Olly Donnelly (Co-founder of Shivia):

Olly currently works part time for Accenture. Previously she worked for the World Bank in Washington DC. She was awarded the World Bank Youth Innovation Fund and initiated Abhilasha project in Western Nepal, helping Dalit communities gain access to education.

Olly has travelled extensively and spends much time in India and Nepal working on a variety of projects including microfinance, HIV/AIDS, women, education, caste issues and with disadvantaged children. Olly is involved in several charities in the UK and abroad and advises a number of NGOs on their strategies. She is particularly involved with the foster home, Familia, for abused and abandoned children in West Bengal, India. www.familiaindia.in. Olly has spoken at numerous events about grass-roots development. Olly is on the Leonard Cheshire International Committee working with "People with disabilities" throughout the world. www.lcint.org.

She is also the UK ambassador for BASE, a leading NGO in Western Nepal, working with the indigenous Tharu population. www.msnepal.org/partners/base

Olly studied Geography at Oxford University and was awarded a first class honours in her degree. Her thesis was based on the informal sector in Calcutta, focusing on the hand-rickshaw trade. She then got Distinction in her Masters from Oxford University and her thesis was based on Urbanisation in Calcutta.

Sheetal Mehta (Co-founder of Shivia):

Sheetal is CEO of Innovative Social Ventures Ltd, and provides advisory services to socially conscious technology companies relating to venture capital and corporate partnering. She sits on several advisory boards in this capacity.  www.innovativesocialventures.com

Sheetal is the UK Deal Maker (by appointment) for the UK Trade and Investment’s Global Entrepreneur Programme. As a liaison between Government and entrepreneurs, she is responsible for accessing Venture Capital funding for technology start ups and assisting entrepreneurs interested in setting up their companies and pursuing opportunities in the United Kingdom. www.entrepreneurs.gov.uk/gep/index.html

Previously, Sheetal was Director VC Relations at Microsoft where she worked with the Venture Capital community in EMEA and the Silicon Valley to help their portfolio companies leverage the .NET initiative.

Sheetal has received several awards: Asian Women of Achievement: Social and Humanitarian (Prince Charles and Cherie Blair) for her efforts on taking technology to developing communities in India and Africa (2005); Management Today Magazine 35 Under 35; Success Magazine No 5 of top most powerful Asian women in the UK (2006), Award for Entrepreneur of the Year by Asian Woman Magazine and No 3 Ones To Watch' section of the Asian Power 100 list – the most influential and highest achieving Asian women in Britain (2007). Asian Woman Magazine covered a story of Sheetal's business in the Sept 2007 issue. Sheetal has been invited to Buckingham Palace for "Women in Business" reception hosted by Her Majesty, The Queen in November 2007.

She is a TiE Charter Member and member/founder in Voices for Innovation which is sponsored by several leading innovative companies including Microsoft. Sheetal completed a Masters in International Relations (Economics) at the London School of Economics and BA (Honours) in International Politics at the University of Alberta, Canada. She is in training to become a Vinyasana Yoga Teacher.

Brooke Johns (Secretary of Shivia UK):

Brooke is a Chartered Accountant, who trained in the City of London. He has knowledge of a number of industries having worked for 25 years at a senior level in the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, the US, Africa and the Far East. He has been a director of two public listed companies and run his own business. He now works as consultant accountant with a small number of companies, where he advises on financial and general management.

Stuart Tester (Trustee of Shivia UK):

Having obtained a First Class Honours Degree in Applied Chemistry, Stuart joined Shell as a research scientist. Over subsequent years Stuart moved through a wide range of commercial roles, running a variety of businesses and including assignments into finance and human resources functions and spending time in South Africa. Stuart finished his career with Shell in the UK as Managing Director of Shell Gas, Chairman of Shell Power and Vice President for Europe in their International Gas & Power Business. Since leaving Shell, Stuart has taken on a variety of roles and is presently:

Director and Trustee of Shivia Microfinance.

Special Adviser on Middle Eastern Affairs to TRH The Prince of Wales and The   Duchess of Cornwall.

Managing Director of S & CTC Ltd, a UK-based independent energy consultancy.

Matthew Evan, LORD EVANS OF TEMPLE GUITING CBE (Shivia Advisor):

Matthew is currently Chairman of EFG Private Bank working in the UK Branch of Switzerland’s second largest Private Bank.

He joined the House of Lords in 2000 and became a Minister in 2002. On the Government Front Bench, Matthew was a Government spokesman in the House of Lords for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Scotland Office, the Wales Office, the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Justice Department, the Treasury and the Department of Work and Pensions. In his role as Lord in Waiting he welcomed visiting foreign heads of state on behalf of the Queen.

Prior to this Matthew was CEO of Faber and Faber and helped modernise its working methods, restructure its management, and re-fashion it as one of the most important book publishers of the Twentieth Century.