About
I was raised by a South Indian physician and a Canadian international development practitioner. Born in Canada, I spent part of my youth in India, Costa Rica and Egypt. I later trained at Waterloo (BEs), University College London (MSc) and Cambridge (PhD) and worked as a researcher and consultant in Toronto, Mumbai, and Trivandrum. I have lived in slums, huts and high rises and collaborated on a diverse array of projects, with street hawkers, academics and business executives.
I am driven by a deep personal commitment to high-impact public interest work and the possibility of a more equitable world.
I am driven by a deep personal commitment to high-impact public interest work and the possibility of a more equitable world.
Experience
Director of Research & Partnerships, FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting (2018 – present)
A national citizens’ movement standing up for Canadian media, culture and democracy. Recruited to lead research activities and work closely with the Executive Director to equip and transform the 35-year-old organization into a highly effective counterbalance to the impacts of social media platforms and Internet broadcasters on Canadian society.
Recent Publications:
Director of Research & Engagement, Mushroom Cloud (2016 – present)
Consulting firm providing strategy, operations and technology services. Clients include government agencies, foundations and non-profits working in the social purpose sector.
Owner, George Carothers Advisory Services (2015 – 2019)
Strategy, goal setting and applied research for non-profit executives and organizations.
Scholar, Cambridge University, United Kingdom (2010 – 2015)
Explored the intersection of neoliberal strategies, radical politics, trade unionism, and the growth of the global technology sector in South India.
Research Affiliate, Centre for Development Studies, India (2012 – 2013)
Ethnography, interviews with elites, policy and discourse analysis of state strategies in Kerala aimed at attracting investment through the development of technology campuses and special economic zones (SEZs).
Planner & Urbanist in Residence, URBZ, India (2009 – 2010)
Research and community development projects located in Dharavi, Mumbai.
A national citizens’ movement standing up for Canadian media, culture and democracy. Recruited to lead research activities and work closely with the Executive Director to equip and transform the 35-year-old organization into a highly effective counterbalance to the impacts of social media platforms and Internet broadcasters on Canadian society.
Recent Publications:
- Broadcasting a reflection: Cultural distinctiveness on screen, FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting, 2021. Author.
- Platform for harm: Internet intermediary liability in Canadian law, FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting, 2020. Co-Author.
Director of Research & Engagement, Mushroom Cloud (2016 – present)
Consulting firm providing strategy, operations and technology services. Clients include government agencies, foundations and non-profits working in the social purpose sector.
Owner, George Carothers Advisory Services (2015 – 2019)
Strategy, goal setting and applied research for non-profit executives and organizations.
Scholar, Cambridge University, United Kingdom (2010 – 2015)
Explored the intersection of neoliberal strategies, radical politics, trade unionism, and the growth of the global technology sector in South India.
Research Affiliate, Centre for Development Studies, India (2012 – 2013)
Ethnography, interviews with elites, policy and discourse analysis of state strategies in Kerala aimed at attracting investment through the development of technology campuses and special economic zones (SEZs).
Planner & Urbanist in Residence, URBZ, India (2009 – 2010)
Research and community development projects located in Dharavi, Mumbai.
Education
PhD Geography, Cambridge University (2015)
MSc International Planning, University College London (2009)
BEs (hons) Urban Planning, University of Waterloo (2007)
MSc International Planning, University College London (2009)
BEs (hons) Urban Planning, University of Waterloo (2007)
Volunteering / Community Projects
Culture of Small, Director (2019 – 2020)
Girls Can Fly, Volunteer (2016 – present)
Dharavi Shelter & Community Arts Centre, Co-Founder & Volunteer (2010 – present)
Girls Can Fly, Volunteer (2016 – present)
Dharavi Shelter & Community Arts Centre, Co-Founder & Volunteer (2010 – present)
Awards (selection)
Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar (2010 – 2013)
Mary Euphrasia Mosley, Sir Bartle Frere & Worts Award, Cambridge University (2011)
William Vaughn Lewis Award, Department of Geography, Cambridge University (2011)
First Prize, Research Images as Art, University College London (2009)
Mary Euphrasia Mosley, Sir Bartle Frere & Worts Award, Cambridge University (2011)
William Vaughn Lewis Award, Department of Geography, Cambridge University (2011)
First Prize, Research Images as Art, University College London (2009)
