Our Team
MINI MATHEW
MINI MATHEW is an educator with over 20 years of experience as a teacher, a special educator, and an early childhood education specialist. She has gained over the years immense experience guiding, teaching, counseling parents and teachers, mentoring and supervising teachers as well as contributing to the professional development in this field through workshops and special programs. Her practice includes working with children and adults with special needs including designing special curriculum, empowering learners with strong communication, cognitive and life skills. She has worked in many educational institutions promoting educational practices that are learner-entered, development appropriate and stimulating for children with different needs. She is interested in the design, development, implementation of learning programs and processes that nurtures quality learning among children and young adults enrolled in non-formal educational programs and in conducting programs that can help these students to develop life-skills and approach life independently.
Since 2014, she has been leading CORD, an educational organization for development and rehabilitation, a center which aims for a holistic learning experience for the students based on their needs and requirements, providing overall development, educational, vocational programs for children and adults with diverse learning challenges and special needs.
MEENA VARI
MEENA VARI is the Associate Director at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art Design and Technology. She is a curator and has more than two decades experience in the education sector. She is interested in developing strategies using culture and art to work towards community change and social wellbeing. She is interested in curatorial practice as a form of experience, cognition and knowledge making. Meena has a degree in Political Science and Education from New Delhi, which
spurred on her career in curation and Arts Management. She is a Chevening scholar on the Clore Leadership in the Arts Programme, UK (2013- 2014).
She received a Fulbright Scholarship for a course in Arts and Culture Management from the University of New Orleans, USA. As an Independent curator, she is an advisor and consultant for some private galleries and curated contemporary art from India in national and international venues.
MAHALAKSHMI SUBRAMANI
MAHALAKSHMI SUBRAMANI is an Education Leader and an expert in Early Childhood Development. She has a teaching experience of 26+ years, 9 of which have been in highly diverse and complex cultural environments of International Schools in USA and Kazakhstan, involved in developing supportive and professional learning communities. Conversant with new trends in pedagogy, including Self-Organized Learning Environment (SOLE) and differentiated instruction, with expertise in creating a responsive classroom, enabling students to relate and transition to higher levels. She is an excellent communicator and can speak in four languages including English and Russian, she is experienced in designing curricula and training teachers, adapts swiftly to new ideas, and employs critical thinking to create innovative solutions.
AMBIKA RAMAKRISHNAN
AMBIKA RAMAKRISHNAN is a highly experienced educator for over three decades. She is an expert in English language teaching and is a special educator and counselor. Her practices revolve around holistic development and understanding of self vis-a-vis environment and community for a sustainable development of the self and the surrounding. She is an animal lover and is associated with multiple organizations working with animal safety and rehabilitation. She has extensively worked with families, individuals and communities on mental health, social and environmental issues. SHe has conducted workshops for students, teachers, families, community stakeholders on issues related to education, understanding self, balancing & managing emotions, parental techniques, family welfare and other topics related to self, community and development. Her interests and techniques revolve around individual development which enables collective welfare.
SHRABANTI SEN
SHRABANTI SEN is a Special Educator based in Bangalore. She ha worked extensively with children and adults with disabilities for over a decade. She has conducted several workshops and seminars for teachers and parents on Inclusive education, on addressing special needs in school and at home spaces, on individualized curriculum needs, and on other areas related to disabilities. She is a Disability Researcher from Ambedkar University, Delhi and her primary research
interest revolves around disability policies and their implementation in India. She has published work on Inclusive education and practices in India. Outside of work and academics, she regularly volunteers for social causes that regularly puts her in the intersection of economically and socially underprivileged sections of society, marginalized communities and the people with disabilities. She uses her dexterity in painting and craftwork to unwind and enjoy traveling to explore food, customs and cultures.
Elizabeth Jacob
Dr. Elizabeth Jacob aka Liz, as she loves to be called is a Masters in Management Studies from University of Mumbai, India. She began her career in the digital media industry as Client Marketing Executive following her passion for Advertising and Marketing Communication. After a short stint there, she stepped into the world of academia to learn along with the management students – graduate and post-graduate. She has never looked back since then and education is now a passion for her that it took her across the length and breadth of India in search of an ideal educational model. She completed her Doctoral studies from the University of Kerala in the area of Alternative Schools in India. She believes that the education segment is up for a major revolution and she is being a tiny drop in that big ocean.
QUOTE: “I dream of the educational system in which each child decides the course of his or her educational journey and we elders just be the facilitators in the process of helping them realise their true potential through passion and perseverance”
– Elizabeth Jacob (Liz)