Pragnya Alekal

Brainstormer, Change Agent, Consultant, Engineer, Environmentalist, Explorer, Global soul, Student, World traveler

I am passionate about using the intersection of design, technology, management and policy to address poverty issues & work with underserved communities. I do believe we can solve the biggest challenges of the world only through cooperation, and cross-functional learning/application. After several years working internationally (largely as a water-sanitation consultant in the developing world), I decided to move back home to California to apply my knowledge, lessons and life experience to address pressing needs in my own community - such as homelessness, criminal justice reform, public health, and education. Specifically, I'm interested in making our local government services more nimble, efficient, and effective through the use of appropriate technology and policy. If you have ideas, would like to talk more, or think we can work together, please reach out to me at pragnya@alum.mit.edu. Thank you!

businesses doing good well. I'm also curious about everything and love to learn.

Be yourself

Authentic Conversation, Criminal Justice Reform, Developing Country Entrepreneurship, Energy, Laughing, playing and enjoying life, Literacy Education, Public Health, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene

I came across TED in 2006, shortly after their first videos went online, when I googled one of my professors whose TED talk went up. I was hooked immediately and dreamed of attending TED, never imagining for a second that it would actually come true. Three years later, I was part of the inaugural batch of TEDFellows, then helped scale the program into Asia.

Hugs and playing with kids