Aanand is a full-stack developer by day and Master’s student at UT by night, and currently lives in Austin, Texas. After growing up in Charlotte and Japan, he graduated from Columbia University with a degree in CS & Economics, and is excited about becoming a teacher someday. In his free time, you’ll find him at the park playing basketball or ultimate, biking around town, or trying out some trendy new recipe that the Instagram algorithm suggested.

Aanya Gandhi is a marketing professional living in New York City, a dream to her creative persona. Aanya is constantly on a mission to seek out opportunities to network with the South Asian community, hit the streets with her favorite fashion styles, and find ways to empower her friends with mental health advocacy. In her now 6th Convention, Aanya is a proud YJA-er and loves talking about finding practical ways to include Jainism in her day-to-day life. Feel free to find Aanya to talk about anything marketing, fashion/beauty, Jainism, or desserts!

Aarthy Shah is a Biomedical Engineer currently located in Boston, MA. Originally from the small town of Parkersburg, WV, she has always found joy in hiking, music, yoga, and spending time with friends and family. The endless rollercoaster of life encouraged her to dive a bit deeper into the depths of Jainism this year in the sanidhya of Rashtrasant Param Gurudev Shree Namaramuni Maharaj Saheb. Her unique experience in Paramdham Sadhana Sankul has completely transformed her outlook on life.

Achal Shah was born in Edison, New Jersey and has spent most of his life in central Jersey before recently moving to New York City. He went to his first convention in 2018 in Chicago and YJA has been a large part of his life ever since. He served on the YJA Executive Board from 2018 to 2019, and the organization has provided him with a community of like-minded individuals and friends that will last him a lifetime. He currently works as a Marketing Data Analyst at the TradeDesk, based in New York. In his free time, Achal loves to watch sports, make music, and spend time with his friends.

Ajay is a Software Engineer at Column, a startup that develops software for local newspapers to help improve government transparency. He has worked in a wide variety of roles, including an internship for Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a data engineering internship for Facebook, a COVID-19 data science fellowship for the US Department of Health and Human Services, and was the Finance Data Analyst for the Texas Democratic Party during the 2020 election. He is also a freelance travel writer.

Anand is a graduate of UChicago where he studied Math and Econ. He's applying to Econ PhDs, but when he's not thinking about microtheory, he loves to read (fiction, mostly!), go on Chipotle runs, and talk to his plants. Anand has served on two YJA boards and one convention committee as Director of Events and an Adult Volunteer Co-Lead in 2018. Please feel free to reach out at avshah@uchicago.edu! He can't wait to make new friends and learn more about Jainism at this year's Convention.

Anish Doshi is a machine learning engineer and data scientist. Originally from Illinois, he moved to California to attend UC Berkeley, and after graduation worked at a startup and later Apple, before returning to Berkeley to complete an MS in Computer Science. From a young age, Anish has been volunteering at JSMC, participating in and moderating JAB, and serving as the 2017-18 YJA Director of Technology. He is particularly interested in applying Jain philosophy to current events. Outside of engineering and Jainism, Anish enjoys hiking, piano, playing chess, and eating vegan pastries.

Anjali Doshi is a Biomedical Engineering PhD student in the Danino Lab at Columbia University; her research focuses on the field of synthetic biology. As the YJA Director of Education from 2016-17, she worked with board members to create YJA Pathshala, an online, multimedia Jain course with participants ranging from ages 14-75. She has also been a Pathshala teacher at JSMC and a JAB participant, moderator, and administrator. Contact her with questions and ideas at anjali.doshi@yja.org.

Driven to empower people, Anvita is an HR professional, dedicated mental health advocate, and avid writer. Her own battle against mental health challenges has ignited a passion for eradicating the stigma against mental health, by sharing her story and pioneering safe spaces for dialogue. With a zest for life, Anvita loves devouring food (she does not mind taste testing for any talented cooks out there), traveling, and immersing herself in all things self-development, healing, and spirituality!

Binny Nanavati is Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at Workiva. Previously she worked at ADT Commercial, Dell and AT&T. She studied Computer Science & Economics at Rutgers and has insatiable curiosity of natural remedies, Jainism, cooking and the universe. She is an award-winning author, motivational speaker, recipient of 1991 JAINA Leadership in Youth Activities Award, founded first JAIN youth conference in North America - RSVP (Religion Social Vegetarianism Practical) and was a Pathshala teacher. Binny lives in Austin with her husband Sujal and she has two children.

