Saumya Roy

Is the Co-Founder of Vandana Foundation, a non-profit which supports the livelihoods of the poorest micro entrepreneurs by giving small, low interest loans

Supports widows of farmers who have committed suicide, in Vidarbha, by teaching women to spin and weave khadi

Has been a journalist for more than a decade, and has written for Forbes India, Mint, Outlook, WSJ.com, thewire.in and Bloomberg News

Has received fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center, Dora Maar House, Blue Mountain Center, Carey institute for Global Good and Sangam house for her book project that chronicles the lives of rag pickers at Mumbai’s Deonar garbage mountain.

Was a fellow of the National Foundation of India in 2012 and has Masters Degrees in Journalism from North Western University and Mumbai’s Sophia College where she teaches magazine writing