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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Kinari Shah Kinari is a rising junior at The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor majoring in biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience and minoring in art history. Apart from being a YJA local representative and Daytime Programming sub-committee member, Kinari serves as a co-director of her university's chapter of Baal Dan, an organization dedicated to providing resources to impoverished children. She is a lifetime student of Bharatanatyam, and a member of Michigan Maya, a classical fusion dance team.
Krupa Shah Krupa is a born and raised Queens girl and loves New York City. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology and is currently working as an HR assistant at a law firm. In her downtime, Krupa loves sports (she is loyal fan of the Knicks, Giants and Yankees), Justin Timberlake, dancing, and traveling. She's a total foodie and loves trying all types of cuisine. Krupa is thoroughly enjoying her first time being on the Convention Board. She looks forward to being part of a great YJA Convention!
Lina Shah Lina is a loving wife, mother of two dynamic kids, and a Pathshala teacher for the past 10 years at the Jain Center of Metropolitan Chicago (JSMO). She is also a financial consultant, working for New York Life for the past 16 years. Lina is a leader, volunteer, and member in many religious and social organizations. She is an active member and volunteer at JSMC. She loves cooking, travelling, and helping others.
Mandakini Pokharna Dr. Pokharna is a practicing human being, learning skills to develop her self. She is trained in Nonviolent Communications (NVC) with Marshall Rosenberg, founder of NVC. She practices medicine in Chicago and has been practicing Aikido (martial art of harmony) for five years. Hema and Manda are sisters and their mission is to educate, inspire, and empower people to discover healthy and harmonious ways of being with themselves and being together in the journey of life.
Mayha Parikh Mavha was born and raised in Connecticut, and graduated from Boston University with a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics. She most recently worked in operations at Kaplan Bar Review in New York City, and will be starting business school in the fall. Though being a Boston sports fan in NYC was a bit difficult, she enjoyed every minute of it. She loves dancing, traveling, her friends and family, and of course, her YJA experiences. She looks forward to an awesome Convention in our nation's capital!
Meghan Roth Clayton Rev. Roth Clayton is the associate pastor at Messiah United Methodist Church in Springfield, VA. A graduate of The College of William and Mary and Wesley Theological Seminary, Meghan has previously served in campus ministry at Shenandoah University, The American University, and Armstrong Atlantic State University. She has a passion for building relationships with people of other faiths and intentionally secular identities, and sees interfaith work as central to her Christian identity and vocation.
Meit Shah Meit is a management consultant based in New York City. He grew up in Southern California and went to UCLA and USC for his bachelor's and master's in engineering, respectively. He currently works at Ernst & Young, focused on project management and process improvement. He is an active participant of YJA and has been very involved in his local Jain sanghs.
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2014 YJA CONVENTION WASHINGTON, D.C.
