Team With Diverse Expertise and Passion to Our Mission

Dinesh Khosla

Chair, Board of Trustees

Dinesh Khosla received an LL.M. and J.S.D. degrees from Yale Law School. Human rights, civil disobedience and not for profit law are his areas of expertise. He served on the Yale Law School’s Executive Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Policy Sciences Center. In 1983, Dinesh Khosla was invited to be the founding faculty of CUNY Law School. He is one of the founders of the Hindu Samaj Temple in Mahwah, New Jersey. He is the Chairman of SDK Foundation for Human Dignity which, through the Artistic Freedom Initiative, protects persecuted artists throughout the world.

Email: dinesh.khosla@taara.org

PRIYA GUPTA ISRANI

President

Priya Gupta Israni has spearheaded India Heritage Center since 2016. Priya received her master’s in Clinical psychology. She also holds a degree in Fashion and had a successful business in couture fashion apparel. She has had an extensive career in marketing consumer products at Home Shopping Network. She won the best designer award from the late Queen of Jaipur, Maharani Gayatri Devi. She is passionate about causes related to special needs kids and women’s empowerment.

Email: priya.israni@taara.org

RAJIV ADVANI

Vice President

Rajiv Advani holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Rutgers University, however has spent most of his professional life in Information Technology. He is currently the head of technology and cybersecurity at Tharanco Group, a major apparel conglomerate. Also known as the “Dealmaster”, Rajiv is a travel aficionado who has visited over 100 cities in more than 30 countries. He is also the founder/creator of Mileopedia.com, his own travel blog. Rajiv manages the organizations’ finances along with contributing to all technology and operational efforts.

Email: rajiv.advani@taara.org

LAVINA DATWANI

Vice President

Lavina Datwani is a pharmacist by education but feels blessed to have been able to stay home to care for her family. She is a proud Indian-American who has been living in the United States for more than half of her life but feels strong ties to her native homeland. Through IHC For Her, she works to help rescue young girls from this life of captivity and servitude, both in India and in the US, and to implement programs which will empower these survivors to reintegrate back into society as socially and financially independent beings.

Email: lavina.datwani@taara.org

CRISTY KAUR

Director

As a Punjabi American, Cristy Kaur fell in love with her culture from an early age. Born in Zambia and educated in England, Cristy has a deep commitment to and respect for her Indian heritage. In addition to her philanthropic passion, Cristy is a Vice President for The Heim Group, an all-female financial advisory team at Merrill Lynch. As a Senior Financial Advisor, Cristy assists clients in achieving their financial goals. Cristy has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Hofstra University and a MBA in finance from Baruch College. Cristy, her husband and two sons live in Morristown, NJ.

Email: cristy.kaur@taara.org

URVASHI MISHRA

Director

Urvashi Mishra is a wedding and event planner. She enjoys helping couples design their perfect wedding by incorporating their background, culture, careers, and anything that inspires them. With a degree from the Prestigious IHM, Mumbai, work experience in hotels, strong ties with Bollywood and Indian culture, Urvashi brings in a fresh approach to each event with an authentic twist. Her expertise in organization and event planning enables us to offer the community with unique opportunities to relish in what it means to be an Indian American. She is also the Co-founder and former Partner of Kulture Kool LLC.

Email: urvashi.mishra@taara.org

NISHITA DATWANI

Director

Born & raised in Mumbai, Nishita Datwani, moved to the USA to earn her BFA at the Parsons School of Design. After designing for companies like Ralph Lauren, J Crew & Gap, she chose to join the family business where she currently manages a group of real estate entities and retail pharmacies. Nishita combines her marketing and design background to continually seek innovative ways to empower the survivors while bringing awareness to the issue. A fitness enthusiast and avid athlete, she is also a certified personal trainer. Nishita & her husband Amit, live in Short Hills NJ, with their two children.

