Founding Members

Dr. Shashikant Y. Kulgod
MS., FRCS(Ed), FRCS(Glasg)

Dr. Shashikant is a surgical gastroenterologist and a Director of the BHS Lakeview Hospitals, Belagavi. He has immense interest in strengthening government schools and promoting health education among children. He founded the Rajalakshmi Children Foundation and has been spearheading its various initiatives.

Dr. Ravindra N. Guravannavar
M.Tech., Ph.D. (IIT Bombay)

Dr. Ravindra, a former faculty member of IIT Hyderabad, is a computer scientist specializing in large-scale data management and distributed systems. He works as an independent consultant in the software industry and enjoys spreading the joy of Mathematics and Computing among school children. He initiated the Sharada Pratibha Poshan Upakram and the Pratibha Poshak project.

Dr. Vijayalakshmi S. Kulgod
MD. (Paed), MRCPCH (London)

Dr. Vijayalakshmi is a pediatrician at the BHS Lake View Hospitals, Belagavi. She co-founded the Rajalakshmi Children Foundation and leads the child health care services initiatives of RCF.

Ms. Vijayarajeswari Gopalakrishnan
B.E., M.S. (Computer Science – University of Wisconsin, Madison)

Ms. Vijayarajeswari is a seasoned technology leader with experience across startups and global enterprises. She has held leadership roles at Yahoo, Rightster, and Collective, and served as Director of Engineering at Walmart. Passionate about education, especially for children in government schools, she actively volunteers with OSAAT and serves as a Board Member at RCF, guiding strategic initiatives including fundraising.

Board of Advisors

Dr. Rina Panigrahy
PhD (Stanford University)

Dr. Rina Panigrahy is a Research Scientist at Google. He works on theoretical and applied algorithms for machine learning, prediction and large graph analysis. He obtained B.Tech. (CS) from IIT Bombay, M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Ph.D. from Stanford University. He won a Gold Medal at the 31st International Mathematics Olympiad, 1990, Beijing, and the top rank (AIR 1) in JEE 1990. Dr. Panigrahy is interested in promoting Mathematics education, and nurturing talent. He has been closely associated with Pratibha Poshak since its inception.

More about Dr. Rina Panigrahy: http://theory.stanford.edu/~rinap/

Dr. Aruna Pawashe
PhD

Dr. Aruna Pawashe is a faculty member in the Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry department at the Yale School of Medicine. A very caring, compassionate and attentive teacher with three decades of teaching experience is now dedicating a significant part of her time to promote STEM education and building modern infrastructure in Indian public schools. She initiated the buddy program: to connect children face to face in real time from different parts of the world, to help them understand each other’s living conditions, economic backgrounds, culture, heritage, dress, language and ethnicity, so as to help improve the sense of “Belonging”. Dr. Aruna is a patron of Pratibha Poshak and has been mentoring several students.

More about Dr. Aruna Pawashe: : https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/aruna-pawashe/

Dr. Sarasija Suresh
M.Pharm, Ph.D.

Dr. Sarasija is a Project Director at the Institute for Drug Delivery and Biomedical Research (IDBR), Bangalore and also a co-founder of RGV Research & Innovations. Dr. Sarasija obtained M. Pharm from Government College of Pharmacy, Bangalore and PhD from College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal. She has 28 years of teaching and research experience, and has taught in the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali and M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences. A recipient of several national and international fellowships and awards, Dr. Sarasija has more than a hundred research publications, several patents and has authored two books. Dr. Sarasija loves teaching Chemistry and has been devoting her time to teach the subject to children of Pratibha Poshak.

Executive Team

M M Sindhur – Head of Operations

M M Sindhur served in the Department of Education, Government of Karnataka for over 35 years in various positions before retiring as the Joint Director for Belagavi Division. As Principal of the District Institute of Education Training (DIET) and later as the head of the College of Teacher Education (CTE) Belagavi, he contributed immensely toward training young teachers and seasoned educators. Currently he is heading the operations team of RCF.

