Headquartered in New York City, citiesRISE is a global platform committed to transforming mental health policy and practice in cities and beyond. citiesRISE’s vision is a world where mental health support is mainstreamed in the places where young people are, through the approaches that work for them, enabling them to develop resilience and thrive.
Founded in 2018 and supported by leading institutions and philanthropic organizations, citiesRISE is positioned to dramatically deepen its impact through the expansion of its current initiatives and the launch of new global programming to fundamentally transform the story of mental health around the world.
Prospectus was mandated to lead a search to strengthen citiesRISE leadership team. Following an extensive, global headhunt, Ramya Kancharla was appointed as Senior Director, Mental Health Friendly Cities.
Based in Singapore, Ramya is a public health professional with over 14 years of experience in strategic planning, program and portfolio management, network building and stakeholder engagement for public health programs in low and middle income countries. In her last role, as Senior Manager with the Partnership for Healthy Cities, she worked with governments and other stakeholders across 18 cities, helping them design, implement and scale public health interventions across multiple program lines. Prior to this, Ramya worked in organizations such as the Institute for Reproductive Health, the World Health Organization, and ACCESS Health International, establishing and delivering programs across a range of health sectors.
Ramya holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Policy Studies from the University of London and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. She is currently pursuing a Professional Doctorate in Health from the University of Bath, and her research interest is broadly in the area of mental health. Ramya joined citiesRISE in February 2022.