Volunteers

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Volunteers Andrea Jenkins Beaufort, SC Andrea Jenkins has been working as a designer, art director, and creative director since 1993. She began her career in San Francisco in print publishing at Wired Magazine. After two years of reporting on the birth of new technologies and the Internet, Andrea joined on with one of the first Web content producers in the San Francisco, CNET.COM. Andrea has continued to work on the Internet in creative management roles for the past eight years at various companies, tapping into online trends as they happened: news & entertainment content portals, gaming, e-commerce, online music delivery, and now sports. You can currently find Andrea's work on MLB.com. Brad Stewart Ontario, Canada Brad Stewart is the President of Ethical Fundraising. He has a Master's in Philosophy (Ethics, Bioethics, Social Philosophy) from the University of Calgary. His thesis "Social Obligations Towards the Homeless" was granted honor's status in 2002 and has been forwarded to prominent Canadian politicians. He is also a published adventure/travel writer, and has even dabbled in wine imports. Brad has worked for more than 10 years with non-profit organizations, and is a fervent supporter of i.HUG : "i.HUG is a rare gem in the non-profit world. This is an efficient grassroots organization run by caring people who understand the need for immediate and direct delivery." Carrie Watson New York, NY Carrie Watson lives in New York City and is Senior Editor of American Salon magazine. She graduated from the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, and received her Master’s degree in magazine journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Carrie helps write and edit literature for i.HUG and serves as head of the Sponsorship Committee. She first learned about i.HUG when Joanna brought Paddy in to speak at the company where Carrie and Joanna both worked. After listening to Paddy and Joanna talk of the poverty and people in Kabalagala, Carrie was reminded of trips she used to take during high school to severely destitute shantytowns in Mexico, just south of the Texas border, to build schools and homes. Despite the poverty, there was still so much hope and happiness. That’s just how Carrie imagines Kabalagala to be. But she will soon find out because she is traveling with Michael Ruehlman, a fellow volunteer, to Kabalagala in November!. Devon Loback London, England Devon has a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, with an emphasis and interest in working primarily with children and adolescents. Prior to moving to London, she was working for a non-profit clinic that counseled children between the ages of 11-18. She encountered clients with a range of issues, including sexual abuse, domestic violence, gang affiliation, school difficulties, divorce issues, emotional immaturity, and self-esteem and self-perception issues. Additionally, she has developed a manual (for her clinic) for counseling children with a history of sexual abuse and gang affiliation. She also has a history of working with autistic children on their cognitive and emotional development. One day (soon!) she hope to return to school for her doctorate so she can pursue a career in either research or teaching. On a personal level, Devon and her husband, Ryan, and recently returned from a trip to Africa and have developed a passion for the country. They are particularly interested in helping those that are hindered by a lack of resources. Jennifer Moskowitz New York, NY Jennifer Moskowitz is an Analyst in the Legal Business Consulting Practice of Huron Consulting Group. She graduated from the University at Albany, New York, in May 2005 with a degree in Business. She currently lives in Manhattan with her older sister. She joined i.HUG through the help of Michael Ruehlman, Treasurer, and now rounds out the organization as Development Chair, working on ensuring that the International HUG Foundation meets its goals and activities. Jennifer Taylor Cincinnati, OH Jenny is a Marketing and Production Specialist at ViewSource Inc, a web design and marketing firm in Cincinnati. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2005 with a BA in Electronic Media. Her hobbies include reading, watching Project Runway, trying to sew, and playing with her mini dachshund, Liesel. Jenny also serves on i.HUG’s Web site committee, and in particular, helps with its search engine optimization . John Getz Cincinnati, OH An i.HUG volunteer since summer 2006 and now a member of the Education Committee, John Getz is Professor of English at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he has taught for 35 years. A specialist in 19 th- and early 20 th-century American literature, he also teaches a course in world literature. He has published articles on several American authors including Mary Wilkins Freeman, Sherwood Anderson, Ursula Le Guin and Leslie Marmon Silko. Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, John is married to Kathy Getz. As a stepfather he gets to share her three children as well as two grandchildren and a third on the way. John earned his B.A. at Xavier and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. He has a longstanding interest in interdisciplinary teaching and currently teaches a course in Literature and Moral Imagination as part of Xavier's Ethics/Religion and Society Focus. His career at Xavier includes nine years as department chair, and he also spent several years as a volunteer adult literacy tutor in a GED program at a community school in Cincinnati. For i.HUG John works with Kathy and Jane as they plan hiring procedures and curriculum for the SEEDS school. He is grateful to colleagues at Xavier for help they've generously offered him in the process. Kathy Getz Cincinnati, OH Kathy has spent much of her life caring for children. Her own children are now grown; her son, Matt, and his wife, Lynda, an Egyptian-American Copt, are the parents of Kathy’s two beloved grandchildren, Fischer and Lola. Her two daughters are Kate (married to Eric) and Molly, who has one year of college left. In the past, she taught preschool and elementary school, sometimes to special needs children. A sociology major in college, she hold Master's degrees in special education and in Montessori preprimary. She’s worked in children's ministry at two churches; currently she’s team-teaching Sunday school for four-to-six-year-olds, with Molly. She’s happy to be sponsoring an i.HUG child with her husband, John, and draws on her background to help Jane with plans for the school in Uganda. These days she enjoys exchanging emails with her prayer partner Winnie in Uganda, walking in nature, collecting teacups and Christmas tree ornaments, and reading magazines and books, especially mysteries with female protagonists. Lisa Bruckenstein New York, NY Lisa was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where she attended Brooklyn College as a Political Science major. After graduating, she started working in an environment that felt very much like home—retail. For the past seven years, she’s been working in publishing, in sales and marketing. It’s at her current job that she was introduced to the i.HUG Foundation. She had always wanted to get involved in a volunteer capacity, but there was something about i.HUG that she says moved her to action. Although there are so many great causes, she says was compelled by Joanna’s personal story and decided to join i.HUG and help to make a difference. She currently volunteers as the committee head of donor relations. Lynn Serra New York, NY Lynn is the sponsor of adorable Winnie in Kabalagala, Uganda, and is the i.HUG Art and Design Maven. Lynn has called New York City her home for almost 12 years. After relocating from Portland, Maine, where she attended Maine College of Art, she worked in the art departments of multiple consumer magazines. The first being Vanity Fair and eventually SPIN (after a more than three-year stint at Doublespace, a boutique graphic design firm, where she helped launch two national consumer magazines). After that, she joined as Art Director of American Salon, the leading beauty trade magazine in the industry. Currently, Lynn is an active freelancer, with a passion for art, photography, animals and making a real difference for Africa’s people and environment. After meeting Pastor Paddy, she knew she had to be a part of the organization Joanna and Jane were starting. She makes the most of her free time with friends and family, cooking, traveling, and enjoying outdoor activities . Marita Gomez Schaumburg, IL Marita founded HealthInfo, a communications agency with a special focus on science, data/list intelligence, and creativity, which is experiencing double-digit growth. Previously, Marita was a journalist, producer, and editor for various media outlets, including ABC and NBC affiliates. Marita also has extensive experience in consumer/professional advocacy development. Prior to establishing HealthInfo, Marita oversaw public relations for the national non-profit Prevent Blindness America (PBA). Additionally, she is an active member on the boards of the Midwest HealthCare Marketing Association and the Illinois Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and serves on the committees for the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter and the i.HUG Foundation. She has served on the boards of the Health Care Communicators of Chicago, the Metropolitan Healthcare Council, and the Mentoring Program at Northwestern University. Mel Briski Cincinnati, OH Mel is 24 and grew up in rural New York and rural Ohio with his Mom, Dad, and two sisters. She attended the University of Cincinnati and studied business (Operations Management with a focus on the service sector, and International Economic Development, to be precise). Between looking for jobs, she currently listen to a lot of Over the Rhine, Ben Folds, and Sufjan Stevens while drinking hazelnut lattes and reading Blue Like Jazz and Dorothy Sayers novels at The Rohs Street Cafe. Her interests include cooking, photography, traveling, reading murder novels, sewing hippy skirts, celebrating the solstices and equinoxes, refinishing furniture, taking road trips, snobby arthouse films, social justice, fair trade, activism, and sticking daisies in her hair. She is trying