Parag Gupta has joined Mercy Housing as the Chief Program Officer. Parag will lead the organization’s National Resident Services program to ensure that residents have the tools and support they need to thrive.

Resident engagement is at the core of our 2020-2024 Strategic Plan and Mercy Housing’s legacy of resident-centered, service-enriched housing. The Resident Services team delivers high quality, high impact programming to over 45,000 residents across 20 states.  At the center of our community impact focus is elevating the voice and aspirations of residents. Parag will lead our Strategic Plan priorities on resident engagement and agency, refining the organization’s resident impact model and expanding strategic partnerships.

“Mercy Housing has been serving tens of thousands of residents with low incomes through program enriched housing for 40 years. Parag brings his lived experiences, his cross-sector expertise, and his social enterprise skills to this new opportunity. We’re lucky to have him onboard to bring our programming to the next level in terms of scale and depth” said Ismael Guerrero, President and CEO.

Parag brings over 20 years of experience developing impact strategies and cross-sector partnerships for national and international organizations. He is a former foundation executive, entrepreneur, and strategist. He previously served as the Chief Program Officer at the Stupski Foundation, a spend-down foundation with $250M in assets that disburses $30M+ annually. Parag worked closely with the donor and board to define the giving areas and develop the Foundation’s theory of action. Parag also increased racial diversity within the organization seven-fold.

Before the Foundation, Parag founded Waste Ventures India, which hires waste pickers to environmentally process garbage in emerging economies. The company has over 100 employees and currently increases the livelihoods of 6,000 people. The company processes thousands of tons of waste while reducing greenhouse gas equivalent. Waste Ventures has also advised policies in various countries.

Parag started his career at the Bridgespan Group, the nonprofit affiliate of Bain & Co. He also created social enterprise programming at the World Economic Forum and managed operations on two continents. He has lived and worked in Latin America, Europe, North America (the US), and Asia. A native English speaker, Parag is also fluent in Spanish, French, and Hindi.

Parag received his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Chicago. He currently serves as a National Board Member of Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Action.