For over two decades Gitanjali been pioneering effective ways to bridge developmental deficits in education, and weave inclusion into the mainstream world. She has always been clear about wanting to spend time with children with special needs, learn of a world that does not discriminate, a people who love you for who you are and not what you do, who are not quick to judge, but rather quick to embrace. Years of working with children and adults, culminated in Snehadhara Foundation. Over the past few years Snehadhara has worked with around 7500 children through direct and weekly interventions, with over 70000 children through indirect interventions in schools and other receptive environments and trained over 2500 professionals in about 500 organisations across the country. Over the past two years, Snehadhara’s international journey has carried its best practices to Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Her research-based innovations in curriculum, pedagogy, content and delivery are what has allowed her to create pioneering innovations evidenced by recognition from marquee organisations like Qatar Foundation, Millenium Alliance, Association for Experiential Education at Montreal, Canada, Conferencia International, Buenos Aires, amongst others. Gitanjali consults with corporates to create a culture of inclusivity through appropriate trainings and workshops. She has conducted workshops regularly in diversity/inclusion for corporates like Oracle, AMAT, Alation, Intel, Google, Accenture to name a few.

Gitanjali many awards and accolades to her credit and her work has been recognized in various platforms internationally.  To mention a few – Gitanjali is an awardee of the Millennium Alliance Global Award 2020 which takes her stellar innovation ‘Kala Samvaad – Arts Practices for Inclusion’ to Nepal. She has been awarded the Nation Builder Award by Rotary Literacy Mission. Gitanjali has been awarded the 2nd Creative Art Therapy Award 2020 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of Art Therapy by the Sancheti Healthcare Academy as a recognition to the silent heroes who have done exemplary and exceptional work in the field of Creative Art Therapies.

She has been recognised by Global Ethics Forum and Indian Institute of Management, for working towards establishing an impartial and fair world. She has also spoken at the prestigious TEDx BITS Hyderabad on ‘The Goodness of Life’. Gitanjali was invited as a key speaker at the Conferencia Internacional – Por una Educacion que despliega las habilidades del Ser in Buenos Aires, 2019. Gitanjali has been selected as an ACTIVATEE speaker at the 45th International Association for Experiential Education (AEE) Conference in Montreal in November 2017. Gitanjali Govindrajan is the proud recipient of the Millennium Alliance Grant as a social innovator of one of the top five Innovations in the country for Education, 2017 by FICCI and in partnership with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Technology Development Board, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Gitanjali has been conferred an honorary doctorate in Social Work (LADC, USA) and holds a Masters in Biochemistry along with a Post Graduate Diploma in Community Based Rehabilitation. She has completed the TA 101 Course and training in Transaction Analysis and as a Coach with the International Coaching Federation. She also holds a Diploma in Neuropsychology (Accredited to Complementary Medical Association and Quality License Scheme). Gitanjali Govindrajan has a certificate in Psychological First Aid from Johns Hopkins University. She also has a certificate in Social Psychology from Wesleyan University. Born and educated in Mumbai, she has been a Lady Tata Memorial Scholarship Awardee and a University rank holder in Biochemistry. She has studied Applied Buddhist Psychology and Ethics from Pune University. Gitanjali is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and has trained in Hindustani and Carnatic vocals. She has trained under Arthur Hull in Drum Circle Facilitation. She is presently training in Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing.

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Sarangan is a good swimmer and has always had a flair for sports. He has represented his college in cricket and football. Sarangan is also passionate about cooking ,exploring his culinary skills and presently star gazing. He has always challenged traditional methodologies when it comes to schooling and teaching. Sarangan attributes his life experiences to be his best teacher. He proudly calls himself a homemaker and helps with his wife’s work -life balance. A man of few words, he enjoys working with rhythm and music. He has not been formally trained in music but plays various instruments including the harmonica and bulbultarang. He has trained under Arthur Hull in Drum Circle Facilitation.

Sarangan, holds an Engineering degree in Computer Science from Pune University. Quite early on in his life, he set out to carve a niche of his own. After completing Engineering, he chose to start his career with teaching Computer architecture at MIT Pune. ‘In his journey of over 2 decades in the IT industry”he has taken on challenging roles in Tata Elxsi , Silicon Graphics Inc. and Accenture.

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Sumathi is a First-Class B. Tech in Electronics from Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai. After working as an assistant director with the Institute for Design and electrical measuring instruments, Mumbai, her field diverged and she acquired a Certificate in Guidance and counselling from Christ College, Bangalore. Thereafter followed a certificate in Learning Disabilities, a Post Graduate Diploma in Creative Teaching, and a Certificate course on Arts Based Therapy from WCCLF, Pune.

Thereon Sumathi practised Special education, language therapy and ABT at Deepika, Snehadhara, Bubbles Centre for Autism and ASHA in Bangalore. Her domains of specialisation include Children with Learning Disabilities, Autism, Behavioural problems, Developmental Disabilities, Slow learners. She has been the creative director for ASHA school annual day programs for about 8 years.