to write a book and sometimes poetry tries to write her. If anyone would like to send a token of their undying affection, she accepts chocolates, large bohemian earrings and gypsy scarves. “How event planning and fundraising for i.HUG fits into any of that is beyond me,: she says, “but they sure are fun!” Her highly opinionated and somewhat temperamental blog can be read at: mixedmoss.voxtropolis.com Mike Sommers Leesburg, VA Mike Sommers was born and raised in Rutherford, New Jersey, grew up in New York City and went to school there and is now living in Leesburg, VA with my his wife, Wendy, and children Lucas (6) and Maya (3). He’s been developing Web sites for about 10 years and is currently in charge of AOL's search engine ( http://search.aol.com/aolcom/search?query=i.hug ). In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, taking pictures, gardening, building with wood, collecting gadgets, and sampling fine drink and wine. He has recently tried NASCAR and finds it surprisingly appealing. His favorite movie of all time is The Cannonball Run, his favorite TV show at the moment is LOST and his MP3 player is mostly filled with music by traditional blues, classic rock and jam bands. Ragin Patel Cincinnati, OH Ragin Patel, Jane’s hubby, works as a systems analyst for a local telephone company. He spent the first 23 years of my life in India and then came to the United States to do an MBA, and has been here since. He loves sports, both watching and playing. Cricket is his game. Having grown up in a country where poverty is everywhere, he is pleased to be able to do his part to make a difference. Ryan Klinefelter London, England Ryan has been working as a workout consultant helping to resuscitate or save troubled corporate companies. His work recently brought him and his wife, Devon, to London from Los Angeles. Ryan has worked with clients across Europe, in both the private and public sector, traversing a broad range of industries along the way. Ryan joined i.HUG through the inspiration of our treasurer and board member Michael Ruehlman and is very keen on helping transfer some of his finance and consulting knowledge to help along i.HUG's finance team. His long-term goals are to help i.HUG makes strides towards sustainability through the institution of a micro-finance engineered program Trish Dalton Brooklyn, NY Trish Dalton is a New York City-based independent producer, director, videographer, and editor specializing in social-issue documentaries. She has spent time traveling and volunteering in Africa, including western villages of Uganda. Dalton combines her interest and skills in filmmaking with her interest in Africa and other cultures, and has volunteered and worked for a number of film collectives and organizations, including: The 5th Night, Paper Tiger TV, Global Action Project, Reel Sweet Betty, DCTV, and the Indy Media Center. In January 2001, Dalton formed 'Ohms Media Collective', along with likeminded political documentary filmmakers working in low-budget digital video. The organization produces digital videos covering local and international political issues. Vishnu Karunya Reddy, Isukapalli Cincinnati, OH Vishnu (Vishnu Karunya Reddy, Isukapalli—Tired??) is 27 and originally from Hyderabad, India. He love sports especially eam sports, hanging out with family, friends and dogs. He is a computer science graduate from JNTU, Hyderabad, India and he also have a masters from the University of Kentucky. Currently, he’s working for Chiquita Brands International, in Cincinnati, OH, as a senior developer. Vishnu says it’s his belief that there is nothing good that comes out of keeping all to ourselves, so we are better off sharing whatever we can with the needy. This is why he is excited to be part of organizations such as the i.HUG Foundation and FirstBench. He “HUGely” admires people who believe in helping others. Yavanika Sinha London, England Yavanika or Nikki, as referred to by her friends, has earned B.A. (1998) and M.A. (2000) degrees in political science from Lady Shriram College, New Delhi, India. She started her career as an academic counselor at NIIT, which is one of the largest providers of information technology education in India. After her marriage in 2002, she left her position at NIIT to join her husband in the USA. USA visa restrictions did not permit her to hold a paid job hence she decided to volunteer for non-profit organizations. This endeavor led her once again to the path of academics. In 2003, she joined the MSc. degree program in Management of Non-Governmental Organizations at London School of Economics, London (LSE). Her M.Sc. dissertation was on NGO advocacy. After graduating from London in 2004, Nikki has been volunteering at All Stars Project, a non-profit dedicated to promote the growth and development of inner city kids in NYC through theater and career related workshops. Nikki is passionate about helping deprived kids and in i.HUG she sees a perfect platform to channel her volunteer services. She has always admired Jane's dedication and compassion for the marginalized kids of Uganda and is really excited about the opportunity to support the noble cause that i.HUG has taken up.

