Saath’s mission is to help organizations build value generating partnerships within and across sectors.

Deliberately, thoughtfully, and together.

  • "Saath's workshop gave me a systematic way of thinking about partnerships that I hadn’t before."

    —Faculty participant, Center-Scale Partnership Workshop, Stony Brook University

  • "Saath Partners has meshed together two brilliant minds into one seamless and beautiful creation. Their thoughtful approach to our system needs, and quick understanding of the topics at hand was commendable. Their unique approaches have proven valuable for our future directions and needs"

    -Research Operations Administrator, Center for Early Learning (CEL) at Purdue University

  • "Seeing the system mapped out helped me understand why our challenges feel so persistent"

    —Workshop Participant, Center For Early Learning, Purdue University

  • “When we worked on our objectives, activities, and big picture successes — that was super useful!”

    -EPSCoR Workshop Participant, University of Wyoming

  • "The workshop was thoughtfully designed.. and the faculty we spoke with after the Center-Scale Partnership workshop came away thirsty for more similar workshops"

    —Office of Proposal Development, Stony Brook University

  • "Saath Partners brought a much needed vision to our organization at a critical time in our development and planning. Their approach broke down the overwhelming, monumental task of re-evaluating our center's goals and structure. The process resulted in clarity and refinement of our purpose with a roadmap, igniting us to proceed with new enthusiasm and focus."

    -Dr. Sarah Eason, Chair of Family and Community Engagement, Center for Early Learning (CEL) at Purdue University

  • "The frameworks they shared were extremely helpful.."

    —Faculty participant, Center-Scale Partnership Workshop, Stony Brook University

  • "The shared values exercise was a pivot point that helped solidify my thought process"

    -EPSCoR Workshop Participant, University of Wyoming

Our Story

Saath Partners was born out of a shared conviction: The world’s challenges don’t sit neatly within one sector and neither do the solutions.

Our founders who have spent their careers navigating the complexity of systems, across research, policy, philanthropy and grassroots action, saw a recurring pattern: Brilliant ideas often stalled at the edges of institutions. Research didn’t connect with lived experience. Policies didn’t reflect lived realities. Partners weren’t aligned, and often not even at the table. The skills, mindsets, and tools needed to work across these boundaries were missing.

They created Saath Partners to shift that paradigm.

“Saath” means together in Hindi, a word that reflects not just how we work, but what we believe: That working together is not an afterthought. It’s the strategy. Because the future we need will not be delivered by one sector, one discipline, or one voice alone.

Our Values

Thoughtfulness through appreciative inquiry. Asking not only what should change, but why, for whom and what might emerge. 

Collaboration by design. Approaching collaboration as both an art and a science, building the structures, trust, and shared purpose.

Rooted in context. Meeting people where they are, grounding our work in real-world constraints, lived experiences & local priorities. 

Systems-aware, human-centered. Designing with the whole system in mind, but always anchor in people, relationships, and lived realities. 

Meet The Founders

Dr. Priyanka Brunese  

Founder & CEO

Priyanka Brunese is a strategist, pracademic, and partnership designer with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of research and organizational change.

She has led research translation efforts for USAID-funded initiatives, supported universities and global agencies in strengthening institutional capacity, and designed tools to foster effective engagement across sectors. With deep expertise in facilitation, human-centered design, and stakeholder engagement, Priyanka helps mission-driven organizations at Saath Partners build thoughtful, evidence-informed partnerships that are built to last and designed for real-world complexity.  

  • Before founding Saath Partners, Priyanka served as Director of Research Development at Purdue’s Honors College, supporting interdisciplinary research, internal grants, and donor engagement.

    She also worked alongside Pallavi Gupta as the research scientist and scientific manager for the LASER PULSE Consortium, a $70M USAID-funded research-for-development initiative. There, she co-developed a research translation approach now used in 50+ projects across 21 countries.

    She also led USAID-funded research on private sector engagement, translating insights from 60+ global interviews into toolkits.  

    Priyanka’s work spans universities, development agencies, and public-private platforms. She co-facilitated a multi-stakeholder convening in Colombia to co-identify research priorities related to migration, youth development, and rural transformation.

    She supported the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT in assessing and strengthening their partnership approach and is currently co-developing a partnership roadmap as part of The Partnering Initiative team.

    She has guided students in applying Soft Systems Methodology to Indiana’s housing crisis. Earlier in her career, she also led MEL system design at Purdue’s Center for Regional Development, supporting community capacity-building programs across the U.S. 

    Her academic research focused on the dynamics of collaborative inertia in partnerships, and she has published on effective academic-practitioner collaboration models. She holds a PhD in Organizational and Leadership Development, a Master’s in Information Systems (Purdue University), and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering (Mumbai University). 

