FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Tell us a little about yourself. I was born in the Bay Area and lived here until I was 13, when my family moved to Bangalore, India. Nowadays I live in Berkeley, where you can find me hiking the hills in search of wildflowers and sewing new outfits. I have loved history, reading, and telling stories through dance and writing since my earliest memories. History has helped me see the hidden stories in the world around me, and put my life experiences in context. I did my M.A. in South Asian History at Tufts University, with a focus on gender, medical anthropology, and girls’ narrative practices. Outside of Camp Kahani, I work as an education researcher at Adobe, where I study creative learning inside and outside the classroom. I have spent my career conducting research on and creating products in digital media and child/adolescent entertainment - often with the help of kids themselves! I cherish the Camp Kahani community for the profound belonging and sense of purpose we experience in one another’s company. My greatest joy is encountering a well-told story that changes the way I see the world - and watching a young person find their unique voice in the face of life’s ups and downs, just as I try to everyday.

What woman in history would you want to have afternoon samosa & chai with? The dancer and icon, Balasaraswati

If you were a potato, how would you want to be eaten? I would be the masala filling in a crispy Bangalore dosa, coated with spicy chutney podi and ghee, and regularly dipped in sambar and excessively nutty peanut chutney.

PEDAGOGY DIRECTOR

Tell us a little about yourself. My love for stories, telling and hearing them, began as a child when I learned dance (Bharathanatyam) and told stories of the Gods. I began to see stories everywhere. In the Sri Lankan Tamil foods my mother would cook me, in strangers around my small Floridian town, in the shapes of the stars. As I grew older, I began to see what stories were missing as well—what stories I had to work harder to find. The desire to find stories that reflected my life and to learn of new stories my life had never touched fuels my passion for Camp Kahani as well as my work as an undergraduate university instructor and social science researcher. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Communication at the University of South Florida, exploring resistance, resilience, and storytelling in Bharatanatyam. I love painting, films, astronomy, romance novels, the ocean, and trying everything new - food and experiences!

What woman in history would you want to have afternoon samosa & chai with? My mother when she was my age.

If you were a potato, how would you want to be eaten? I would want to be a messy hot baked potato filled to the brim with spices, sour cream, cheese, and any other tasty ingredient that want to join the party.

HISTORY CURRICULUM DIRECTOR

Tell us a little about yourself. I remember sitting in AP US History my junior year of high school, watching our teacher stand with his back to us, silently shedding tears. We had just finished a documentary on the Birmingham bombing, and heartache filled the room. That was the moment I began to realize how studying history - the ability to listen to and tell the stories of the past - enables us to cultivate empathy and understanding for the lived experiences of others. Listening and storytelling together are some of our greatest tools for building a more compassionate society. I just completed a PhD in South Asian Studies at Harvard University, studying Tamil drama and cinema actors, and the powerful ways they were able to tell stories and influence people’s perceptions of what is real. I'm so excited to be working with this incredibly talented Camp Kahani team - each of our meetings is a reminder that empathy can and must be centered in education.

What woman in history would you want to have afternoon samosa & chai with? KB Sundarambal

If you were a potato, how would you want to be eaten? I would want to be diced evenly so that all parts of me would be cooked the same. And then simmered in spices (cumin, coriander, mustard seeds!) along with aval/poha and roasted peanuts. And of course, chopped cilantro as a garnish on top!

STORYTELLING CURRICULUM DIRECTOR

Tell us a little about yourself. As a child, I spent more time with my nose in a book than anywhere else: you name a place or an inappropriate occasion to bring a book to, and I’d bring one. Stories were–and are–home for me: worlds you can carry in your pocket, that teach you to approach the world, others, and even yourself with curiosity and wonder, with open minds and hearts. Storytelling to me represents infinite, giddy possibility: of imagination, of change, of exploration, of understanding. As an editor in traditional publishing at Viking Penguin, I work with writers daily, helping them explore their personal, fictional and communal histories. I’m also a writer myself and love in particular to explore rich South Asian characters, cultures, myths, and histories in my own work to find connection to my identity and create a home for myself in those narratives. Camp Kahani is the camp and community I wish I’d had access to growing up, and this team of incredible, boundless, imaginative counselors and creators are my constant inspiration and a reminder that there is no one path home.

