Dr. Abraham George – Founder
In 1995, Dr. Abraham George returned to India with the goal of making his contribution to reducing the injustices and inequalities he had observed from his travels throughout India, the media, and published works he studied. As a result, he started The George Foundation (TGF), a non-profit organization based in Bangalore, India, dedicated to the welfare of economically and socially disadvantaged people.
In addition to Shanti Bhavan, established by TGF in 1997, the Foundation carries out several other initiatives dedicated to poverty alleviation, livelihood/income generation, education, health, and empowerment of women, such as: community development projects in housing, vocational training and the provision of safe drinking water, social entrepreneurship programs employing poor women in farming projects, and the Baldev Medical & Community Center that serves 17 villages and over 16,000 people.
Dr. George’s keen interest in promoting democratic institutions and values also led him to create the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore (see www.iijnm.org), where he serves as the dean. His work in the field of environmental health was instrumental in the removal of lead from gasoline throughout India in April 2000 and in the creation of National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning in India (see www.tgfworld.org/lead.html).
Dr. George’s illustrious career spans the finance and entrepreneurial sectors with senior leadership positions at JP Morgan Chase, Credit Suisse, Chemical Bank and the founding of Multinational Computer Models, Inc. (MCM), which offered computerized systems to large multinational corporations to enable them to deal with their international financial risks. He has received several prestigious awards, and is the author of four books, including India Untouched: The Forgotten Face of Rural Poverty, a highly acclaimed narration of his first ten years’ of social work in India. Dr. George attended New York University’s Stern School of Business in developmental economics and finance and received both his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University.
To learn more about Dr. George, click here.
Beena Nair – Vice Principal
Ms. Beena Nair, Vice Principal of Shanti Bhavan, holds over 26 years of teaching experience in day and boarding schools in North and South India. Prior to joining Shanti Bhavan in 1999, she taught at the Air Force School (CBSE) in Udhampur, the Residential Public School in Mussoorie, and at Saraswati Vidyalaya in Trivandrum. Throughout her teaching career, Ms. Nair has consistently been promoted to additional positions of responsibility, including House Mistress in a boarding school and Senior Assistant Teacher to the Principal in a day school.
As Vice Principal at Shanti Bhavan, Ms. Nair is responsible for scheduling classes, overseeing residential care of children and staff, and general administration. Among her many contributions to the school, Ms. Nair has been responsible for providing the foundation in the learning of Hindi – a challenge for many South Indian children who are not familiar with the language. Ms. Nair continues to monitor the Hindi program from the beginning 2nd Grade class, which she insists on teaching herself, right through to the 10th Grade class based on the ICSE exam, considered among the most difficult in India. Ms. Nair also coaches children in General Knowledge, a subject taught in Indian schools about government leaders, important historical events and other topical general information.
Ms. Nair is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in History. She holds a Bachelor of Education in the teaching of English and Social Studies, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in the Humanities from Jammu University, with a focus in History. She has participated in academic competitions run by the United Schools Organization of India, a project of the United Nations, and by the National Social Service. Among her interests is Kho-Kho, an Indian sport featured in the Olympics, which she excelled in while attending university.
Ajit George – Director of U.S. Operations
Ajit George has been the Director of U.S. Operations for Shanti Bhavan since the Spring of 2008. His responsibilities include the management of various functions, such as fundraising, communications, volunteer recruitment and general administration of U.S. operations. Ajit also oversees media relations and maintains contact with the ever-expanding network of Shanti Bhavan supporters. As Director of U.S. Operations, Ajit has expanded the donor base for Shanti Bhavan through both grassroots channels and grant and corporate-oriented focuses. He has also enlarged the volunteer population at Shanti Bhavan by creating a program that continually draws high-quality and dedicated individuals from around the world. In fact, the school has hosted 200 volunteers from 12 countries since its inception.
Ajit has a background in systems administration. Before working full time with Shanti Bhavan, he worked as an organizer at the Center for Human Rights in Dallas, TX, an organization working for immigration rights. He graduated from the University of North Texas, with a degree in Political Science. Ajit served as an on-site volunteer at Shanti Bhavan in 2000 and 2001.
Dimitri Zakharov – Director of Fundraising, Administration
Dimitri Zakharov has been working with Shanti Bhavan’s operations team since December 2008. He has been responsible for organizing grassroots fundraising campaigns, creating web media and newsletters, organizing events, interviewing and coordinating volunteers, and maintaining operations databases. He has also been a part of the various communication efforts, such as Shanti Bhavan grants, videos, and publications. Dimitri has traveled to India twice to observe the school and help with on the ground operations.
Dimitri received a B.S. in Finance and International Business from the New York University Stern School of Business. He currently works at Capital IQ, a financial research and technology firm, where he works as a sales associate representing dozens of finance firms in New York City. Since an early age, Dimitri has studied a variety of musical instruments, including guitar, saxophone, ukelele, clarinet and flute, which he has had the privilege to perform at Shanti Bhavan.
Natasha Khanna – Director of Communications
Natasha Khanna has been the Director of Communications for Shanti Bhavan since the Fall of 2010. In this role, Natasha provides fundraising, communications, and donor and media relations support to Shanti Bhavan’s Director of Operations.
Prior to serving as an on-site teacher at Shanti Bhavan for seven months, Natasha worked at Robinson Lerer and Montgomery, a communications firm specializing in crisis management. In this role, she worked on teams providing strategic council to numerous Fortune 500 companies spanning the healthcare, consumer and financial services industries. She has also held public and media affairs positions for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and The Society for Human Resource Management. Natasha received her B.S in Media Arts and Design from James Madison University in 2003. She is currently studying Social Policy at The University of Michigan, where she is receiving her Masters in Social Work.
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