We are a team of professionals who think and work for the rural.
We are
Fellows.Thinkers.
Creators.Advocates.
Makers.Consultants.
Students and the locals.
DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY
FOUNDER, CEO
Thein Manimekalai Sowrirajan
Architect; Urban planner
Milan / Chennai
Urban Planner, Architect and now a social entrepreneur, Thein is never a person to limit herself to singular disciplines. An avid learner, she broadens her expertise to cater to specific needs of projects and opportunities. As a founder of NU, she strives to make this into a social movement where urban and rural professionals
work together to achieve
equitable development.
DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY
Nethra Ganesan
Architectural Assistant
London / Dubai
An architect and designer with an
ardent interest in the role of
built environment in relation to its
cultural and ecological contexts
and by extension, its users.
Currently on her year out from the
AA School of Architecture, she is architecting by day and
moonlighting as a Rural Advocate at NU.
LEGAL ADVISOR
Reshma Nair
Lawyer, Legal Consultant
Hyderabad / London
Corporate lawyer with a keen interest in multi-jurisdictional brand protection and pharmaceutical IP. Currently studying the renewable energy sector and researching whether climate mitigation technologies could be considered as "public good" to construe under the purview of non-intellectual property flexibilities in a way to include environmentally sound technologies.
FELLOW
Devika Bajaj
Public Health Scholar
Washington D.C / Dubai
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. With a strong passion for public health and medicine, Devika is completing her Master of Public Health at George Washington University, focusing on Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, & Evaluation. She believes collaborating with various disciplines is the way forward, when creating truly equitable and sustainable healthcare systems, around the globe.
FELLOW
Athiba Balasubramanian
Artist/ Architect
Chennai
Athiba is an architect, designer and an art enthusiast. He’s completed his bachelor’s degree in architecture from SRM University; during which he spent a semester abroad at National University of Singapore learning the influence of economics & East Asian principles on design. He has worked for & learnt from leading design firms in Colombo - SL, Bangalore & Chennai. Athiba has his own Architecture and Design Practice called Makra Works, in Chennai (India) where he is currently residing.
SENIOR DESIGNER
Ashna Kapadia
Communication & Design Professional
New York
A Graphic designer interested in community-focused design approaches.
She is passionate to be part of nonurba
foundation because she hopes to see how young voices can really create a impact within respective rural communities. She hopes to make a change as part of the social media team and senior designer of nonurban team.