Living in his native village of Veti Murbad, Pratik Dhanmer practices the Design Jatra philosophy not only in his architectural work and teaching, but also in his day-to-day routine. He is deeply involved in efforts to democratize the governance of Veti Murbad through various rural policies and Gram Sabhas. Pratik also handles the farming initiatives of Design Jatra and is an integral part of the seed conservation initiative. He teaches at the IES College of Architecture and School of Environment and Architecture, Mumbai. Besides this, Pratik is interested in sketching, theatre, poetry, and film.

Shardul Patil is an architect and an environmental activist with a dream of having a more participatory, hyper-local, and democratic approach to design. He is passionate about experimenting with natural materials and technologies. Along with being the co-founder of Design Jatra, Shardul also runs the Varada Farms in Vajreshwari, which is an organic farm inspired by the principle of natural farming. He also has a keen interest in ethnobotany and regularly takes wild food documentation visits in the local forests. Shardul is also a part of the Native Heritage Project, a collaboration of people trying to reconnect tribal populations to their native forests.

Known for her punctilious nature, Vinita Kaur Chiragia has been consistently refining Design Jatra’s practice through her eye for detail in design, as well as in processes of execution. She looks at architecture as a craft and it reflects in the projects that she does. Being an aficionado of traditional crafts, she is majorly involved in the Tokar initiative of Design Jatra, through which she works with the Veti Murbad community to create beautiful, utilitarian, and contemporary products using their traditional skills and native biodiversity. She also has a keen interest in fabric design and natural dyeing.