Intergenerational Volunteering and Our Team

Shubhada Saxena is the President & Founder of the social venture Aspire to Age, PBC, which focuses on enhancing community engagement and building cultural competency in services. In 2008, she established the non-profit SAIVA, which fosters intergenerational volunteering and creates valuable volunteer opportunities within the South Asian community service realm. Shubhada holds a patent through IBM for ‘IT Help Architecture’ and actively leads local innovation at a global scale as the Deputy Ambassador of the Aging 2.0 Austin chapter, a member of the Aging Services Council, and participates in Wellness Exchanges for the Austin Pune Sister City Initiative. She enjoys hosting friends and a large extended family, providing caregiving training, and sharing empowerment stories with her two daughters, Maya and Shilpa, who are in their 20s.

Sonali Amodwala

As a Financial Services Professional, Sonali enjoys helping individuals and families within the South Asian community achieve their financial goals. Her primary focus is to educate and provide financial solutions for personal and business needs, enhancing community engagement.

Sonali is passionate about SAIVA’s mission and values because it allows her to interact with senior members and give back to the community through meaningful volunteer opportunities. Her vision is to expand SAIVA to other cities and continue to provide sustainable intergenerational programs. A core tenet of Sonali’s values is life-long learning for personal growth and professional development. Besides her work with SAIVA, Sonali also actively participates in GAACC, IACT, HC4A, and Chinmaya Mission Austin.

Indu Vaidya

As an accomplished professional trio—Singer, Dancer, and Choreographer—Indu has observed the world through creative eyes, sensing nuances and appreciating both form and function. As a dedicated real estate professional, she has honed her skills working with a diverse, high-profile, and international customer base. Known by clients and colleagues alike for her tenacity, perseverance, honesty, and fairness, Indu is a focused listener committed to creating a positive experience for all. Her mantra of being in touch and staying in touch is key to her long-term relationships with clients, a philosophy that extends to her community engagement initiatives, especially within the South Asian community service sector, where she actively seeks volunteer opportunities to make a difference.

Janani Janakiraman

“Let’s go do it.” As an IBM Master Inventor and STEM enthusiast, Janani Janakiraman has been actively involved in community engagement initiatives, harnessing the power of corporate volunteers to support SAIVA's core mission of social good within the South Asian community. As part of the IBM Service Corps volunteers, she served on a multi-cultural, gender-balanced, cross-functional pro bono consulting team of IBMers from seven countries, working on social impact projects in Bulgaria. Janani also serves on the board of the American Association of University Women, where she leads the PR/Web team for the Austin and Texas sites. Additionally, she has been instrumental in promoting STEM learning and providing volunteer opportunities for K-12 students.

Samrity Dhawan

Samrity is an extroverted and optimistic individual who is generous and enthusiastic about life’s changes. As a mother of two, she maintains a positive attitude regardless of the circumstances and finds joy in helping others. Family vacations are a favorite of hers, and she cherishes the time spent with loved ones. Samrity has a passion for cooking and takes delight in feeding her family and friends. With a dream to open a restaurant that offers free meals to those in need, she embodies the spirit of community engagement. Her creativity knows no bounds, and Samrity is a compassionate person who helps others without hesitation. She actively participates in volunteer opportunities, particularly with the South Asian community service organization, Saiva. To her, life becomes truly meaningful when serving those in need.

Sangeeta Sethi

Sangeeta is a devoted homemaker who loves shopping, dancing, and traveling all around the world! She has a passion for community engagement and enjoys helping others as much as she can. Sangeeta’s cheerful smile is always present during our weekly activities. At SAIVA, she plays a vital role in leading several projects, including our food for thought and refugee cooking programs that cater to the South Asian community service. In a very short time, she has become a favorite among our senior members, thanks to her bubbly, loving, and caring personality. Additionally, Sangeeta volunteers at One Ward At A Time (Speech Therapy Lab), where she actively seeks out volunteer opportunities. A very social person, she lives life to the fullest and firmly believes in the impact of a positive attitude!