Cavin Gada is a student at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ studying computer science and quantitative finance. While working towards building a career in FinTech, Cavin has also developed a passion and side-hustle in music production. He mixes, masters, and produces hip-hop/rap, r&b, and pop-punk tracks. Cavin is a member on the Daytime Programming subcommittee and looks forward to finding other talented Jains at YJA with similar passions.

Chhavi Verg was born in India and raised in New Jersey, where she graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Marketing. During her sophomore year of college, Chhavi became Miss New Jersey USA 2017 and went on to placing First Runner-Up at the Miss USA competition in May 2017. Since then, Chhavi has become an advocate for women’s rights and a representative for South Asians in the fashion, entertainment, and creative spheres. As a well-known and talented model, actress, dancer, and speaker, she has been featured in music videos, on billboards, in magazines, as well as in various online publications and commercials.

Chintav is a New Jersey native and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Marketing, Operations, and Systems Engineering. Since then, he has been a strategy and technology consultant for Fortune 500 companies. He also enjoys learning about the deeper aspects of Jainism, spirituality, and philosophy. Having been involved with YJA for many years as a Co-Chair for the YJA 2018 Convention, the Director of Project Development, and the Director of Education, he can’t wait to see everyone again in Dallas!

Christopher Jain Miller, Ph.D. is the Chief Academic Officer and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Academy, a non-profit platform seeking to democratize Applied Jain Studies. He completed his Ph.D. in the Study of Religion at the University of California, Davis. His current research focuses on Jain veganism, Jain ethics, and the ways in which yoga practices are translated into contemporary transnational yoga communities. He is the author of many articles and book chapters about the history and practice of modern yoga, yoga and politics, yoga philosophy, and Jainism and ecology.

Cogen Bohanec holds a PhD in “Historical and Cultural Studies of Religion” from the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, where his research emphasized comparative dharmic traditions and the philosophy of religion. He also holds an MA in Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies where his research primarily involved the translations of Pāli Buddhist scriptures in conversation with the philology of the Hindu Upaniṣads. He is an adjunct professor at the GTU, teaches at American River College in Sacramento; and is post-doctoral faculty in Jain Studies for Arihanta Academy.

Hello! My name is Darshan (They/Him), and I am a queer American-born desi. I was born/raise in Orlando, FL and am a strong advocate for creating safe spaces for queer people (an allies) to connect. I am a Bollywood dancer and practicing architect. My sessions will center on the LGBTQ+ experience within the Jain community. I've been active with YJA for many years and am excited to come back as a speaker.

Dhrairya graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Go ILLINI!) and is currently leading Rocket Companies foray into residential solar and solar financing. Dhairya is interested and passionate about business, real-estate, and financial product development. Outside of work, Dhairya enjoys scouting food-startups to solve his food-delivery problem, traveling, and engaging in adventure sports. Dhairya loves meeting and interacting with new people, so feel free to reach out to him at dhairyadholiya@gmail.com.

Dhrumil Mehta is an Associate Professor in Data Journalism and Deputy Director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University. As a writer for website FiveThirtyEight, Mehta covered U.S. elections, media and public opinion and has also written about issues pertaining to South Asian American communities. He also teaches graduate students in government as a visiting professor at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Raised in a tiny Middle Eastern country called Oman, Dhvani Mehta is now a marketing manager working in tech in the great state of Texas (Hook 'em, Horns!). She has previously served on the YJA Convention Committee as a JNF Co-Lead in 2020. In her spare time, Dhvani enjoys writing poetry, trying new bubble tea shops, and watching F1 race highlights.

Dipal is currently a fifth-year MD/MPH student at Harvard Medical School. She is originally from Boston and a member of the Boston Jain community. Dipal pursued her undergraduate education at Brown University where she studied neuroscience. She is passionate about population health, health policy and immigrant care. In her free time, she loves to dance, hike, write and work out.

Duncan Maru, MD, PhD, is Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Equitable Health Systems (BEHS) in the Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness (CHECW). Dr. Maru is an epidemiologist and physician trained in internal medicine and pediatrics and an Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health at Mount Sinai. He is a co-founder of the global health non-profit Possible. He also continues to teach and practice clinically at NYC Health + Hospitals / Elmhurst Hospital Center.

