Ujjwal
Srivastava
Ujjwal has lived in the Triangle area since 1990 and has been an
active volunteer in the Indian American community. He has served
on the board of several cultural and religious organizations. As
Vice President and Treasurer of the Hindu Society of North Carolina,
he computerized society accounts, just as the society was gearing
up for the construction of a new hall, to bring it closer to compliance
with GAAP requirements.
As the founding president of Hum Sub Inc.,
he formed and led a highly motivated volunteer team to implement
Cary Diwali, a Hindu Festival. Within two years, Cary Diwali grew
to attract 6,000 people and received praise from all for being a
well-organized and smoothly-run event.
Under his leadership Nuv
Yug has grown to attract a large number of general public from diverse
backgrounds to its events every year. He has led teams to write
several successful grant proposals with arts agencies. He is also
regarded as one of the most prolific fundraisers in the local Indian
American community.
Recently, he helped implement an interactive web based system for managing a large number of stage performers, vendors, advertisers, and volunteers at India Fest. This system was successfully utilized to produce stage performance for the 2009 festival where 1,000 performers shared the stage during the two day festival.
Ujjwal is an IT professional and helps organizations utilize Project Management Office standards and tools to deliver large and complex projects on time, with high quality and within the budget. He is also a licensed real estate professional. He has a B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering from the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (India) and an M.B.A. from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
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Ashish
Jain
Ashish is a software engineer working at
IBM, RTP since 2002. He has an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He has been a part of various cultural festivals, events and volunteer activities throughout his life. He has served
as board members of several student bodies at school and college
level. He is actively involved with the Asian Diversity Networking
Group and Culture Connections at IBM. Whether it is performance
or organization, he enjoys both with equal zeal.
Ashish serves as the Vice President of the Executive Committee.
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Harshad
Kolte
Harshad has lived in the Triangle area
since 1996. He has always been involved with music and music related
organizations since childhood. He has served on the committes of
several organizations. He was active with SPIC-MACAY (Society for
Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth) in
his undergrad and Vice President of the same in grad school (Clemson
University). He has been actively involved in the Marathi community
and served on its committe. He is a semi-classical singer and also
plays the keyboard. He has participated in several cultural programs.
Harshad brings his experience and enthusiasm to Nuv Yug.
Harshad serves as the Treasurer and leads the Vendor Management committee.
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Anshul
Singh
Anshul is an Electronics
Engineer and he moved to Triangle area about a year ago from Boston.
He has been serving the community by volunteering for many different
organizations. He has always been involved with cultural events
and has performed in many plays and dances. Anshul earned his Master's
in Electrical Engineering from University of Missouri-Rolla, where
he was also a member of Student Council, representing Indian Student
Association. Anshul brings his event management experience and enthusiasm
to Nuv Yug.
Anshul serves as the Secretary of the Executive Committee.
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Payal Chakravarty
Payal works as a Software Engineer at IBM. She moved to NC in 2005 to pursue a Master's in Computer Science at NC State University. Payal has been a choreogrpaher, a dancer (Odissi and other forms) and an artist since childhood. She holds a senior diploma with distinction in Odissi from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad. She has won several contests and has been a chair of cultural activity teams in school and college.
She has also served as the board member of various student and professional bodies and volunteered for several organizations including Rotaract, IBM's Women's Diversity Networking Group, Duke Children Hospital and Women and Math Mentoring in the Triangle. Payal was awarded the President's Bronze Award for volunteering services in 2007. Payal has been actively involved with Nuv Yug since 2006 and looks forward to contributing to the community by promoting cultural diversity and keeping Indian arts alive.
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Nikhil Deshpande
Nikhil has been in the Raleigh area since 2005. Being an aficionado of the classical arts and involved with student organizations at various levels, over the years Nikhil became more interested in contributing to the improving cultural experience of the local community at large. He enjoys work and recreation in equal measure. He is currently working on finishing his PhD at NC State University, which takes up a majority of his recreation time.
He is a key member of the grant writing team at Nuv Yug.
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Nandita Garg
Nandita Garg moved
to the area in 1994, and has been an active member of the community
for the past 13 years. She is an Occupational Therapist by training,
and works in a private practice in Raleigh . She volunteers her
time at various local organizations and in India . She is interested
in working towards providing a platform that enhances cross cultural
awareness and interaction, through involvement in areas such as
education and the performing arts.
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Payal Malkani
Payal moved to the triangle area in 2001. She lives in Morrisville with her husband and 2 daughters. She has done her MBA in Human Resource and now works as HR trainer.
Payal has a passion for dance. She has been choreographing dances for many years and continues to do so with an aim to help the community connect to their Indian roots and be a part of their rich culture and heritage.
Her passion for cultural arts and choreography brings her to Nuv Yug . Payal believes that Nuv Yug is the platform that spreads diversity and promotes Indian culture and she contributes her time to work towards this goal.
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Leena
Mehta
Leena Mehta is a resident of the Triangle
area since 1994 and lives in Cary with her husband and son. She
is a Manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina in a Disease
Management Program area, and is also a Wake County Public Health
Board Member. Her expertise is in business and health care management.
Leena enjoys meeting people, traveling, and participating in community
activities. Her interest lies in health education, and culture awareness.
As an executive board member, Leena wishes to build Indian cultural
awareness and appreciation for its traditions with the Triangle
community. Her hope is for the community to embrace the diversity,
respect the differences, and share the myriad cultures with pride.
