Leadership

    Board of Trustees

    Mr. Ganesh Kohli

    Founder, IC3 Movement, India

    Founder, IC3 Movement
    Chair, Board of Trustees, IC3 Institute
    President & Chief Mentor, KIC UnivAssist
    Co-founder, The Aha Movement
    Ganesh Kohli is a teacher, counselor, entrepreneur, and life-long learner who has founded, nurtured and led multiple education-focused organizations over the past 23 years. In his professional journey, Ganesh has visited 450+ universities across the world, personally guiding 4000+ students in making decisions about their higher education. With the vision of "counseling in every school", Ganesh founded the IC3 Movement, which has reached 90+ countries and has 800+ volunteers across the globe. Ganesh also serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the IC3 Institute, a non-profit organization, with the audacious goal to train 100,000 school counselors, impacting 175,000 high schools in 15 years. Under his mentorship, KIC UnivAssist has grown to help 300+ universities plan and execute their international engagement with high schools and students in 70+ countries. Ganesh’s endeavor to bring meditation and mindfulness to millions of people in the execution of their work and everyday lives led him to create The Aha Movement, which continues to drive this philosophy through regularly scheduled meditation and mindfulness talks and events. Ganesh is the pioneer of the Counseling Laboratory™ pedagogy, a pathbreaking approach to high school career and college counseling. A gifted orator, Ganesh is a TEDx speaker and has presented at numerous global conferences over the years. To be of service is Ganesh’s highest aspiration. With a belief in the infinite potential of human beings, all the organizations he has founded strive to serve individuals in achieving this potential through training, counseling, mentoring and life-coaching.

    Dr. John Wilkerson

    Associate Vice President for International Services, Indiana University, U.S.

    John Wilkerson is Associate Vice President for International Services at Indiana University. He has previously held the same position at the University of Missouri, and served as Director of Admissions for Columbia College in Missouri. Wilkerson holds degrees in counseling psychology and education and is pursuing doctoral studies in global education policy. He serves in various leadership roles with NAFSA: The Association of International Educators, the International Association of College Admissions Counselors, and the Council of International Schools.

    Mr. Milan Gandhi

    Management Consultant, U.S.

    Milan Gandhi is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of management experience in Asia, Europe and North America. He has held senior positions with public and private corporations as Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer and led business transformation processes. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Milan has helped companies grow with profitable operations and established industry best practices. Milan has also earned CISA and played key role in implementation of world class ERP systems, Oracle and SAP. He has worked with few of India's reputed multinationals including Arvind Mills and Welspun. Milan has been active in the NFP world and other social causes. He is a regular donor and currently serves on the board of Alzheimer Association's New York chapter. Milan lives in Forest Hills, NY with his wife and two sons. He is an avid sports fan particularly basketball, tennis, and cricket. Milan enjoys travel, meditation and philosophical debates. A strong believer of “Karma”, Milan loves to spend time with family, friends and entrepreneurs.

    Dr. George Blumenthal

    Former Director, Center for Studies in Higher Education and Chancellor Emeritus, UC Santa Cruz, U.S.

    George Blumenthal is Director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Education. Previously, Blumenthal was Chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, where he increased enrollment of first generation and minority students and improved UCSC’s research profile, culminating in membership in the prestigious American Association of Universities. As an astrophysicist, Blumenthal contributed to our understanding dark matter and the origin of structure in the universe. He co-authored two textbooks, “21st Century Astronomy” and “Understanding Our Universe.” Blumenthal has chaired his department and the UC Academic Senate and was the faculty representative to the UC Regents. Blumenthal serves on several governing boards, including the California Association for Research in Astronomy, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and the American University of Armenia.

    Ms. Daniela Kaisth

    Founder and President, Gratias Partners, U.S.

    Daniela Kaisth is Founder and President of Gratias Partners, a philanthropy advisory firm that enables donors to give more effectively and non-profits to launch new initiatives through collaboration and high-impact philanthropy. She has over 25 years of experience launching programs globally, raising over $100 million in philanthropic funds and $1 billion in program funds. She currently manages a family foundation in New York, a funders collaborative in the British Virgin Islands, and a public-private partnership to rescue threatened scholars in Germany. She also consults for higher education institutions, foundations, and non-profits in Benin, Bhutan, India, the Netherlands, and the United States. From 2005 to 2015, Daniela was a Vice President at the Institute of International Education (IIE), leading development, communications, and programs to assist threatened scholars and artists and refugee students. She has an M.A. from Carleton University, a Diploma from Johns Hopkins SAIS, and a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She serves on the boards or advisory councils of Princeton in Africa, The Johns Hopkins University, SAIS, Ben’s Lighthouse, and EngageAsia.

