Executive Director

Vikas Mehta is a founding Executive Board member of the Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund. As Executive Director, Vikas manages new portfolio and capacity development, and global strategic initiatives for the SED Fund. Vikas has 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.

Chief of Operations

Lorraine Breen is a founding Executive Board member of the Sustainability, Equity and Diversity 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 and has worked on multiple policy areas through government policy and analyst positions in the UK, NSW and at EU level.

Chief of Staff

Benedict Southworth is the Chief of Staff at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund where he supports the Executive Board and enables the team to grow themselves and their work. Benedict spent 20 years in Chief Executive and senior leadership roles in Civil Society Organisations across the world. Before joining SED Fund, he ran a consultancy providing strategic advice, grant management and impact assessment for Philanthropy. He holds a Master’s degree in Energy Studies and Architecture from the University of East London and a Bachelors degree in Political Theory and Institutions from Liverpool University. 

Director, Industry

Sivaram Krishnamoorthy is the Programme Director of Industry at the Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund where his role is to design and implement programmatic strategy, grantmaking and provide technical assistance. He focuses on industry particularly on GHG intensive manufacturing sectors like iron & steel, cement across the value chain. He has two decades of experience in technical assistance, project management and investments in the private sector and multilateral organisations including IFC (World Bank) across India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Director, Programmes Energy Transition

Smita Nakhooda is Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s Programme Director responsible for clean energy transition-focused grantmaking. She brings a diverse mix of private sector, public finance, and think tank experience. Most recently, Smita served as Head of Impact and ESG for a Zurich-based asset manager. Earlier in her career, she led the Climate Finance team at ODI, the UK's leading development think tank. Smita holds a Master's degree in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor's degree in Government and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. 

Associate Director, Partnerships

Afeena Ashfaque is the Associate Director of Partnerships at the Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund where she leads the organisation’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 UN in New Delhi and Washington DC.

Senior Finance and Data Manager

Michiel Kemeling serves as the Senior Finance and Data Manager at Sustainability, Diversity and Equity Fund, responsible for financial management, data engineering, and business intelligence. His work includes establishing the robust and scalable business intelligence 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. 

Senior Grants and Operations Manager

Milagros Falus is the Senior Grants and Operations Manager at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund. She is involved in the full cycle of grants, responsible for setting up efficient practices and processes to streamline the organisation’s strategy. Before joining Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund, Milagros worked 6 years in the philanthropic space in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Senior Programme Manager

Shreyanka Rao leads the work around accelerating clean energy transition at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund. 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.

Senior Organisation Development Manager

Niharika Jindal leads Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s efforts to strengthen the organisational health of portfolio partner as an Organisational Development Manager. This involves designing broader organisational 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 at organizations such as Dasra, Social Alpha, and Svarya.

Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Shaily Jha is Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s Strategy Manager. She is responsible for the design, development, and refinement of grantmaking strategies across Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s portfolio, while facilitating opportunities for collaboration and coordination within the team. Shaily comes with over 6 years of experience of working on energy access and sustainable energy-based livelihoods in India.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager

As the MEL lead, Deeksha Gautam is responsible for the development of Sustainability, Equity and Diversity 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.

Programme Manager

Sai Siddharth is a Programme Manager at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund where he supports the implementation and refining of grantmaking and programme strategies. He worked at J-PAL South Asia, where he led the environment, energy, and climate change sector work. He was also a Young Professional at the National Health Authority in India and as a Fellow with the University of Chicago.

Strategic Communications Manager

As Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s Strategic Communications Manager, Vincy Abraham leads the communications function by strengthening communication capacity, helping shape compelling narratives and championing thought leadership. With over 12 years of work experience in the social impact sector, Vincy has worked with several non-profits, international agencies and foreign governments in Asia, Africa and Europe.

People & Culture Manager

As Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s People and Culture Manager, Nancy González Sedman is responsible for maintaining a positive team culture and environment at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund, ensuring work planning and staff cycle processes are compliant and support employee wellness, growth and satisfaction. Nancy has over 16 years of experience within Human Resources including experience in the development sector.

Financial Controller

As the Financial Controller at Sustainability, Equity, and Diversity Fund, Cian O’Mahony leads the Finance Department and a dedicated finance team. He is committed to driving financial excellence and supporting the SED Fund’s mission. With extensive experience spanning both the private sector and not-for-profit organisations, Cian has spent nearly a decade in senior financial controller roles. He holds a degree in Business Administration. 

Senior Programme Associate

Prayank Jain supports the design and implementation of grant-making and programme strategies at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund as Senior Programme Associate. His work involves managing relationships and facilitating strategic collaboration and co-learning with stakeholders. 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.

Grants and Operations Associate

Sofia Vallejo is the Grants and Operations Associate at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund. She supports the delivery of the Fund’s strategy through centralised grants management and operational deliverables. Sofia has experience in the private, public and philanthropic sectors including working as an administrative efficiency researcher in the cultural field in Mexico.

HR and Events Associate

As Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s HR and Events Associate, Catherine supports the delivery of HR, operational and event management. Before Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund, Catherine accumulated seven years of professional experience in 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. 

Programme Associate

Zainab Agha is a Programme Associate at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund and works on accelerating clean energy transition. Prior to joining Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund, Zainab worked with the Under2 Coalition Secretariat and Climate Group where she worked with Subnational Governments in the Asia-Pacific region.

Programme Associate

As a Programme Associate at Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund, Aditya Pant works on Clean Energy and Energy Finance. In the last decade, Aditya worked in various local and international organisations across the areas of climate and brings a wealth of technical knowledge on the energy-economy-environment nexus.

IT Systems Administrator

Alvaro Martin-Murga Gonzalez is Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s IT Systems Administrator and supports the day to day running of Sustainability, Equity and Diversity Fund’s IT systems, infrastructure and security. Previously, Alvaro worked at a number of companies in Ireland where he continued to develop his knowledge and understanding in IT and Information Security.

Finance Assistant

Richard Avalon works as the Finance Assistant at SED Fund, supporting the day-to-day financial management of the fund. With over 12 years of work experience in the social impact sector, Richard has previously worked within the local charity sector in both finance and counselling positions in the UK.