Get to know Chandan, a social researcher who’s passionate about making a difference in public health! From capturing pandemic resilience stories to launching his LinkedIn series, What Matters, Matters, he’s all about using data and tech for good. Join us as Chandan dives into his experiences, his leadership style, and his vision for a more impactful social sector!
Chandan (C): Working in the field of social market research is really fulfilling for me and just in my formative years I was introduced to public health. Since then, the journey has been quite fascinating. The realization that, for so many in our country, utilizing basic health services remain a luxury has deeply motivated me to work toward making quality healthcare accessible to all. It’s this drive that fuels my commitment to creating lasting, positive change through my work. One such project which is close to my heart is writing 20+ case studies, documenting the best practices adopted by people in India during the pandemic. It really showed how even in a terrible crisis like this, the power of collective action at the grassroot level can really make all the difference.
Now in retrospect, I feel, if we had better data and technological ability, we could have done even more. Joining Athena now, and being exposed to the digital and data capabilities, makes me feel that the scope of impact is infinite, if we utilize these technologies for serving the needs of the people. The benefits of utilizing data driven approach coupling it with upcoming technologies can benefit multiple sectors beyond public health too. This noble opportunity provided to me fills my heart with immense gratitude and makes me gear up to act for collective good, every day!
C: Working with multifaceted clients and diverse teams brings its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to managing varying expectations to avoid conflicts. So, I follow a thumb rule for maintaining a cadence to ensure clear communication with all the stakeholders. For shorter projects, I increase the frequency of check-ins, and for longer ones, I space them out. This approach helps in meeting two objectives:
C: I firmly believe that “a happy employee is a productive employee.” Since the average working person spends more time at the workplace than at home, it’s essential to have clear boundaries to protect employees' mental and physical well-being. This belief inspired me to start discussions on workplace culture, bullying, peer pressure, toxic environments, and more on my LinkedIn handle.
My own firsthand experiences with challenging workplace issues have deeply influenced this series. Through this series, I hope no one else has to face the same struggles I did. And if they do, I want them to feel equipped with the knowledge and resilience to navigate these situations with grace, dignity, and the confidence to seek positive change.
C: Technology is evolving rapidly, and I’m keen to explore how these advancements can be applied to mitigate the climate crisis. I want to better understand their impact on health, water, sanitation, and related sectors, and to develop a clear action plan that can help us accelerate our progress toward achieving the SDGs by 2030.
