Founding Circle

Before Pelion, Arvin was Course Director for Where There Be Dragons in India and Canada, built the UWC Atlantic Global Leadership Experience, and led eleven Himalayan expeditions and a student-run wilderness fire and rescue team for seven years. At UWC Mahindra he led Advancement, Experiential Learning, Community Engagement, and Outdoor Education. He is keen on the outdoors and storytelling, and served as Director of Photography on two award winning documentaries.

Anand is a robotics and AI entrepreneur and angel investor. At Stanford, he co-teaches product management for graduate students, drawing on a research background in machine learning, artificial intelligence and human–computer interaction. He holds a master’s and PhD in engineering from Stanford University, focused on machine learning, semiconductors and their applications. His experience spans technology development, investment and board roles.

Guy Merin is an engineering leader at Microsoft, with a history of delivering products and experiences across Windows, mobile platforms, security and AI. His expertise is in innovation: building and scaling teams, transforming ideas and concepts into market-ready products, and aligning cross-functional teams and stakeholders. His core expertise is in the 0 to 1 space, and quips, “when a team grows over 70 people, I’m out!”

Malaika is a filmmaker and sustainability strategist. She directs, produces, and hosts documentaries for global networks including National Geographic Channel, the BBC, Discovery, Sky, and PBS that have aired across 150 countries. She serves on the Expert Advisory Panel for The Earthshot Prize and advises businesses and institutions on sustainability and storytelling. Malaika frequently speaks at global convenings including the Clinton Global Initiative, the Aspen Ideas Festival, SXSW, Global Citizen, Bloomberg and The Economist summits.

Marija built the Systems Transformation Pathway in partnership with the IB, the first major revision to the IB Diploma Programme in sixty years. She has led innovation at UWC Atlantic and Pearson College UWC, and helped develop the Project Based Diploma at UWC Mahindra and the IB Theory of Knowledge curriculum. Her training runs from classical music to the anthropology of science. With Arvin, Marija wrote Oxford’s IB Theory of Knowledge coursebook and founded the Kriya social impact program.

Mark Winterbottom is a Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge whose research includes inquiry-based learning and science education. He has worked to support the development of the IB Systems Transformation Pathway and contributed to curriculum and teacher education reform in the UK and internationally. With nearly 25 years of experience working with teachers, he leads Cambridge’s biology PGCE program, supervises master’s and doctoral students, and has written textbooks and books for educators.

Sila is an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, with experience leading strategy engagements across EMEA and Canada in a wide range of industries. Her work spans corporate strategy and social impact, including a secondment to the Mastercard Foundation, where she helped refine country strategies across several African markets. She holds an MBA and an MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment from the University of Oxford, bringing a combination of strategic, commercial and sustainability expertise to her advisory role.