Hetali cares deeply about K-12 education, building strong communities, and Carolina basketball. She is currently a law clerk for a judge in Detroit, and will begin a job focused on special education advocacy with Legal Aid of North Carolina in Fall 2022. She is also a pathshala teacher at JSGD, and credits her YJA involvement with helping her understand how non-violence, social justice, service, and spirituality interact and shape who we are. She can't wait to connect with convention attendees!

Hillary is a digital fundraising and engagement coordinator at EMILY's List - the nation's largest resource for women in politics. After graduating from UNT with a degree in Political Science and Economics, Hillary will start her 1st year at UPenn Carey Law School as a Toll Public Interest Scholar this fall. She attended Pathshala at JSNT, has been involved with YJA ever since she aged in, and is really excited for Convention to be held in her hometown! In her free time, she loves to read, bake her own eggless dessert concoctions, do arts and crafts, and play Dungeons and Dragons with her friends.

Janvi Shah is a third year at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH and just spent the past semester studying abroad in South Korea. After learning a lot about the fast fashion industry she spent a lot of time trying to find ways that she could contribute less to that industry. She got into sewing, crocheting, and sketching designs so that she could repurpose and mend old clothes!

Julie Mehta is a 4th Year Medical student in Virginia. She grew up right outside of the DC area for most of her life and is a graduate of the University of Maryland. YJA holds a special place in Julie's heart, as it is where she met some of her closest friends. When she's not at the hospital, you can find her exploring new coffee shops and local restaurants, going on adventurous hikes, listening to podcasts, or watching the newest Pixar movies. Julie loves talking about healthcare, global development, and Jain philosophy. If you have any ideas that intersect those topics, don't hesitate to reach out :)

Khushi Jain is an undergraduate student at UIUC pursuing a B.S. in Information Sciences along with minors in Statistics and Computer Sciences. She is currently interning as a Data Science and Analytics intern at John Deere. Passionate about arts and her cultural heritage, she has been training in Indian classical dance and music for the past 8 years. Merging her passion for technology and music, she dreams of creating a non-profit educational organization that leverages special online tools for teaching students diverse styles of music.

Kuleen is pursuing his MS in Computer Engineering from UT Arlington. Early in life, Kuleen was not closely engaged with Jainism, but that changed when he attended a spiritual camp under Aacharya Bhagwant Udayvallabh. From there, through Prabhu Pooja, bhakti, and Shakrastav, his love for Jainism grew immensely! Recently, Kuleen completed Updhaan Tap under the guidance of Bhaktiyogacharya Yashovijay Maharaja. He enjoys conducting online lectures, weekly youth meet-ups, and Paryushan in India!

Mahima Shah is a New Jersey native and graduate of Cornell University. She currently works in New York City at Square as a Product Manager. In her free time, you can find Mahima playing board games, traveling, reading, or watching Christopher Nolan movies. Mahima loves talking about philosophy, psychology, tech, and Jainism - make sure to bring up any ideas connecting these topics with her!

Manoj Jain, MD MPH is an infectious disease physician and writer. He is a consultant to the World Bank on HIV, the WHO on TB, and has been interviewed by CNN and NPR. Dr. Jain is a professor at Emory University and served as an advisor for the Memphis mayor and was dubbed “Dr. Fauci of Memphis.” He has published over 22 columns for the Washington Post, and 250 for the USA Today-TN. He is the founder of the Gandhi-King Conference, which promotes non-violence. He teaches mindfulness and meditation, authored the children’s book "Mahavira - the Hero of Nonviolence", and contributed to Jain Way of Life.

Mansi Shah is a New Jersey native, Rutgers grad, and medical student at Columbia University. She was also a YJA Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator in 2018 and a Convention Committee member in 2018 and 2020. After tutoring incarcerated women, Mansi became passionate about addressing healthcare disparities at the intersection of the criminal legal system. Prior to medical school, Mansi served as an AmeriCorps case manager at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. In her free time, you can find Mansi listening to 2000s throwbacks, cooking with friends, and playing basketball!