Volunteers

Andrea Jenkins
Beaufort, SC

Andrea Jenkins has been working as a designer, art director, and creative director since 1993. She began her career in San Francisco in print publishing at Wired Magazine. After two years of reporting on the birth of new technologies and the Internet, Andrea joined on with one of the first Web content producers in the San Francisco, CNET.COM.

Andrea has continued to work on the Internet in creative management roles for the past eight years at various companies, tapping into online trends as they happened: news & entertainment content portals, gaming, e-commerce, online music delivery, and now sports. You can currently find Andrea's work on MLB.com.

Brad Stewart
Ontario, Canada

Brad Stewart is the President of Ethical Fundraising. He has a Master's in Philosophy (Ethics, Bioethics, Social Philosophy) from the University of Calgary. His thesis "Social Obligations Towards the Homeless" was granted honor's status in 2002 and has been forwarded to prominent Canadian politicians. He is also a published adventure/travel writer, and has even dabbled in wine imports. Brad has worked for more than 10 years with non-profit organizations, and is a fervent supporter of i.HUG :

"i.HUG is a rare gem in the non-profit world. This is an efficient grassroots organization run by caring people who understand the need for immediate and direct delivery."

Carrie Watson
New York, NY

Carrie Watson lives in New York City and is Senior Editor of American Salon magazine. She graduated from the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, and received her Master’s degree in magazine journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Carrie helps write and edit literature for i.HUG and serves as head of the Sponsorship Committee. She first learned about i.HUG when Joanna brought Paddy in to speak at the company where Carrie and Joanna both worked. After listening to Paddy and Joanna talk of the poverty and people in Kabalagala, Carrie was reminded of trips she used to take during high school to severely destitute shantytowns in Mexico, just south of the Texas border, to build schools and homes. Despite the poverty, there was still so much hope and happiness. That’s just how Carrie imagines Kabalagala to be. But she will soon find out because she is traveling with Michael Ruehlman, a fellow volunteer, to Kabalagala in November!.

Devon Loback
London, England

Devon has a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, with an emphasis and interest in working primarily with children and adolescents. Prior to moving to London, she was working for a non-profit clinic that counseled children between the ages of 11-18. She encountered clients with a range of issues, including sexual abuse, domestic violence, gang affiliation, school difficulties, divorce issues, emotional immaturity, and self-esteem and self-perception issues. Additionally, she has developed a manual (for her clinic) for counseling children with a history of sexual abuse and gang affiliation. She also has a history of working with autistic children on their cognitive and emotional development. One day (soon!) she hope to return to school for her doctorate so she can pursue a career in either research or teaching.
On a personal level, Devon and her husband, Ryan, and recently returned from a trip to Africa and have developed a passion for the country. They are particularly interested in helping those that are hindered by a lack of resources.

Jennifer Moskowitz
New York, NY

Jennifer Moskowitz is an Analyst in the Legal Business Consulting Practice of Huron Consulting Group. She graduated from the University at Albany, New York, in May 2005 with a degree in Business. She currently lives in Manhattan with her older sister. She joined i.HUG through the help of Michael Ruehlman, Treasurer, and now rounds out the organization as Development Chair, working on ensuring that the International HUG Foundation meets its goals and activities.

Jennifer Taylor
Cincinnati, OH

Jenny is a Marketing and Production Specialist at ViewSource Inc, a web design and marketing firm in Cincinnati. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2005 with a BA in Electronic Media. Her hobbies include reading, watching Project Runway, trying to sew, and playing with her mini dachshund, Liesel. Jenny also serves on i.HUG’s Web site committee, and in particular, helps with its search engine optimization .

John Getz
Cincinnati, OH

An i.HUG volunteer since summer 2006 and now a member of the Education Committee, John Getz is Professor of English at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he has taught for 35 years. A specialist in 19 th- and early 20 th-century American literature, he also teaches a course in world literature. He has published articles on several American authors including Mary Wilkins Freeman, Sherwood Anderson, Ursula Le Guin and Leslie Marmon Silko. Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, John is married to Kathy Getz. As a stepfather he gets to share her three children as well as two grandchildren and a third on the way.

John earned his B.A. at Xavier and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. He has a longstanding interest in interdisciplinary teaching and currently teaches a course in Literature and Moral Imagination as part of Xavier's Ethics/Religion and Society Focus. His career at Xavier includes nine years as department chair, and he also spent several years as a volunteer adult literacy tutor in a GED program at a community school in Cincinnati.

