EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Vikas Mehta is a founding Executive Board member of the SED Fund. As Executive Director, Vikas manages new portfolio and capacity development, and global strategic initiatives for the SED Fund. Prior to SED Fund, Vikas spent 17 years in impact investment and programme management with non-profits in Asia and Africa, and 4 years in grants management on climate and energy globally. He holds a Master’s degree in International Business from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Delhi University, India.

CHIEF OF OPERATIONS

Lorraine Breen is a founding Executive Board member of the SED Fund. As COO, Lorraine provides the leadership and management necessary to ensure optimal delivery to meet our goals. Lorraine has over 16 years of experience in philanthropy, both in the UK and the Netherlands. Lorraine has also worked across multiple policy areas through government policy and analyst positions in the UK, NSW and at EU level and roles in various non-profits. She has a first-class honours Master’s in Cultural Policy and Management and a BA in English Literature and the History of Art, both from University College Dublin.

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

As SED Fund’s Strategic Communications Manager, Vincy Abraham leads the Communications function. Her work includes strengthening SED Fund’s communication capacity, helping shape compelling narratives that support clean energy transition and championing SED Fund’s thought leadership in the sector. With over 11 years of work experience in the social impact sector, Vincy previously led the Purpose Climate Lab as its India Country Lead. She has also worked with several non-profits, international agencies and foreign governments in Asia, Africa and Europe leading communications, strategy development and partner management. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master's degree (Honors) in Political Science from the University of Mumbai graduating at the top of her class. Vincy is passionate about equity issues and brings her perspective to global forums and spaces like the Global Shapers Community, UN MGCY, etc.

PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE

Zainab Agha is a Programme Associate at SED Fund and works on accelerating clean energy transition. Prior to joining SED Fund, Zainab worked with the Under2 Coalition Secretariat and Climate Group where she worked with Subnational Governments in the Asia-Pacific region. Zainab holds a Master’s degree in Climate Change and Environmental Policy from the University of Leeds and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from the University of Nottingham.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PARTNERSHIPS

Afeena Ashfaque is the Associate Director of Partnerships at the SED Fund where she leads the organization’s external relationship management and new partner development for philanthropic engagements related to clean energy transition and identifies prospective partners to advance programme strategies. Afeena has nearly 20 years of professional experience working on policy issues with think tanks, foreign embassies, and the United Nations in New Delhi and Washington DC. She is an expert on India’s foreign economic relations with a focus on health and energy issues. While at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), she focused on supporting policymakers at the state level in the U.S. and India on various clean energy issues to further inform policymaking. During her time at the South African High Commission in New Delhi, she worked on bilateral agricultural trade policy issues between India and South Africa. She has a Master’s of Business Administration in Human Resources from Sikkim Manipal University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Botany from Magadh University.

SENIOR GRANTS AND OPERATIONS MANAGER

Milagros Falus is Grants and Operations Manager at SED Fund. She is involved in the full cycle of grants, responsible for setting up efficient practices and processes to streamline the organisation’s strategy. She also works on Risk Management and Information Security by supporting the senior leadership on risk-informed decisions and ensuring effective security measures are embedded in key institutional processes. Before joining SED Fund, Milagros worked 6 years in the philanthropic space in Buenos Aires, Argentina, gathering experience on sustainable development and leading tasks related to grants and partnerships management. She holds a B.S. in International Relations from Di Tella University in Buenos Aires. She combines this with a Postgraduate Specialization in Management and Development of Non-Profit Organisations.

MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING MANAGER

As the MEL lead, Deeksha Gautam is responsible for the development of SED Fund’s MEL framework and supporting systems for the team and implementing partners in close collaboration with the senior leadership. She has over 9 years professional experience in the social impact space in countries in the Global South including India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Philippines. Previously, she worked with the global consulting firm Ernst & Young in the government and public sector space. She has written several articles on issues of social and economic development for newspapers and online journals. Deeksha has a Master’s in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex University, UK for which she was awarded the Chevening Scholarship by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK.

PEOPLE & CULTURE MANAGER

As SED Fund’s People and Culture Manager, Nancy González Sedman is responsible for maintaining a positive team culture and environment at SED Fund, ensuring work planning and staff cycle processes are compliant and support employee wellness, growth and satisfaction. With over 16 years of experience within Human Resources, Nancy made a deliberate decision some years ago to focus her efforts on working for mission driven not- for – profit organisations who aligned with her values and the areas she is passionate about, such as sustainability and the environment. This led to her decision to join SED Fund at the end of 2023. Nancy has a Bachelor’s in European Studies (Communications) as well as numerous courses, masterclasses and certifications in HR, HR Management and coaching and counselling.

SENIOR PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE

Prayank Jain supports the design and implementation of grant-making and programme strategies at SED Fund as Senior Programme Associate. His work involves managing relationships and facilitating strategic collaboration and co-learning with stakeholders. A lawyer and international affairs professional, Prayank brings six years’ experience in global governance, climate diplomacy, and social sector strategy. He has worked with leading think tanks, higher education institutions, and civil society organisations in India, USA, and with global networks. Previously, he was Special Assistant to the CEO at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), where he managed international collaborations and global governance research. Prayank holds a Master of International Law (LL.M.) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston.

