Meet the Team
OUR TEAM
Our team is growing rapidly. It started from one person running community calls, to a group of passionate volunteers who are drawn to the vision of a loving, inclusive Desi community. Each person on our team brings their unique skills and perspective to support our mission.
Contact us if you are interested in joining our team!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Our Staff
Executive Director
Aruna (she, her, hers) is the proud parent of a transgender child and founder of Desi Rainbow Parents & Allies. She envisions a world where diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity are valued by all.
Strategic Planning & Development Consultant
Sapna (she, her, hers) is a queer South Asian organizer, advocate, strategist and mother. Over the past 20 years, she has worked at various organizations in the US and abroad, primarily focused on immigrant justice and public health. Sapna lives in DC with her wife and toddler.
Our Board
Our Board
Co-President
Manjula (she, her, hers) is the proud parent of a transgender daughter and Operations Manager of a large public library system in Washington state.
Treasurer
Aubrey (she, her, hers) works in the Non-Profit sector as a Director of Business Operations. She is the proud mother of 3 children, one of whom identifies as LGBTQ+.
Partnerships & Collaborations
Charmaine (she, her, hers) is the proud mother of a nonbinary queer child. After two decades as a business leader, she now works to increase family acceptance of LGBTQ youth.
Co-President
Kingston (he, him, his) is an Artist, Activist and Entrepreneur. He proudly identifies as a Tamil Queer Christian.
Communications
Coordinator
Anupam (he, him, his) is a graduate of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and worked as a Vice President in Goldman Sachs. He enjoys teaching Bhangra and spoils his rescue puppy, Daisy.
Faith Community Outreach
Koshy Mathews (he, him, his) is a retired Episcopal priest currently serving as an Interim Rector at Gloria Dei Church in Philadelphia. He is the proud parent of a gay daughter.
Secretary
Reema (she, her, hers) is the proud parent of a transgender child. She works in pharmaceutical research to improve health outcomes, quality of life and access to medicines.
Community Outreach
Colin Mascarenhas (he, him, his) proudly identifies as a gay man. He is an engineer by profession, and an Odissi dancer by passion. He is a roadie, foodie and is looking forward to working with Desi families.
Our Coordinators
Parent Support
Tejinder (she, her, hers) is a mom, speaker and trainer, an advocate for transgender Lives and parental acceptance, and an empowerment Life Coach.
Event Planning Coordinator
Anitha (she, her, hers) is the proud parent of a non-binary queer adult child. She manages biomedical research operations in an academic setting. Her passions include dancing & teaching Bharatanatyam, participating in local GOTV efforts, mentoring, gardening, cooking, traveling and bee-keeping.
Publications Coordinator
Sri (she, her, hers) is a seasoned IT professional and mom of 2 daughters. She is a voracious reader of mysteries and thrillers. She is passionate about children's literature and is looking forward to supporting Desi Rainbow families.
LGBTQ+ Support
Reshna (she, her, hers) is a cis-gendered Indian-American queer womxn from rural South Georgia. She is an urgent care Physician Assistant by day and budding entrepreneur by night.
Website Development
Vishaka (she, her, hers) is a proud sister of a transgender woman and currently studying Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University. She is always searching for ways to use her creative and design skills to help others and give back to the community.
Inquiry & Welcome
Devki (she, her, hers) is a parent of a transgender young adult. She has a background in social science, and is a LGBTQIA+ ally and espouses parent acceptance. She brings a bi-cultural perspective as she was born in India but moved to the US at a young age.
Event Planning Coordinator
Sweta (she, her, hers) is an Indian-American Washington, DC resident. She works in healthcare policy by day and serves as a co-chair of KhushDC, a social and peer support group for South Asians in the DC area.
Graphics &
Social Media
Srutika (she, her, hers) is an artist and storyteller with a background in social justice and medicine. She enjoys using her artistic skills to promote and nourish queer affirming South Asian spaces.
Inquiry & Welcome
Mehereen (she, her, hers) is an educator and immigrant Muslim mom of 3 boys, the youngest of whom is transgender. Raised in a traditional South Asian family, she has chosen to break the barriers of what it means to be a divorced mom, and is an ally to LGBTQIA people everywhere.