    Mr. Swaraj Nandan

    Director and Co-founder, KIC UnivAssist, U.S.

    Swaraj co-founded KIC UnivAssist and has helped the organization grow to be a leader in global engagement helping 250+ global universities with their internationalization plans and initiatives. A familiar face on the conference circuit, Swaraj has presented at NAFSA national and all 11 regional conferences, AIEA, International ACAC, and IC3 conferences among others. Over the last 25 years along his corporate stints with global financial services, consumer goods and education firms, Swaraj has continued to serve the educational needs in the community and is an active mentor to students. Swaraj also serves on the Board of Directors of Lend-A-Hand India, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing vocational education and training in rural India.

    Mr. Ganesh Kohli

    Founder, IC3 Movement, India

    Founder, IC3 Movement
    Chair, Board of Trustees, IC3 Institute
    Presiden

    Dr. John Wilkerson

    Associate Vice President for International Services, Indiana University, U.S.

    John Wilkerson is Associate Vice President for International Services at Indiana

    Mr. Milan Gandhi

    Management Consultant, U.S.

    Milan Gandhi is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of management experience

    Dr. George Blumenthal

    Former Director, Center for Studies in Higher Education and Chancellor Emeritus, UC Santa Cruz, U.S.

    George Blumenthal is Director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Ed

    Ms. Daniela Kaisth

    Founder and President, Gratias Partners, U.S.

    Daniela Kaisth is Founder and President of Gratias Partners, a philanthropy advi

    Mr. Swaraj Nandan

    Director and Co-founder, KIC UnivAssist, U.S.

    Swaraj co-founded KIC UnivAssist and has helped the organization grow to be a le

    Board of Advisors

    Mr. Nilesh Vikamsey

    Partner, Khimji Kunverji & Co (KKC) LLP

    CA Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey is a Senior Partner of Khimji Kunverji & Co LLP Chartered Accountants since 1985. A firm registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India & in practice since 1936, having over 80 years of experience in the areas of Auditing, Taxation, Corporate & Personal Advisory Services, Business & Management Consulting Services, Due diligence, Valuations, Inspections, Investigations, etc. He has also been the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) – 2017-18 & an elected member of the Central Council, the Apex decision making body of the ICAI, the second largest accounting body in the world for three consecutive terms of 2010–2013, 2013-2016 and 2016-2019

    Mr. Raj Gilda

    Co-founder, Lend-A-Hand India

    Raj Gilda is a banker turned social entrepreneur and co-founder of Lend-A-Hand India, an organization focused on providing vocational education in secondary schools covering 10,000+ schools in 24 states across India with 1 million students. Raj has worked across Asia, Europe, and North America in education, banking, insurance, and IT. Before leaving the corporate sector in 2011, he spent ten years in New York working with Citibank and Deloitte Consulting. Raj was appointed by the Government of India as a General Body Member of the National Skill Development Agency (2014-17). He has been an advisor to the Government of Maharashtra and a state-level committee member on the effective utilization of CSR resources in education. Raj was awarded Chevening Fellowship by the UK Government at the London School of Economics. He is an Electronics Engineer from the University of Pune, CFA, MBA from Texas at Austin.

    Mr. Sumit Sawhney

    Global Business Leader

    Sumit comes with 26+ years of strong global leadership experience in establishing and growing automotive brands with leading multinational companies like FIAT, General Motors, and Groupe Renault. He established the brand Renault in India as its Country CEO and MD. His last assignment was with Groupe Renault as Vice President for Africa, Middle East, India, and Pacific Region. With strong exposure and understanding of establishing businesses in India, Sumit has handled key strategic and operational roles with extensive exposure across all continents which gives him a deep understanding of business, cultural, and social nuances across all major nationalities. He has been actively providing thought leadership to various government and industry bodies. Sumit has received various industry honors for his thought leadership and business achievements including “Automotive Man of the Year” 2016 NDTV & Zee group and ‘Most Promising Business Leader in Asia” 2018-19 by Economic Times.

