Meet our team

Our central leadership team is made up entirely of college and high school students. All of our work is done through volunteers with no paid staff or stipends.

Executive leadership +

Lindsey Prochot

VP of Finance

Quintana Weisgerber

VP of Chapter Management

Melissa Penafiel

VP of Operations and Development

Board of directors +

Robert Strauss

Board of Directors

Jay Shah

Board of Directors

Niko Vasilopoulos

Board of Directors

Kristin McKay

Board of Directors

Saloni Nahar

Board of Directors

The full team +

Find a team memberDepartment

24 team members

Sou Lynn Beneteau

Chapter Management

Rifaa Meghani

Finance

Amesha Banjara

Web Development

Caylie Kromelow

Operations & Development

Kennedy Bolton

Chapter Management

Adi Singh

Chapter Management

Amelie Lynde

Chapter Management

Oriana Bradley

Finance

Norah Marinelli

Operations & Development

Christopher Naglestad

Finance

Kate Murray

Operations & Development

Jayen Datta

Operations & Development

Sareena Shah

Founder

Maya Jha

Founder

Ana Parikh

Founder

Raina Koshal

Founder

Robert Strauss

Board of Directors

Jay Shah

Board of Directors

Niko Vasilopoulos

Board of Directors

Kristin McKay

Board of Directors

Saloni Nahar

Board of Directors

Lindsey Prochot

VP of Finance

Quintana Weisgerber

VP of Chapter Management

Melissa Penafiel

VP of Operations and Development

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Sareena Shah

Founder · she/her

Sareena Shah is a sophomore at Stanford University majoring in Human Biology. Amidst severe classroom disruptions brought about by the pandemic in 2020, Sareena co-founded The Re-Write It Project to streamline access to high-quality, essential learning resources for students in her Chicago community. As Co-Founder and the former Finance Chair, Sareena spearheaded The Re-Write It Project’s 501(c)(3) accreditation, organizational development, fundraising efforts, and community expansion. She loves continuing to nurture a tangible and sustainable way for student volunteers to influence public education resource allocation.

Maya Jha

Founder · she/her

Maya Jha, a sophomore at Northwestern University majoring in industrial engineering and economics, She co-founded The Re-Write It Project in August 2020 to address educational inequities exacerbated by Covid. Recognizing the irony of school supplies wasted annually while many Chicagoland communities lacked quality materials, she launched the initiative to bridge this gap. As a board advisor and former head of Operations & Development, Maya has driven partnerships, earned media recognition, launched the Chapter System, and expanded the organization's reach.

Ana Parikh

Founder · she/her

Ana Parikh is a co-founder and executive board member of The Re-Write It Project. She is currently a student at Georgetown University, double majoring in finance and accounting, and expects to graduate in May 2027. Ana joined the project driven by her passion to address the educational inequities she witnessed in Chicago. She is committed to providing students with the learning supplies they need to thrive.

Raina Koshal

Founder · she/her

Raina Koshal is a sophomore at Cornell University majoring in Applied Economics and Management with a minor in Inequality Studies. Noticing how the educational inequities in her city were exacterbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Raina co-founded The Re-Write It Project to make an impact in her community. Raina created and lead the chapter management team and oversaw the transition of the organization into a chapter based model.

Robert Strauss

Board of Directors

Bobby, an equity partner at Fisher Cohen Waldman Shapiro, LLP, advises clients on commercial, real estate, and private equity matters. He counsels healthcare professionals, serves as outside counsel to businesses, and acts as general counsel to a real estate developer and legal officer for payment companies. He also represents lenders in loan and forbearance agreements. A Chicago-Kent College of Law honors graduate (2000), he began his career as a judicial clerk in Cook County’s Chancery Division.

Jay Shah

Board of Directors

Dr. Shah, former Chief Growth Officer at Duo Health, specializes in serving members with kidney disease. A physician executive with decades of experience in consulting, investment banking, and value-based care, he previously led growth efforts at Babylon Health and ChenMed, with senior roles at xG Health Solutions, GE Healthcare, Lumeris, and J.P. Morgan. He earned his MBBS from Seth G.S. Medical College in Mumbai and an MBA from Duke University. Dr. Shah lives in Chicago with his wife, Malika, and daughters, Sareena and Aria.

Niko Vasilopoulos

Board of Directors

Niko, a senior at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, is double majoring in International Business and Marketing with minors in Strategic Management, Spanish, and Managing People in Organizations. Actively involved in student government and as an Ambassador to prospective students, Niko also led RWIP’s 2021 partnership with Fanari Camp, creating over 1,700 supply kits and donating thousands of bulk supplies.

