Ajit’s Bio
Ajit George serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project. Founded in 1997 by his father, Abraham George, Shanti Bhavan is a residential school in Tamil Nadu, India that provides holistic education — from pre-kindergarten through college — to children from India’s most economically disadvantaged communities. Shanti Bhavan’s model is unique, and its success is unprecedented, with undergraduates attending universities such as Princeton, UPenn, Duke, and Stanford, and alumni pursuing careers at companies such as Goldman Sachs, Google, and Deloitte.
George joined Shanti Bhavan during the 2007 financial crisis as the Director of Operations. With the organization facing an existential crisis, he transitioned it from a private foundation to a 501(c)(3) charity, ensuring its longevity. In 2024, George became Shanti Bhavan’s Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he manages programming, fundraising, communications, partnerships, strategic planning, mentorship, and career development, spending about four months each year working directly in the field in India. He and his family also founded the Baldev Medical and Community Center, which provides healthcare, housing, and community development to surrounding villages, as well as to Shanti Bhavan’s students. George and Shanti Bhavan were featured in the 2017 Netflix documentary series Daughters of Destiny, and he has delivered TEDx talks at both UNC and the College of William & Mary.