    Mr. Simmy Ziv-el

    Chief Business Development Officer, FineTune Learning

    Simmy has been in the education industry for 30 years. In 1991 he founded Discourse Technologies, the first technology-based classroom formative assessment system. When the company was acquired by ETS, he joined as Senior Director of Business Innovation, focusing on international markets. He was the VP of Corporate Development at ProExam and the VP of ACT International for three years. He led ACT’s sponsorship of the Annual IC3 Conference, where he also presented in 2018 and 2019. He joined Finetune Learning as Chief Business Development Officer in August 2020. Simmy holds a BA (Honors) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and is a graduate of the Kellogg Management Institute at Northwestern University.

    Mr. Nilesh Vikamsey

    Partner, Khimji Kunverji & Co (KKC) LLP

    CA Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey is a Senior Partner of Khimji Kunverji & Co LLP Ch

    Mr. Raj Gilda

    Co-founder, Lend-A-Hand India

    Raj Gilda is a banker turned social entrepreneur and co-founder of Lend-A-Hand I

    Mr. Sumit Sawhney

    Global Business Leader

    Sumit comes with 26+ years of strong global leadership experience in establishin

    Mr. Simmy Ziv-el

    Chief Business Development Officer, FineTune Learning

    Simmy has been in the education industry for 30 years. In 1991 he founded Discou

    Team

    Neha Bahl

    Executive Director, IC3 Institute

    Neha has 16+ years of qualitative experience in the education and development space and has held leadership roles driving overall business strategy and building cross-functional teams. She has closely witnessed the evolving trends in education and career choices. Her heart lies in service and is passionate about nurturing and shaping future talent. Neha is a Post Graduate of International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi. In her current role at the IC3 Institute, Neha is responsible for enhancing, operationalizing, and executing the IC3 Institute's overall vision and strategy.

    Krithika Balaji

    Assistant Director — Academics

    Krithika Balaji is an educator based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She has been working in the education landscape for the last six years. She chose her career path based on personal experiences in figuring out which career path would best fit her while not knowing how to navigate the process. This inspired her to learn more about a personalized and systematic approach to career education. She has a major in Business Studies and a minor in Psychology from the Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts. She pioneered the Career Cell and International office at the university, an experience that strengthened her belief to pursue a full-time career in counseling. She has previously worked in a global startup and led a team that implemented solutions in 50+ schools, trained 200+ teachers, and impacted 15,000 students. She specializes in Solution Design, Training, Marketing, Business Development, Product/ Content Development, and Recruitment.

    Dhwani Dodeja

    Academic Manager, IC3 Institute

    Ms. Dhwani Dodeja is a passionate school psychologist who divides her time between counseling, training, consulting & exploring new horizons. She delivers cognitive behavioral with an Eclectic approach to children, adolescents & their parents with a wide range of emotional, behavioral, career & adjustment problems such as anxiety, stress, depression, suicide & relationship problems. Ms. Dhwani has completed her Master's in Clinical Psychology in May 2009. She has also completed Special Certification in Learning Disabilities & Level 1 of Hypnotherapy from the California Hypnosis Institute of India. She has also completed the IC3 Career Counseling Flagship Program in order to guide students, parents, and teachers. She finds it gratifying to reach out to all those who need help and guidance through which she attains a sense of fulfillment.

    Ratish Srivastava

    Academic Manager, IC3 Institute

    Anupama Dixit

    Program Manager, IC3 Institute

    Being born and brought up in a family of army officers, Anupama had the opportunity to travel and explore various cities and cultures of our Indian subcontinent, this gave her the ability to be multicultural and flexible to glide across various realms of people with diversities and being a native of Varanasi the inflection of religious learning created a strong connect with spirituality and simplicity. Since she started working in the corporate world, her work took her to places across different regions, across India and abroad, and about time she thought to settle and create her base in Chandigarh. Anupama holds a P.G Diploma in "Human Resource Management" from Symbiosis Pune and another P.G. Diploma in "Distance Education" from IGNOU. She has always been passionate about the practices and the changing trends of the education industry. Also, she has been drawn to look into bringing solutions to the problems through technological innovation through process enhancements and detailed optimization of a process through the formulation of SOP. During 12 years of her professional journey she has worked in various domains of industry like Bharti Airtel Ltd and with multiple levels of educators like Ashoka University, Asia School of Business Kuala Lumpur, and ISB Mohali.

