Board Members

Claire Arthurs

Years of Involvement: 2011 to present

Education: Dartmouth College, B.A.

Columbus State University, M.A.T.

Georgetown University, TEFL

McCombs School of Business (class of 2015)

Claire hails from a long line of women committed to domestic and international education. She currently oversees all of Nanubhai’s on-site activities where she uses her prior experience in both the corporate world and the classroom to advance the mission of Nanubhai. A serious long-distance runner, she has participated in races in India to raise awareness for gender equality and educational quality. Claire traces her roots back to Southwestern Pennsylvania and continued cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers even while living in rural India!

Email: claire@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: in.linkedin.com/pub/claire-arthurs/7/1b6/660

Dr. Vikram Bakhru

Years of Involvement: 2010 to present

Education: George Washington University, B.A., B.S., M.D.

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, M.B.A.

Dr. Bakhru believes that education has the power to change lives. He uses his extensive experience in the developing world to inform Nanubhai’s programs, like spearheading our Residential Teaching Fellows initiative. In 2002 he established the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) (link to: www.fimrc.org) and also serves on the Board of Directors for several other organizations. He currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for A&K Global Health. Say what you will, but Vik enjoys his pizza with a side of ketchup.

Email: vik@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrambakhru/

Mohit Bhansali

Years of Involvement: 2012 to present

Education: New York University, B.A.

As an artist, Mohit knows the power of education – it allows students to dream, express themselves, and find happiness in life. He works with Nanubhai because of our innovative model that creates sustainable change by working directly with teachers and students. Mohit lends his mastery of social media and fundraising to support our mission. Outside of Nanubhai, he is a member of the rock quartet Deadbeat Darling, was a licensed equity trader and NASDAQ representative, and is the Chief Operating Officer at Equity Stock Transfer LLC. When he isn’t transforming rural education, rocking the stage with his band, or running his business, he makes the best cup of chai, ever. He dreams of opening an Indian-style chai cart in NYC featuring his secret recipe.

Email: mohit@nanubhai.org

Sarah Birgé

Years of Involvement: 2011 to present

Education: University of Chicago, B.A.,

The School for International Training, M.A.

Sarah has been involved with Nanubhai since 2010, when she spent eighteen months on the ground and eventually became Co-Director of the organization. Sarah brings a wide-range of skills to the team including curriculum development, coalition building, presentation design and facilitation skills. Currently, Sarah leads the Ground Operations Committee and works with ground staff on programming and research. Her commitment to Nanubhai stems from a belief in educational quality as a tool to fight economic inequality. Currently, she teaches middle school English at a public school in rural Vermont, where she is in charge of professional development for a staff of forty people. Sarah has traveled to over fifteen countries and eleven of India’s states. Her greatest travel achievement in India was a sixteen hour car ride from Srinagar to McLeod Ganj.

Email: sarah@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sarah-birg%C3%A9/5/933/274

Amanda Jaber

Years of Involvement: 2013 to present

Education: Dartmouth University, B.A.,

George Washington University, J.D.

Amanda has been involved with Nanubhai since 2012, and provides pro bono legal assistance and advice to Nanubhai. She began her legal career at a private law firm in Manhattan. In her spare time, Amanda provides pro bono legal assistance to nonprofit organizations focused on promoting health, education and social justice. Amanda has always had a profound respect for the value of education and enjoys working with philanthropic causes that focus on improving education. Amanda believes that improving educational outcomes is key to international development and improving human rights globally. For Amanda, there’s no better way to celebrate a victory for human rights than a slice of really great banana cream pie.

Email: amanda.jaber@nanubhai.org

Ram Jambunatham

Anita Patel

Emily Richardson

Years of Involvement: 2010 to present

Education: University of Dayton, B.S.

Columbia Teacher’s College, M.A.

Emily is passionately committed to teacher policy reform. Her combined experiences as a teacher in Malawi and India, a Master’s degree in International Education Development from Columbia’s Teacher’s College, and active participation on the international conference circuit have prepared her to be a voice for change. Her most recent project is in Pakistan, working as the Manager of Policy and Planning for the USAID Teachers Education Project. In her spare time, Emily serves up a mean game of badminton!

