Head of Meesho Foundation

About the Role

Democratise internet commerce for all consumers, businesses, and ecosystem partners, not just limited to Meesho, by bridging gaps that market forces cannot solve , through access, affordability, and resilience.

What You'll Do

• Build the Foundation from zero: Build the strategy and operating model
• Launch 2–3 pilot interventions in the first 90 days based on Meesho's strategic advantages (distribution, tech, data)
• Own government and institutional partnerships: such as but not limited to NITI Aayog, state livelihood missions, multilateral funders and credible NGOs
• Leverage Meesho's platform capabilities to design DPI-style solutions for digital literacy, insurance distribution, seller onboarding, and training at scale
• Catalyse ecosystem change: open-source data for researchers, pilot with govt funding/NGOs, nudge companies to invest in Bharat
• Lead and hire the Foundation team including a cross-functional pod (tech, product, design, data science)
• Manage compliance and governance: CSR committee reporting, board-level impact reporting

What You Will Need

• 10–15 years in the Indian development ecosystem with deep, trust-based relationships across government (central + state), credible NGOs, and institutional funders
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute programs at scale that measurably improved lives , not just grant-making or compliance
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced tech company with quarterly OKRs, product managers, and engineers
• Builder mindset , this is a 0-to-1 role with no existing team, processes, or legacy programs
• Experience at the intersection of technology and development , digital public, social enterprises, or tech-forward corporate foundations
• Experience with micro-entrepreneurs, small sellers, gig workers, or logistics networks
• Familiarity with impact measurement methodologies and financial inclusion programs

Ideal Background Archetypes

• Development Sector Leader - Led programs at a credible foundation (Tata Trusts, Azim Premji, Dell Foundation) with exposure to tech-enabled interventions. Strong NGO and funder networks.
• Social Enterprise Builder - Built or scaled a social enterprise in financial inclusion, last-mile logistics, or digital literacy for Tier 2+ India. Builder's mindset + ground-level Bharat understanding.
• Govt-to-Practice Leader - Served at NITI Aayog, a state livelihood mission (JEEViKA, Kudumbashree), or policy think tank, then moved into execution. Deep govt relationships.

Why This Opportunity Is Unique

• Meesho's distribution to millions of ecosystem partners across Bharat is a platform most foundations would take a decade to build
• Technology is a first-class lever , you'll have a dedicated tech, product, and design pod to build DPI-style solutions
• You report directly to the CxOs, with full access to Meesho's leadership, data, and resources
• The Foundation's mission extends Meesho's core purpose to populations the business can't yet reach profitably