Our Vision

A world where geography and distances are not barriers to opportunity and growth.

Our Mission

To transform the lives of high altitude frontier communities to develop them into self-sustaining, resilient and thriving regions.

Our Story

Our story began at an attitude of 17000ft in eastern Ladakh. We had to cross 3 high altitude passes at -20 deg C to reach the Govt. Residential School at Lingshed. 3 days of driving and another 3 days of trek with 25 horses carrying 1500Kg of school furniture for the 100 odd children in the school did not deter us from starting a non-profit that will facilitate quality education to the less privileged children of the remote mountainous terrain in Ladakh.

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Our Team

17000 ft Foundation has been working relentlessly in the remote regions of the Himalaya since 2012. During the course, #Team17000ft has crossed the highest passes, the narrowest bridges and has been to the remotest of villages of Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The team has braved harsh weather and has stood tough against all odds. All this for the children of IHR and their love for learning! Kudos to the teamwork and the drive to change lives of their fellow beings.

Board Members Team Members

An ex-advertising entrepreneur and an avid trekker, Sahu leads the organization from the front and brings his deep understanding of the Himalayas and the aspirations of its people to strategize, design and deliver the most challenging projects.

Sandeep Sahu

Co-Founder, Director

The Ladakhi arm of 17000ft, Dawa is a successful businessman in Ladakh. He often travels to the remotest regions for his charitable ventures supporting education and healthcare in extremely inaccessible areas. Dawa's amazing resource mobilization skills and his ability to empower and motivate the local populace, is the reason behind 17000ft's credibility.

Dawa Jora

Co-Founder, Director

A distinguished Indian scientist known for his work in nonlinear science, computational biology, and chaos theory. A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad and past President of the Indian Academy of Sciences, he has authored numerous influential research papers and mentored many students. He is currently an Honorary Professor at IISER, Berhampur.

Ramakrishna Ramaswamy

Director

Widely known as Mr. L or Peter, he is the Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Taktse International School in Sikkim. A University of Chicago and Harvard-educated educator, he has shaped Taktse into a student-centered institution that inspires empathetic, purpose-driven leaders. He is also nurturing the creation of Khangchendzonga Buddhist University (KBU).

Peter Phuntsok Ongi Azubah Lauenstein Denjongpa

Director

Educated in Kashmir, Harminder is an IIT alumnus with a Masters from Cardiff, and 45+ years of experience across global operations, HR transformation, and leadership advisory. He has worked with the British Marines and the Tata Group, founded a consulting firm supporting multinational entry into India, and advises several non-profits while leading women’s skill initiatives through this NGO.