Associate Board
Sanjiv Gajiwala helped to found the NIAM Associate Board in early 2018. As a 2nd generation Indian American, he is passionate about preserving and telling the stories of the South Asian immigrant journey in America as well as helping to define the meaning of Indian American culture and heritage for this and future generations. A native of Chicago, Sanjiv is currently Senior Vice President of Marketing for Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co., the 6th largest beer company in the US. He and his wife Christine live in the West Loop of Chicago where they are expecting their first child.
Sonal Gupta is an Integrative Psychiatrist that specializes in women’s mental health & psycho-oncology. As an Indo-American born in India & raised in the USA, Sonal feels passionately about preserving & sharing the remarkable stories of her family and many stories of families just like hers for future generations. Sonal has always looked for ways to integrate her Indian roots with her American wings. Being a part of NIAM’s Associate Board is an honor & privilege and serves as a creative platform to weave strong cultural ties with the evolving identity of this diaspora. She resides in Oak Brook with her husband, Vivek & their daughter.
Beverly Furtado is a Learning & Development professional, with a certification in E-learning Instructional Design, from UCI. She addresses the learning needs of corporates in the areas of behavioral and skill-based training (communication/ leadership). Beverly is passionate about social work and volunteers most of her time handling communications, writing/managing content for non-profit organizations including animal rescue (TN) and children’s education in India. She lives in Northbrook, IL with her husband Sanjeev and their rescued fur-baby Dorie.
Sona Jones is the Chief Operating Officer at Chicago Ideas, a nonprofit that inspires action among change-makers from all backgrounds through accessible programming, including Chicago Ideas Week, one of the world’s largest affordable ideas festivals. Sona leads the day-to-day operations at Chicago Ideas. Prior to joining Chicago Ideas, Sona worked in marketing across a number of entertainment and media entities. Sona has worked with various Indian-American organizations over the last 15 years, and has deep pride in her Indian American heritage. Sona resides in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago with her husband Greg and their two children.
Shilpi Shah is very excited to be a member of NIAM’s 2018 Associate Board. She is proud of the Indian immigrant experiences of past generations and looks forward to preserving their stories and highlighting their continuing effects on Indian Americans. Shilpi is a commercial real estate attorney at Gussis & Alexander LLC, a boutique commercial real estate firm in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to joining her firm, Shilpi held various legal positions in both the public and private sectors. Shilpi lives in Hinsdale, Illinois, with her husband, Purav, and their two children.
Aarathi Agadi Singh is Chief Operating Officer of MedGyn, a medical device manufacturer based out of Addison, IL that is focused on women’s health. She is dedicated to improving access to quality healthcare for women globally, including her involvement with non-governmental organizations in India and Africa. Aarathi is a second generation Indian and passionate about her heritage, particularly ensuring that her culture has a platform to both sustain and thrive in the United States. Aarathi completed her Arangetram and remains involved with Bharatanatyam by helping her two daughters complete their training. She lives in Hinsdale, Il with her husband, two daughters, and son. Aarathi has a BS from Boston University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Rohit Srivastava has been a proud advisor and member of many Indo-American organizations through his career, and is honored to serve on the NIAM Associate Board in 2018. Raised in Rockford, IL, Rohit has taken pride in the immigrant experience of both his parents and their extended family through the years,, and is excited to contribute to the preservation of those stories and experiences through this organization. Rohit is a Principal and VP at Liberty Advisor Group, a boutique management and technology consulting firm based in Chicago IL. He resides in downtown Chicago with his wife Swati and their 6-year old daughter.