Dipty Desai

Dipty is a retired RN who is married and has two wonderful kids. She enjoys engaging with the volunteers and members at Saiva as part of her involvement in South Asian community service. Every day spent with them enriches her personal growth through their shared knowledge and experiences. Dipty is dedicated to being the most helpful, patient, and loving volunteer. Through her selfless services and commitment to community engagement, Saiva’s therapy doll program has expanded significantly thanks to the various volunteer opportunities it provides.

Sintra Nalini Persad

Sintra's mom Tara is the driving force behind Sintra's work with SAIVA, an organization deeply committed to community engagement and the emotional wellbeing of our seniors, which is its most important attribute. For Tara, SAIVA has been a true "SAIVior," providing her with a whole new family and a sense of belonging within the South Asian community service.

Born in the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago and educated in Scotland, Sintra loves to travel, sharing her rich cultural and culinary heritage with us. Her eagerness to interact with our seniors stems from her passion for learning about people, their customs, cooking, and the stories that surround food. 

Sintra leads the 'Cooking with Nani' segment, which began on Zoom during the pandemic in 2020. In this initiative, she arranges for SAIVA members to record and showcase how to prepare their favorite dishes. She encourages members to share their own stories about special foods during festival celebrations and other meaningful occasions, reinforcing a sense of community through cultural exchange.

In 2021 and 2022, Sintra spearheaded SAIVA's 'Diwali In A Box' fundraiser, garnering support from numerous volunteers who embraced the cause. Her dedication to perfection and keen attention to detail are well recognized among those involved in community engagement and volunteer opportunities within the organization.

With a graduate degree in Biological Sciences, Sintra previously taught Science in the Round Rock School District. She is the mother of four children and a nani to two grandchildren. Additionally, she volunteers at the Thinkery and the UT Performing Arts Center. Sintra loves entertaining, and her family enjoys cooking and experimenting with new recipes together. When not indulging in BBC mysteries, Sintra and her husband often watch YouTube cooking videos for inspiration.

Palak Sadargani

Palak is a certified Health Coach and the founder of Organic Herbal Garden and The Cultured Carrot. She joined SAIVA’s board in 2016, after volunteering her time with the organization for a year, driven by her passion for community engagement and SAIVA’s mission to empower the South Asian community through various services. She resonated with their intergenerational program, which allowed her, as a young mom away from her parents and grandparents, to lead initiatives where multiple generations could learn from one another.

In her role, Palak played a vital part in introducing new volunteer opportunities and steering SAIVA towards a fresh direction for both program development and fundraising activities.

Megha Uppal

Megha joined SAIVA through a service learning course at The University of Texas at Austin, where she studied Public Health. Captivated by SAIVA's mission and intergenerational programming, she now oversees programs that foster community engagement within the South Asian community. As a certified Behavioral Therapist, she transitioned from serving children aged 18 and younger to focusing on older adults. In her free time, she enjoys avocados, dancing, and planning for exciting volunteer opportunities!

Shikha Sharma

Shikha is inspired by the organization’s commitment to fostering friendships and support for the South Asian community through intergenerational programs that promote community engagement. She brings her expertise in content writing, community building, and storytelling to SAIVA, aiming to strengthen volunteer engagement and expand volunteer opportunities. When she’s not crafting content or managing these initiatives, you can find her exploring new places, dancing to her favorite tunes, or planning her next adventure.

Sugandhi Sashdar

Sugandhi's journey with SAIVA began through her mother's involvement in the organization, where she witnessed the incredible positive impacts on the South Asian community. SAIVA has nurtured community engagement, fostering positive energy, compassion, camaraderie, a sense of belonging, and empowerment among seniors. The organization provides ample volunteer opportunities that lead to fun, laughter, the acquisition of new skills, and the formation of lasting friendships. She is committed to supporting this wonderful organization.

Currently, Sugandhi is a technology professional at Dell, who enjoys traveling, listening to music, and watching kramas. She loves connecting with others and has a true passion for genealogy.

As Treasurer, Sugandhi plays a vital role in ensuring that the organization's finances are managed effectively and transparently, contributing to its mission of enhancing community service within the South Asian community.