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Elizabeth Rohe
Elizabeth
Rohe moved from Florida to the Triangle in 2000. Since that time,
she has worked in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries
and is currently employed as a Compliance Manager. Elizabeth earned
her BS in Chemical Engineering from Florida State University and
MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill. She has volunteered in several organizations
since moving to NC. Elizabeth has been interested in Indian culture
since her trip to India in 2005.
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Vanita
Sehgal
Vanita Sehgal
is a linguist by training. She works full time as a foreign language
professor and serves as a coordinator of the Study Abroad Program
at a local college. Ms. Sehgal has a BA and MA from Louisiana State
University. She has recently completed an ESL program at Duke University.
She is active in the community as she volunteers her time at National
Charity League with her daughter. She was appointed by the Governor
of North Carolina to serve as a member of the North Carolina Human
Relations Commission. Her passion to promote cultural diversity,
respect and mutual understanding between different cultures with
the hope that all individuals retain an attitude of openness and
respect toward each other is the reason she also contributes her
time to Nuv Yug.
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Dhwanit Shah
Dhwanit moved to theTriangle area in 2005 ago and has been actively involved with Nuv Yug ever since. He has been involved with cultural events and event organization for a long time. He was the Steering Member of Cultural Committee in his Undergrad and organized several concerts and programs. He has also envisioned and architected
National level Symposiums for his Alma-Mater in India. He is also the founding member of NEXS-A - the vey active Alumni association of Navrachana, India where he did his schooling from. Dhwanit is a Computer Science major from University of Southern California where he was actively involved with Association of Indian Students and the Trojan Cricket Club administration. He brings his creativity,
enthusiasm and energy to Nuv Yug and lives by the true Trojan Spirit -
Fight On!
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Darshana
Zaveri
Darshana has been in the Triangle since 2000 and currently lives in Cary. She is actively involved in music, dance and arts since early childhood, is a “Sangeet Visharad” in Hindustani Classical Vocal Music and a Kathak dancer. Darshana and her music academy "Sur-Sumiran School of Music" have been valuable assets of the Triangle Indian community. Her school, affiliated with Gandharva Mandal - India, teaches vocal and instrumental music. Her students actively participate in local events - ICMDS, Nuv Yug, Hum Sub, HSNC, TGA et al. Darshana has also choreographed numerous dances in India and in the U.S. Her passion for music, dance and arts brings her to Nuv Yug. She wants to spread awareness about India and Indian cultural heritage and believes that Nuv Yug is an excellent medium for doing so. She leads Nuv Yug's Exhibition and Stage Decoration Committees.
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Nalini Akolekar
Coming soon!
Mika
Chadha
Mika is a top
notch and a highly sought-after choreographer. She used to be "Ms.
Twinkle Toes - Farah Khan" of Triangle. She has been trained
in various Indian dance styles since the age of 7. Her presentations
always receive a thunderous applause from the audience as they have
her trademark of well coordinated and dazzling moves. Her expertise
extends to event planning and stage management.
She
was a key member of the Cary Diwali 2002 team. Her meticulous production
of the main stage program received rave reviews from one and all
as a long array of items were presented like clock work. She also
co-directed the "Badhai Ho Badhai" Fashion Show. During
2003, she helped Nuv Yug create history with Bhangra Dhamaka The
Ultimate Blowout. The first such event in the Triangle area that
attracted over 2,500 people at Cary's Regency Amphitheater.
Mika
served as the Vice President of Nuv Yug. She now lives in Chicago
and continues to be a source of constant moral support to Nuv Yug's
team.
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Neeta
Pillai
Neeta Pillai has been involved and has won accolades in cultural activities since her childhood. She was elected as the debating secretary of her college. In the past, she was an active participant and volunteer in the events organized by the Malayalee community in Raleigh.
Neeta has been a member of Nuv Yug since 2003. She led efforts to diversify Nuv Yug's funding sources. She was instrumental in conceptualizing, organizing and co-hosting the immensely popular 'Antakshari Muqabala' in the summer of 2005. She has also been part of the core team that was involved in brainstorming and conducting various diversified events organized by Nuv Yug like 'Pratibha 2005' and 'Asiascope'. She has also been an active participant and organizer in the cultural events presented at India Fest.
Currently, Neeta leads the effort in the search for international artists to perform at India Fest. She was instrumental in having the Queen of Indian pop music, Usha Uthup, to perform for India Fest 2007. This was followed by a thrilling performance by Indian Idol 3 runner up, Amit Paul for India Fest 2008. This year she helped bring Indian Idol 3 winner. Prashant Tamang.
Neeta moved to California in 2006 but continues to provide support and help to Nuv Yug.
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Mehul
Shah
Mehul grew up in a large
city in India. He went through formal training of Indian Folk dances.
His love for folk dance grew into making him a great folk dance
teacher by his undergraduate years. Mehul taught Indian folk dances
to kids ages 5 to 12 while earning his engineering bachelor's degree.
Mehul moved to Triangle area in 2000 and since then he has greatly
involved himself with Indian community at large. Mehul has participated
in more than 50 festivals as a volunteer, choreographer and dancer.
He has choreographed more than 25 dances in the past several years
and participated in different festival celebrations and fund raising
programs. From 2000 to 2004, Mehul worked with children from Indian
origin to raise awareness of Indian folk dances.
In November of 2002, Mehul joined the "NuvYug" team. Since
the inception of NuvYug, Mehul has held several positions on the
board. Mehul served as president during 2007-2008. His passion
for art and culture continues today.
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