Youth Alliance welcomes Shashank as the new CEO

Contributor : Prakhar Bhartiya 

Ten years back during my college final year, when I started Youth Alliance, I never dreamt that the journey would so fulfilling. If I objectively see the trajectory of Youth Alliance, 2014 was the high point for the organization followed by a slump in late 2015-16 and I see 2018 as its highest point. In past two years we have been able to build the organization to take it to new heights and at this point I feel we have the excellence and competence to accomplish whatever we meaningfully desire. In these two years, I have increasingly felt it is time for the change of guard and it is time I step down as the person leading the organization. In the numerous leadership program while encouraging young people to find their purpose and make life worthy of it, I feel I have also found the courage to take a leap of faith and prepare myself for the next phase of my life but this mail is not about sharing my purpose.

Six years back during the selection process of Lead The Change, our first leadership program, at Indian Coffee House in Delhi, I met this amazing young person, who was filled with idealism, was disturbed by the status-quo and wanted to lead a meaningful life. Shashank was 19 something and I could see spark in his eyes and it was very clear that he wanted to shift the status-quo of our world. He came to the organization as a participant, volunteered later, became part of core team and then started working like a full-time member since his second year in 2012, joining full-time post college in 2013. And now we welcome him as the new head of Youth Alliance from 1st June 2018.

Shashank Kalra

Success of Youth Alliance has always been a brilliant team effort and in past one year when it became clear to us that I would be moving out, he has been a strong anchor to the organization. The long conversations that I have had with him about my future plans gave me strength and mental freedom to imagine myself out of Youth Alliance. I am deeply satisfied and excited to see Youth Alliance grow under the able leadership of Shashank, time and again he has proved his ability to persevere, his undying sense of possibility and his belief that each young person has a unique potential will surely take us to new heights. While I move out of the organization, I will serve on the advisory board and be there to guide the organization when needed.

With his unique style, over the years he has been able to articulate better what Youth Alliance does. His strong bend of mind towards both research and action, helps him balance well between what's visible and what's beneath. Tejal our team members shares, "One of the biggest gifts he brings to me and culture of Youth Alliance is of 'sense of possibility' and 'growth with depth'! His constant strive for deepening his awareness of self, leading a value based life and taking people along in his discoveries has enabled each one of us in the team to unravel our potential. I feel in Shashank's leadership the organization and the team will be enabled to dig deeper and strengthen our roots while steadily spreading our branches and reaching out to newer heights."

In journey with Youth Alliance, he has represented Youth Alliance at national and international levels. Couple of years back he was selected as an Acumen Fellow and I keep hearing stories about the impact he has had on the fellowship and how fellowship helped him grow as a person. Krishna (India Lead, Acumen Fellowship) shares, "He mobilises by doing himself and then partnering with others to make change happen. He is a quiet, reflective and resilient force, and is a great example of someone who knows how to drive change at a pace that others can handle." This ability to work at a pace that's favourable for the eco-system, yet keep the bar high and nudge where possible is what makes him a promising leader.

Youth Alliance is blessed with the support of a very strong advisory board cum mentors and they are supremely excited by this shift in the organization. I am grateful to Dev Bhaiya who has seen our journey very closely over past 7-8 years and has been hand holding us in this process of transition. He has closely watched us and here is what he has to say, "As Youth Alliance braces for a leadership transition, the organization is immensely lucky to have Shashank as the torch bearer. Having chiseled his being through various roles at Youth Alliance over the years, Shashank is now ready to be led and to lead. Shashank’s moral incandescence ensures a bright future for Youth Alliance. He brings to Youth Alliance in addition to his numerous accolades, a steadying calm and depth of purpose, both of which have been witnessed amply by anyone who has interacted with him. This Festival of Change that shifts the Onus of Youth Alliance’s leadership is a Manthan that excites us about the organization’s future driven by Shashank. Agla ank Shashank!"

Your support has been crucial over the years to build Youth Alliance and take forward the vision of nurturing empathetic leadership in young people. I would invite you all to join us in welcoming Shashank as the new head of Youth Alliance and support him in nurturing the organization further. Write to him and share about how you feel because these messages are surely going to give him a big boost and nurture not just an organization but the entire eco-system. 

Thank you so much for your continued faith is us, I hope we reach new depths under the guidance of our new CEO, Shashank!