Speakers

Navjot “Nav” Sawhney is a social entrepreneur and engineer, best known as the founder and CEO of The Washing Machine Project, a global non-profit tackling the burden of handwashing clothes in low-income and displaced communities. Through the development of the Divya—a manual, off-grid washing machine—he leads efforts to deliver practical, scalable solutions that save time, reduce physical strain, and improve health and opportunity, particularly for women and girls. Under his leadership, the organisation has reached tens of thousands of people across multiple countries and continues to scale through partnerships with major corporates and humanitarian organisations.
 
 With a background in aerospace engineering and early career experience at companies like Dyson and Jaguar Land Rover, Nav transitioned from corporate engineering to purpose-driven innovation after witnessing firsthand the impact of everyday challenges in underserved communities. Today, he combines technical expertise with humanitarian insight to drive a new model of frugal innovation—building affordable, sustainable technologies designed for real-world constraints, and positioning The Washing Machine Project as a leading force in impact-led product development.