Yagna believes in facilitating change within organizations and institutions to create cultures of learning and reflection, ultimately imagining new ways of being in the world. She is passionate about advancing social justice, with an emphasis on systemic change. Her strengths lie in leveraging complex theories and concepts, to build a better understanding of the difficult issues we face in the world. Over the years she has come to believe in a compassionate and empathetic engagement with individuals and communities to bring long term change. As an evaluator and researcher, she prioritizes and enables collaborative learning geared towards self and community transformation.

Yagna holds a PhD in Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture from Cornell University with a focus on cultural studies and anthropology. She also has an MSW from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and an MPhil in Social Sciences from Center for Studies in Social Sciences, in India. Before coming to ORS Impact, Yagna worked as a social worker, teacher, researcher, and community organizer in both India and the US. As an evaluator she brings skills from all these roles to build capacities, foster learning, and empower organizations and communities to create a greater impact.

In her free time, Yagna loves cooking for her friends, boxing, singing Indian classical music, and staying connected with friends and family located in different parts of the world.