Dr. Madhav Chavan is Co-Founder of Pratham Education Foundation, an organization that reaches over 7 million children and youth in India every year.
After obtaining a PhD in chemistry from Ohio State University and working as a visiting faculty at the University of Houston, Dr. Madhav Chavan returned to India in 1986 to research and teach Chemistry. But he was soon drawn into the National Literacy Mission. In 1995, as a result of a UNICEF initiative, he co-founded Pratham Education to address problems of universal primary education in Mumbai. Since then, Dr. Chavan has led the development of the organization, pioneering large-scale innovations focusing on basic learning outcomes. He stepped down as CEO of Pratham Education Foundation but continues to be on its Board and actively leads new experimentation in the use of technology for education. Dr. Chavan has received the WISE Prize and the Skoll Award. The organization Pratham is now 30 years old and has received numerous recognitions including the Kravis Prize, the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award, and the LUI Che Woo Prize.
