Who are we?
Authentica is an experiential learning company that designs and delivers short-term study-abroad and virtual programs for academic institutions, with a focus on business and UN Sustainability Goals.
Educational immersions, inspired by authentic cultures, which stimulate critical thinking and spark imagination.
VISION
To be the go-to partner for anyone, anywhere seeking growth and enrichment through travel
MISSION
To enrich lives – one person, one community and one amazing learning experience at a time
Who are we?
Educational immersions, inspired by authentic cultures, which stimulate critical thinking and spark imagination.
VISION
To be the go-to partner for anyone, anywhere seeking growth and enrichment through travel
MISSION
To enrich lives – one person, one community and one amazing travel experience at a time
Our Model
Our model is to enrich lives. We pursue this by designing and delivering academic programs that promote holistic growth on the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual dimensions
Physical
Our programs preserve and promote participant wellness while building their resilience and adaptability to diverse environments and situations
Emotional
We go out of our way to ensure that interactions with local communities are meaningful and evoke a sense of kinship
Intellectual
Our programs not only enhance knowledge but also help build skills and attitudes that will serve students well in their careers and lives
Spiritual
Our programs and experiences strive to broaden perspectives and provide clarity of purpose, fundamentally changing the person from within
Our programs preserve and promote participant wellness while building their resilience and adaptability to diverse environments and situations
We go out of our way to ensure that interactions with local communities are meaningful and evoke a sense of kinship
Our programs not only enhance knowledge but also help build skills and attitudes that will serve students well in their careers and lives
Our programs and experiences strive to broaden perspectives and provide clarity of purpose, fundamentally changing the person from within
Offerings
Faculty Led
Thematic in nature, faculty lead programs are a curated blend of commerce and culture. All the logistics are fully managed by us and we work closely with the faculty leader to create content that is stimulating and relevant. These may range from business and economy to following in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. Programs can be created around a given theme (e.g. Healthcare or science and technology) to integrate different disciplines, destinations, interactions and immersions.
Internships
There’s no better way to gain international exposure and awareness than by interning abroad. In a world where global connectivity is the norm, what better way to experience it first hand than by immersing yourself in a working culture abroad? We place our interns in sound, secure, and inspiring working environments that expose them to local culture. These may range from hospitality to healthcare, social entrepreneurship, and NGOs, manufacturing to finance. Learn more
Service Learning
Service learning programs are focussed on a project that revolves around enhancing the lives of a community. Whether it’s infrastructural or socio-entrepreneurial, the participants in the program are actively involved in helping to take the community to the next level by their initiative. The programs are enhanced by workshops, hands-on field work and interaction with social entrepreneurs who are working to make a difference.
Services
You can count on us for:
Content
Design and delivery
Logistics
Planning and management
Support
On-ground, before, & after the journey
Core Values
Our beliefs, culture, and decisions are shaped by our core values
Excellence
Efficient. Effective. Engaging.
Team Work
Respectful. Trustworthy. Cooperative.
Excitement
Enthusiastic. Energetic. Creative. Positive. Healthy.
Our eyes are peeled and our ear is close to the ground. Our depth of knowledge and understanding is customized to suit your exact requirements. During an immersion, one doesn’t just see things. Each participant is an active part of the experience, learning how to do as the locals do.
Open
Integrating. Ideating. Inspiring.
Care
Caring. Nurturing. Wellbeing.
Continous Learning
Evolving. Educating. Enriching.
Our endeavour is to make each participant grow as a product of being immersed in a different culture. We are committed to curating experiences that will have a profound impact and leave a lasting impression.
Why Authentica?
Simply being in a different environment provokes us to think outside the box. There are so many different aspects of being somewhere other than home that come together to weave an experience. Leverage our insight, imagination, knowledge, street smarts, hands-on expertise, and our own experience to get beneath the skin of a different place and culture.
We work with you to be:
Responsive
We get back to you quikly, usually within 24 hours.
Collaborative
We integrate the needs of every stakeholder.
Service Excellence Oriented
We vet every one of our suppliers and service providers personally.
We believe in:
Risk Management
Safety is our priority. We live in a world where many things happen.
Equitable and Ethical Approach
Responsible travel is key to our ethos.
Value For Money
We keep our pricing strategically competitive.
We bring you:
Impactful Content
We work with our faculty and associates to ensure that the content before, during and after the trip are curated and powerful.
Authentic Experiences
We specialise in rich and authentic immersions into each destination.
Enrichment and Fulfilment
Enrichment is the key that unlocks the door to the depth of the destination.
University Partners
Team
Ravi Raj
CEO and Co-Founder
Ravi’s inspiration to start Authentica springs from his belief that authentic human connections in travels should be the norm rather than the exception. He earned his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and has worked as a Social Enterprise Consultant at Eastside Consulting in London (UK) and as a strategy consultant with Oliver Wyman in the US. He enjoys traveling, landscape photography, tennis, running, cooking, and Spanish and French movies (with subtitles!)
Sayalee Joshi
COO and Co-Founder
Sayalee brings a wealth of experience in ethnographic research, along with an academic grounding in architecture and anthropology. She has helped Fortune 100 clients in various sectors such as Telecom, FMCG, and IT, helping them design appropriate products and services by providing field-research based insights on the market context and needs. She loves films, travel and sketching.