Email: emily@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=63592816

Aakash Shah

Hamel Shah

Years of Involvement: 2009 to present

Education: McMaster University, B.A.

Harvard Business School, M.B.A

Hamel loves working with Nanubhai because it gives passionate individuals an opportunity to have an impact. She deeply believes that education is the key to economic development and personally credits education as the driving force in her own life. She contributes a broad range of skills to the board, including strategy development, Annual Gala planning and event management.  Hamel lived in Gujarat as a child, where she experienced first-hand just how urgent our mission is.

Email: hamel@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/hamel-shah/0/b12/a51

Mayuri Shah

Years of Involvement: 2013 to present

Education: Harvard, B.A.

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, M.B.A.

Mayuri couples the ground-zero knowledge she gained during her externship with the Clinton Global Foundation in New Delhi with her conviction in the power of education. The result is her passionate advocacy for and guidance of Nanubhai’s local programming. When not on the road as a Consultant for Bain & Company, Mayuri stays busy keeping a close eye on her Jacksonville Jaguars.

Email: mayuri.shah@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/mayuri-shah/a/8ba/661

Dr. Hemant Vankawalla

Years of Involvement: 2012 to present

Education: University of Texas, M.D.

Dr. Vankawalla believes that every boy and girl in India deserves a quality education. He is a founding physician with Emerus Hospital Partners where he also serves as their Chief Medical Information Officer. He also maintains an active ER practice in Dallas, is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Texas Tech University Hospital and is a fellow of the American Board of Emergency Medicine. Hemant is married and has a young daughter who motivates him to make the world a better place for her and for those who do not have as many advantages as she does. When Hemant has free time, he loves to travel with his wife and daughter, who apparently already has a pretty good collection of passport stamps!

Email: hemant@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/hemant-vankawala/89/a6a/b85

Honorary Leadership

Raj Shah, Founder

Years of Involvement: 2004 to present

Education: Princeton University, B.A.

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, M.B.A.

Raj has had the privilege of being the first volunteer at Nanubhai and watching the organization grow.  During his tenure as Chairman of the board, Raj has guided Nanubhai’s long-term strategy and built a strong network of Nanubhai supporters that will lead Nanubhai into its next chapter. When not thinking about Indian education, Raj is a Senior Director at Palo Alto Networks. Previously, Raj held a number diverse jobs including serving as a USAF F-16 Pilot and a McKinsey Consultant. Any time he gets the chance, Raj loves dodging Indian traffic on an Enfield motorcycle – he’s survived trips through Ladakh and Rajasthan.

Email: raj@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rajshah3

Manish Dayal, Official Spokesperson

Years of Involvement: 2012 to present

Education: George Washington University, B.A.

An actor and first generation Indian-American, Manish is a vocal advocate for Nanubhai’s mission to provide a quality education for all students in rural India. His array of acting projects include roles in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The CW’s 90210, The Good Wife, Walkaway, Rubicon, Domino Effect, and the lead role in the off-Broadway hit Rafta Rafta. Manish’s current projectsinclude a role on ABC Family’s Switched At Birth and filming The Hundred-Foot Journey with Helen Mirren.

Email: manish@nanubhai.org

Follow Him on Twitter:https://twitter.com/DayalManish

India Ground Team

Jayesh Chaudhari, Programming Director

Years of Involvement: 2012 to present

Education: B.A. Sardar Patel University

M.A. Tata Institute of Social Sciences

A fluent speaker of four languages (Hindi, English, Gujarati, Chaudhari) and a proficient speaker of many, many more, Jayesh is able to communicate Nanubhai’s mission with ease.

He believes that empowering teachers, students and administrators combined with policy-level intervention is the best way to change English education in India. Prior to working at Nanubhai, he was a consultant for the Tribal Affairs Department, Government of India. Jayesh is a well-respected member of his native village and has several “proteges” who are eager to follow in his footsteps (and play with his electronics).

Email: jayesh@nanubhai.org

LinkedIn: in.linkedin.com/pub/jayesh-chaudhari/36/701/27b

Nimisha Omedsinh Chaudhari

Years of Involvement: 2011 to present

Education: B.Ed in English and Sanskrit, MA in English

Home Village: Balda

Nimisha loves collaborating with the Nanubhai team to develop new ideas about teaching. When she is not teaching, she is an advocate for quality education. To that end, she has set up a program in her village that offers remedial English and Gujarati classes to struggling students. She loves reading and her favorite English books are Othello and Hamlet. She recently got married and is enjoying a new phase in her life. Congrats, Nimi!

