Meena brings over 10,000 hours of experience across public service and the private sector. Recognized as one of Boston’s 50 Most Influential AAPI Leaders, she has made a meaningful impact through her work at Deloitte, State Street Corporation, and as Chair of the Massachusetts AAPI Commission.

Nieke emigrated from the Netherlands at age 6 and taught in America and Taiwan, plus volunteered tutoring disenfranchised children at Framingham Public Library. With education degrees and fluency in Dutch, English and Mandarin, she strengthens educational pathways for New Americans.

Pranim supports refugees and immigrants, drawing from his experience born in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal. Fluent in English and Nepali, his advocacy connects deeply to displaced communities' challenges, enhancing Meher's self-reliance mission.

Tahina, a first-generation Haitian American studying Psychology at UMass Lowell, speaks Haitian Creole and works with new American families at a local nonprofit. She mentors an Afghan student while supporting Meher's mission to create belonging across diverse communities.

Praveena moved to the U.S. in 1996 and holds a computer science degree from UT Austin, bringing essential technical expertise to digital self-reliance pathways. Speaking Telugu, English and Hindi, she helps program participants develop skills needed for independence in Massachusetts communities.

Skyler graduated from Purdue in 2022 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and worked in cloud consulting at Deloitte. With a passion for data analytics, design, and entrepreneurship, he’s now building TurboLeads, a digital agency helping local businesses grow.

Moo Moo Paw is an experienced professional with over 4 years in Myanmar’s Higher Education Development sector at the British Council, where she consistently exceeded performance targets. She also brings more than 2 years of experience in customer service, sales, and tour leadership. Moo Moo specializes in project and budget management, database analysis, administrative operations, event planning, and media coordination. Her strong organizational skills and service-oriented mindset make her a valuable asset across diverse sectors.

Diya Nigam is a student at Lexington High School with a passion for entrepreneurship, public service, and creative expression. She leads youth engagement initiatives through local organizations, writes on equity and student voice for her school newspaper, and recently co-founded a startup through a teen entrepreneurship program. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and finds joy in connecting with her cultural roots through classical Indian dance. In her free time she enjoy’s cooking, reading, and traveling. 

Bahara Hussaini grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan and moved to the United States in 2021 to pursue her master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Massachusetts Lowell through Fulbright Scholarship. A distinguished academic and a passionate advocate for education and peace, Bahara has dedicated her career to fostering understanding and empowerment in her community.

Courtney is a mission-driven leader and process oriented thinker working to create economic mobility for all through legislative policy, legal advocacy, and strategic philanthropic investments. In her role as Director of the Racial Wealth Gap Partnership at the Boston Foundation, she convenes 40+ nonprofit leaders, financial institutions, community organizations, and policymakers to unlock wealth for historically excluded and underserved households in the Greater Boston region via homeownership.

Meg Tyler is a former co-chair of her local Special Education Parents Advisory Council and a former School Committee member. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award twice, in 2012 (Innsbruck, Austria) and in 2016 (Belfast, Northern Ireland). She is Associate Professor of Humanities at Boston University where she teaches ethical philosophy and literary style. Her publications include a book on the Irish poet Seamus Heaney (Routledge, 2005) and a recent volume of poems, More Feathers in the Lake than Swans (Finishing Line Press, 2025), among others.