Ach holds a faculty appointment in business economics and public policy at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, where his research and teaching focus on topics in development economics. He is also a Faculty Research Fellow of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Ach’s research interests center around the role of the private sector in improving the wellbeing of low-income individuals. He received his Ph.D. in economics in 2009 from Yale University, and was also on faculty at Yale prior to his current appointment at Michigan.
Anant is currently an Assistant Professor in the economics Department at Boston College, and also a Faculty Research Fellow of the National Bureau of Economic Research. His decade long research portfolio focuses on enterprise, firm, and worker characteristics and decision-making (e.g., labor contracting, worker training, managerial quality) and the resulting performance dynamics, particularly in developing countries. On these topics, he has both on-going and completed field experiments in Mexico, Kenya, Tanzania, and India. He received his Ph.D. in economics in 2012 from Yale University.
Anant Ahuja leads the organizational development team at Shahi, an apparel export company based in India. With a focus on development, he is eager to address business challenges around worker welfare and sustainability, such that the industry can be a strong force of development in times to come. Anant graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
Lavanya works on building GBL's external partnerships, communications, PR, and overall strategy. Working at GBL helps her bring together her interest in women's socio-economic development, writing, economic research, responsible businesses, and sustainable fashion. She is also the co-founder of Asmat, a student-run NGO based out of Delhi, that brings together college students to work in rural Rajasthan and Haryana. She holds a B.A. in economics from Lady Shri Ram College, and an M.A. in international and development economics from Yale University.
Snigdha is responsible for the PR and communications strategy of the Lab, and assists the field team with research implementation. Her previous stints include involvement with NGOs, CSR wings, and academic institutions working at the grassroots on a range of socio-economic issues. She earned her bachelor's in political science from Ramjas College, Delhi University.
Varun oversees the implementation of the research projects in Bangalore. His areas of interest include subaltern studies, cultural ecology, community development, and rural and tribal spaces. For over six years he worked as an Assistant Professor in the department of social work at St. Joseph’s Arts and Science College, Bangalore. He holds a master’s degree in social work and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in cultural ecology from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Smit looks after research design and field implementation. Prior to GBL, he worked as a Research Associate at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), focusing on Early Childhood Development projects with the governments of Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. His research interests include child malnutrition, economics of corruption, and political economy. He holds an M.Phil. in economics from Oxford University.
Mansi is responsible for strategizing and maintaining the quality of project design and implementation at the Lab. She has worked with women on rural livelihood projects in Burkina Faso and India. She holds a master's in development studies from IHEID, Geneva and a bachelor's in economics from Sri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi.
Harish oversees the implementation of GBL projects primarily in rural Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. He is also involved in training and implementation across factory units.
Sadish is responsible for maintaining the quality of data and research design. Prior to joining the Lab, he worked on several impact evaluations in India and Nepal. He holds a master's in development economics from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague.
Bopanna oversees GBL field operations across factory units and rural locations across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. He also handles the recruitment, training and capacity building of field staff. He holds an MBA degree in corporate social responsibility from Mysore University and a bachelor's degree in commerce.
Priota's work comprises of field visits to execute and monitor surveys across factory units and other project locations. Apart from being responsible for the field tasks, she also handles recruitment, training, and supervision of the field staff, and works with the Research Managers on preparatory and administrative tasks for all projects. She holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in Social Work, with a specialization in human resource development management.
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