Siddesh Sarma, Co-Founder and Chief Programs Officer at Leadership For Equity (LFE), has over 13 years of experience in the education and non-profit sectors. His career has been dedicated to fostering equity in public education systems, working closely with local and state governments to enhance education quality at scale. Since founding LFE in 2017, Siddesh has been instrumental in the organization’s efforts to impact over 8.8 million students across India, through teacher education, academic leadership empowerment, and policy development.

Siddesh holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and is a Teach For India Fellow. His leadership has contributed to significant improvements in student learning outcomes, with LFE’s programs achieving an 11-30% improvement in multiple states. Siddesh’s expertise in educational governance has positioned him as a key figure in shaping state and national educational committees, and he has supported state governments in developing strategic education reforms that reach the most vulnerable students.

Throughout his career, Siddesh has championed public education as a path to social equity, driving LFE’s mission to create systemic change in India’s education landscape. His strategic leadership has secured support from major funders like The World Bank and Amazon, and he serves on the advisory boards of Teach For India and the Dr. Anjali Morris Education and Health Foundation.

As a Motwani Jadeja Impact Fellow, Siddesh plans to leverage the fellowship to strengthen LFE’s global connections, build partnerships with international education networks, and explore innovative solutions to further scale LFE’s impact. His vision is to expand LFE’s reach to 15 million students by 2027, continuing his commitment to making high-quality education accessible to all.