As a senior development specialist at RMI, Pankti is responsible for conducting high-quality research on potential funders, managing the global research and fundraising pipeline across various sectors, and overseeing relationships with philanthropic advisors. She is dedicated to advancing RMI’s mission in the climate and energy sphere by leveraging her expertise in international funders and optimizing RMI’s data ecosystem to enhance fundraising efforts across program areas and the organization as a whole.

Background

Pankti has a strong commitment to mission-driven organizations, particularly in the fields of urban governance, sustainability, and climate change. With a diverse career spanning legislative research, international development, and urban advocacy, Pankti has consistently worked to make a positive impact on communities and cities.

Her professional journey began in India as a legislative assistant in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) of the Indian Parliament, where she honed her skills in drafting questions, parliamentary interventions, and conducting critical budgetary analysis. This laid the foundation for Pankti’s passion for public service and data-driven policy work. Subsequently, she joined the Praja Foundation, where she conducted extensive research across Indian cities, engaging with key stakeholders to advocate for urban reforms. This work included increasing awareness about issues affecting millions of citizens and creating an advocacy network across multiple cities to champion urban governance improvements.

As part of research and program support at UN-Habitat, Pankti played a pivotal role in reporting on high-level forums and contributed to flagship UN-Habitat reports on sustainable urbanization. She has also worked as a research fellow at Friends of the High Line, strengthening technical assistance in infrastructure reuse projects aimed at generating social, environmental, and economic benefits.

In her previous role at Results for America, Pankti served as a senior manager for the What Works Cities Initiative, helping cities across the Americas adopt data-driven practices and evidence-based interventions for more equitable outcomes.

Throughout her career, Pankti has been driven by a mission to create positive change, and she is deeply interested in urban governance, sustainability, and addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

Education

Masters in Public Administration, Columbia University