SENIOR STRATEGY ASSOCIATE

Shaily Jha is the Senior Strategy Associate at the SED Fund. She is responsible for the design, development, and refinement of grantmaking strategies across SED’s portfolio, while facilitating opportunities for collaboration and coordination within the team. Shaily comes to SED Fund with over 6 years of experience of working on energy access and sustainable energy-based livelihoods in India. She has formerly worked with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), focusing on integrating a gender lens in Powering Livelihoods, an initiative to catalyse India’s rural economy through clean energy-based solutions. She holds a master’s degree in Disaster Management from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Miranda House, University of Delhi.

ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Niharika Jindal leads SED’s efforts to strengthen the organisational health of portfolio grantees as an Organisational Development Manager. This involves designing SED's organizational development strategy, identifying opportunities, and collaborating with experts to enhance portfolio resilience and sustainability. For the past 10 years, Niharika has worked in the development sector, leading entrepreneur support initiatives at organizations such as Dasra, Social Alpha, and Svarya. Before joining the social sector, Niharika began her career in investment banking at Nomura and Deutsche Bank in Mumbai and Singapore, working with diverse teams on M&A advisory. Niharika holds a Bachelor's in Commerce (Hons) from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE

As SED Fund’s Operations Associate, Catherine Jones provides assistance to the Executive Board and supports the delivery of SED Fund’s strategy through event and travel management and HR assistance. Catherine has accumulated seven years of professional experience in foreign affairs and security, having contributed her skills to multiple roles at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the British Embassy Bangkok. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Historical Archaeology from the University of York.

SENIOR GLOBAL FINANCE MANAGER

Michiel Kemeling serves as the Finance Manager at SED Fund, responsible for financial management, control, and accounting. His work includes financial planning, grantee and funder financial liaison, and establishing the robust and scalable financial systems that enable the fund to reliably deliver on its mission. With over 10 years of diverse non-profit operational experience, Michiel is a finance management, grant administration and operational processes specialist. A graduate in tax law from Leiden University, Michiel brings a robust academic background to his role.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR INDUSTRY

Sivaram Krishnamoorthy is Deputy Director at the SED Fund where his role is to design and implement programmatic strategy, grantmaking and provide technical assistance. He focuses on industry workstream particularly on GHG intensive manufacturing sectors like iron & steel, cement across the value chain. He has 2 decades of experience in technical assistance, project management, donor coordination and investments, both with the private sector and sub national bodies across South and East Asia including India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Before SED Fund, he worked at IFC, the private sector arm of the World bank group (WBG), where he oversaw a wide range of projects in clean energy, industrial resource efficiency, public-private partnerships among others. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Madras and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Calicut.

IT OFFICER

Alvaro Martin-Murga Gonzalez is SED Fund’s IT Officer and supports the day to day running of SED Fund’s IT systems, infrastructure and security. Prior to joining SED Fund, Alvaro worked at a number of companies in Ireland where he continued to develop his knowledge and understanding in IT and Information Security. He holds a degree in IT and Telecommunications from SAFA San Luis Gonzaga.

PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE

As a Programme Associate at SED Fund, Aditya Pant works on Clean Energy and Energy Finance. For the last decade, Aditya worked in various grassroots and international organisations across the areas of environmental and social justice and brings a wealth of technical knowledge on the energy-economy-environment nexus. He holds a Bachelor's (Honors) in Political Science from the University of Delhi and a Masters in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

SENIOR PROGRAMME MANAGER

Shreyanka Rao leads the work around accelerating clean energy transition at SED Fund. In her work, she is responsible for designing program strategy, identifying and managing relationships with partners, and facilitating opportunities for collaborating and co-learning with stakeholders. Shreyanka brings over 13 years of experience in the development sector having worked at organizations including Dasra and the Earth Institute. She holds a Master's degree in International Development from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree in International Studies and Relations from Soka University of America with a minor in Spanish.

PROGRAMME MANAGER

Sai Siddharth is a Senior Programme Associate at SED Fund where he supports the implementation and refining of grantmaking and programme strategies. Sai comes to SED Fund from J-PAL South Asia, where he led the environment, energy, and climate change sector work. Earlier, he was a Young Professional at the National Health Authority in India where he helped set up its Innovation Unit, and as a Fellow with the University of Chicago, worked with the Maharashtra Government to manage a water conservation programme. Sai holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from RVCE in Bengaluru.

GRANTS AND OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE

Sofia Vallejo is the Grants and Operations Associate at SED Fund. She supports the delivery of the Fund’s strategy through centralised grants management and operational deliverables. Sofia comes to SED Fund after her experience in the private, public and philanthropic sectors. As working in a sustainable project in an NGO in Mexico, and as an administrative efficiency researcher in the cultural field in Mexico. Sofia received her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Iberoamericana University in Mexico City. She also holds a Master’s degree in International Relations focused on Non-governmental organisations, from Webster University, Campus Leiden, The Netherlands.