For i.HUG John works with Kathy and Jane as they plan hiring procedures and curriculum for the SEEDS school. He is grateful to colleagues at Xavier for help they've generously offered him in the process.

Kathy Getz
Cincinnati, OH

Kathy has spent much of her life caring for children. Her own children are now grown; her son, Matt, and his wife, Lynda, an Egyptian-American Copt, are the parents of Kathy’s two beloved grandchildren, Fischer and Lola. Her two daughters are Kate (married to Eric) and Molly, who has one year of college left.

In the past, she taught preschool and elementary school, sometimes to special needs children. A sociology major in college, she hold Master's degrees in special education and in Montessori preprimary. She’s worked in children's ministry at two churches; currently she’s team-teaching Sunday school for four-to-six-year-olds, with Molly. She’s happy to be sponsoring an i.HUG child with her husband, John, and draws on her background to help Jane with plans for the school in Uganda.
These days she enjoys exchanging emails with her prayer partner Winnie in Uganda, walking in nature, collecting teacups and Christmas tree ornaments, and reading magazines and books, especially mysteries with female protagonists.

Lisa Bruckenstein
New York, NY

Lisa was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where she attended Brooklyn College as a Political Science major. After graduating, she started working in an environment that felt very much like home—retail. For the past seven years, she’s been working in publishing, in sales and marketing. It’s at her current job that she was introduced to the i.HUG Foundation. She had always wanted to get involved in a volunteer capacity, but there was something about i.HUG that she says moved her to action. Although there are so many great causes, she says was compelled by Joanna’s personal story and decided to join i.HUG and help to make a difference. She currently volunteers as the committee head of donor relations.

Lynn Serra
New York, NY

Lynn is the sponsor of adorable Winnie in Kabalagala, Uganda, and is the i.HUG Art and Design Maven. Lynn has called New York City her home for almost 12 years. After relocating from Portland, Maine, where she attended Maine College of Art, she worked in the art departments of multiple consumer magazines. The first being Vanity Fair and eventually SPIN (after a more than three-year stint at Doublespace, a boutique graphic design firm, where she helped launch two national consumer magazines). After that, she joined as Art Director of American Salon, the leading beauty trade magazine in the industry. Currently, Lynn is an active freelancer, with a passion for art, photography, animals and making a real difference for Africa’s people and environment. After meeting Pastor Paddy, she knew she had to be a part of the organization Joanna and Jane were starting. She makes the most of her free time with friends and family, cooking, traveling, and enjoying outdoor activities .

Marita Gomez
Schaumburg, IL

Marita founded HealthInfo, a communications agency with a special focus on science, data/list intelligence, and creativity, which is experiencing double-digit growth. Previously, Marita was a journalist, producer, and editor for various media outlets, including ABC and NBC affiliates.
Marita also has extensive experience in consumer/professional advocacy development. Prior to establishing HealthInfo, Marita oversaw public relations for the national non-profit Prevent Blindness America (PBA). Additionally, she is an active member on the boards of the Midwest HealthCare Marketing Association and the Illinois Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and serves on the committees for the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter and the i.HUG Foundation. She has served on the boards of the Health Care Communicators of Chicago, the Metropolitan Healthcare Council, and the Mentoring Program at Northwestern University.

Mel Briski
Cincinnati, OH

Mel is 24 and grew up in rural New York and rural Ohio with his Mom, Dad, and two sisters. She attended the University of Cincinnati and studied business (Operations Management with a focus on the service sector, and International Economic Development, to be precise). Between looking for jobs, she currently listen to a lot of Over the Rhine, Ben Folds, and Sufjan Stevens while drinking hazelnut lattes and reading Blue Like Jazz and Dorothy Sayers novels at The Rohs Street Cafe. Her interests include cooking, photography, traveling, reading murder novels, sewing hippy skirts, celebrating the solstices and equinoxes, refinishing furniture, taking road trips, snobby arthouse films, social justice, fair trade, activism, and sticking daisies in her hair. She is trying to write a book and sometimes poetry tries to write her. If anyone would like to send a token of their undying affection, she accepts chocolates, large bohemian earrings and gypsy scarves. “How event planning and fundraising for i.HUG fits into any of that is beyond me,: she says, “but they sure are fun!” Her highly opinionated and somewhat temperamental blog can be read at: mixedmoss.voxtropolis.com

