Giri was born in Chennai and graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Chennai. He then post graduated from IIM Kolkata in 1983, and has been in Business Management with corporates for 34 years.
He started his management career in Mumbai in Purchasing, added Exports along the way. He then moved into sales and business development, and enjoyed the experience of selling in rural markets. Later, he returned to Corporate Office to handle Finance, IT and Supply Chain. Giri enjoys ‘enabling sales’ by creating a seamless supply chain for global and Indian companies. He retired as Head of Global Supply Chain of OmniActive Health Technologies Limited in late 2017. Giri has worked across industry segments: started with paints, and moved on to Consumer Products, Crop Protection, Animal Health, Pharmaceuticals, and last but not the least, in the sunrise Natural Health Supplement industry.
Post his retirement, Giri was a member of the Ayush Ministry Task Force and helped develop a plan to take Indian herbal health solutions to global markets.
To facilitate this goal, he then played a major role in creating AHNMI (Association of Herbal and Nutraceutical Manufacturers of India) and he is one of the directors of the association. He continued to work on diverse projects of his choice: Director of AHNMI, supporting social causes, assisting in marketing organic products, and deriving value from waste. In July 2023, he took on a new challenge as CEO of SSN Incubation Foundation (SSN iFound).
In his current role, he is passionate about enabling young entrepreneurs and creating a vibrant startup ecosystem at SSN College of Engineering and SNU, Chennai.
Sunitha Prakash brings over two decades of rich experience in the financial services and startup ecosystem. At SSN iFound, she leads the fundraising initiatives, overseeing disbursement of Startup India Seed Funds, applying for government and CSR grants, and cultivating strategic partnerships across incubation networks.
Sunitha has a deep understanding of investment processes, honed through her leadership roles at The Chennai Angels Network, where she managed deal flows exceeding ₹1 Crore per transaction.
Her career began in custodial services and banking including roles at Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited, Standard Chartered Bank and ISFL, where she gained foundational expertise in depository operations, compliance, and financial product management.
Boniface (Boni) leads the incubation programs at SSN iFound with over 15 years of experience across entrepreneurship, startup ecosystem development, and strategic program design.
At SSN iFound, Boni along with the team has played a pivotal role in building and institutionalizing structured incubation models that have generated around 400 startup leads, nurtured 35+ incubated ventures, and enabled over ₹18 crore in equity funding as of January 2026. His initiatives along with the team around mentorship design, go-to-market support, and investor readiness have made SSN iFound one of Tamil Nadu’s Top 15 incubators for two consecutive years.
An entrepreneur turned ecosystem enabler, Boni has co-founded ventures in India and the United States spanning solar energy, e-commerce, home services, and platform aggregation. Through his clean energy startup, Ulaginoli Energy Solutions, he supported organizations such as Lucas TVS, Ramco Cements, Johnson Lifts, and Stanadyne in adopting sustainable energy practices.
He is a passionate team builder and mentor, guiding young aspirants both within SSN iFound and in the larger startup ecosystem. He has contributed as a mentor to global platforms such as Founder Institute and Loyal VC, and regularly engages with academic institutions and innovation hubs.
Boni holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a PGDM (MBA) from Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), where he was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Project in Marketing & Operations. He also holds a PhD focused on challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the Solar PV rooftop industry in Tamil Nadu, along with certifications in startup investment management, design thinking, and technology commercialization.
Outside of work, Boni reads and writes blogs on entrepreneurship and leadership and enjoys spending time outdoors with his family.
Asst. Manager – Pre-incubation and Student initiatives
Roopavathi K
Asst. Manager – Pre-incubation and Student initiatives
What began as managing a family business evolved into a full-fledged journey in building India’s startup ecosystem—meet Roopa.
With a background in engineering and a postgraduate degree in business analytics, she blends academic learning with real-world insight. Since 2011, Roopa has been actively involved in her family’s business, gaining early exposure to operations, customer engagement, and stakeholder management.
Her first assignment began at the IIT Madras Incubation Cell, where she led core incubation efforts including mentorship programs, progress tracking, and strategic partnerships that helped early-stage startups thrive.
In 2023, she joined SSN iFound, where she now leads student entrepreneurship initiatives and pre-incubation programs to empower young innovators.
Outside of work, Roopa is a pet lover, tea enthusiast, and a budding mandala and calligraphy artist—bringing creativity and warmth into every aspect of her life.
Dheepan is a seasoned strategy consultant and market analyst with over 17 years of experience aligning organizational goals with data-driven insights, market intelligence, and client engagement. His career includes impactful roles at leading firms like the Rane Group and Frost & Sullivan, where he steered strategic planning, investment management, and business development initiatives.
Currently, as Senior Manager at SSN iFound, he oversees corporate partnerships and brings a deep understanding of market dynamics to foster innovation and collaboration.
Dheepan holds an MBA in Financial Services Management from Anna University, Chennai, and a Bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering from Karunya Institute of Technology, Coimbatore.
Subash is an Associate – Incubation at SSN Incubation Foundation, where he supports early-stage startups through key areas such as documentation, mentorship programs, ERP data management, incubatee success tracking, event execution, and social media engagement. He plays an active role in facilitating funding opportunities and has successfully generated numerous leads through online marketing campaigns, startup programs, and ecosystem engagement initiatives.
Prior to joining SSN iFound, Subash was part of the IITM Incubation Cell, where he worked closely with partner institute students to integrate them into live innovation projects and maintained detailed trackers for project progress and collaboration.
Subash holds a bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy – Anna University, Chennai. With a passion for innovation and community-building, he is committed to enabling startup growth and ecosystem impact.
