Incubation...
Although our classic Indian historical texts (e.g. the concept of Ardhanarishvara) and architectures (e.g. depictions in the Ajanta & Ellora caves) recognise the transgender community and notes their importance and talents, the general society of present India has a long way to go before the transgender persons will be seen as an equal part of the society across all levels.
There was a need to create an exclusive solution designed from the ground up to address this scenario and uplift the socio-economic standing of the Transgender community. It was that need that made Neelam Jain, a then 22 year old Financial Analyst at Goldman Sachs, submit a proposal to her team via an internal competition for social impact.
Ideas in that proposal eventually became the first blueprint out of which PeriFerry was born. After year of doing field work, PeriFerry was founded in 2017.
PeriFerry continues to work and create equal opportunities for the Trans community through Employment and Training. PeriFerry may have evolved from its first office being nothing more than a shade under the tree in a public park to having offices across Chennai & Bangalore, but what really sets the team apart is the impact they set to create every single day.
Timeline
Meet Our Team
Founder and CEO
Core Team Members
Neelam Jain
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Pronouns: She/Her
Neelam is social entrepreneur who excels at bringing people and processes together to create lasting impact. She is responsible for scaling the organization's reach and impact by jobs and business opportunities for trans communities. Her expertise in corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion has also helped to forge powerful partnerships between PeriFerry and corporate partners committed to social change.
Nishant Agarwal
Co-Partner & Chief Operating Officer
Pronouns: He/Him
A dedicated problem solver, Nishant comes with 8+ years of work experience in managing & scaling his family owned business. He is now committed to overseeing our India wide recruitment operations and integrating our clients and community seamlessly.
An avid photographer and design lover, Nishant occasionally enjoys the same.
Preety Mehra
Community Lead
Pronouns: She/Her
Our community guide and counsellor, Preety has worked extensively for the rights of the transgender community for over 10+ years. She comes from the experience of working as a peer counsellor and field manager in various NGOs.
Preety loves cooking and in her free time enjoys experimenting with her culinary skills.
Anirudh Kumar
Revive and Trans Inn Associate
Pronouns: He/Him
Anirudh helps us in executing our Revive Core residential corporate training in our Trans Inn Bengaluru. He joined PeriFerry after a brief stint at Dr.Reddy's Laboratories. Every day he ensures that the training sessions run smoothly by checking attendance, keeping track of weekly training progress, coordinating with the trainers and guests, guiding our trainees on corporate visit days and more! He also occasionally extends his help to the sourcing team and also to create content for our social media channels. Experimenting with food with his friends is his jam during his off hours.
Sai Nagarajan
E.A. to the CEO | Partnerships Associate
Pronouns: He/Him
Sai acts as the CEO's Executive Assistant and deals with Partnerships at PeriFerry. A Chartered Accountant by qualification, he worked in the Finance sector for 3 years before moving to PeriFerry. Sai is committed to Gender and Queer justice and views his work as a path towards achieving it. He is passionate about plants, breads, queer theory, cats, and slow living.
Ilene Ann Santhosh
Sensitization Associate
Pronouns: She/They
Ilene is a devoted social worker committed to advancing gender equity and also exploring its connections to climate change. After completing their postgraduation in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Ilene worked for 3 months in another organisation before joining PeriFerry. Beyond their professional role, Ilene enjoys quality time with their cats, supports animal shelters, and finds solace in reading.
Anurag Sharma
HR Executive
Pronouns: He/Him
Anurag's primary responsibilities for PeriFerry is assisting the team on community outreach, sourcing and documentation processes. He has completed M.Com. and is commited to upscale PeriFerry's activities to create job opportunities for more trans persons. His hobbies are reading and singing. Anurag is a firm believer in the power of meditation.
Shiva Rudraksh
HR Associate
Pronouns: He/Him
Shiva Rudraksh is a B.Com. graduate, currently working as an HR Associate at PeriFerry. He helps us with community outreach, sourcing, and documentation processes. HR is a field that personally interests Shiva Rudraksh and he keeps up with latest HR trends and best practices. Outside of work, he likes to travel and experimenting with graphic design.
Sahil Patel
Project Manager - Revive
Pronouns: He/Him
A B.Pharm. graduate with 6 years+ experience in retail and business management, Sahil manages the execution of our Revive Core chapter in Pune. A natural problem solver, his work seamlessly integrates our corporate training partners and community experiences and contributes towards transgender inclusion in workplaces. Sahil hails from Mumbai and is a foodie with a dream to set up his own business someday.
Miracle NR
Project Coordinator - Prajna
Pronouns: They/Them
A postgraduate in electronics engineering, Miracle taught mathematics at a coaching institute before joining PeriFerry. At PeriFerry, they coordinate 'Prajna', an online mentorship program connecting young trans professionals with corporate leaders. They are also involved with 'Crafted Wings', an entrepreneurship program for trans persons. Apart from work, they are passionate about environmentally sustainable living and mental health.
Rosemary Jose
Revive - Trainer and Associate
Pronouns: She/Her
Hailing from Mumbai with a postgraduate degree in MSW, Rosemary is a familiar face in our Revive program's Pune chapter. With a focus on personal and professional development, she contributes towards designing and delivering a comprehensive job oriented curriculum as part of our Revive Core livelihood creation program for the transgender community. In her free time, Rosemary's passions lie in practicing dancing.
Community Partner from the NBCFDC, Govt. of India
Simran Arora
Community Consultant | NBCFDC under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India
Pronouns: She/Her
Simran is a firm believer in the power of education. As one of the very few trans women in India who has been able to find acceptance within the family and the society, Simran is now relentlessly working to make a positive difference to the trans community and is constantly helping her fellow community members to venture into the mainstream.
Our Values
Responsibility
We are responsible in our interactions with our community, our partners, and also ourselves. We understand the impact of our actions and how they demand us to maintain accountability. Taking responsibility of our goal is a crucial element that enables us to deliver a positive change.
Empowerment
We don't just empower the trans community, we also empower our very own selves through our work. Each of us leads by purpose and is enabled to take decisions for it is empowered teams that create empowered organizations.
Agility
Being agile is an essential requirement to address the different challenges concerning the trans community. Rigidity is not an option and unlearning is just as important as learning. It is by being agile one gains the flexibility to adapt to an ever-changing world.
Cohesiveness
We are all different individuals but we all are in this together. Our focus is to embrace our differences while working in synergy.
Trust
We are committed to honour the trust that you put in us. We understand that trust is not given but it is earned. All our services are designed to keep your trust and grow our relationship with you.