Email: nishita.datwani@taara.org

MUDIT GUPTA

Director

Mudit Gupta has a background in Business Administration. He is the President of iStore, an Apple Premier Partner, and has expanded his business to multiple locations in New Jersey and New York. Mudit, his wife Amrita and their daughter Arushi, love to travel. He enjoys all things in life that involve sports, food or both! When he isn’t working on his business or spending time with friends and family, you can find him catching up on his favorite cooking shows.

Email: mudit.gupta@taara.org

SHILPA MADHYANAPU

Director

Shilpa Madhyanapu, born and raised in India, moved to the USA to earn her MBA. Having lived here for more than half her life, she currently works at Colgate-Palmolive, New York in the finance division. She loves to travel and has visited over 45 countries. She is also passionate about working with children. At TAARA, she plays a vital role in managing the organizations’ finances. She hopes to give back to the community with work she is doing. Shilpa lives in Totowa with her husband and son.

Email: shilpa.madhyanapu@taara.org

ALKA RATHOD

Director

Alka Rathod, a resident of Mumbai, India, embodies a beautiful blend of traditional values and modern thinking. She holds a postgraduate degree in apparel marketing and merchandising from the esteemed National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi. Throughout her career, Alka has explored diverse industries such as fashion, real estate, and event management. She has also owned and operated a wellness center called BeYOU. Alka is actively involved in social welfare as a founding member of the Soch Sayani group. She is grateful for her loving in-laws, supportive husband, and two adorable children. Residing in a joint family has provided Alka with invaluable opportunities to cultivate love, compassion, patience, forgiveness, and empathy in her life.

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PRIYA KAT ROUBIAN

Director

Priya is multi degreed with qualifications in commerce, IT and Fashion. Her professional journey encompasses a diverse range of experiences within the fashion accessories, apparel, and home décor industries. She played a pivotal role in spearheading the integration of women’s fashion mobile carry cases into the mobile industry during the early 2000s, collaborating with numerous prominent mobile manufacturers and carriers. She also serves as a fine arts consultant and is deeply dedicated to addressing the issue of sex trafficking. Furthermore her philanthropic endeavors extend to hosting numerous events and initiatives aimed at supporting orphanages, schools, medical facilities, cultural events and victims of natural disasters.

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ERICKA DOBRINER

Director

Ericka Dobriner holds a Masters of Science in speech and language pathology from Teacher College, Columbia University. Her passion for working with children lead her to the public school system – specializing in children who were language challenged and hearing impaired, as well as consulting in early intervention programs. Ericka has always been an advocate for the importance of communication so children can be heard and protected. Shortly after the birth of her first child, Ericka switched paths to stay home to nurture and raise her children. As a woman and having a daughter, she feels strongly about self-empowerment through education and preparation. Ericka and her husband Kenneth, live in Upper Saddle River with their two children and two dogs.

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DR.NIKETA GOVINDANI

Director

Dr. Niketa Govindani was born in London, England and grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist in Hackensack, New Jersey with 18 years of experience in her field. She has a special interest in adolescent Gynecology and managing high risk pregnancies. She is passionate about her work, community health, child advocacy, and raising awareness about sexual trafficking.

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SHILPA SADHWANI

Director

Born in New Delhi, raised in the USA, Shilpa Sadhwani is an Indian American with a strong passion for philanthropy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Information Systems from Queens College and has spent the majority of her professional life working in Financial Services and continues to do so today. Shilpa is passionate about helping to eradicate sexual trafficking and making the world a safer place for adults and children. When she is not working or spending time with family and friends, you can often find Shilpa in the gym. She is very much a fitness enthusiast and passionate about nutrition and meditation. Shilpa lives in Bergen County, New Jersey with her husband, her twin boys and her labradoodle Lucky.

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ROOPAL LUHANA

Attorney, Founding Partner at Chaffin-Luhana, LLP.