    Shalaka Kadam

    Program Manager, IC3 Institute

    Shalaka holds a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology and is also trained as a Graphologist, NLP Practitioner and Career Counselor. With a personal interest in the social sector and with a purpose to support & touch the lives of people had experience working with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) for the last 16 years. Passionate about working with youth, education programs and leading customized workshops for parents/women and youth. A strong believer in a positive attitude, honesty, compassion, and persistence.

    Preeti Agrawal

    Program Manager, IC3 Institute

    Preeti Agrawal works as a Program Manager at IC3. Born in Jharkhand, she has experienced a lot of places in India since childhood. She has completed her schooling in Nagpur. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the West Bengal University of Technology. She has worked with corporates like Emeritus, NMIMS, Aakash Institute, and ICICI Bank. Beyond work, she enjoys activities like gyming, playing carrom, cooking, and watching movies. Helping learners and innovative thinking are other areas that she is passionate about.

    Akash Nigam

    Lead - Fundraising and Partnerships, IC3 Institute

    Akash has an overall four years of experience in the education sector. Working closely with tribal farmers of his hometown to build market linkages led him to pursue a Bachelor’s at Azim Premji University; the liberal studies program strengthened his academic understanding of social work. Akash has since worked in program management, growth, and M&E. He channels his bias for action into being a constant learner-practitioner of the academic and implementable systems of social change. He completed his post-graduate diploma in Development Leadership from the Indian School of Development Management and aligned with strategic initiatives that catalyze systemic change in the education sector.

    Radha Batra

    Outreach Manager Admissions, IC3 Institute

    Vaishnavi Dixit

    Graphic Designer, IC3 Institute

    Vaishnavi is a creative graphic designer with a talent for developing unique custom artwork. Deadline-driven, resourceful, and hardworking, she has an innovative approach to idea and concept development. She has expertise in overseeing individual projects and brand development collections for the past six years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in arts from Ruia College, Mumbai, and a diploma in graphic designing and 2d animation from MAAC. She has also completed certifications in design thinking, digital marketing, and Ui design. She has worked in different capacities in advertising agencies, event management companies, digital marketing agencies, and multinational organizations.

    Smrithi Mudaliar

    Copywriter, IC3 Institute

    Neha Bahl

    Executive Director, IC3 Institute

    Neha has 16+ years of qualitative experience in the education and development sp

    Krithika Balaji

    Assistant Director — Academics

    Krithika Balaji is an educator based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She has been workin

    Dhwani Dodeja

    Academic Manager, IC3 Institute

    Ms. Dhwani Dodeja is a passionate school psychologist who divides her time betwe

    Ratish Srivastava

    Academic Manager, IC3 Institute

    Anupama Dixit

    Program Manager, IC3 Institute

    Being born and brought up in a family of army officers, Anupama had the opportun

    Shalaka Kadam

    Program Manager, IC3 Institute

    Shalaka holds a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology and is also trained as a G

    Preeti Agrawal

    Program Manager, IC3 Institute

    Preeti Agrawal works as a Program Manager at IC3. Born in Jharkhand, she has exp

    Akash Nigam

    Lead - Fundraising and Partnerships, IC3 Institute

    Akash has an overall four years of experience in the education sector. Working c

    Radha Batra

    Outreach Manager Admissions, IC3 Institute

    Vaishnavi Dixit

    Graphic Designer, IC3 Institute

    Vaishnavi is a creative graphic designer with a talent for developing unique cus

    Smrithi Mudaliar

    Copywriter, IC3 Institute

    Mr. Karthik Krishnan

    Adjunct Professor, New York University and former Global CEO

    Karthik grew up in a home (both his parents were educators) that was a center of knowledge and transformation. From his parents he developed early on a love for learning, and happiness in enabling and seeing people succeed. He firmly believes in the transformative power of education and the need to transform education globally to meet the needs of the new world. He is currently the Global CEO of Britannica Group of companies (Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Britannica Knowledge Systems, and Melingo) and an adjunct Professor at New York University — Stern Business School. He serves on the board of Urban Upbound, an organization focused on transforming the lives of people in public housing in New York City through job training, financial fitness, and college access programs. He has been involved in a number of transformative initiatives including Doubling India’s agricultural production, Transforming Harlem (New York City) into a vibrant business community and tourist destination, and Establishing New York University (Stern Business School) as the pioneer and top destination for Entertainment, Media and Technology specialization.