Sunil Chaudhari

Years of Involvement: 2011 to present

Education:  B.A.,M.A. in English, B.Ed

Home Village: Vanskui

A 2004 graduate of Madhi High School, one of our partner sites, Sunil loves teaching English to students at his alma mater. He is a motivated teacher who is highly engaged with his profession. Sunil is constantly engaging the entire Nanubhai staff with great questions about teaching, learning, curriculum development, and child psychology. When he is not teaching, Sunil enjoys riding his motorcycle, participating in Gujarati cultural events (he is great at Garba!) and running his family farm.

Purvi Mansuhkbhai Gamit

Years of Involvement: 2011 to present

Education:  B.A.,M.A. in English, B.Ed

Home Village: Mandvi

Purvi has a passion for working with her students, mastering grammar and finding new ways to improve her English. She knew she wanted to be a teacher from a very young age because she has personally experienced the power of education. Working with the Nanubhai Education Foundation has helped her to improve her teaching skills and she is thankful for the opportunity.  This year, on the Nanubhai Team Retreat, we went to a local holy and historic site for yatra (holy pilgrimage). Purvi was the first person to jump into the cable car so she could watch as we ascended the mountain (see our photo gallery)!

Kamini Solanki

Years of Involvement: 2011 to present

Education: B.A. & B.Ed in English

Home Village: Balda

Kamini enjoys working with younger students to develop their English skills. During her time with Nanubhai, she has developed innovative methods to help her students succeed, from in-class debates to singing English nursery rhymes. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys working with her son to improve his English, cooking traditional meals for her family, and watching Hindi movies.

Nanubhai Alumni

Cat Biddle

Years with Nanubhai:  4

Roles: Teaching Fellow, Board Member, Executive Director

Education: Brown University, B.A.

Lesley University, M. Ed

Penn State, PhD (in progress)

Where are you now? I’m currently a doctoral candidate at Penn State University studying rural education, youth aspirations, and community development. I’m also the managing editor of the Journal of Research in Rural Education.

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? My favorite thing about my time with Nanubhai has been the lasting relationships that I’ve built with both my students and my friends in Kadod, Madhi and Bajipura. Thanks to facebook and skype,  I still keep in close touch with many of my former students who are now off at college studying engineering,  arts, and pharmacy.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? Learned to drive a scooter from one of my co-teachers and subsequently tried to get my Indian driver’s license. I did not succeed, but an auto driver did teach me how to drive his auto rickshaw while I was in Kerala.

Meghan Cunningham

Years with Nanubhai: 3

Roles: Teaching Fellow, Curriculum Director

Education: Nazareth College, B.A.

Syracuse University, M.A. Teaching English Language Learners

Where are you now? I teach 7th grade Language Arts and Social Studies at Heritage Preparatory Academy in Atlanta.

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? I loved watching the growth of students and their motivation to learn English! I love how welcoming and accepting all the people were at my school.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? I took my Spoken English class to teach government school elementary children basic English. My students loved teaching the younger students and felt very confident in their own English skills.

Zubin Desai

Years of Involvement: 5

Role: Board Member, 2011 Gala Chair, NYC Chapter Director

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A.

UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, M.B.A.

Where are you now? Currently I am pursuing my MBA. Recently I’ve interned at Facebook and consulted for Twitter.

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? My parents and grandparents have always stressed education as the foundation for life and made sure that having accessibility to this education would never hinder their children from pursuing their dreams. I chaired the 2011 Gala in which 350 of my like-minded peers came together to celebrate Nanubhai’s mission and generate crucial funds for the organization. It was truly humbling to see so many come together for a cause we can all believe in.

John Ellington

Years with Nanubhai: 1

Role: Teaching Fellow

Education: Princeton University, B.A.

Where are you now? I’m currently teaching ESL in Seoul, South Korea with the Sogang University Language Program.