Roopal P. Luhana, a Founding Partner of Chaffin Luhana, is a dedicated attorney with a passion for helping injured consumers. Her parents moved the family from India to the United States when she was young, instilling in her a strong work ethic and compassion. Ms. Luhana co-founded the national plaintiffs-only law firm with Eric Chaffin, focusing on mass tort, product liability, and catastrophic personal injury cases. She has served on committees for major litigation involving consumer products, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Notably, she was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Zantac Products Liability Litigation and played a significant role in other high-profile cases. Ms. Luhana’s achievements have been recognized by the courts, and she is dedicated to advancing women’s causes in the legal field. Outside of work, she cherishes spending time with her husband and two daughters.

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CONCHITA SARNOFF

Human Rights Advocate, Journalist, Author of TrafficKing : The Jeffrey Epstein case.

Conchita Sarnoff is a Human Rights advocate, journalist, and author known for her pivotal role in exposing the Jeffrey Epstein case. She has written books such as “TrafficKing” and has been a prominent voice in raising awareness about human trafficking in the United States. Sarnoff has also contributed to various news outlets and appeared in documentaries and interviews on a global scale. She co-founded the Georgetown University Human Trafficking Research Center & Clinical program in collaboration with Georgetown University Professor Katharine Donato. Educated at the School of the Sacred Heart and Columbia University, she has a background in political science and Latin American history. She resides in Washington, D.C.

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JEFFREY D. BROWN

Oscar & Emmy Winning, Writer & Director

Jeffrey D. Brown is an Oscar & Emmy award winner. He attended NYU film school where his film “The Champion” won the Best Film Award. He received an AFI grant and an AFI fellowship to intern with Peter Weir on “Dead Poet Society.” Brown directed the PBS Special, “The Orchestra Gets Dressed” with Neville Mariner. Jeffrey Co-wrote and Executive Produced the feature film, “Pontiac Moon” for Paramount, staring Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. He Co-wrote and Co-Produced “Dream with the Fishes” starring David Arquette and Kathy Moriarty. SOLD is his directorial feature film debut. SOLD opened 5 film festivals as the Gala opening film and won Jury and Audience Awards. The UNODC showed SOLD in over 30 Countries.

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PRITI PATEL

Founder of Niswarth Internationaal Foundation

Priti Patel

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JENNIFER BROWN STONE

VP of Marketing for Stoneboies Productions

Jennifer Brown Stone is a playwright, author, producer, dramaturg and actor. Among her recent accomplishments is her Off-Broadway show, The Diorama, which she produced and wrote and her children’s book Mirabel and the Magical Music shop. She is VP of Marketing for Stoneboies Productions and in that capacity, helped produce the recent documentary about Mr. Rogers Won’t You Be My Neighbor? as well as To Dust starring Matthew Broderick (Tribeca Audience Award), Still Happy, and Little Woods (Tribeca Director’s Award), Night Comes on (Winner Sundance Next Award) as well as the documentary The Devil We Know. She helped produce A Christmas Story The Musical (Broadway) and with NJPAC Carefree: Dancin’ with Fred Ginger and The Hip Hop Nutcracker (also a PBS Special). As an actor she has appeared in numerous regional theater performances including: Parade, Big River, Urinetown, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Robber BrideGroom, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, and Evita. Ms. Stone has a Master’s in Theatre from Villanova University. She is founder of Juliet’s Confession, a theatrical workshop for women. She is a member of the New Jersey Performing Art Center Women’s Association and is a board member of Summer Shorts at 59E59 theater. Jennifer is involved in many philanthropic organizations in the Tristate area, such as, Bedside Poetry, which helps children in hospitals cope with illnesses by writing poetry, the Theater Development Fund and Paley Center for Media. Jennifer lives in Madison, NJ with her husband and two sons Eliot and Lucas.

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ANIL BANSAL

President of First National Realty Management.