Kristin McKay

Board of Directors

Kristin McKay is a social justice-focused educator dedicated to fostering interpersonal and structural change through restorative practices. She serves as the Social Emotional Learning Specialist at Social Justice High School in Chicago and has over a decade of experience in education. Kristin is the founder of A Just Approach, an equity-centered consulting practice, and an adjunct lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, where she teaches Restorative Justice Interventions: Anti-Racist Practice + Facilitation.

Saloni Nahar

Board of Directors

Saloni Nahar graduated with a degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She now works for Collegiate Empowerment as a Performer and with Humor That Works as a Social Media Specialist. She is super excited to be on the board for The Re-Write It Project!

Lindsey Prochot

VP of Finance · she/her

Hi! I'm Lindsey, and I am a senior at Walter Payton. I joined the Re-Write It Project to help kids gain the resources to explore opportunities they're passionate about. It's an amazing way for me to incorporate my interest in finance into the community.

Sou Lynn Beneteau

Chapter Management · she/her

Hello! My name is Sou Lynn Beneteau and I’m a senior at Walter Payton College Prep. I joined the Re-Write It Project because of its strong commitment to equality and service. I was inspired by the passion the team has toward bridging educational inequalities. I am excited to continue promoting its mission!

Rifaa Meghani

Finance · she/her

Hi! I’m a Junior at Walter Payton College Prep. I am really passionate about reducing the educational inequalities that limit students from reaching their full potential. Additionally, I am also interested in finance and business so I am excited to help out the Re-Write It Project’s Finance Team.

Quintana Weisgerber

VP of Chapter Management · she/her

Hi! I’m Quintana! I’m a senior at Jones College Prep. I joined The Re-Write It Project to make a meaningful impact in my community by providing underprivileged children with the essential learning resources they need. I’m excited to contribute to a future where every child has access to the tools to succeed.

Amesha Banjara

Web Development · she/her

Amesha is a sophomore at Stanford University studying Computer Science and Data Science. She is super passionate about technology being a tool for impact so when Sareena asked if she could take on the challenge of rebuilding the website, she was really excited. She is happy to be joining the Rewrite The Project family!

Caylie Kromelow

Operations & Development · she/her

I am a Junior at Walter Payton College Prep. I joined the Re-Write it project because I have a passion for giving back and want to involve myself with organizations that I feel connected to. The education gap in Chicago is an area I am passionate about and I want to help bridge the gap between schools so that every student is given the opportunities and resources to succeed in learning.

Kennedy Bolton

Chapter Management · she/her

Hi! I am Kennedy Bolton, a current senior at Whitney Young. I joined The Re-Write It Project to give back to kids in underserved communities. I believe every kid deserves the chance to succeed and I am glad to assist in the process.

Adi Singh

Chapter Management · he/him

I go to the British International School of Chicago, South Loop, and I’m a high school junior. I joined The Re-Write It Project to make a difference within our community.

Amelie Lynde

Chapter Management · she/her

I am a senior at Jones. I joined The Re-Write It Project because I want to help underprivileged children be able to achieve their full academic potential. I felt very inspired when I first started going to club meeting when they created the Re-Write It chapter at Jones. I loved helping refurbish school supplies, so I wanted to be more involved and take on a leadership position.

Oriana Bradley

Finance · she/her

Hi, I am a sophomore at Walter Payton who enjoys mathematics, volleyball and cooking. I joined the Re-Write It project to get more experience with finance and managing budgets. Additionally, I want to give resources back to the community to give them the same opportunities that I receive from my school.

Norah Marinelli

Operations & Development · she/her

I’m a sophomore at Walter Payton. I joined because I think it’s a good cause and a good community of hardworking people.

Christopher Naglestad

Finance · he/him

I am in my sophomore year and I go to Northside College Prep. I joined the Re-Write It Project for a few reasons. My first is that I want to help people who aren't fortunate get the learning materials they need to get a good education because I believe that everyone should have an equal shot at getting a good education. My second reason is that I was always interested in finance and the Re-Write It Project has given me the opportunity to get some hands-on experience in the finance world.

Melissa Penafiel

VP of Operations and Development · she/her

I am a current senior at Walter Payton College Prep. I joined The Re-Write It Project because I was interested in helping out underserved youth throughout Chicago. I quickly learned that this organization has a place for anyone to make a change, including areas in sustainability, finance, and communications. Everyone collaborates with one another in order to fulfill the mission and make meaningful change.

Kate Murray

Operations & Development · she/her

I’m a sophomore at Walter Payton College Prep. I joined because I want to lead this club and help students pursue their education.

Jayen Datta

Operations & Development · he/him

Read more about our volunteer teams and how to get involved.

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Join our teams as a Chapter Liaison, or as a member of our Media, Finance, or Operations teams.

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