After finishing her doctorate, Rema worked with a variety of United Nations agencies including UNDP, UNIFEM, and UNICEF.  Her principal activities included Multi-Country Programming and Grants Management; Metrics and Evaluation; Public Relations; High level advocacy with UN Missions and Embassies; and Representation at conferences and meetings.

In 2003 she became the Director for Public Health with the American India Foundation which is committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth.

She then became the country representative for Pathfinder International based in India where she led a team of consultants to deliver the India portfolio of multi-donor projects across 6 states spanning both community and state agencies.  She successfully scaled up two large projects with four state governments including the renowned PRACHAR intervention. 

In 2012 Rema was a coauthor of the article “Is there ever a good reason for child marriage?” published by Girls not Brides.

Subsequently she founded and served as a trustee of JAGRITI Youth (downloads pdf), an organization that provides strategic support for inclusive, cost effective civic leadership and micro-entrepreneurship programs for disadvantaged, unmarried rural girls and boys ages 10-21 in India. Rema’s responsibility included managing the JAGRITI Trust, an Indian youth-centric, youth-led initiative for leadership, employment, and health.

In 2012 she returned to the US and worked as an independent advisor to New Philanthropy & Social Investments advising individual and small family foundations on social investing. In 2016 she founded and served as Principal for Karuna Advisors which provides advisory services to enable wealthy individuals and families achieve their philanthropic, charitable and legacy goals.

Rema now lives in New York City and divides her time between the U.S. and India. [12-20]

Email:  nandarem@gmail.com