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? I loved my morning commute from Kadod to Madhi. Every morning, there were scenic sugar cane fields, rice paddies, and the occasional water buffalo herd. Nasir (my driver) would blare Bollywood oldies from the 70’s or sometimes electronica tapes he and his friend had mixed.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? Learning to play harmonium with the local bhajan players was a great deal of fun.

Dalena Frost

Years with Nanubhai: 1

Role: Teaching Fellow

Education: B.A. Williams College

MFA in Fiction Writing from Bennington College, Jan. 2015

Where are you now? Williamstown, Massachusetts. Currently pursuing my Master of Fine Arts in Fiction while substituting at Williamstown Elementary School and assisting in the Superintendent’s Office

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? Having the opportunity to see from the inside how the Gujarat board curriculum works

What is one amazing thing you did in India? I participated in the breathtaking, exhausting, and thrilling ten-day-long Garba (folk dance) festival/competition in Surat, along with hundreds of other local dance fanatics, decked out in gorgeous clothing and jewelry borrowed from my neighbors and fellow participants. It doesn’t get better than that.

Priya Garg

Years Involved with Nanubhai: 4

Roles: Summer Intern, Program Co-Director, HR Coordinator

Education: BA Emory University

Where are you now? Working with the American Osteopathic Association in Chicago, IL

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? I loved living and working with such a dedicated group of individuals who cared so passionately about the kids of rural Gujarat.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? Celebrated in the streets with hundreds of Indians when India won the Cricket World Cup against Pakistan!

Melissa Ivins

Years with Nanubhai: 1

Role: Teaching Fellow

Education: Princeton University, B.A.

Yale University, M.A.

Where are you now?  Working as an environmental consultant and volunteering as an ESL tutor.

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? Watching the 9th standard girls class read Dr. Seuss to the 4th standard students was one of my favorite parts of the year in Kadod. After the reading mentors program, the 9th standard girls, Tabassum (a fellow teacher), and I all talked about the experience and it was wonderful to hear the girls realize how much English they had learned and that they could help teach it to the younger students.  It was great to see them gain confidence in themselves and their abilities.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? Practiced yoga for three weeks at an ashram in Kerala and left able to do a headstand!

Felicia Kazin

Years With Nanubhai: 1

Role: Teaching Fellow

Education: Seton Hall University, M.A.

Where are you now? Working at a private middle/high school, teaching at Seton Hall

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? I loved my students and getting teaching experience working with a big group.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? Sindhu and I randomly made friends with a family on a train trip from Ahmedabad back to Surat. They later invited us to their home in Surat and made us homemade Rajasthani food, which was so delicious.

Lyndi Milton

Years With Nanubhai: 1

Role: Teaching Fellow

Education: Eastern Oregon University, B.S.

Where are you now? I am currently working as a Program Coordinator for the Harvard School of Public Health in their Executive and Continuing Professional Education department.

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? I loved the connections I made not only with my students, but with the local teachers.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? I raised money for our school’s English book library by running the Chandigarh Half Marathon. We were able to raise 40,000rs (about $1000) to buy hundreds of books for our kids.

Drew Tilson

Years with Nanubhai: 3

Role: Teaching Fellow, Director of Internal Communications

Education: Purdue University, B.S.

University of Miami (FL), M.B.A.

Where are you now? Living in Miami and working with the Florida China Association. I also consult with Marcus & Millichap.

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? The people- you grow to be like family with the other fellows, and the community really welcomes you. The students are wonderful, and it really is a collaborative effort to work with students and administration to enhance the educational system.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? Volunteered at the Mother Teresa Center in Kolkata to provide care for the sick and dying, as well as delivered supplies to families at a remote outpost.

Felicia Singh

Years with Nanubhai: 2

Role: Summer Intern, Volunteer

Education: Adelphi University, B.A., M.A.

Where are you now? I am currently teaching 7th grade English language arts at Roosevelt Children’s Academy Charter School but in June I will be leaving to teach in China with the Peace Corps.

What is one thing you loved about your time with Nanubhai? I loved working with passionate people who all wanted to work hard towards the goal of bringing equal education to all children.

What is one amazing thing you did in India? I was able to mentor you women who were part of the Women’s Empowerment Mentorship Program that I started. Each young women got a chance to talk about their dreams, what their lives were like as young women in rural India, as well as other topics that they may not be