Anil Bansal is the President of First National Realty Management, which owns and manages commercial properties throughout the United States. A true entrepreneur, he was one of the main founders of Indus American Bank, as well as an investor in many IT companies. He is active in the community and serves on the boards of several corporations and charity organizations, including serving as the President of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA-Tri-State) and director of Indo American Arts Council. He is also an active member of the Wayne AM Rotary. Bansal runs Bansal Charitable Foundation, which provides financial support to many nonprofit organizations in the US. He is a graduate of IIT Kanpur in India and the University of Notre Dame. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Kumud. They have two married and well-settled children, as well as four beautiful grandchildren.

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Nikki Belt

Former FBI Special Agent

Nikki Belt served as an FBI Special Agent for 32 years. Her work involved violent crimes and she spent over 15 years specializing in child exploitation and human trafficking cases. Nikki has worked on cases involving child abuse, child sexual abuse material production, distribution, child sex tourism, kidnappings, and human trafficking investigations. For nine years, she led a very active and successful St. Louis Child Exploitation Task Force.

In 2022, Nikki founded Innocent-Warriors, a human trafficking charity. She founded the organization prior to her departure from federal service so that she could continue to make a difference in the lives of trafficking survivors and use her experience to raise awareness of the issue. Nikki’s life’s work was the feature article in the January 2024 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. The article “After Two Decades Undercover, She’s Ready to Tell the Real Story of Human Trafficking” was chosen by Apple News as their Article of the Month.

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DIVYA ADVANI

Social Media Co-ordinator

Divya graduated from Boston University’s College of Communications in 2020 with a degree in mass communications and public relations. With past experience working at Pfizer, Divya currently works on the Digital Engagement team for LifeSci Communications, a communications firm dedicated to developing stories for healthcare clients. With IHC For Her, Divya is able to combine her marketing expertise and passion for helping others to empower women in the Indian community. Divya is also an avid traveler and loves to immerse herself in the cultures of the countries that she visits.

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SARINA AWATRAMANI

Social Media Co-ordinator

Sarina holds a bachelors degree in applied mathematics from the University of California. Since graduating in 2021, Sarina currently works as a product manager at Capital One. Working with IHC For Her has allowed Sarina to combine this personal passion with her interests in social media, to help raise awareness about ways to stop human trafficking and empower victims. When she is not working or spending time with friends and family, you can find Sarina enjoying a good book or working on her culinary skills.

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ARUSHI GUPTA

LinkedIn Co-ordinator

Arushi graduated from the University of Michigan in 2021 with a degree in public policy, where her studies focused on the intersection of economic development and human rights. Since graduating, Arushi has been working as a strategy and analytics consultant with Deloitte’s Government & Public Services sector. Arushi’s work with IHC For Her provides a channel for her passion for social justice and human rights advocacy. In her free time, Arushi enjoys exploring Chicago’s restaurant scene and traveling with her family and friends.

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RAVEENA LALWANI SHAH

Community Outreach Co-ordinator

Raveena Lalwani was born and brought up in the United States and holds a Bachelors Degree in Finance and Management from Northeastern University. She currently works as a Strategic Revenue Manager for Mars and has previous experience in the CPG industry and Financial Services industry. Raveena is passionate about giving back as she currently sponsors a child at the Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind in Mumbai and is expanding her philanthropic passion with IHC For Her’s mission. When Raveena is not working, you’ll find her in the kitchen working on her food blog or spending her time with family and friends. She resides in Bergen County, NJ with her husband and son.

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Dinesh Khosla

PRIYA GUPTA ISRANI

RAJIV ADVANI

LAVINA DATWANI

CRISTY KAUR

URVASHI MISHRA

NISHITA DATWANI

MUDIT GUPTA

SHILPA MADHYANAPU

ALKA RATHOD

PRIYA KAT ROUBIAN

ERICKA DOBRINER

DR.NIKETA GOVINDANI

SHILPA SADHWANI

ROOPAL LUHANA

CONCHITA SARNOFF

JEFFREY D. BROWN

PRITI PATEL

JENNIFER BROWN STONE

ANIL BANSAL

Nikki Belt

DIVYA ADVANI

SARINA AWATRAMANI

ARUSHI GUPTA

RAVEENA LALWANI SHAH