Dr. Kirti Shivakumar – Project Director
MA, MHRM, DIRPM, DPR, PhD, Dip in CSR

Dr. Kirti is a Certified TESOL and POSH Trainer. She has over 33 years of experience in teaching, administration and HR. Dr. Kirti was with Tata Sons for six years. She has held positions of Professor, Dean – Academics and Director – Academics. Dr. Kirti is the Project Director at Rajalakshmi Children Foundation for “Pratibha Poshak”.

Praful Chikkamath – Project Coordinator
M.Tech

Praful is the Project Coordinator for Pratibha Poshak. He takes care of most of the execution functions – obtaining student performance data, shortlisting of students, conducting selection tests, timetable and coordination of online classes, and organizing Pratibha Sammelans along with Dr. Kirti Shivakumar.

Arun Bakari
Arun Bakari – Accountant
B.Com

Arun Bakari completed his B.Com from Maratha Mandal College. With over a decade of experience as an accountant in the hospital sector and two years as a cashier in Bangalore, he has honed his financial management skills. Alongside these roles, he also contributed to Rajalakshmi Children Foundation (RCF) as an accountant. Now a full-time employee at RCF, he continues to apply his expertise in financial operations, ensuring smooth and efficient management of resources.

Suresh Kundargi
Suresh Kundargi – Administrative Officer
BA, Ex-Army

Suresh Kundargi is a proud veteran who served in the Indian Army for 30 years, rising from Sipahi to Captain. Post-retirement, he serves as the Assistant Administrative Officer at Rajalakshmi Children Foundation, managing logistics and ensuring the smooth execution of Pratibha Poshak events, contributing to the growth of young minds.

Anish Belekar
Anish Belekar – Assistant Executive
BCA

Anish Belekar is a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) graduate from GSS College, Belagavi, with a passion for education and social impact. With over three years of tutoring experience, he developed a structured approach to teaching. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Executive at Rajalakshmi Children Foundation, contributing to societal change while continuously exploring technological advancements.

Chiranjeevi Deshpande
Chiranjeevi Deshpande – Technical Coordinator
BCA

Chiranjeevi Deshpande grew up in a small town, instilling in him the values of community and hard work. He earned a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) and began his career at Rajalakshmi Children Foundation as an Assistant Executive, later advancing to Technical Coordinator. With experience in event management at Shaikh Group of Institutions and as a hardware and network engineer at BITS Belgaum, he excels in organization and problem-solving. Passionate about creativity, he enjoys drawing and painting. Committed to growth, he aims to combine his technical expertise with social impact, aspiring to create meaningful change in the community.

Rehan Mokashi
Rehan Mokashi – Trainee
Diploma in Computer Science

Rehan Mokashi holds a Diploma in Computer Science from R. N. Shetty Polytechnic, Belgaum. He has been a student of Pratibha Poshak for the past seven years, an experience that shaped his commitment to education and social impact. Currently, he serves as a Junior Assistant at Pratibha Poshak, contributing to the organization’s initiatives while applying his technical and organizational skills. Rehan resides in Belgaum, continuing to blend his learning journey with meaningful societal contributions.

Keerti Talawar
Keerti Talawar – Trainee
Diploma in Computer Science

Keerti Talawar holds a Diploma in Computer Science from R. N. Shetty Polytechnic, Belgaum, and has been a student of the Sharada Poshak Upakram program, established prior to Pratibha Poshak. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Project Executive at Pratibha Poshak, contributing to the organization’s mission of empowering students. Keerti combines her technical background with her commitment to education and social development.

Karemma Naik
Karemma Naik – Trainee
B.Com

Karemmaa Naik holds a B.Com degree from Shree Siddarameshwara Education Trust, Belagavi, and has been a student of the Shaarada Pratibha Poshak Upakrama program, established prior to Pratibha Poshak. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Project Executive at Pratibha Poshak, contributing to the organization’s initiatives in education and social development. Karemmaa blends her academic background with a commitment to empowering students and creating societal impact.