What woman in history would you want to have afternoon samosa & chai with? Jhansi ki Rani, Rani Lakshmibai

If you were a potato, how would you want to be eaten? I would want to be a potato-and-peas filled samosa, doused in mint chutney.

CURRICULUM CREATOR

Tell us a little about yourself. I love storytelling because I believe that stories can help us transform ourselves, our relationships, and our communities. I'm currently a PhD student studying health communication at University of South Florida. I chose this path because of my belief in the power of narratives, as well as my personal experiences with health and illness. My research focuses on how communication between patients and clinicians is shaped by culture, identity, and power. I also study how sharing stories in medical spaces can promote healing and justice. I joined the Camp Kahani team because I wanted to be a member of this beautiful community of talented, kind, and brilliant women and girls who share a commitment to creating a better world through stories.

CURRICULUM CREATOR

Tell us a little about yourself. If I could have pancakes with one woman in history, it would be Grace Lee Boggs. I’m excited about storytelling as a way of speaking our presence into the world and reaffirming our bonds with important figures in our lives. Being curious about the voices of women hidden away at the margins (and sometimes in plain sight) of archives has led me to studying history, anthropology, and colonialism studies. Camp Kahani is important to me because as co-conspirators bringing this project from the ground up, I get to learn together, create stories together, and make spaces for incredible friendships that my younger self would have never dreamed of before!

CURRICULUM CREATOR

Tell us a little about yourself. I am a teacher in Germany and love teaching young adults English, History and PE. I think storytelling is a tool to communicate complex ideas, to become more empathetic, to share your own thoughts, to understand others, for learning more about oneself and the people who have lived around us and before us

CURRICULUM CREATOR

Tell us a little about yourself. I am a designer and artist raised in the bay area and grounded by my Gujarati culture. I am passionate about art, expression, and self-acceptance. Throughout my life I have found myself using art, music, and writing to heal and reflect. I think it is powerful and allows us to be honest with ourselves and grow. Having grown up in a country that is a true mixing pot of so many cultures and people with different backgrounds and family history, it is important to remember that "American" can mean something different to everyone. Finding strength in your own voice and having representation and exposure to cultural roots is crucial. I hope to inspire others to prioritize introspection and to be their most authentic selves.

EXPERIENCE RESEARCHER

Tell us a little about yourself. I'm passionate about good design and creating great experiences between people and technology. I just graduated from UCLA (Go Bruins!) and majored in Global Studies. I have a background in academic research and more recent experience in user experience research and design. Camp Kahani is important to me because it creates a space for young girls to learn how to confidently create and share their stories and make lifelong friends.

CURRICULUM CREATOR

Tell us a little about yourself. Anne Elise is an agricultural ecologist by training. Her PhD work at the University of Michigan involves participatory research on farms in southern Brazil. She studies what enables farms to transition to organic production methods, as well as the ecological and food security and nutrition outcomes of transitions. Anne Elise is passionate about co-learning in the research process - there is much to learn both from the land and the farmers who manage it! She finds peace, beauty, and vigor in the natural world and therefore spends most of her free time outside exploring country lanes, mountains, rivers, lakes & oceans with friends and family. When not adventuring, she also adores cooking and baking, reading and writing poetry and prose, and dancing. Anne Elise learned about storytelling from her grandparents and carries on their tradition of stories through poetry and scientific writing.

CURRICULUM CREATOR

Tell us a little about yourself. Rachael is a historian who focused on writing and creating exhibits about women’s history while getting her MA in History and Museum Studies. She now works for Cricket Media in Chicago, which publishes children’s magazines, and is interested in how kids learn inside and outside the classroom. She is passionate about creating materials that allow girls to see themselves through the stories of women in history.

CURRICULUM CREATOR

Tell us a little about yourself. Hi, I'm Brijhette. Pronounced like bridge-JET. I am a lifelong nerd; my deepest passions include astrophysics, buildings, code, and travel. My dream is to pursue a PhD in Structural & Earthquake Engineering and to help mitigate disasters in the developing world. As a Black woman, I am painfully familiar with the isolation of being one of the few - if not the only - folks of color in a variety of settings. I have been fortunate to benefit from phenomenal mentorship throughout my life, and am excited to pay it forward through Camp Kahani.