Aarati Kasturirangan, Ph.D., is a senior leader and organizational strategist with more than two decades of experience working with foundations and mission-driven institutions to strengthen strategy, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. Her work focuses on helping organizations align mission, culture, and operational systems so they can sustain ambitious social change goals over time. Aarati is a consulting partner with Dragonfly Partners, a national firm that works with foundations and nonprofit organizations on strategy development, leadership alignment, and organizational design. Through her consulting work, Aarati has supported dozens of philanthropic and nonprofit organizations navigating complex moments of growth, transition, and strategic recalibration. She has led more than thirty organizational assessments and co-developed over twenty multi-year strategic plans, working closely with executive teams and boards to clarify priorities, strengthen leadership alignment, and design structures that support effective decision-making and accountability. She also facilitates executive retreats, supports leadership teams during periods of transition, and provides coaching to senior leaders working in complex institutional environments.

Earlier in her career, Aarati served as Director of Programs at Bread & Roses Community Fund, where she oversaw grantmaking, leadership development initiatives, and partnerships with grassroots organizations advancing racial and economic justice in the Philadelphia region. She also served as Program Officer for Integration and Impact at American Friends Service Committee, supporting organizational learning and strategic alignment across a global network of programs focused on peace and social justice.

Across her career, Aarati has developed a reputation as a thoughtful systems thinker and trusted leadership partner. She is particularly skilled at helping organizations navigate complexity, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and build cultures that support both accountability and sustainability. Her approach integrates strategic clarity with deep attention to organizational culture, enabling institutions to pursue bold goals while maintaining internal coherence and resilience.

Aarati earned her Ph.D. in Community and Prevention Research in Psychology from the University of Illinois Chicago. She is also a poet, singer-songwriter, and former theater director. She brings this combination of creativity, community-building and analytical thinking into all her work.