Dr. Vandana Nadig Nair

I live many roles joyfully — serial entrepreneur, facilitator, mentor, mother, homemaker, baker, dancer, and lifelong learner.

Armed with a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Central Michigan University, I began my career in HR — first at Hindustan Unilever, and later as Head of HR at a young IT company. But the call of entrepreneurship was irresistible. In 2000, I founded CoCoon Consulting to help organizations grow through strategic talent management and leadership development.

Early exposure to the development sector sparked a deeper conviction: that I could contribute to the growth and sustainability of social organizations. This led to Phicus Social Solutions (www.phicus.org), where we build capacity in social change leaders and help social impact organizations become more resilient. In 2015, I co-founded ElderAid Wellness (www.elderaid.in), a social enterprise that reimagines eldercare through health, wellness, and concierge services at home. Most recently, with Roots Learning (www.rootslearning.org), I have been designing learning journeys that enable changemakers and grassroots organizations to thrive.

What ties these diverse ventures together is a love for connection, collaboration, and building ecosystems. I enjoy helping individuals, teams, and communities see the bigger picture, while also taking grounded, practical steps toward impact. My current interests lie in exploring the future of work, the care economy, and how rural and urban communities can design inclusive, resilient ways of living.

Dance remains one of my creative expressions (I am a Mohiniattam dancer and teacher!), but more broadly I am guided by the belief in fulfilling one’s passions, continuous learning, and living one’s most authentic self and life. I try to embody the philosophy of being like water — adaptable, flowing, and resilient — and I return often to my favorite poem, Desiderata by Max Ehrmann, as a reminder to live with grace, balance, and quiet strength.