About Us

The asar Project was conceived by Archana and Anand and co-created and driven by a number of advisers, supporters and mentors who share a common passion:

Holding space for transformational conversations through brave and safe spaces

Archana has worked for over 25 years in diverse leadership positions across the globe and currently works leading a rural NGO, running a senior leadership development organisation and building partnerships and developing leadership programming for alumni from 100+ countries. Anand has spent 10+ years working with a diverse range of youth from all over India, traveling extensively from the northeast to the south helping them develop their own potential. He has also worked in global youth development, led curriculum development and leadership training for international NGOs and schools and serves youth from across the globe.

We are passionate about facilitating spaces where people can reach their highest potential. Quirky, well designed, diverse session plans that keeps the participant at the core excites us. As does learning in community! We are supported by our dear friends from across the world who bring in diverse narratives, experiences and ways to approach learning. To know more about this global team

Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.

- Mahatama Gandhi

Meet The Team

Archana Rao

Archana brings vast leadership experience with a career in senior leadership spanning 3 continents and 20+ year. She is currently on the leadership team of a US based Educational NGO, founder of a leadership organisation working with different UN bodies,concentrating on organisational change and senior leadership training. She volunteers her time as the Director of a rural non profit looking at building strategy and ensuring financial sustainability. She also serves on the board of Initiatives of Change, UK. She has studied Economics at St. Xavier’s Mumbai and Ithaca College, USA and has a Msc in Development Economics from SOAS UK and a Msc in Corporate Finance and Funding from Bayes Business School.

Archana is deeply committed to the idea of inner leadership and is passionate about all leaders, especially women leaders, accessing their highest potential.

Anand Sadana

Anand believes that education today needs to produce critical thinkers of the self and society.

He studied Nautical Science in University which he left shortly after to pursue his interest in education.

He has spent 10+ years working in education and leadership development with organizations around the world. He has worked with organizations like Initiatives of Change, Global Citizen Year, JUMP! Foundation, United World College, Move the World, Transform Schools and Leadership Management Intenatonal. With a focus towards leadership, inner development and social justice.

He currently spends his time curating transformative experiences for young adults which have the capacity to change the inner and outer landscapes of individuals and communities.

A question alive for him today is - What kind of leaders do we need to become so that we are capable of challenging our world’s reality?

Other than this, Anand loves to spend time listening to music and watching sunsets.

Sahar Thomson

Sahar Thomson is from the island of Saint Maarten in the northeastern region of the Caribbean. She is an alumna of United World College Maastricht (2016 graduate), and a previous Fellow at Global Citizen Year (Ecuador 2017 cohort). She graduated from Quest University Canada, where she focused on the intersections between Caribbean histories, cultures, identities and various systems of power. Through the interdisciplinary field of cultural studies, she attempts to understand how to bring about more equitable, caring and just societies. She has worked for over 3 years with Global Citizen Year building the alumni community as well as recruiting new students to the programme. Beyond her academic interests, she has a deep love for people and community! She strives to create meaningful and intentional interactions through facilitation, community building strategies, creativity, empathy and a whole lot of curiosity.