Mansi is a results-driven law firm partner and counsel with over fifteen years of experience in complex intellectual property issues, and regularly serve as outside "in-house" counsel for Fortune 500 companies and technology startups, including Apple, Meta (fka Facebook), Switch, Adobe, Dave, and Robinhood. She has been a past eBoard member and is currently on the Board of Trustees of YJA! Most importantly, she is a partner to my spouse of 12 years and a mother of two amazing children - a 7 year old whose creativity is unrivaled and a 2 year old who is already showing signs of a born leader.

Megha Doshi has been a Pathshala teacher for the past 12 years at the Jain Society of Washington Metropolitan. She served as Director of Education in the JSMW Executive Committee from 2012 to 2016 and is a Jain Academic Bowl Administrative Committee member. In her spare time when not teaching or learning Jainism, she works as an Information Security Professional for Hospital Corporation of America, Reston VA. She lives with her husband, daughter, and son in a quiet suburb west of Washington DC and can be reached at meghandoshi@gmail.com.

Meghan is a trained printmaker with expertise in painting and textiles, as well as education! When it comes to her process-based personal art practice and her teaching style, both inspire each other. Meghan's educational career has included teaching early childhood and art, admin roles, and helping implement Reggio-inspired schools in India. All of which has led Meghan to graduate school at Penn GSE this upcoming fall. Meghan is excited to share her non-traditional experience and path with YJA!

Mishi is a Houston native and graduate of Stanford Law School and Rice University, where she studied Political Science and Policy Studies. Now a lawyer in Boston, Mishi is passionate about public policy, as well as immigrants’ rights and animal rights. She credits the latter in part to YJA through which she discovered veganism and has now been vegan for five years. Mishi has previously served as the 2020-21 YJA Co-Chair and co-founded a career readiness program for the Houston Jain community.

This Mo-Town native juggles the demands of a successful career, a need for community building, supporting a multi-generation family, and balancing western norms with traditional values. Having been a YJA board member, Monica is the Education Director for her local Jain Center and is a YJA Trustee. With a B.S. in Engineering and an MBA, Monica works as a DoD Cybersecurity executive. She lives near DC with her two kids and husband while staying abreast on the latest fashions and coolest music to enjoy.

Neelam has lived her whole life in sunny Los Angeles, CA. She holds her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from USC and currently works at her alma mater as an Undergraduate Admission Counselor. Neelam has served on the 2016 and 2018 YJA Convention Committees. She enjoys the outdoors (ask about her National Parks obsession), reading, watching basketball and football (go Lakers and USC Trojans!), and trying out new vegan recipes in the kitchen.

Nipun Mehta is the 2022 YJA Convenion Keynote Speaker! He has previously spoken at YJA and is the founder of ServiceSpace, an organization that uses technology to help people serve all across the world. His accolades speak to his incredible work, having been awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service, Dalai Lama's Unsung Hero of Compassion, and the Goi Peace Award. In recent years, he was appointed to a council on poverty and inequality by President Barack Obama. Nipun has previously given several TedX talks and delivered the University of Pennsylvania commencement address in 2012.

Nirav Shah attended California State University, Long Beach where he double majored in international business and marketing. Shah went on and received a Master of Business Association (M.B.A.) from North Central College, and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H) from Benedictine University. His desire to give back led him to volunteer for the Peace Corps in 2013. Shah spent 2 years in Zambia as a Community Health Extension Agent where he strategized effective methodologies to mitigate the burden of Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and malnutrition in rural communities.

Nishan is an Austin native and Resident Physician at the University of Texas Medical Branch; but if you ask him, his greatest accomplishment is being the Spicewood Elementary Spelling Bee Runner-Up. When he’s not taking care of patients, he’s usually working out, raving about a new album drop, catching up on a show, or trying to make people laugh through stand-up or sketch comedy. To him, laughter truly is the best medicine. He can't wait to meet all of you soon!

Nishit Shah is a professional working as a Data Analyst at a Healthcare Firm. He graduated from Northeastern University, Boston in 2018 and has been working since then. Nishit is originally from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. He arrived in the US in late 2016 to pursue higher studies. This is his first YJA Convention and he is very excited about it.

Paurang Parekh is an Enterprise Solutions Specialist at Jack Henry & Associates. He is also on the Board of Directors at the Jain Adhyatma Academy of North America (JAANA) and involved with the non-profit organization “Stress Academy.” He is passionate about his work and in the application of Jain Principles in Day to Day Life.