Sumathi has trained facilitators during courses on “Inclusive Education”, “Learning Disabilities” and “Care givers”, conducted Summer Camps for Mainstream children and has been an ABT Guide to ABT Certificate students. She has led workshops in Teaching Aids, Creative Teaching, Teaching Methodologies, Stress Management, Process of Counselling, Personal Development, Memory techniques and Study skills, Learning Difficulties, Multisensory Teaching techniques, Multiple Intelligence, Differentiated Instruction, Fun ways of teaching Maths and Social Science. She has also conducted a course called “Creative Connections in Classrooms” for mainstream teachers focussing on alternative creative ways of teaching in a classroom. She has been a part of the faculty that conducted a 3-month online training program for Government school teachers from Udupi, conducted by Rotary Club, Manipal and DIET (District Institute of Education and Training, Karnataka Govt.)

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Yashaswini has been instrumental in co-designing and co-facilitating training programs, notably contributing to the establishment of Umang, a special needs center at the Army Cantonment at Itarana, Alwar. She has developed training modules for centers like Bubbles Centre for Autism and Amara Soundarya Foundation, and facilitated Parent Study Circles at Snehadhara. Additionally, she has led sessions on team building through community arts experiences for corporate clients including Cisco, Northern Trust, and Tata Coffee.

Proficient in process-oriented work, Yashaswini excels in creating monitoring and evaluation systems for programs under her purview. She demonstrates adeptness in research, co-authoring papers presented at esteemed conferences such as the Purple International Summit for Inclusive Education and the International Conference on Inclusive Collaborative Practices.

Yashaswini’s dedication to societal betterment is evident from her longstanding involvement in the social sector. She has completed the Digi Akshara Virtual Gurukulam program, exploring the implementation of arts-based interventions in digital platforms, and is presently earning Indian Sign Language from Dr. S.R. Chandrasekhar Institute of Speech and Hearing. Prior to her role at Snehadhara Foundation, she facilitated Emotional Intelligence at a juvenile home with Light Up-Emotions Matter Foundation and conducted research on Social-Emotional Learning classrooms’ impact on children’s learning. Her early internship experiences in clinical psychology further enriched her understanding.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Yashaswini nurtures her passion for culinary arts through her home bakery. She is also trained in various dance forms including Ballet, Contemporary, Chhau, and Bharatnatyam, along with Hindustani classical vocal and instrumental music.

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She brings in her two decades of experience across sectors and functions to strengthen processes and systems at Snehadhara . A strong proponent of the value system instilled by one’s family, she understands that that is what keeps one grounded. She is supported in all her crazy outings by her husband and son. At the end of the game, she’d like to be known as the woman who had it all and gave it all.

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With a passion for continuous learning and creativity, Purushotham aims to nurture ecosystems for positive change. His work with NGOs and wellness consultancy focuses on promoting healthy living through natural foods and organizing wellness workshops. As a Business Development Manager at Yuja Enterprise Solutions, he leverages his analytical and empathetic approach to meet customer needs and enhance product services. Purushotham’s dedication to community building and innovative problem-solving underscores his objective to foster integrity, growth, and excellence within any organization he associates with. 

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For Palak, arts have been a source of comfort and resilience since childhood. She values art forms deeply, believing they hold the power to rebuild you from scratch and guide you in learning and unlearning through life’s journey in a way that feels natural and manageable.

Her experience spans working with neurodivergent individuals, LGBTQIA+ communities, and people navigating mental health challenges. Palak often incorporates arts-based techniques into her practice, blending creativity with therapeutic approaches like narrative therapy. Her true calling lies in making social and emotional well-being more accessible to everyone, ensuring that care and support reach those who need it most

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Being endlessly curious herself, she believes that openness to experiences, exploring and asking questions should be encouraged. She has a voracious appetite for books and stories and can be found reading up about ancient history, cultures and practices, languages, societies and mythologies. All this has led to an enthusiasm for travel, authentic and immersive cultural experiences and learning new languages. She is an advocate for environmentally sustainable practices. She hopes to raise awareness and make inclusive language and practice commonplace in all mental health traditions.

Vibha is the Research, Content and Curriculum Consultant across programmes at Snehadhara Foundation.

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Outside of his professional life, Shaji has a couple of cherished hobbies. He finds solace in playing football and immersing himself in the world of music. Music is his ultimate source of motivation, and he has an eclectic taste in music, enjoying melodies from Malayalam, Hindi, and Tamil songs.

Above all, Shaji holds a deep love for his family, relishing every moment spent with them. He is a proud father to two teenage daughters, and their bond is a source of immense joy and fulfillment in his life.

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With a background in Business and Accounting, Rahul brings his arithmetic and logistical skills to the vibrant setting of Snehadhara and in return, takes back with him new experiences every day.

Having grown up in Dubai and studied in London and India, he likes to stay connected with different parts of the world and is a current affairs whizz. When he’s not busy reading the paper, he likes to watch films and take long walks.

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He is very keen and passionate about using his Digital marketing skills and growing the work in Snehadhara.

He enjoys playing the guitar and has also learnt how to play the Saxophone. He is interested in wildlife photography and often does go off on trips with his camera to capture birds and animals. He loves to travel and is always ready for adventure. Bike trips and cycling trips are very special for him! He has recently started an initiative where he crafts leather products.

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