Anitha Ramanna
Head Programs and Instructional Design
Anitha believes that education is about learning by doing, and was therefore inspired to join Authentica to promote experiential learning. She earned her Ph.D. in International Studies and a post-doctoral fellowship from the International Food Policy Research Institute. Anitha is a Fulbright Scholar and was affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University. Anitha brings extensive teaching and research experience along with a passion for travel, experiencing new cultures, and creatively designing impactful experiences for students.
Aishwarya Gawade
Program Manager
Aishwarya is a bibliophile and loves exploring new places and cultures. She has earned a Post-graduate degree in Marketing & Biotechnology from Pune University (PUMBA) and was a Teach for India Fellow before she joined Authentica. She has been a Toastmasters International Ambassador and loves public speaking. A Reebok certified Aerobics and Pilates instructor, she is a sports and fitness enthusiast to the core. She is an avid stargazer, dancer and an aspiring Italian speaker.
Pratik Talwar
Visual Storyteller
Pratik only wishes he could see the world in Noir. An Industrial Production Engineer by qualification who spent the 5 years of his University building his filmmaking skills. A classical musician who turned towards Rock and Metal as he grew up. Very competitive in sports he is good at and sometimes even at those he isn’t. His hunger to learn and grow is what creates a unique bond with Authentica and its core value of continuously learning. Pratik provides the visual flavor to all our programs through shooting and editing videos and drives the visual content for Authentica.
Amrendra Kumar Rai
Web Developer
Amrendra, our resident technocrat, is Authentica’s IT wizard. He is usually found wearing his headphones, nodding away to the latest beats, while creating code. He is an Electronics & Communication Engineer by profession, but all work and no play isn’t his style. When he’s not in front of a computer, you can usually find him on the Cricket field. Amrendra’s career has taken him places from his home in Bihar in the north to Bhopal, in Central India and now to Pune, in western India. He’s a pro at JavaScript, HTML, CSS and more, but most importantly, he is an important backbone to our team at Authentica.
Suhasini Joshi
Finance Manager
A retired banker by profession, Suhasini is one of the bedrocks of Authentica’s success and growth. After a successful 30-year career at Bank of India, she currently guides the Authentica leadership on key decisions about the company, ensures that the company is current with all its payments to vendors and employees, and compliant with the government on taxes and filings. Her hobbies include Bollywood classic melodies, world cinema and politics.
Team
Ravi Raj
CEO and Co-Founder
Ravi’s inspiration to start Authentica springs from his belief that authentic human connections in travels should be the norm rather than the exception. He earned his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and has worked as a Social Enterprise Consultant at Eastside Consulting in London (UK) and as a strategy consultant with Oliver Wyman in the US. He enjoys traveling, landscape photography, tennis, running, cooking, and Spanish and French movies (with subtitles!)
Sayalee Joshi
COO and Co-Founder
Sayalee brings a wealth of experience in ethnographic research, along with an academic grounding in architecture and anthropology. She has helped Fortune 100 clients in various sectors such as Telecom, FMCG, and IT, helping them design appropriate products and services by providing field-research based insights on the market context and needs. She loves films, travel and sketching.
Anitha Ramanna
Head Programs and Instructional Design
Anitha believes that education is about learning by doing, and was therefore inspired to join Authentica to promote experiential learning. She earned her Ph.D. in International Studies and a post-doctoral fellowship from the International Food Policy Research Institute. Anitha is a Fulbright Scholar and was affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University. Anitha brings extensive teaching and research experience along with a passion for travel, experiencing new cultures, and creatively designing impactful experiences for students.
Aishwarya Gawade
Program Manager
Aishwarya is a bibliophile and loves exploring new places and cultures. She has earned a Post-graduate degree in Marketing & Biotechnology from Pune University (PUMBA) and was a Teach for India Fellow before she joined Authentica. She has been a Toastmasters International Ambassador and loves public speaking. A Reebok certified Aerobics and Pilates instructor, she is a sports and fitness enthusiast to the core. She is an avid stargazer, dancer and an aspiring Italian speaker.
Pratik Talwar
Visual Storyteller
Pratik only wishes he could see the world in Noir. An Industrial Production Engineer by qualification who spent the 5 years of his University building his filmmaking skills. A classical musician who turned towards Rock and Metal as he grew up. Very competitive in sports he is good at and sometimes even at those he isn’t. His hunger to learn and grow is what creates a unique bond with Authentica and its core value of continuously learning. Pratik provides the visual flavor to all our programs through shooting and editing videos and drives the visual content for Authentica
Amrendra Kumar Rai
Web Developer
Amrendra, our resident technocrat, is Authentica’s IT wizard. He is usually found wearing his headphones, nodding away to the latest beats, while creating code. He is an Electronics & Communication Engineer by profession, but all work and no play isn’t his style. When he’s not in front of a computer, you can usually find him on the Cricket field. Amrendra’s career has taken him places from his home in Bihar in the north to Bhopal, in Central India and now to Pune, in western India. He’s a pro at JavaScript, HTML, CSS and more, but most importantly, he is an important backbone to our team at Authentica.
Suhasini Joshi
Finance Manager
A retired banker by profession, Suhasini is one of the bedrocks of Authentica’s success and growth. After a successful 30-year career at Bank of India, she currently guides the Authentica leadership on key decisions about the company, ensures that the company is current with all its payments to vendors and employees, and compliant with the government on taxes and filings. Her hobbies include Bollywood classic melodies, world cinema, and politics.
Featured Links