Prachi Shah is a graduate from the University of Connecticut, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Marketing and Analytics. She has 7 years of IT, management, and recruiting experience at a healthcare company. Currently, she works at a consulting company as an Agile Coach Lead. Prachi's interviewer experience comes from being a recruiter for internships and college graduate opportunities, as well as answering tough interview questions herself in high-pressure situations. An active attendee of YJA for the past 12 years, Prachi is excited to be a speaker at YJA 2022!

Pravin Shah is a founding member of Jain Study Center of North Carolina. He is the JAINA Education Committee chairperson and advisor to YJA and YJP. He has published 16 Pathashala books covering elementary to college level students used by 4000+ students. He has created Jain eLibrary by scanning 4 million pages covering all aspects of Jain philosophy and literature. He has also created the Jain Says Q&A blog proving answers most difficult questions to teachers and youth.

Prerit Shah is an experienced Aerospace engineer and data scientist, who enjoys learning and teaching Jain philosophy. He is passionate to empower people to improve emotional wellbeing and resilience through Jain philosophical techniques and lifestyle coaching at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. He is one of the founders and the President of the non-profit organization "Stress Academy", which aims to empower people to conquer and prevent stress from within by managing their perceptions, beliefs, emotions, and lifestyle.

Rahi Shah is a rising college freshman from Rochester Hills, Michigan. She has been a part of multiple YJA subcommittees, an LR and currently serves as a 2022 JIA Co-Lead. Passionate about intersectional feminism, she has been a part of multiple advocacy organizations such as Blue Future and Generation Ratify. Rahi also helped organize the first Pride event in her city as an ally. She has also worked on many camapigns on all levels of government and is currently a fellow for IA Impact and an intern at the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. Rahi hopes to pursue a career in law and national security.

Ravi grew up in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and is a senior at Palatine High School. He’s interested in studying Law or Business in college but prefers spending his nights studying the anatomy of a crunchwrap supreme. Ravi’s been an LR for the past 3 years and because of covid, this is his first convention! He loves working as an LR, on Aneka, and the fundraising sub-co and can’t wait for convention in Dallas :)

Reeya Vora is a Fairfield native. She is a student at the University of Pittsburgh studying Neuroscience. She has been involved in YJA for the past 6 years previously as an LR and now on the college chapters team. This is her 3rd Convention! A fun fact about her is that she has a vegan food Instagram! In her free time she enjoys lifting!

Rishil Mehta is a first-year medical student at the University of Wisconsin. He has been a Local Representative for many years in the past and this is his 3rd Convention! He is also a part of his college's Effective Altruism chapter and is looking forward to being a speaker on this topic at Convention. In his free time, he enjoys playing table tennis, writing code, and singing a cappella.

Ritika Bais was born in in DFW area of Texas and has been an active member of JSNT since 2010! She attended college at the University of Texas at Austin and will be relocating to Fort Worth. This is her third YJA convention, but her first time leading any type of session. In her free time, she loves any type of arts and crafts, dancing, and reading.

Riya was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She went to the University of IL Urbana Champaign and studied Supply Chain Management and Marketing with a minor in Technology and Management. She is currently a Senior Consultant at West Monroe doing Experience Design consulting in NYC with previous experience at Peloton as a Service Designer and cloud consulting at Crowe. Riya loves reading, thrifting, traveling, and watching TV in her free time.

Ronak Shah is a full time Software Engineer, and enjoys several hobbies outside of his career. Chief amongst those is his passion for fitness. He has been committed to a consistent fitness regimen for the past 5 years and counting. Fitness helped him become comfortable and confident in who he was. It soon became his passion, and now he strives to help others achieve their fitness goals. Ronak also enjoys photography, travel, and singing, and is currently learning guitar.

Ruchi grew up in Portland, Oregon! As a PNW native, she enjoys skiing, hiking, and drinking a warm cup of chai on rainy days. She will be graduating from Oregon State University with a BFA in Graphic Design and moving to NYC for work this summer. Ruchi started coming to YJA Conventions in 2014 and served as the Director of PR 2019-2021. She is super excited to meet all the other attendees!