Associates

Akash Kulgod

Akash is a researcher and writer with a degree in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley. He works to add value wherever he can with the foundation’s initiatives.

Mallikarjun S. Deshnur

Mallikarjun Deshnur is a teacher in Government Kannada Higher Primary School, Fulbag Galli, Belagavi. He has served as the Cluster Resource Person for the Mahantesh Nagar Cluster of Belagavi in the past. He has been crucial in interfacing several of Rajalakshmi Children Foundation's activities with the government schools. He is helping the talent search process of Pratibha Poshak by connecting with schools, teachers and the community.

Our Mentors

Bhaarath

Bhaarath is a software engineer with a passion for technology, travel, indoor gardening, cooking, and thrillers. Originally from Andhra Pradesh, India, he currently lives and works in the United States. Coming from a background similar to the children supported by RFC, he understands the value of mentorship and guidance. Having received significant help and support throughout his own journey, he is committed to giving back through his involvement with RCF. His participation reflects a genuine effort to empower and inspire the next generation.

Aman

Hi, I'm Aman! I'm a data engineer by profession. I joined Pratibha Poshak around 10 months back and it has been a fulfilling journey since then. My goal is to make our time together a place where you feel supported, heard, and excited to discover new things, about the world and about yourself.

Deepak Samaga
B.E. (CS)

Deepak Samaga is the Vice President - Business Development at Vayavya Labs, handling business development and customer relations with a focus on new & emerging technology markets. He has over 30 years of industry experience in business development, customer relationships, and product management.

Chandrika Desai

Chandrika Desai is a highly educated and experienced professional with a passion for economics. She holds an MA in Economics from a prestigious university and has worked in various mid-level leadership positions at multinational corporations such as Capgemini and Sri Ram Finance. Chandrika is also a talented musician with proficiency in vocal and light music. She is a loving mother of two daughters who are currently in high school. Chandrika's husband works as an audit manager at Google.

Chandrika is a well-rounded individual with a wide range of interests and talents.

Milind Katti

Milind Katti is currently Confounder and COO at DemandFarm. Previously, he co founded multiple companies including DemandShore, which was acquired by US based Ziff Davis. Milind is a strong proponent of goodness (Shubh-Labh) as a business strategy and a precondition to success. He loves working with startups in the area of business planning and international expansion.

Milind was born to a college professor in a small village Ramdurg in Belagavi district. He went to Kannada Boys School No 2 in Ramdurg before going to Sainik school Bijapur for high school. He then went on to study BE and MBA. He loves sports and history and studying Indian philosophy. Always curious and hungry to learn. He lives in Pune with his wife Ranjana Avadhani and their daughter.

Prachi Prashant

Prachi Prashant is an eco-coach, counselor, and trainer with over 23 years of experience in the corporate sector, education, and personal development. With qualifications in MBA, Counselling Psychology, NLP, Pranic Healing, and Animal Assisted Therapy, she integrates holistic approaches to well-being and sustainability. She has hosted a G20 summit session on sustainable practices, led lake revival projects in Bangalore, and empowered self-help groups toward economic self-sufficiency. As Central Coordinator for the Bioenzyme Entrepreneurs Academy and mentor with Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi, she continues to inspire individuals to adopt sustainable, conscious lifestyles.

Mandakini Dixit

Mandakini Dixit is a graduate in Commerce, Law, and Education whose journey has taken her from Karwar to Delhi, Gurugram, and Goa, eventually bringing her back to her roots. With rich experience as an Early Years Teacher, she has worked closely with young children, valuing both the lessons learned from them and the importance of nurturing young minds with respect. She now engages with young-adult students, embracing this new phase with enthusiasm. Her interests include reading, writing, exploring with curiosity, and practicing mindfulness.

Volunteering Teachers

Anju R Naik

Anju R Naik is a seasoned education professional with rich experience in teaching, school administration, and curriculum development. She holds a Master’s in Zoology, an MBA in Marketing, a B.Ed., and diplomas in Administrative Management and Soft Skills. She has held key roles such as Vice Principal and In-charge Principal, and is currently the Co-Founder of Triguni Online Tutorial, where she teaches and manages Biology. Her core strengths lie in team building, student counseling, event management, and designing effective learning programs.

