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Kshitiz Anand

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Kshitiz Anand is an Indian designer, educator, and social entrepreneur known for founding Fondesan, a multidisciplinary design and experience studio, and Happy Horizons Trust, a non-profit organization focused on improving education and healthcare in rural India. He has made significant contributions to design thinking, user experience, and social impact initiatives, particularly in Bihar. Anand is recognized for his work in leveraging design and technology to address social challenges, including education inequity and rural healthcare access.

Kshitiz Anand
Born
Bihar, India
NationalityIndian
Alma materIndian Institute of Technology Guwahati (B.Des, 2005)
Indiana University Bloomington (MS, 2009)
Occupation(s)Designer, Educator, Social Entrepreneur
Known forFounder of Fondesan and Happy Horizons Trust
SpouseVatsala Vikram
Websitekshitizanand.com

Early Life and Education

Kshitiz Anand was born in Bihar, India. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Design from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in 2005, where he was awarded the President's Silver Medal for topping his class.[1] He later pursued a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction Design from Indiana University Bloomington in 2009, completing a thesis on Design for Social Impact.[2] During his graduate studies, he received a two-year merit scholarship.[3]

Career

Fondesan

Anand founded Fondesan, a research and product design consulting agency that collaborates with organizations to create impactful solutions through design thinking and user experience design.[4] Through Fondesan Academy, he facilitates workshops on design thinking, innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship, conducting over 30 sessions across various industries.[5]

Happy Horizons Trust

In 2012, Anand co-founded Happy Horizons Trust with his wife, Vatsala Vikram, in Saharsa, Bihar, using seed funding from a gift of ₹5,000 from his grandmother.[6] The organization aims to improve the quality of education in rural government schools through design thinking, participatory learning, and alternative education interventions such as storytelling and video-based learning.[7] It currently works with 75 schools in rural Bihar, reaching approximately 35,000 students.[8] The trust also runs the READY (Rethinking Education and Development of Youth) program to empower girls and promote digital literacy and internet awareness.[9]

Happy Horizons Trust has collaborated with organizations like Teach For India and Pratham Books to enhance its educational initiatives.[10] In 2014–2015, the trust inaugurated a computer center in Saharsa to promote digital literacy among students, farmers, and teachers.[11] Anand has emphasized the importance of addressing systemic issues in education, such as low motivation levels and inadequate teacher training, as highlighted in the Annual Status of Education Report.[12]

Happy Horizons Healthcare

Since June 2020, Anand has led efforts to establish Happy Horizons Healthcare (HHH), a 25-bed hospital in rural Bihar to provide affordable and quality healthcare.[13] The initiative addresses issues like illegal medical practices and lack of healthcare awareness through telemedicine, education, and community engagement.[14] The project was set to launch in August 2021.[15]

Other Ventures

Anand is the founder of Soochak, an EdTech platform focused on whole-school transformations through inductive learning and teacher empowerment.[16] He also co-founded Karekeba Ventures to invest in Bihar's startup ecosystem.[17] Additionally, he has served as Associate Vice President of Design at Paytm and as Director of the India Studio at L'école de design Nantes Atlantique, where he developed a Master’s program in Transcultural Design.[18]

Awards and Recognition

Personal Life

Anand is married to Vatsala Vikram, a co-founder of Happy Horizons Trust and a postgraduate in mass communication.[24] The couple started the trust inspired by their shared commitment to improving education in Bihar, where they both hail from. Their work is driven by personal experiences with poverty and education inequity in the region.

References

  1. ↑ "IIT Guwahati Alumni Achievements". Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  2. ↑ "IU Bloomington Alumni Profiles". Indiana University Bloomington. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Indian Student Awarded Scholarship at IU". Education Times. 10 August 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "Fondesan: About Us". Fondesan. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "Design Thinking Workshops by Fondesan Gain Traction". Business Standard. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "Happy Horizons Trust: A Journey from ₹5000 to Impacting Thousands". The Times of India. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "Our Mission". Happy Horizons Trust. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Rural Education Gets a Boost with Happy Horizons Trust". The Hindu. 12 January 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "Empowering Girls Through READY Program". India Today. 5 September 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  10. ↑ "Partnerships for Education". Happy Horizons Trust. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  11. ↑ "Computer Center Launched in Saharsa". The Telegraph India. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  12. ↑ Annual Status of Education Report 2020 (Report). ASER Centre. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  13. ↑ "New Healthcare Initiative in Rural Bihar". Hindustan Times. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  14. ↑ "Happy Horizons Healthcare". Happy Horizons Trust. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  15. ↑ "HHH Hospital to Open in Bihar". The Economic Times. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  16. ↑ "Soochak: Transforming Education". Soochak. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  17. ↑ "Karekeba Ventures Boosts Bihar Startups". Financial Express. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  18. ↑ "Faculty Profile: Kshitiz Anand". L'école de design Nantes Atlantique. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  19. ↑ "Teach For India Announces X Fellowship". Education World. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  20. ↑ "Marwah Studios Honors Kshitiz Anand". Marwah Studios. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  21. ↑ "Awards and Honors". Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  22. ↑ "Indian Student Awarded Scholarship at IU". Education Times. 10 August 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  23. ↑ "Wipro Seeding Fellowship Recipients". Business Line. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  24. ↑ "A Couple's Mission to Transform Bihar's Education". The Indian Express. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2025.

External Links

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