Our Team

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. Over years his work spans diverse categories such Foods, Beverage, Nutrition, Automobiles, Technology, Durables, etc and some of the most loved and scale brands in the country. From launching new brands to revitalizing mature brands, designing brand architectures and crafting growth strategies- they are all part of his repertoire of his learning which sometimes gets attributed as expertise. In all his years in the business, he has won metals of all hues at the Indian and Asian Effies, as well as the WARC Prize for Asian Strategy. Over the last few years he has developed a keen interest in the social impact sector. A result of that was his completion of a Leadership Program in the social sector, followed by a Board Program. Pinaki is a management post-graduate by education and lifelong student of advertising and all things that shape culture. He confesses though that more than any academic resources, its his two daughters and young colleagues, who manage to keep him abreast of popular culture and shifts. In his spare time, which is very little, he speaks on advertising at management institutes and also advises start-ups on consumer facing issues.

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.

Hemlata Vedula

Hemlata (Hema) Vedula is currently a partner with Deloitte South Asia. She is a technology professional with over 26 years of industry experience in consulting clients on IT strategy and transformation. Before joining Deloitte, she worked with Accenture, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra, gaining experience in India, Europe, and briefly in the US, serving clients both globally and locally. She is passionate about technology, mentorship, equality, and uplifting women by providing them opportunities to make a difference. She lives in Bangalore with her husband and two teenage children. In her free time, she enjoys listening to podcasts while walking, reading, solving crosswords, and, of course, watching the latest movies and series on Netflix

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.