Vinayak Kamath

Vinayak Kamath is a mentor with RCF Pratibha Poshak, based in Cupertino, California. A University of California, Santa Barbara graduate, he currently works at Target. Passionate about analytical reasoning and innovative teaching, Vinayak enjoys creating engaging learning spaces for students. His own lack of mentors growing up drives him to guide students today, helping them align their careers with their strengths. He values the personal connections and appreciation he receives from his mentees, especially on occasions like Teacher’s Day.

Rakhi Agrawal

Rakhi is a Computer Science Engineer and seasoned Data Science professional with over 15 years of experience in developing predictive models across retail, banking, travel, and food industries. Starting as an Individual Contributor, she grew into tech and people management roles. Currently, she leads the product discovery and personalization data science team at Delivery Hero in Berlin, driving data solutions to enhance user experience in food delivery. A nature enthusiast, Rakhi enjoys trekking, maintains a balcony garden, writes a cooking blog, and is an avid fiction reader and yoga practitioner.

Dr. Yogesh Murarka

Dr. Yogesh is a computer scientist and engineer specializing in Distributed and Parallel Computing, Virtualization, Cloud Computing and Program Analysis. He obtained M.Tech. and Ph.D. from IIT Bombay and currently works for Adobe. He teaches analytical skills and reasoning to students of Pratibha Poshak.

Trivikram Nayak

Trivikram has vast experience in the software industry. He was a co-founder and CTO of Vizury Interactive. In the past, he has worked with LinkedIn, Versata, Trilogy and Persistent Systems. Currently he works for Google. Trivikram has a masters degree in Computer Science from IIT Bombay. He is interested in building strong analytical and reasoning skills in students of Pratibha Poshak. He has been consistently taking them classes every Sunday.

Parikshit Samant

Parikshit is a seasoned software professional with over two decades of industry experience. He is an expert in design and development of enterprise scale software products, with special focus on data management and analytics. Parikshit holds an M.Tech. (CSE) from IIT Bombay. He is passionate about instilling strong reasoning and analytical skills among kids. He takes classes for Pratibha Poshak students every Sunday.

Dr. Meera NK

Dr. Meera NK is a passionate pharmacy educator and researcher with nearly four decades of teaching experience. She holds graduate and postgraduate degrees in Pharmacy from Bangalore University and a Ph.D. from Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati. She has guided three Ph.D. scholars and several postgraduates in their research work. Dr. Meera has served in various academic roles at Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and has published research in reputed national and international journals. She is deeply committed to inspiring young minds to pursue knowledge and strive toward their goals.

Dr. Nagaraj Mahajan

Dr. Nagaraj Mahajan is a Research Scientist at Amazon Alexa, working at the intersection of Machine Learning and Signal Processing. He earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 2020, where his research explored the neural mechanisms of attention in the human brain. He holds a B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Hyderabad. His research contributions span Neuroscience, Machine Learning, Audio and Speech Processing, Image Processing, and Information Theory, with multiple publications and patent filings in these areas. He volunteers as an ARS Teacher at Pratibha Poshak, inspiring students to explore the fascinating world of science and technology.

Mr.Naresh Prahlad

Naresh brings over 15 years of experience in Software Testing, Test Automation, and Test Management across diverse industries. He has worked extensively on multi-tier software systems in domains such as Finance, Education, Telecom, HR, Payroll, and Healthcare, contributing to products like Salesforce, Siebel CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Kronos, and Big Data Analytics platforms. A self-driven and collaborative professional, Naresh has deep expertise in Functional, System, Performance, and End-to-End Testing, with hands-on skills in tools and technologies such as Selenium WebDriver, Playwright, Cucumber, Cypress, Postman, JMeter, SQL, Jenkins, and GitHub. He is a passionate volunteer ARS Teacher at Pratibha Poshak, mentoring students and helping them build strong foundations in computing and technology.

