Meet the Urban Ethnographers Team
Advisor, Didactics and Innovations
Videhi Bhamidi
Videhi is a seasoned professional with expertise in educational innovations, digital strategy, and didactic design. As the Director of Research at Easygenerator, she leads e-learning product research studies, shaping innovative learning solutions. An Oxford University alumna with dual Master’s degrees in Education and HR Management, she specializes in social, mobile, and blended learning methods. She is also the co-author of Employee-Generated Learning: How to Develop Training That Drives Performance (2024), a guide to creating impactful, user-driven training programs.
With deep experience in instructional design, curriculum development, and technology integration, she plays a pivotal role in crafting innovative approaches for NGOs and social impact initiatives, driving meaningful change through tailored advisory and capacity-building programs.
Head of Programs
Tanya Toshali
Tanya has a Masters of Public Policy degree from National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Her academic interests lie in the realm of development policy, specifically dealing with issues like employment generation, labour rights, and gender parity. She has been working in the livelihoods and vocational education sector for almost 3 years now — taking on a host of projects ranging from primary research and impact assessment to content generation and program management.
In her free time, you can find her reading a good book, out on a walk with her dog, or exploring a new restaurant. She also tries to take out time and volunteer as a tutor for primary school children.
Associate Team Lead - Content Development
Neha Aggarwal
With a keen interest in making education more accessible and adaptable for everyone, Neha has worked as an online and offline teacher, sharing expertise in mathematics with students. Her passion for creating creative content and designing eventually led her to become an instructional designer, where she can utilise her teaching experience to create engaging and effective learning experiences.
Neha is extremely fascinated with the study of urban planning and informal economies, and aims to contribute to the sector through effective means.
Team Lead - Content Development
Mahasweta Chatterjee
Mahasweta is a Commerce Graduate, born, raised, and educated in Kolkata, West Bengal. Having completed a Diploma in Web Design, she wrote and designed school books for primary school children in computer education. She has also worked as a Technical Writer for an e-commerce company and as a Holiday Expert for an online travel platform. She also finds immense joy in listening to music, dancing, and listening to real human stories and experiences.
Founder’s Office Associate
Aditi Saha
Aditi is a highly motivated and passionate individual with a strong background in Economics and a thirst for exploring the multifaceted dimensions of research methodology. She has proven herself adept at leveraging her analytical prowess and statistical command to uncover valuable insights driven by her intellectual curiosity. Additionally, she finds solace in music, which serves as a creative outlet in her life.
Team Lead - Proposals and Strategy
Nandini Mangalore
Nandini has completed her Master’s in Public Policy from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Pune University. Her diverse experiences have ignited a spark in her for Research, Urban Policy, Gender Studies, and Global Governance. In her free time, she lets her creative juices flow through two things, she loves cooking and dancing.
Team Lead - Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)
Shreya Sajeev
Shreya completed her MA in Applied Economics from Christ University. The Master’s Programme ignited in her a passion for interdisciplinary research. Her research interest lies at the intersection of the economics of gender, labour and institutional economics, and extends to political science, especially in the areas of Indian politics and geopolitics. Her undergraduate course was an interdisciplinary mix of economics, political science, and journalism, and that has piqued her interest in pursuing research in Applied Economics, using perspectives from political science and other allied humanistic disciplines.
She is also an aunt to a 6-year-old cat and a year-old GSD. When she is not playing with them, she can be found on the Gram scrolling through cat and dog videos. She also dances and plays video games.
Senior Research Associate
Shivani Sharma
Shivani has recently finished her Masters in Applied Economics from Christ University. She has completed her Bachelors in Political Science, Economics and Journalism from Mount Carmel College. Her area of interests and education have always evoked her to study and learn from interdisciplinary fields. She finds herself deeply drawn by the ideologies and theories of international relations and applying them to real world affairs. While also reading about politics, economy and history in depth, she is also committed to help communities and people by either writing about them, voicing their injustices and atrocities or actively volunteering in NGOs to bring a change.
During her leisure time you can find her reading a book, listening to music or watering the plants as she finds it rewarding to watch her plants grow and thrive.
Research Associate
Vyakhya Vashishth
Vyakhya is a recent graduate from Christ University, where she pursued a Bachelors in Liberal Arts. With a specialisation in Political Science and International Relations, she has a deep-rooted passion for driving social impact through critical thinking, collaboration, and education.
Her career aspirations are defined by experiences and strong interest in gender, politics, international relations, and sustainable development.
In her free time, you’ll find her writing songs, singing, baking, or reading. She is also interested in learning various languages and traveling.
Research Associate
Somya Pathak
Somya graduated with distinction earning a gold medal in M.A. Economics from Aligarh Muslim University. After her post graduation, she joined the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai as a Research Intern in the Department of Economic and Policy Research. Her experience at RBI acquainted her with numerous research methodologies and handle various kinds of data and research projects. This also helped her to dive deep into governance, sustainability and CSR space. She also loves to volunteer for important social causes and was recently associated as a volunteer with a Dehradun-based NGO (Dor Foundation) which works to provide free higher education to disadvantaged students. She takes out time regularly to read philosophical texts and classical literature, write and cook her favorite dishes.
Instructional Designer
Gayathri A N
Gayathri is a recent public policy graduate from IIT Tirupati. She also holds an undergraduate degree in social work, specializing in rural development, from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. This academic background has provided a strong foundation for her interest in sustainability science, urban and rural issues, migration studies, and cultural studies.
In the past few years, she has gained experience by interning with organizations such as GRAAM, Kudumbashree, ICDS, and Pain and Palliative Care. Through these internships, she demonstrated her qualitative and quantitative research skills by addressing issues related to adolescent education, the healthcare sector, and employment.
Gayathri finds joy in dancing and listening to music.
Instructional Designer
Simran Bhattarai
Simran holds a Master of Applied Economics from CHRIST University and has a strong interest in exploring the dynamic fields of economics and research methodology. Her academic focus includes behavioural, education, and labour economics. Specialising in creating engaging learning materials, Simran develops scenario-based modules, assessments, and e-learning aids tailored to diverse audiences. Proficient in tools like Canva, Articulate 360, and G Suite, she excels in aligning training solutions with organisational goals and social impact initiatives. Beyond her professional pursuits, Simran enjoys cooking, meeting new people, and listening to music.
Instructional Designer
Soumen Ghorai
Soumen is a Commerce Graduate with a strong background in accounts and finance. His research interests lie in areas such as financial analysis and market trends. He is also committed to sustainable practices and corporate social responsibility. In his free time, he reads books and enjoys cooking.