iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
An Indian American has been named as the Executive Director of a New York-based non-profit organization that supports initiatives to improve access to high-quality education for disadvantaged children in India.
“The Akanksha Education Fund is thrilled to announce that Sejal Desai, of Dallas, Texas, will be the new Executive Director of the Akanksha Education Fund,” said the organization’s Board of Directors in a statement on Wednesday, April 14.
“Desai has had an incredible 30-year career and joins the Akanksha family most recently from the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT), where she led a strategic initiative focused on engaging businesses in the community,” said the statement.
Desai comes with vast experience in working for various sectors like venture capital, M&A, accounting, entrepreneurship, non-profit and corporate social responsibility.
Most recently, she worked at Communities Foundation of Texas, where she led a strategic initiative focused on engaging businesses in the community. She also started a social venture, SevaYatra, which focused on engaging US-based universities and multinational corporations with India-based NGOs.
Ramesh Srinivasan, AEF’s Board Chair, noted that Desia’s combined roots in Dallas and Mumbai are perfect for this moment in the organization’s growth.
In response to the announcement, Desai said, “I am excited to embark on this new chapter in my life and work together with individuals, corporates and foundations across the US to advance educational outcomes for underserved children in India.”
Desai lived in Mumbai for almost 20 years and has strong family and professional ties there.
Akanksha Education Fund has raised and granted millions to the Akanksha Foundation (a registered Indian charity), which currently operates 21 best-in-class schools for under-resourced children in the Indian cities of Mumbai and Pune.