Our Teachers

Dr. Vineet Raichur

    Dr. Vineet Raichur holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, USA, where he also completed a postdoctoral fellowship. His research focuses on sustainable energy, mobility, and manufacturing systems. Vineet is deeply engaged in the development sector. He serves as a Director with a Bangalore-based NGO working on child protection and education, and consults with other organizations in areas such as youth development, livelihoods, and education. Passionate about science education, Vineet teaches physics to high school students through NGO initiatives, aiming to inspire young learners and strengthen their foundation in science.

Mr. Sunil Kajgar

    Mr. Sunil Kajgar has been working as teacher of science since 15 years teaching high school students. Sunil Sir has been creating E Resources including notes, activity books, passing packages, scoring packages and question papers for school level to help students face board exams. Under the guidance of DSERT and DIET, he has also been working as a master trainer for science teachers to develop E content. He has participated in several Radio programmes and FM Channels regarding Science topics. Every year along with his students he participates in science seminars, Exhibitions and science drama .

Jyotsna Bhatia

    Jyotsna Bhatia, is a CELTA certified trainer from Belgaum and has over 15+ years of experience tutoring learners on English for exams. Her expertise is coaching learners on IELTS, Toefl, CAT, and GRE. Since 2022, she have preferred working remotely and has had the privilege of tutoring learners from different countries and continents. She is a passionate educator who enjoys engaging learners and facilitating their learning process.

Deeksha K M

    Ms. Deeksha K M, hailing from Shivamogga , holds a Masters Degree in Physics from Mainpal University. She has consistently been a top scorer since her school days and has cleared her KSET and GATE exams along with impressive ranks. Deeksha is passionate about teaching and constantly updates herself by attending various workshops and seminars related to effective teaching and recent advances in Physics.

Anuragh

    I am a passionate and dedicated individual with a strong background in research and education. I have passed out of National institute of technology Calicut 2018. I have qualified the CSIR Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and have consistently pursued excellence in both academic and professional settings. With a deep interest in science, teaching, and creative learning, I enjoy exploring innovative approaches to knowledge-sharing and communication. I believe in continuous growth, collaboration, and making meaningful contributions through my work. When I’m not engaged with academic pursuits, I enjoy listening and playing music.

Bharathi Rao

    Bharathi Rao has over 40 years of experience in teaching Mathematics in schools following the syllabi of Karnataka State Board, ICSE, CBSE, GCSE, and American and UK syllabi. She has worked in various capacities such as headmistress, academic supervisor, teacher educator, head of the department, educational content developer, and educational broadcaster, online tutor USA, UK and ARABIA, and as a translator. Along with teaching in schools such as the Kumaran's Girls High School, Bangalore and Kingstree Senior High School, USA, Mrs. Rao has also worked with children of rag pickers and several NGOs.

Shubham Ranasubhe M.Sc. (Physics)

    Shubham is a passionate Physics teacher. He obtained B.Sc. (PCM) from RL Science Institute, Belgaum and M.Sc. (Physics) from Christ University, Bangalore and has completed a Fellowship at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. Shubham has worked as a lecturer of Physics in KLE Independent PU College, Belagavi and is currently a lecturer in Maratha Mandal PU College. Shubham has also involved himself in several community service activities.

Sathi Chakraborty and team

    Sathi Charaborty is a TESOL certified English teacher and the founder of Tagore Institute, Bangalore, which offers quality training for communication skills and test preparation for leading English language proficiency exams. She has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from the prestigious Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India. Mrs. Sathi and her team from Tagore Institute is involved in teaching English and Communication skills to the students of Pratibha Poshak.

Internship Students

Shashikant Gadiwaddar
Pradeep Awubaigol
Deepa Hugar
Naveen Dodamani
Abhishek Dodamani
Vijaykumar Lenkeppanavr
Vishal Vaddar
Sakshi Birje
Aishwarya Metri
Mohan Gadivaddar
Priya Benalamath
Swati Benni
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