Saachi Bhayani is from Pleasanton, California and will be a freshman at UCLA with a major in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Public Affairs in the fall. She also served as a school board trustee. In her free time she enjoys trying new foods and bullet journaling.

Salauni is an NC native. She just graduated from UNC-Greensboro with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in ESL. She minored in American Sign Language and hopes to use this to advocate for the DHH (Deaf/ Hard of Hearing) community. This will be her third Convention. Salauni's hobbies include dancing, and napping (you may find her fast asleep during the all-nighter)!

Saman Shrutpragyaji is an articulate and charismatic young spiritual leaders of the new generation. At the age of 20, he entered Sanyas Life. He has traveled to many countries around the world, visited many prominent universities, and has conducted thousands of yoga and meditation seminars. His teachings integrate ancient scriptures and modern science which validate our daily experiences and can explain how to apply the principles to our daily lives. He has published articles in different newspapers across India, has written more than 60 books, and has created CDs and DVDs on various subjects.

Samani Malay Pragyaji initiated to Samanihood on October 18, 1992. She had obtained her M.A. in Prakrit and B.A in Jainism & Other Philosophical Systems. Her experiences are extremely vast as she has taught Sanskrit Grammar at Parmarthik Siksha Sansthaan and taught correspondence students in various centers of Jain Vishwa Bharati University in different states of India. She has also conducted more than 2000+ sessions on Zoom during COVID. Her areas of expertise include pranayama, meditation, and many other subjects.

Samani Neeti Pragyaji initiated to Samanihood on September 17, 2010, in Sardarsahar, Rajasthan under the guidance of H.H. Acharya Shree Mahashramanji. She had obtained her M.A. and B.A. in Jainology and comparative religion and philosophy from the Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute located in Ladnun, Rajasthan, India. Her areas of specialization include yoga & mediation as well as conducting camps and workshops on subjects such as value & personality development, time, stress, self, and anger management.

Sanjana Jhaveri is a Vertical Marketing Manager within Meta’s Global Business Marketing team in New York as well as the Co-Founder of Privosa Fine Jewelry, based in Houston, Texas. She also explores her love for South Asian fashion by creating how-to videos, saree draping photos, and trendy social media content under the handle @sanjana on Instagram. Sanjana was previously the Director of Public Relations on YJA’s Executive Board in 2018, and she’s excited to participate in this year’s convention.

Seema Jain has years of experience with helping companies become more culturally competent when engaging with people from different backgrounds. Seema earned her BS in Finance from Miami University of Ohio and her MBA from DePaul University in Chicago. She is also a co-founder of two non-profit organizations – Supporting Excellence in Education Foundation (SEED), which awards scholarships to high school students and the Young Jains of America (YJA). Seema lives in Chicago with her husband and has three children ages 26, 23, and 21. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, cooking, and traveling.

Shailee Shah is a digital marketing consultant focused on retail, fashion, and consumer packaged goods brands. A New Jersey native, she studied sociology at Smith College where she served as an outdoor adventure orientation leader and studied abroad at the University of Cambridge. She enjoys indulging in core power yoga, hiking to peaks with gorgeous views, and keeping up on the latest wellness trends. Shailee loves how YJA builds community and helps us discover ourselves.

Shaleen and his wife Shilpi are the founders of Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary near Denver, Colorado. They are spreading the values of Ahimsa and Karuna towards farmed animals, actively creating a more compassionate community for the animals and our planet. Since founding the sanctuary in 2015, they have grown Luvin Arms substantially, having saved over 850 animal lives and welcoming thousands of visitors every year. Along with Luvin Arms, they have created another nonprofit, OpenSanctuary.org, that freely publishes hundreds of resources on how to start, manage and grow an animal sanctuary.

Dr. Maru is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Health Systems Design and Global Health and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is the Director of the NYC partnership, including the CURE-19 research unit, between the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai and the H+H/Elmhurst Global Health Institute. Dr. Maru is an attending physician at Elmhurst Hospital where she practices as a generalist ObGyn. In addition, Dr. Maru has been an Advisor for the organization Possible, supporting health systems strengthening and implementation science work in rural Nepal for the past decade. Her research is focused on improving healthcare access and quality for women and children in low-resource settings.

