Circulus Stride Forward Fund

Fariha currently serves as the Partner, GCC & Global Capital Formation at Stride Ventures, leveraging 21 years of experience across finance, insurance, and government in the US, Europe, and APAC regions. In this role, she oversees fundraising and global investor relations for INR and USD funds, while also serving on the Alumni Board of Harvard Business School and the HBS Club of India Board. Previously, Fariha held the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Toffee Insurance, driving strategic partnerships to enhance company revenue and long-term value. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Quantitative Economics from Mount Holyoke College and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

With nearly fifteen years of experience, Manikandan has built deep expertise in credit risk management, deal origination and structuring, negotiations, and portfolio monitoring. Over the course of his career, he has worked across both investments and risk functions, managing diverse portfolios spanning startups, SMEs, supply chain, mid-markets, large corporates, and project finance. He is a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and has also completed certifications in blockchain and machine learning, further strengthening his technical and analytical skill set.

Neelashi has extensive experience in trade and investment strategy across business and government domains. She was previously leading investment facilitation in the consumer goods sector and outreach for Europe under the Government of India's flagship Make in India initiative at Invest India. Prior to that, she was responsible for executing India's strategic economic partnerships globally and was also the founding member of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform at NITI Aayog. She also co-founded Whiter Slates, a startup enabling talent mapping and discovery in the creator economy landscape. Neelashi is an alumnus of St. Stephen's College, Delhi and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pushpesh Dindorkar is a senior compliance professional with over 11 years of experience in financial services, specializing in regulatory compliance and fund governance across alternative investment platforms. At Stride Ventures, he leads the firm's compliance function across multiple jurisdictions, overseeing regulatory obligations and licensing frameworks for the firm's fund structures in India, the UK, and the GCC. Pushpesh has extensive experience in regulatory compliance relating to Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), portfolio management services, and cross-border fund structures. Pushpesh is a qualified Company Secretary and holds a degree in Law (LLB), along with a Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Corporate Laws from Symbiosis University.