Leadership Message
The Resonance of Change: Sound, Story, and Social Impact
Music connects us before we process a single word; we feel the story before we understand the plot. My career in film and technology has always been driven by this: the power of sound to express what a character cannot say, pulling us into a narrative through pure, instinctive emotion.
Recently, I've seen how this emotional power transcends entertainment to fuel social impact. At a recent ICA gala, I met young volunteers returning from India. They didn't just share statistics; they spoke of the sounds that stayed with them-the vibrant energy of a rural classroom and conversations that echoed long after they left.
It reminded me that what moves us is not just information, but shared experience. For an organization like Indians for Collective Action, this is our bridge. While ICA's work in education and healthcare creates tangible results, our challenge is helping those far away feel that impact. A statistic tells us what happened, but a story-shaped by the human voice and the "music" of the community-helps us understand why it matters.
As we mentor the next generation of creators, we empower them to use modern tools to bring global audiences closer to the heart of the village. In a fragmented world, music and storytelling slow us down just enough to feel something real. That resonance is where empathy ends and collective action begins.
Member at Large
Indians for Collective Action (ICA)
Youth News
Youth Leadership Program 2026 - International Immersion Trip to Hemalkasa, India
DO NOT MISS - LIMITED SPOTS REMAINING!
We are approaching the dates for a truly transformative journey-an experience designed for high school and early college students that blends cultural immersion, leadership development, and meaningful community service.
The ICA Youth Leadership Team is actively progressing with travel logistics, airline reservations, and on-ground NGO engagement planning. With only a few spots remaining, we invite motivated students to join us for what promises to be a life-changing experience.
Program Details:
- Destination: Lok Biradari Prakalp, Hemalkasa, India (https://www.lokbiradariprakalp.org)
- Dates: June 28 - July 12, 2026
- Organized by: Indians for Collective Action (ICA) - Youth Leadership Program in partnership with India Community Center (ICC)
Important Links:
- Application Form: https://pci.jotform.com/form/253635026720452
- Liability Form: https://form.jotform.com/260004646009448
- Medical Form: https://form.jotform.com/260004335880450
This is more than a trip-it's an opportunity to learn, serve, and grow while making a meaningful difference.
Spots are filling quickly-secure your place today for this once-in-a-lifetime journey.
For more information, please contact: icaylp.indiatrip@gmail.com
Manju Mishra
Team Lead, ICA Youth Leadership Program
NGO Spotlight
Bondre Nagar Project
Founded in the early 1990s and headquartered in Pune, Shelter Associates (SA) is a non-profit organisation working at the intersection of social housing, sanitation, spatial data, and community participation to improve living conditions for India's urban poor acrosss Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
SA's approach is grounded in granular GIS-based mapping of informal settlements, generating household-level spatial data that enables governments to plan transparent, inclusive urban interventions. This methodology influenced the national Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) policy through SA's landmark IHSDP Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad project, which adopted a citywide strategy to rehabilitate 29 slums across three cities. More recently, SA delivered Maharashtra's first completed PMAY-Urban Beneficiary-Led Construction project at Bondre Nagar in Kolhapur, where 77 families now live in architect-designed homes organised around a shared courtyard and community space. In Uttar Pradesh, SA's spatial mapping of pilot towns Mohanlalganj and Banthra under the state's Akankshi Nagar Yojana has led to both towns being officially recognised on Uttar Pradesh's Aspirational Cities portal.
In the sanitation sector, SA's Sustainable Sanitation Model integrates the One Home One Toilet programme-which has facilitated the construction of over 28,400 household toilets-with Menstrual Hygiene Management initiatives that promote menstrual cups as a low-carbon, cost-effective alternative to disposable products, supported by structured behavioural change communication. Across all programmes, SA prioritises building the capacity of Urban Local Bodies and community members alike, ensuring that the knowledge, systems, and confidence needed to sustain change remain long after projects conclude. SA's work has received recognition from UN-Habitat, HUDCO, FICCI, and NASSCOM. Its founder, architect Pratima Joshi-an Ashoka Fellow and Aga Khan Scholar-has been honoured as a BBC Leading Slum Architect, Google Earth Hero, Forbes India W-Power listee, and Infosys Aarohan Social Innovation Award recipient, and was recognised by the Prime Minister of India for COVID-19 relief efforts.
Welcome our New Board Member!
Bimal Sangari
I have been a technology professional for almost three decades working in silicon valley companies such as Yahoo and Walmart Global Tech. By education, I graduated with a B.Tech from IIT Kanpur in 1991 and went on to do my M.S in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University followed by an MBA from U.C. Berkeley's Haas School of Business.
On the personal front, I have been married to my wife Seema for over 30 years and we live in Sunnyvale, California. I have two grown-up sons who currently reside on the east coast. I enjoy hiking, playing tennis and bollywood dancing as my hobbies, in addition to traveling and meeting new people when I can. I try to make at least one trip a year to meet my parents and relatives in Delhi, India.
I have served as an officer for many years in the IIT Bay Area Alumni Association helping to organise their annual marquee event, the IIT Bay Area Technology Conference held at the Santa Clara Convention Center annually each September. I have also been a key participant in the IIT Diwali Dhamaka organising committee and a prominent participant in the IIT Kanpur team performances during those events from 2008 till 2016. Recently, I have also started focusing my efforts to organise a non-profit initiative to help rural women in India by imparting free digital literacy education with the goal of helping them become entrepreneurs who achieve financial independence and uplift their society as a direct consequence of their growing confidence and self-esteem. This idea was conceived in the summer of 2025 and as of Feb 1, 2026 a pioneering batch of 18 young women are already enrolled in this digital literacy course in central Jharkhand. I wish to continue to focus and build on my philanthropic goals and create a meaningful impact on society as my legacy.
Meet and Greet
Bridging the Literacy Gap: A Special Afternoon with Dr. Dhir Jhingran
On March 28th, members of the Indians for Collective Action (ICA) community gathered at the India Community Center in Milpitas for an inspiring "Meet & Greet" with Dr. Dhir Jhingran, the visionary behind the Language and Learning Foundation (LLF). As an ICA-supported NGO, LLF is at the forefront of transforming early childhood education and literacy across India.
The session offered a unique opportunity to hear from one of the most prominent voices in education reform today. Dr. Jhingran's lifelong dedication to the field is reflected in his impressive background.
He is a recognized thought leader in designing large-scale reforms aimed at improving foundational learning across Asia and Africa. Dr. Jhingran championed the need for equitable learning, focusing on bringing high-quality education to India's most marginalized children.
The event was a powerful reminder of how collective action and expert-led reform can change the trajectory for millions of young learners. We thank Dr. Jhingran for sharing his insights and for his tireless work in building a "Strong Foundation, Stronger Future".
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