Our Team

Board of Trustees

Vinita Saraf, Founder & Managing Trustee

Since founding Ek Tara in 2011, Vinita’s leadership has seen the organization grow to support over 1300 children and women by delivering high-quality education and skill development. With a commitment to developing the potential of first-generation school goers through education, Vinita has designed holistic services for the community using an innovative approach that is tailored to the needs of children from West Bengal’s slum areas. . She firmly believes that education for marginalized communities must go hand-in-hand with empowerment and enhancing self-esteem.

Namrata Sureka, Founder & Managing Trustee

Namrata founded Ek Tara in 2011 and has been instrumental to the organization's growth and development since. A strong believer in women’s empowerment, she has facilitated programmes aimed at educating and generating livelihood opportunities for girls and women in order to make them self-sufficient. Namrata is the Former President of ‘Ladies Study Group’, the Ladies Wing of the ‘Indian Chamber of Commerce’, which is an organization that focuses on women's entrepreneurship. Her motto in life is to ‘look beyond and be the catalyst’. Namrata also has an avid interest in music, dance, theater and the fine arts and considers culture and heritage to be an integral part of society.

Kumud Agarwal, Trustee

Kumud has been associated with Ek Tara since its inception. With an Honors BA in History from Calcutta University, and a degree in Interior Design, she is currently a businesswoman working in Kolkata. Kumud is involved in training girls from the community and their mothers on financial literacy including financial planning to help build capacity and self-reliance.

Nandita Palchoudhuri, Trustee

Nandita is a social entrepreneur who has curated and consulted in Indian folk art craft and performance practices internationally. .She is a Chevening Clore Scholar in Cultural Leadership, and has completed courses in Nonprofit Management from New York University and Advertising and Marketing from the Institute of Marketing Management IMM.

Arun Saraf, Trustee

A chartered accountant by qualification, Arun has been a practicing tax consultant for over 33 years. Currently, he manages income tax-related matters for over 250 companies across Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai. His clients include UCO bank, Indian Oil Petronas, RPG – Sanjiv Goenka group and Nusli Wadia group.

Advisory Circle

Amita Prasad

Amita is passionate about school teaching, which she has made her vocation for over 30 years. Formerly the Vice Principal of Modern High School for Girls, she was then appointed Dean, Research and Development at The Heritage School, Kolkata. At present, Amita is the Director of Indus Valley World School in Kolkata. Amita is the co-author of three series of History and Civics textbooks for Classes three to eight published by Oxford University Press. She is a member of the Advisory Board of “PEACEWORKS” (an initiative of the Seagull Foundation for the Arts) and a member of the Governing Body of Manovikas Kendra.

Gitanjali Khemka

Gitanjali is part of the Senior Management of Stesalit System Ltd and oversees the Administrative and HR departments of the company. Based in Kolkata, she is also a reputed yoga and fitness practitioner and trainer. Gitanjali serves as a member of several not for profit, trade and business bodies such as FICCI, Ladies Study Group andEntrepreneurs Organization.. She completed her MBA from the University of Calcutta in addition to several professional yoga and fitness courses.

Manab Sen

Manab has 40+ years of international corporate experience covering Banking, Private Equity, and Asset Management. Starting his career with State Bank of India, he moved on to American Express Bank, before pioneering 6 start-up situations, leading them to successful exits. His expertise includes cross border merger and acquisitions, IPOs, harmonizing corporate cultures to create high impact dynamic teams generating superior performances. He has been passionate about social work for many years, working with US and Indian social organizations seeking to improve lives and provide platforms for personal expression. He is very excited to be associated with Ek Tara - there is a total confluence of objectives. Manab majored in Accounting and Finance from University of Calcutta, with honors, and holds a CA IIB qualification. He has studied in Rutgers Business School as well as Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.

Pinaki Bhattacharya

Pinaki has close to three decades of experience in advertising and communications. His work has spanned diverse categories and he has worked for some of the most loved and reputed brands in the country. From launching new brands to revitalizing mature ones, designing brand architectures and crafting growth strategies –Pinaki has a wide-ranging repertoire of skills. He has won medals at the Indian and Asian Effies, as well as the WARC Prize for Asian Strategy.Over the last few years Pinaki has developed a keen interest in the social impact sector. He completed a Leadership Program in the social sector, followed by a Board Program.

Sarah Symons

Sarah is the Founder and Director of Her Future Coalition, an international NGO based in the United States, which works with survivors of gender violence and girls at high risk, offering shelter, education and employment to break the cycle of poverty and exploitation. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.Her organization has been recognized for its innovative work against trafficking by the Sam Walton Foundation, Humanity United, the USDepartment of State Trafficking in Persons office, V-Day foundation and the Governor of Massachusetts.

Aparna Paul Jain

Aparna is a passionate advocate for Ek Tara based in Chicago, USA, where she lives with her husband, their 16-year-old daughter, and two dogs. Originally from Kolkata, Aparna completed her undergraduate degree in Engineering at Jadavpur University. After gaining work experience in India and the US, she moved to France to earn her MBA from INSEAD. Following this, she worked with various multinational corporations before starting her own business in event and portrait photography.

Hemlata Vedula

Hemlata is currently a partner at Deloitte South Asia, bringing over 26 years of industry experience as a technology professional. She specializes in consulting clients on IT strategy and transformation. Before joining Deloitte, she held positions at Accenture, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra, working across India, Europe, and briefly in the US, engaging with clients on a global and local scale. Hemlata is dedicated to technology, mentorship, equality, empowering women, and creating opportunities for them to make a difference. Residing in Bangalore with her husband and two teenage children, she enjoys listening to podcasts during her walks, reading, solving crossword puzzles, and watching the latest movies and series on Netflix in her leisure time.