{"id":171,"date":"2026-08-14T16:53:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T16:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/?page_id=171"},"modified":"2026-08-16T00:51:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T00:51:04","slug":"leadership","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/?page_id=171","title":{"rendered":"Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGuiding Youth to Serve<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tTALYouth<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tLeaders\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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TALYouth prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for social service and social impact \u2014 guided by innovators, educators and changemakers across the US and India.<\/p><\/div><\/section>

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Core Team, US<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Leaders shaping TALYouth’s vision from Silicon Valley and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\r\n \"Veena\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Veena Gundavelli\r\n <\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n Chairperson\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n
\r\n INNOVATOR, ENTREPRENEUR, CEO AND PHILANTHROPIST\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n Veena Gundavelli is a Silicon Valley based tech innovator\r\n and entrepreneur in Artificial Intelligence and Fintech.\r\n She is the Founder and CEO of Emagia, Digital Finance Cloud\r\n Solutions. She is a board member of Solix, Data Management\r\n Cloud provider. She is the co-founder of Touch-A-Life\r\n Foundation, a digital philanthropy platform, and the\r\n Chairperson of TALYouth, the youth social innovation\r\n program from Touch-A-Life Foundation.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n She is a member, author and speaker of the Forbes Technology\r\n Council, and was a special representative for the US for\r\n the ITEC department, AP Government. She has received\r\n \"Innovator of the Year\" by Women in IT Awards 2018,\r\n \"Trail Blazer of the Year\" by Forum of Women Entrepreneurs\r\n (FWE) and \"Women of Distinction in Technology\" by Silicon\r\n Valley Business Journal, among other accolades.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\r\n Chris Funk\r\n <\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n Superintendent, Dublin Unified School District\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n
\r\n Board of Advisor, Touch-A-Life Foundation\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n
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\r\n Chris Funk is the Superintendent of Dublin Unified School District.\r\n A native of San Jose, he received his MA in Social Science from San\r\n Jose State University in 1991. Chris has been in public education\r\n for the past thirty years, working in San Jose Unified for eighteen\r\n years; fourteen as an administrator. As principal at Lincoln High\r\n School, the school earned a 21st Century School of Distinction,\r\n Lighthouse Award, California Distinguished School Award and a\r\n six-year WASC accreditation.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n Chris was the superintendent of East Side Union High School District\r\n from 2012 to June 2021, where he oversaw sixteen schools, 22,000\r\n students and an Adult Education program serving another 4,000 students.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n Chris is also a TALYouth board advisor, helping provide his educational\r\n expertise and resources to further develop the TALYouth program,\r\n encouraging students to volunteer and give back to their community.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n\r\n \"Chris\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\r\n \"Manuel\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Manuel Serapio\r\n <\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
\r\n Discipline Director and Associate Professor for International Business\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Manuel Serapio is a Discipline Director and Associate Professor\r\n for International Business & Entrepreneurship at the\r\n University of Colorado Denver, with 33+ years of extensive\r\n experience in the education field.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n He completed his MBA at the University of Hawaii and his Ph.D.\r\n in International Business at the University of Illinois.\r\n He has authored many publications and received numerous awards.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n He is a member of the Academy of International Business,\r\n Academy of Management, Association of Japanese Business Studies\r\n and the Japan America Society of Colorado.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\r\n Tej Gundavelli\r\n <\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
\r\n Founder & CEO \u2014 Touch-A-Life Foundation\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Tej Gundavelli is a graduate of UC Berkeley and currently works\r\n at PayPal. In the past, he has worked with non-profit organizations\r\n such as Elefante Blanco and Sacred Heart Community Services to\r\n help the Bay Area's homeless community.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n By working with school districts throughout the Bay Area, he hopes\r\n to use Touch-A-Life Foundation to help homeless students by\r\n connecting high school students, working professionals, corporations\r\n and institutions who want to use their resources for the local\r\n homeless student community.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n\r\n \"Tej\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\r\n \"Sai\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Sai Gundavelli\r\n <\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
\r\n Board of Director\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Sai Gundavelli is the Founder and CEO of Solix Technologies, Inc.,\r\n responsible for the company's overall vision and strategic direction.\r\n Under his leadership, Solix pioneered the concept of Enterprise Data\r\n Management, providing the first worldwide infrastructure platform to\r\n manage structured and unstructured enterprise data.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n Prior to founding Solix Technologies, he spearheaded several strategic\r\n initiatives in Enterprise Application areas at companies like Cisco\r\n Systems and Arix Corp. He is a member of the Churchill Club, TiE Charter\r\n and NASSCOM, and holds a Master's in Mechanical Engineering from the\r\n University of Oklahoma.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Core Team, India<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mentors and industry leaders growing the movement across India.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\r\n JA Chowdary\r\n <\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
\r\n Chief Evangelizing Officer, TALYouth India\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
\r\n Entrepreneur, Innovator, Angel Investor, Industry Leader\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n JA Chowdary is an entrepreneur, technology leader and innovator\r\n with an illustrious career spanning the private and public sectors.\r\n He is passionate about improving the lives of Indian youth through\r\n technology education and employment opportunities. Over the last\r\n 25 years he has helped grow the Indian IT industry, and has been\r\n a key member and founder of social initiatives including Naandi\r\n Foundation, Let's Vote AP Development Forum, ADI Foundation,\r\n Food 360 Foundation and Hyderabad 10K.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n He served as the Special Chief Secretary (Rank of Cabinet Minister)\r\n to the Andhra Pradesh Government in the Chief Minister's Office\r\n during 2014-19. He is also the founder of Fintech Valley\r\n Visakhapatnam and has worked with organizations such as ISRO\r\n Satellite Center, BHEL R&D and STPI (DOE).\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n\r\n \"JA\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\r\n \"Ajit\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Ajit Rangnekar\r\n <\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
\r\n Chief Mentor, TALYouth India\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
\r\n Director-General, Innovator, Former Dean Indian School of Business\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Ajit Rangnekar is the Director-General of the Research and\r\n Innovation Circle of Hyderabad, a Telangana Government initiative.\r\n He also heads the PSA-supported Hyderabad city cluster initiative \u2014\r\n a collaborative network of research and academic institutions,\r\n industry, start-ups, civic bodies and government implementing\r\n science and technology innovations for mass impact.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n He retired as the Dean of the Indian School of Business (ISB),\r\n India's highest-ranked business school, and has been a member of\r\n many global committees in business education. He is a governing\r\n board member of IIITH, a founding member of T-Hub, a board member\r\n of companies, and a director of Social Venture Partners India.\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\tLearn From Leaders Like These<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Join a TALYouth Club or build your idea with TALTransformers and get mentored by people who have been there.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Started<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guiding Youth to Serve TALYouth Leaders TALYouth prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for social service and social impact \u2014 guided by innovators, educators and changemakers across the US and India. \u00a0 Core Team, US Leaders shaping TALYouth’s vision from Silicon Valley and beyond. Veena Gundavelli Chairperson INNOVATOR, ENTREPRENEUR, CEO AND PHILANTHROPIST Veena Gundavelli is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-171","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=171"}],"version-history":[{"count":82,"href":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":629,"href":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/171\/revisions\/629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/3.208.181.21\/talyouth\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}