Shikhar recently finished his anesthesia residency at Walter Reed, and is specializing in interventional pain management at Brooke Army Medical Center. He's also one of the co-hosts of the podcast Aneka. Originally from Chicago, and has been involved with YJA for years as an Local Representative, Regional Coordinator, and a Convention Committee member. Shikhar is super excited to share this convention experience with you!

Shweta Daftary practices as a full-time dentist in Dallas, Texas. She has been actively involved with the Jain Society of North Texas for over 20 years in various roles as a Pathshala teacher, Pathshala Co-Chair as well as Pathshala Coordinator. She has been involved with the Jain Academic Bowl since 2016 and is currently the Chairperson of the JAINA JAB Committee. She loves to simplify the basic principles of Jainism to enable today’s generation to understand them and practice them in their daily lives.

Siddharth once pulled out a middle and side block from one of the bottom rows of a Jenga tower without knocking it over. He later graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and now works as an electrical engineer. He enjoys traveling, playing new board games, and listening to music in languages he barely understands. He has been participating in YJA retreats and conventions since 2014 and is always excited to meet new friends.

Sonia grew up in Dallas, TX and has served on previous YJA boards as South Regional Coordinator, Director of Public Relations, and Co-Chair. She has been a high school pathshala teacher for the past ten years and has served on the JSNT executive board, and is currently serving on the JAINA Long Range Planning committee. Professionally, Sonia is a business manager at TI, loves traveling and reading, and has been vegan for the past two years. She is getting married this year in Turks and Caicos!

Sunit was in charge of security at the very first YJA. He is a Business Operations leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS). He received his MBA from Northwestern University, a Master of Engineering from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Engineering from Rutgers University. He lives in downtown Chicago with his wife Seema and they have 3 grown children (Sarina 27, Sahil 24, and Sanjana 21). Sunit enjoys magic, puzzles, riddles, and commercial real estate investing. He is the co-editor of 2 books.

Dr. Sunita Jain is a practicing physician in Memphis, TN. She is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and did her training in Boston, MA. She has served in many leadership roles including President of the medical staff and board member of the Baptist Hospital system and also teaches medical students and residents. She has been a pathshala teacher and has served as a president of the Jain Center of Greater Memphis.

Sunny Jain is the founder and current chair of the Global Jain Network, a virtual Jain community with a reach of over 13 thousand Jains globally. He is also on the leadership team of the Jain Vegan Initiative and the JAINA Ahimsak Eco-Vegan Committee and previously served on the Young Jain Professionals (YJP) Executive Board from 2018 to 2019. In his personal life, Sunny enjoys traveling, blogging, and philosophy, and attests his spiritual growth through the practice of Jainism.

Twinkle Shah is an artist, designer, and creative known for a poetry book she co-authored and illustrated titled Catharsis. She practices poetry as a form of deep reflection. She hopes to inspire people to go inward, live more mindfully, and discover the poetry within themselves. When she is not putting pen to paper, you will find her working as a user experience designer or expressing herself through the arts.

Vanshika is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland studying Bioengineering. In her free time, she loves singing and performing. She is in an acapella group called DaCadence at UMD! She is on the YJA PR subcommittee and serves as a Mid-Atlantic LR. She also loves watching Marvel movies, playing word games, and going to coffee shops!

Varun Singhai is a new grad Software Engineer at Google in NYC. He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and is a huge Baltimore sports fan (go Ravens!). Varun graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BS in Computer Science and as a member of the QUEST Honors Program. In his free time, he enjoys playing poker, watching Bollywood movies, and going out with friends. This will be Varun's fourth YJA Convention, and he is excited to meet up with his longtime friends!

Vattsa Mehta is a Management Consultant in Accenture’s Banking Strategy practice. Vattsa attended the the Ohio State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance & Economics. During her time at Ohio State, Vattsa led a Financial literacy program where she met 1:1 with 200+ students and presented to various student organizations such as budgeting, student loans, and retirement planning. Since graduation Vattsa enjoys discussing personal finance through her Instagram Profile @thevattsanator.

Vishwa is a software engineer, street photographer, and budding chef (in her own kitchen). Originally from Tampa, she now lives in New York, where she questions her life choices every time the temperature dips below 40F. On the weekends, you'll find her reading, watching SNL, and peer pressuring her friends into going to her favourite ice cream place. Vishwa also co-hosts YJA's podcast (Aneka) and enjoys discovering new comedy and music!