Strengthening the Spine of the Impact Sector

In the fast-evolving terrain of small and growing businesses (SGBs), many organizations recognize that ideas alone don’t create change—people and systems do. Arthan, a social enterprise rooted in India and working across the Global South, has made it its mission to equip mission-driven organizations with the strategy, structures, and talent they need to scale sustainably. In this ANDE Member Spotlight, we sat down with Arthan to explore their approach, current work, and their call to the ANDE network.

How do you see the organization’s role in the larger SGB Ecosystem?

We see ourselves as ecosystem enablers—focusing on the foundational capacities that allow SGBs to thrive. Talent, organizational development, and strategy are often under-resourced areas, but they are essential for long-term impact. By helping organizations build equitable workplaces, adaptive cultures, and inclusive systems, we empower them to deliver on their missions more effectively.

Our work goes beyond HR or consulting. It’s about co-creating spaces where leaders can confront persistent challenges—like high turnover, inequitable hiring, or misaligned structures—and build actionable solutions rooted in local realities. Through partnerships and knowledge convenings, we aim to share these learnings, elevating practices across the ecosystem.

From embedding gender and climate lenses to supporting strategy that is both human-centered and data-informed, our goal is to strengthen the collective capacity of the impact sector. We see ANDE as a critical platform to accelerate this mission globally.

What is the organization currently working on?

Right now, we’re collaborating with over 300 organizations across five countries. Our work spans four key areas:

• • • End-to-End Talent Solutions:
      From leadership hiring to inclusive recruitment practices, we support organizations in building diverse, mission-aligned teams.

    • Organizational Development:
      We advise on equitable compensation through salary benchmarking, lead culture and leadership workshops, and help teams restructure for agility and resilience.

    • Equity and Inclusion:
      Our EquiLead initiative strengthens gender equity in leadership pipelines, while Climate Asia—our sister concern—builds talent and organizational capacity for climate action and finance.

    • Strategy Consulting:
      We support SGBs in aligning people, processes, and structures with long-term goals. Our approach is participatory and grounded in equity, ensuring strategies are both contextual and scalable.

    Across all of this, we invest in knowledge creation and learning communities, helping the sector not just act—but evolve.

    What are your goals for the ANDE network and the larger ecosystem?

    We’d love to collaborate with organizations looking to strengthen their teams, build adaptive systems, and enhance workplace culture. If you’re facing challenges in leadership hiring, HR structures, or organizational change, we’re here to support.

    We’re also keen to co-develop knowledge products, thought leadership, and joint convenings with ANDE members. Let’s build tools and frameworks that benefit the ecosystem as a whole—particularly those working in emerging markets, where contextual solutions are essential.

    Our broader invitation is to come together to create workplaces that are not only effective but equitable—ready for the social, environmental, and economic challenges ahead.

What would Arthan’s bring to the SGB ecosystem?

We offer ANDE members a full suite of services across talent, organization, and strategy:

• • • • Talent Solutions:
        Leadership hiring, HR advisory, and inclusive hiring practices to build teams that reflect mission and diversity.

      • Organizational Development:
        Support in salary benchmarking, culture diagnostics, leadership development, and agile restructuring.

      • Equity-Centered Practices:
        Through EquiLead and Climate Asia, we help embed gender and climate finance lenses into organizational systems.

      • Knowledge Co-Creation:
        We’re eager to partner on research, events, and resource development that fosters shared learning.

    For us, being part of ANDE means being in dialogue with global peers, contributing localized perspectives from the Global South, and collaborating to build the systems and structures that make sustainable impact possible.

    In an era where the success of mission-driven enterprises depends as much on culture and people as on strategy and scale, Arthan is helping organizations lead with intention and impact. By working at the intersection of equity, strategy, and organizational strength, Arthan is not only supporting change-makers—it’s reshaping the foundation on which social change can flourish.