Associate at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Skilled in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, Vishal is proficient in SPSS and STATA for advanced data analysis. His key interests lie in maternal and child health, gender, population, and community-based research. Passionate about education and health, he strives to use evidence-based insights to strengthen programs that drive sustainable social development.

Dr. Sudeshna Ray

Technical Support, Health & Nutrition

Dr. Sudeshna Ray

Technical Support, Health & Nutrition

Dr. Sudeshna Ray MD MRCOG (London) holds a respectable reputation amongst her patients both as an Obstetrician & Gynecologists. Besides guiding the pregnant women with her expert advice, she offers a full range of gynaecological services. Currently, she is a practicing doctor at Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai and is the head of the team of LIGHTHOUSE – the 360-degree care program for adolescents and young adults. She is a strong believer of holistic care of women where nutrition and lifestyle plays the major role.

Ruta Vyas

Leadership Development Expert & Executive Coach, guiding professionals toward impactful communication and authentic leadership

Ruta Vyas

Leadership Development Expert & Executive Coach, guiding professionals toward impactful communication and authentic leadership

Dr. Ruta Vyas has a total experience of over 16 years, with over 11 years in training and development, and over 5 years in executive coaching, working with Senior leaders; both Indian Nationals and Expatriates. She holds a PhD from NMIMS in leadership behaviours. Currently, she is a Director with Amadeus Consulting engaged in leadership and communication training, executive coaching and leadership assessment.

Virupax Ranebennur

Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Specialist, advancing evidence-based programmes for community health and well-being

Virupax Ranebennur

Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Specialist, advancing evidence-based programmes for community health and well-being

Virupax has more than 28 years of experience in public health, including in Program Planning, Developing Monitoring & Evaluation Systems, and conducting Needs Assessment. His work pans across organisations like IPPF, Ford Foundation, USAID, BMGF, Global Fund and other international, national and local donors. Currently he is working as a Sr. Technical Advisor, Strategic Information, LINKAGES FHI360/Global supporting 30 countries in implementing HIV prevention, care and support program for key population.

Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh

Public Health Specialist

Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh

Public Health Specialist

Over the past 33 years Dr. Ghosh has been involved in a wide range of public health activities from planning and implementation of public health programs at grassroot level to advocating for effective policy decisions at National and regional levels on infectious diseases, vaccines and drugs. He was involved in advocating for vaccines coverage and equity, forging partnerships and managing Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s support to the COVID vaccination program in India.

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Sara D’Mello

Founder and Trustee

Sara D’Mello

Founder and Trustee

A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth. Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost orthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because

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David Cardoz

Chairperson and Co-Founder

David Cardoz

Chairperson and Co-Founder

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Sukanya Poddar

Managing Trustee

Sukanya Poddar

Managing Trustee

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Anuradha Maheshwari

Hon. Secretary

Anuradha Maheshwari

Hon. Secretary

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Dr. Prakash Mirchandani

Trustee

Dr. Prakash Mirchandani

Trustee

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Francis Rozario

Trustee

Francis Rozario

Trustee

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Pallavi Sawardekar

Head, Finance, HR & Administration

Pallavi Sawardekar

Head, Finance, HR & Administration

Pallavi brings over 28 years of experience in finance, audit, compliance, budgeting, and human resource management. Holding a master’s degree in financial management, she has worked with several reputed organisations in the development sector. At CCDT, she leads the Finance, HR & Administration functions, ensuring strong governance and operational efficiency.

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Melvyn Castelino

Lead, Program

Melvyn Castelino

Lead, Program

With more than 23 years of experience in the development sector, Krishna Kant holds dual master’s degrees in social work and public health. He has led health and child-focused programs multiple states and contributed significantly to the National health Mission’s technical support in Uttar Pradesh. His expertise spans program development, M&E, advocacy, capacity building, and partnerships. Previously, at the National Institute of Urban Affairs, he led several national-level knowledge and advocacy initiatives to make cities more inclusive for young children and caregivers.

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Ramchandra Adsule

Lead, Community Initiatives

Ramchandra Adsule

Lead, Community Initiatives

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Deepak A. Tripathi

Lead, and Government Partnerships

Deepak A. Tripathi

Lead, and Government Partnerships

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
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Lavina Fernandes

Lead, Health, Wellbeing and Nutrition

Lavina Fernandes

Lead, Health, Wellbeing and Nutrition

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
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Vishal Bodhare

M&E Specialist

Vishal Bodhare

M&E Specialist

Meenakshi brings over 12 years of experience in working with urban, rural, and tribal communities. She has led impactful CSR programs and behaviour change initiatives, backed by strong research and robust M&E frameworks. Her strengths lie in designing evidence-based strategies and delivering quality grassroots interventions. A photographer and storyteller at heart, she’s also a lifelong learner, currently exploring vocal music and the Spanish language.

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Dr. Sudeshna Ray

Technical Support, Health & Nutrition

Dr. Sudeshna Ray

Technical Support, Health & Nutrition

A leading legal expert in corporate, intellectual property, and human rights law, Anuradha has been instrumental in shaping policies that protect vulnerable communities.Dr. Sudeshna Ray MD MRCOG (London) holds a respectable reputation amongst her patients both as an Obstetrician & Gynecologists. Besides guiding the pregnant women with her expert advice, she offers a full range of gynaecological services. Currently, she is a practicing doctor at Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai and is the head of the team of LIGHTHOUSE – the 360-degree care program for adolescents and young adults. She is a strong believer of holistic care of women where nutrition and lifestyle plays the major role.

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Ruta Vyas

Leadership Development Expert & Executive Coach, guiding professionals toward impactful communication and authentic leadership

Ruta Vyas

Leadership Development Expert & Executive Coach, guiding professionals toward impactful communication and authentic leadership

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Virupax Ranebennur

Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Specialist, advancing evidence-based programmes for community health and well-being

Virupax Ranebennur

Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Specialist, advancing evidence-based programmes for community health and well-being

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh

Public Health Specialist

Dr. Raj Shankar Ghosh

Public Health Specialist

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