The Forward Foundation was founded by a group of like-minded individuals aiming for holistic transformation through active citizen engagement. Leading this movement was the late Sri. Ramesh Sivaram, a key figure in water and lake rejuvenation efforts in Bengaluru.
An environmental engineer by profession, Ramesh ji had a brilliant mind and was pivotal in establishing neighborhood citizen groups throughout Bengaluru, encouraging local responsibility for water bodies and civic projects. Ramesh ji passed away on January 26, 2020, but his work and legacy continue to inspire our initiatives.
The people steering The Forward Foundation's mission
A Chartered Accountant in practice since 1988, G V Krishna advises major industrial groups in Karnataka and counsels fellow CAs on banking, tax and regulatory matters. He has over three decades of experience in statutory, internal and bank audits, with deep exposure to the rural and co-operative sector.
A former Independent Director at HPCL — where he chaired the Audit and CSR committees — and at the Karnataka Apex Cooperative Bank, he also serves on the board of Jnana Bharathi Prakashana Ltd. He is a regular speaker at professional forums and enjoys mentoring rural youth in entrepreneurship.
G V Krishna founded TFF to tackle environmental challenges — especially solid waste management — through structured, sustainable action. His long record in governance, CSR and social service keeps him deeply committed to its mission.
A well-governed, trusted institution delivering practical, scalable environmental solutions and inspiring communities to take ownership of their surroundings.
A devoted social activist with 17 years of experience in the field of social work, Murali ji is one of the founder members and Secretary of The Forward Foundation. He is a successful young businessman and also a sociologist.
He carries a unique blend of policy and implementation experience in the social sector, and is a staunch believer in sustainable development for ecological balance.
Mentor and currently Trustee at The Forward Foundation, an NGO for the cause of protecting our environment. His experience spans continents across diverse sectors like manufacturing, coffee estate management, hospitality (a 5-star resort in South Africa) and enterprise software (ERP).
Ram Prakash L holds professional qualifications: B.Com (Honours) with Chartered Accountancy, DISA (ICAI) and CISA (USA).
Satheesh Amilineni is a seasoned business professional and social innovator with over two decades in technology and enterprise solutions. He studied Mechanical Engineering at AIT, Chikmagalur, holds an M.S. from BITS-Pilani, and an EGMP from IIM-Bangalore. He spent 16.5 years at Oracle India Pvt Ltd before founding SMARTRONIXS, where he implements IoT and software solutions that bridge technology and community impact.
At TFF, Satheesh focuses on strategic business development, building systems that make conservation scalable, measurable, and impactful. His vision: ensuring every child in rural India has clean water, healthy forests, and a liveable future — powered by communities that own and drive change.
Satheesh joined TFF because he believes real change happens when passionate people come together with purpose. He saw in TFF a rare combination — local roots, clear mission, and the drive to scale solutions from the ground up. It aligned perfectly with his conviction that technology and community must work hand in hand to solve environmental challenges.
To see TFF grow into a nationally recognised model for community-led environmental stewardship — where every initiative is data-driven, every village is a stakeholder, and every child grows up knowing they are guardians of their land.
Hailing from the illustrious Ghorpade family, a Maratha warrior clan settled in the Deccan for over 700 years, his deep and passionate love for nature and wildlife began at the Gajendragad branch, nurtured under the guidance of respected gurus.
Witnessing the drastic decline of wildlife, he founded the Deccan Conservation Foundation in 2016 to conserve, preserve and protect the last wild spaces of a human-dominated and fragmented Deccan.
Arvind R. Chenjeri is a serial entrepreneur and academic advisor with over 25 years of experience across technology, infrastructure and education. He holds a B.E. and M.Tech in Embedded Systems, and has co-founded Southern Infra and Aveonix Technologies.
Alongside his professional work, he has spent over two decades in holistic education and community service, including roles on university academic councils and leadership positions at the Ankitgram Sewadham Ashram, Ujjain.
Leaders, members and volunteers who bring our mission to life
Whether as a donor, partner or volunteer, there's a place for you in our mission.
