Board of Directors

Gurcharan S. Baring is a real estate broker in New York City since 2004. He has B.Sc. (Hons) Ag. & A.H. Degree from U.P.A.U. Pantnagar, Uttrakhand, India. He worked in India with Richardson Hindustan Ltd. For 3 years and Indian Farmers Fertilizers Cooperative (IFFCO) for 10 years. He was a trustee of Sikh Cultural Society, Richmond Hill, NY and was on the board of Sikh Federal Credit Union in the early 1990s'.

He has been actively involved as a volunteer with many charitable organizations working in the medical and education field. With his passion for giving back especially in the upliftment of the poor through education, he is working closely with the Punjab Education Department in the Parho Punjab Parhao Punjab initiative.

He is fluent in Punjabi, Hindi, and English and lives in Queens, New York with his wife.

Gurcharan Baring

Dr. Mona Kaur Gahunia is an actively practicing physician, board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. She currently serves as the Associate Medical Director for Operational Excellence for the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. Her prior roles have included operational leadership, public health and policy work at the Maryland State Department of Health and Baltimore City Health Department. She also previously held a clinical appointment at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Dr. Gahunia also maintains a long-standing commitment to charitable causes and community support including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, UNICEF, Partners in Health and Children International, and the International Rescue Committee.

She is especially passionate about children's education, humbly following in her grandfather, Dr. Harcharan Singh's footsteps who was a champion for girls' education and a school for girls was established in his honor in his village of Urapar in Punjab, India. She and her family have continued to support the sustainability of the school. Dr. Gahunia also is a strong supporter of the local library system in Baltimore and the YMCA.

She strongly believes that all children deserve access to educational opportunities that will foster their growth and development and enable them to be self-reliant and pursue careers of their choice in the future.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
—Nelson Mandela

Mona K. Gahunia

Dinette Rivera is a Business Consultant, Financial Coach and Entrepreneur, with over 30 years' experience in leadership and personal development. Ms. Rivera has trained thousands of individuals in the U.S. and abroad.
She is the creator of the Opportunity Training™ Program, a Science-Based Coaching and Training Program with measurable results using Evidence-Based Practice Standards. Ms. Rivera has provided training, consulting and served as an adviser to many State agencies and NGO's and is a sought-after authority on her work with some of the most disadvantaged members of society.
Ms. Rivera is a University of Delaware (U.D.) Customized Learning Solutions Instructor. She is a U.D. Certified Financial Coach Trainer and Certified Financial Coach. Ms. Rivera has trained hundreds of Financial Coaches for the State of Delaware's Stand by Me Financial Coaching Program.
Ms. Rivera is fluent in English and Spanish and has a working knowledge of Italian and Portuguese. A freedom seeker, Ms. Rivera spends her free time traveling, hiking, enjoying family, friends and savoring life.
With a passion for the education field she gives back through her non-profit work.

Dinette Rivera

Mona Singh has a diverse background in engineering consulting, non-profit committee work, public speaking, community relations, and children's enrichment programs.

She currently sits on the Governor's Council of Interfaith Partnerships in Delaware and is a Trustee at the Independence School, a co-educational independent school for children ages 3 through eighth grade. She co-administered the children's education program at the Sikh Center of Delaware for ten years.

Ms. Singh holds a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MS in Environmental Engineering from Wayne State University.

Mona Singh

Nisha Punjabi is Creative Director and Choreographer of Jhankaar Bollywood School of Dance now for over 25 years. She specializes as a mediator of cultural preservation, presentation, and exchange of dance forms for students and audiences' alike, bringing closer together, enriching and crossing cultural barriers in an ambassadorial, artistic, educational, sophisticated and in an elegant style.
Born and brought up in Bombay, India, Nisha's education was in a Catholic co-ed and then in an all girls' college for her degree in Fashion Design. Nisha initiated an Indian Culture and Language Homeschool in Delaware and was one of the three principle teachers. Her passion for helping people made her an Indian Interpreter in various public and private schools, Medical Centers, DMV and Courthouses for all her time in Delaware.
Being on the board of the Indo American Assoc. of DE as Cultural Coordinator for 6 years further gave her room to open an English teaching class for people from India and South Asia. Her Graphic Design Business put her on the board of Nawbo for 2 years. Her volunteer and charitable endeavors through dance and Bollywood musicals have helped raise funds for many causes.

Nisha believes that dance is the hidden language of the soul and expanding the passion for EDUCATION is a dream being captured with open eyes.

Nisha Punjabi