Mike Sommers
Leesburg, VA

Mike Sommers was born and raised in Rutherford, New Jersey, grew up in New York City and went to school there and is now living in Leesburg, VA with my his wife, Wendy, and children Lucas (6) and Maya (3). He’s been developing Web sites for about 10 years and is currently in charge of AOL's search engine ( http://search.aol.com/aolcom/search?query=i.hug ). In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, taking pictures, gardening, building with wood, collecting gadgets, and sampling fine drink and wine. He has recently tried NASCAR and finds it surprisingly appealing. His favorite movie of all time is The Cannonball Run, his favorite TV show at the moment is LOST and his MP3 player is mostly filled with music by traditional blues, classic rock and jam bands.

Ragin Patel
Cincinnati, OH

Ragin Patel, Jane’s hubby, works as a systems analyst for a local telephone company. He spent the first 23 years of my life in India and then came to the United States to do an MBA, and has been here since. He loves sports, both watching and playing. Cricket is his game. Having grown up in a country where poverty is everywhere, he is pleased to be able to do his part to make a difference.

Ryan Klinefelter
London, England

Ryan has been working as a workout consultant helping to resuscitate or save troubled corporate companies. His work recently brought him and his wife, Devon, to London from Los Angeles. Ryan has worked with clients across Europe, in both the private and public sector, traversing a broad range of industries along the way.

Ryan joined i.HUG through the inspiration of our treasurer and board member Michael Ruehlman and is very keen on helping transfer some of his finance and consulting knowledge to help along i.HUG's finance team. His long-term goals are to help i.HUG makes strides towards sustainability through the institution of a micro-finance engineered program

Trish Dalton
Brooklyn, NY

Trish Dalton is a New York City-based independent producer, director, videographer, and editor specializing in social-issue documentaries. She has spent time traveling and volunteering in Africa, including western villages of Uganda. Dalton combines her interest and skills in filmmaking with her interest in Africa and other cultures, and has volunteered and worked for a number of film collectives and organizations, including: The 5th Night, Paper Tiger TV, Global Action Project, Reel Sweet Betty, DCTV, and the Indy Media Center. In January 2001, Dalton formed 'Ohms Media Collective', along with likeminded political documentary filmmakers working in low-budget digital video. The organization produces digital videos covering local and international political issues.

Vishnu Karunya Reddy, Isukapalli
Cincinnati, OH

Vishnu (Vishnu Karunya Reddy, Isukapalli—Tired??) is 27 and originally from Hyderabad, India. He love sports especially eam sports, hanging out with family, friends and dogs. He is a computer science graduate from JNTU, Hyderabad, India and he also have a masters from the University of Kentucky. Currently, he’s working for Chiquita Brands International, in Cincinnati, OH, as a senior developer. Vishnu says it’s his belief that there is nothing good that comes out of keeping all to ourselves, so we are better off sharing whatever we can with the needy. This is why he is excited to be part of organizations such as the i.HUG Foundation and FirstBench. He “HUGely” admires people who believe in helping others.

Yavanika Sinha
London, England

Yavanika or Nikki, as referred to by her friends, has earned B.A. (1998) and M.A. (2000) degrees in political science from Lady Shriram College, New Delhi, India. She started her career as an academic counselor at NIIT, which is one of the largest providers of information technology education in India. After her marriage in 2002, she left her position at NIIT to join her husband in the USA. USA visa restrictions did not permit her to hold a paid job hence she decided to volunteer for non-profit organizations. This endeavor led her once again to the path of academics. In 2003, she joined the MSc. degree program in Management of Non-Governmental Organizations at London School of Economics, London (LSE). Her M.Sc. dissertation was on NGO advocacy. After graduating from London in 2004, Nikki has been volunteering at All Stars Project, a non-profit dedicated to promote the growth and development of inner city kids in NYC through theater and career related workshops. Nikki is passionate about helping deprived kids and in i.HUG she sees a perfect platform to channel her volunteer services. She has always admired Jane's dedication and compassion for the marginalized kids of Uganda and is really excited about the opportunity to support the noble cause that i.HUG has taken up.