    Priyanka is a former ELISS Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where she facilitated cross-sector dialogue on epidemic preparedness between local communities and national policy leaders in the U.S. She currently serves on the Board of Indiana United Ways and its Public Policy and Natural Disaster Fund Committees, as well as the ALICE National Research Advisory Council, where she advises on translating data into local policy and practice. 

Ms. Pallavi Gupta

Co-Founder & Executive Director

Pallavi is a strategist and systems thinker with 17+ years of experience leading cross-sector partnerships that drive real-world impact.

She has led global USAID initiatives, advised governments and donors, and built innovation ecosystems across 25+ countries. Drawing on expertise in research translation, institutional change, and stakeholder engagement, Pallavi helps organizations at Saath Partners design collaborative strategies, foster alignment, and turn fragmented efforts into lasting, systems-level impact.

  • Prior to Saath Partners, Pallavi led multi-million dollar global initiatives as Chief of Party for two flagship USAID programs: LASER PULSE, advancing research adoption across 21 countries, with a network of 3200+ members across 86 countries, and ARC, a climate and economic resilience initiative in Asia.

    At Purdue University, she served as Program Director of the Shah Family Global Innovation Lab, where she spearheaded innovation and technology commercialization efforts, impact entrepreneurship, and stakeholder engagement across more than 17 countries.

    Her earlier work includes founding a nonprofit in India focused on economic inclusion via  public-private partnerships and advising international donors and governments on tech, innovation and impact strategies as a consultant with PwC in London.

    A former software engineer, Pallavi brings systems thinking and a strong operational lens to all her work.

    Pallavi has collaborated with entities across sectors in 25 countries—from municipal governments and civil societies to corporate CSR leaders and university research teams.

    She is an Ashoka Fellow and INK Fellow and has served as a Member of State Govt. Innovation Council in Uttar Pradesh, India.

    She holds Master’s degrees from the London School of Economics (LSE), UK and Brandeis University USA, as well as a Bachelor of Engineering from VTU, India.

Our Expert Advisor Collective

We work with a trusted pool of expert advisors and partner organizations who share our mission and values. From seasoned advisors to field practitioners, we draw on their insights and experience as needed, to strengthen our work and expand our impact.

  • Darian Stibbe, PhD.

    Executive Director at The Partnering Initiative (TPI), Darian is an internationally recognized pioneer of the theory and practice of multi-sector partnerships (MSPs). He plays a significant role influencing international policy through engagement with UN, Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, SIDS Business Forum, and Partnership Accelerator. LinkedIn

  • Amanda Pomeroy-Stevens

    An applied economist with over 20 years of experience in systems thinking, focusing on using evidence for high-impact investment opportunities and translating evidence into action for measurable change. Amanda is internationally recognized for advancing adaptive learning, measuring donor-country co-investment, and enhancing applied research methodologies. LinkedIn

  • Ian Lobo

    Co-Founder of Meaningful Collective, Ian has spent 30 years partnering with companies, UN agencies, NGOs, and philanthropic foundations to address critical global challenges. He is committed to making partnerships the ‘new normal’ for systemic change and collective impact. LinkedIn

  • Ninnette Irabaruta

    Ninette is a strategic leader dedicated to social transformation through community development, policy advocacy, and cross-sector partnerships. With a focus on marginalized communities and sustainable economic growth, she works to build inclusive systems that drive lasting impact. She has substantial experiences in East Africa and the USA. LinkedIn

  • Abishek Tiwari

    Abhishek is Managing Director at Abhitech, an innovation-driven organization that partners with governments and global organizations to enhance their digital capabilitiesFor the past 20+ years Abhitech have supported organizations leverage technology and innovative solutions to drive meaningful change. LinkedIn

  • Nicole Banister

    Nicole is an award-winning host who amplifies the voices of the world's most dynamic changemakers. With experience emceeing in 29 countries, moderating virtual events for 25,000 people, and reaching millions of viewers on social media, Nicole elevates every event she hosts from government panels to celebrity interviews, making her a sought-after personality and social changemaker. LinkedIn

  • Rich Carter, PhD.

    Rich is Professor and Faculty lead for Innovation Excellence at Oregon State University (OSU), working with OSU leadership to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship both within the OSU and Nationally through the NSF-funded Promotion & Tenure - Innovation & Entrepreneurship (PTIE) effort. He is also he is the co-founder and CEO of the chemical manufacturing company Valliscor. LinkedIn

  • Meg Henning, PhD.

    Meg is a public health leader with 20+ years of experience advancing health, education, and equity across 25 countries through multi-stakeholder initiatives. Meg specializes in health systems strengthening and evidence-to-action models, bringing a practical approach that bridges research and real-world impact to drive sustainable, community-driven change. LinkedIn