About

The world is our classroom

How it all began

“My mother was pulled out of school when she was in grade 5 by her grandmother who felt education was not for girls. Despite the lack of opportunity for formal education, my mother always emphasized that life is our biggest classroom. To my young, impressionable mind that meant: If she was learning by living that means everyone who is living is learning something; and I must try to find it out.

Inspired by this philosophy, I founded Project FUEL in 2009 while still in my first year of college. FUEL stands for ‘Forward the Understanding of Every Life Lesson’. What started as sharing life lessons with friends over coffee has evolved into designing experiential modules, art-based community initiatives, and films. Our work today derives its strength from creating opportunities for people like my mother to make an impact and for world curriculums to reflect the stories of everyday people.

I dream of a world where our significance isn’t measured by the fame, power or money we hold, but by the meaningful lives we lead and the wisdom we share.

Thank you for being a part of the journey, for joining our projects, for sending a loud cheer and a kind note. It encourages us to keep on keeping on.”

Deepak Ramola Founder & Artistic Director

Project FUEL celebrates the practical wisdom of everyday people around the globe through creative interventions and participatory tools in education, arts, culture, and films.

Using our award-winning methodology, we design hard-earned life lessons into meaningful and immersive experiences, making them accessible to diverse communities. This approach fosters a world where ‘learning from each other’ is a way of life. A grandmother in rural Nepal can influence a data scientist in New York, and a Maasai woman can teach skills of adaptation and integration to survivors of human trafficking.

This unique approach has created a rich knowledge database of human-interest stories, benefiting communities worldwide. According to the One Young World Impact report, Project FUEL generates a social return on investment of 1:12, meaning $12 of social impact for every dollar invested. Listed as world's top 100 innovations, our methodology has been formally adopted in the learning ecosystems of Antwerp, Belgium, Pittsburgh, USA and Arusha, Tanzania.

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Meet the Team

Deepak Ramola

Founder & Artistic Director
“Your talent is not your gift; it's your responsibility.”
Apoorva Bakshi

Managing Partner
“Only those who believe in magic, will ever see it brew!”
Srishti Bakshi

Chief Strategy Officer
“Challenge your limits.”
Ayushi Jaiswal

Cultural Investigator
“Don't bottle it up; sometimes you need to say it.”
Aakansha Kedia

Learning Architect
“Give it your all, despite the uncertainty. Like a kid throwing a paper plane.”
Mehak Sharma

Operations Head
“Hope is that one gamble you should often play and place your bet on.”
Anthea Lobo

Communications Manager
“If you want things to happen, you've got to get up, take action and make it happen.”
Sudhir Nautiyal

Account Manager
Shraddha Bakshi

Editor, Hindi Content
“I believe do keep your soul rooted in gratitude.”
Richa Nautiyal

Special Projects Manager
“The universe speaks to you in stillness, make sure you listen!”

Life Lessons that guide us

Put everything on email.
Everyone is wise but saying so doesn't make you one.
Second chances are available but should be earned.
Having knowledge isn't sufficient. Using the knowledge at the right time is crucial.
Before you learn how to ride a bicycle, learn where the brakes are.
When you are done using the jar, remember to close the lid.
Consider your intuition to be a valid argument.
An oak tree doesn’t have to tell you it’s an oak tree.
A pre-requisite to creation is creating space.

Amidst songs, scents and stories~

A new favorite song playing on loop, incense burning in a corner, bursts of laughter, soft requests for chai, nostalgic memories of people we've met over the years, and excitement for those we will meet next—these are the constants in our workday. It’s no wonder people often mistake the FUEL studio for a cafe. While we don’t serve cold coffee, our menu always includes silliness, tough questions, and stirring stories. We are a small but mighty team that values nuance over flamboyance, long walks over screen time, and collaboration over control.

As the FUEL team tunes in to work from 4 different time zones (talk about managing long distance relationships), we still try to hold space for each other and our wild ideas!

Someone once told us, “The world needs more of this work”. We believed them then, and we believe it even more today.