DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation and co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.”He is the author of more than 80 books translated into over 43 languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. Two of his books, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind (1993) and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (1995), have been recognized on The Books of The Century Bestsellers List. Chopra is the co-author with Rudolph E. Tanzi of the instant New York Times bestseller, Super Brain and current bestseller, Super Genes (Harmony, November 2015).

Chopra serves as co-founder of Jiyo, Adjunct Professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Faculty at Walt Disney Imagineering and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization. For the last three years, Greatist.com recognizes Dr. Chopra as one of “The 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness.” The World Post and The Huffington Post global internet survey ranked Dr. Chopra #17 influential thinker in the world and #1 in Medicine”.

Narayana Murthy, is an Indian IT industrialist and the co-founder of Infosys, a multinational corporation providing business consulting, technology, engineering, and outsourcing services. He started Infosys in 1981. Murthy has been listed among the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time by Fortune magazine. He has been described as Father of Indian IT sector by Time magazine due to his contribution to outsourcing in India. Murthy has also been honoured with the Padma Vibhushanand Padma Shri awards.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is an Indian celebrity chef, entrepreneur, television personality & author of best-selling cookbooks to a global audience. He is best known as the star of TV show Khana Khazana, which is the longest-running show of its kind in Asia. Chef Kapoor is also the co-owner of a successful TV Channel ‘FoodFood’ & Managing Director of Khana Khazana India Pvt Ltd. He is recognized globally as the winner of several culinary awards and a passionate restaurateur with locations across the world.

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Jyothi comes to Akshaya Patra with over 13 years of experience heading the accounting and finance division in corporate organizations. Her experience spans, managing $100M budgets, saving opex/capex costs through operation efficiencies, financial planning, reporting, and implementing financial controls and systems from the scratch.

With a loving family of two kids who keep her occupied during off hours, Jyothi makes time to volunteer as a treasurer at Girl Scouts of Orange County, an Auditor for PTA, and supports accounting at Chinmaya Mission LA.

Brought up in a culture where sharing food and feeding needy children is viewed as the topmost value, Jyothi is innately aligned to the vision and mission of Akshaya Patra Foundation. Jyothi is happy to utilize her skills and experience in leading the accounting and finance team at Akshaya Patra Foundation.

Jyothi resides in Irvine with her family, loves traveling, watching movies, experiments, and enjoys cooking various cuisines.

In her current role as the Marketing Lead for Akshaya Patra USA, Swati is responsible for developing and executing the organization’s marketing strategy to increase awareness and engagement with the mission of the foundation. She oversees a team of marketing professionals who are dedicated to creating impactful campaigns, organizing events, and building relationships with key stakeholders in the community.

Prior to this role, she was the Development Director, responsible for leading the organization’s efforts in building partnerships and securing funding from corporate, individual, and philanthropic donors. Her extensive experience in the non-profit sector, including Save the Children India, ICCo, and Udyogini, has equipped her with a diverse set of skills in program management, fundraising, and building strategic partnerships.

Swati holds a Masters’s degree in Social Work from the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India, and is a trained Special Educator specializing in learning disabilities. Her passion for social impact and community development led her to join The Akshaya Patra team as a pro-bono volunteer before transitioning to a full-time role in January 2020. Swati’s unwavering commitment to the organization’s mission and tireless efforts to drive positive change make her an invaluable asset to The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

Geeta has been associated with Akshaya Patra almost since inception due to her passion to do something transformational for society.

She started working as a volunteer in December 2001 and was one of the founder member of the fundraising team in India. She has deep expertise in fundraising and has extensive experience in creating different products, avenues for fundraising.

She was instrumental in creating various unique programs for engagement and volunteering for the corporate sector. She also has played transformational roles in Human resources by defining engagement drivers and strategy for our employees.

Geeta has a Masters in Software Engineering from Brandeis University, and is based in the Bay Area.

I am open-minded, fun loving, an easy-going, caring, adventurous and sincere woman.I am honest and give 100% in everything I do. I enjoy exploring new places such as- historical spots, cruise with friends, hill stations, mountains. Fitness – Yoga/Meditation, Music, and Fashion are some interesting subjects to me. 

Helping others really matters to me. I saw a worthy cause with an emotional appeal in Akshaya Patra. I feel proud to be a part of this exceptional effort. The cause is huge – almost infinite. I believe better education leads to a better quality of life.

Healthy, happy and knowledgeable children are essential for prosperity and progress. Akshaya Patra’s focus on food and education goes a long way towards helping to achieve that.

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Mike comes to Akshaya Patra with over 10 years of experience in Marketing and Event Management roles in various industries. Mike’s career began in 2011, with The Washington Nationals Baseball team, where he developed marketing campaigns, managed in-game activations/events, and worked with charitable organizations in Washington, D.C., and neighboring communities. As the Events and Donor Liaison Manager, Mike brings a compassionate and tireless approach to his role with Akshaya Patra. He firmly believes in Akshaya Patras’ vision that no child in India should be deprived of education due to hunger.

Mike currently resides in Austin, TX, is a former college soccer player, avid Philadelphia sports fan, and a lover of tacos.

Ashwini Bartolucci graduated from Mills College in May 2022 with a degree in International Relations and a minor in Spanish and Spanish American Studies. Ashwini believes universal rights should encompass multi-dimensional education, nutritious food, safe shelter, and holistic healthcare.

Ashwini faced food insecurity and hunger as a young child and wants to dedicate her life to making food accessible for all. A passion for social justice and food justice, along with six years of experience volunteering for various non-profit organizations, led her to Akshaya Pātra.

As Akshaya Pātra coordinator, Ashwini has the privilege to collaborate with and learn from many people on the APUSA team at once and is continuously inspired by the dedication and resilience of her colleagues. Throughout her career, Ashwini will continue expanding her knowledge on the intersections of climate change, economic development, food politics, and state sovereignty.

Shannon Griffith joins Akshaya Patra as our Marketing Manager.

Shannon has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications and Media. She comes from a background working in education, where she won three New York State School Public Relations Awards.

She is excited to have the opportunity to combine her love of marketing with her passion for helping students in need.

Shannon lives in New York with her husband and 3 dogs. She loves traveling, food, and exploring the great outdoors.