Simone is an artist, social entrepreneur and embodied leadership coach who brings knowledge and expertise in program development, resource mobilization, organizational change and event production. For over a decade, she has supported youth of color in NYC to become cultural and community organizers; has led transformational leadership development programs for women of color to center their healing; and has produced dynamic cultural events to create a platform for artists of color. Simone is proud to be a co-founder of Jahajee Sisters and now the first Co-Director. She is committed to building the power of survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence to fight for gender justice in the Indo-Caribbean community. Simone continues to consult through her family business, Media Sutra, with social justice organizations to support them to become more visible, impactful and sustainable. She also trains and coaches women of color and gender-fluid leaders to make a lasting imprint on the world by tapping into their inner wisdom to realize their life’s purpose. Simone previously served as the Director of External Communications at the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) where she led the organization’s communications efforts and managed institutional funder relationships. Her other experience includes running SAYA!’s first Desi Girls on Da Rise Program in Richmond Hill for teens and creating a ground-breaking youth development program called Linking Identity to Living Arts (LILA) for the Rajkumari Cultural Center that was taken into Queens public schools.
In her spare time, Simone enjoys penning and performing poetry that speaks to her unique experience as an Indo-Caribbean woman growing up in the Boogie Down Bronx.
Shivana is a queer first-generation Guyanese American and intersectional feminist who believes in unapologetically speaking truth to power. She is a founding member of Jahajee with 13 years of experience as a non-profit leader, policy advocate, organizer, and storyteller. She has served as State Legislative Counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights and directed federal policy advocacy at the National Abortion Federation. For over four years, she directed reproductive justice priorities for the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), running advocacy campaigns, leading coalitions, developing youth leadership, and serving as a voice for Asian American and Pacific Islander women in Washington, D.C. Her additional experience includes working with Sakhi for South Asian Women, where she led the organization’s first outreach effort in the Indo-Caribbean neighborhood of Richmond Hill, Queens. She has also served as an Interim Director of If/When/How and on the boards of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance and Washington D.C.’s South Asian LGBTQ organization Khush DC. Her writing and commentary have been featured in many outlets, including The Hill, The American Prospect, Colorlines, the Nation, the Associated Press and the Harvard Asian American Law Journal. She is also a proud abortion storyteller with the We Testify project.
Originally from the Bronx, Shivana holds a B.A. in Political Science from Fordham University and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in New York state. Follow Shivana on Twitter @shivspeaks and on Instagram @shivlandia.
Tish is an Indo-Guyanese entrepreneur with over five years of experience fostering community and wellness among Indo-Caribbean women and girls. Through her dance and fitness studio located in the heart of Little Guyana, she has supported hundreds of women to find joy, health, and comraderie. Tish comes to Jahajee with many years of experience building strategic partnerships, raising awareness for programs, and cultivating lasting relationships. She is dedicated to the empowerment and safety of our community, having opened up her space for countless mutual aid efforts during the pandemic and offering an affordable venue option for grassroots community groups. Tish also brings over a decade of experience in business operations, including building platforms and systems to lay the groundwork for a company’s success. She is excited to use these skills to support Jahajee’s growth. Dedicated to the community of women and girls she serves, Tish will continue her work to advocate for their safety and equality through her role at Jahajee. Tish holds a B.S. in Business Administration & International Business from York College.
Chaday is an influential activist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of @Connekja and @Sapphicja, with over 10 years of experience working at some of the Caribbean’s leading activist organizations. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and currently residing in New York, Chaday has dedicated their life to advocating for the rights of women and queer persons internationally.
With a major in Digital Media Production and event production, Chaday constantly strives to create safe spaces and provide opportunities for community engagement. As the creative director of Connekja, Chaday has collaborated with some of the most talented individuals in Kingston’s queer talent scene. In 2022, they organized Jamaica’s first official ball at Hope Gardens, an event that showcased love, tolerance, and acceptance. This event was a tremendous success, building strong ties within the community and fostering a sense of unity.
Chaday’s work exemplifies a commitment to equality and inclusion, making significant strides in creating environments where all individuals can feel valued and supported.
Lalita is an Indo-Guyanese woman who has worked in the field of social services for five years. With a strong commitment to community empowerment and advocacy, she has dedicated her career to making a difference in New York City. Lalita’s journey began with her pivotal roles working with the homeless, mentally ill and vulnerable children. Armed with a B.A. in Forensic Psychology, Lalita’s academic background, coupled with her professional experience, allows her to approach her work with a unique perspective and a deep sense of empathy. Driven by her passion for uplifting the Indo-Caribbean community and survivors of gender based violence, Lalita Duke transitioned her expertise to Jahajee Sisters, an organization that resonated with her values and goals. Through her work, Lalita strives to bridge gaps, foster empowerment, and build a brighter future for the community she holds dear.
Taij a visionary, healer, and serial entrepreneur. Born in Guyana and raised in the US, she is committed to building a solidarity economy powered by harmonious relationships among people and with the planet. In 2007, Taij rallied feminists to create change in her community by organizing the first Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit, which led to the founding of Jahajee Sisters. Her creativity has visibilized Indo-Caribbean people and activated them to build a gender justice movement. A trailblazer in the field of arts activism, Taij amplifies the untold stories of communities of color. Her writings, performances, research, theater and multi-arts productions draw inspiration from her ancestral lineage, lived experience, and radical imagination. Taij is a Co-Founder and Principal at Media Sutra where she merges transformative storytelling and resource mobilization to foster well-being and community wealth-building. Her trauma-informed coaching/facilitation supports creative entrepreneurs and philanthropists to be Fearless, Abundant, and Bold (FAB). She cut her teeth in movement work as a co-founder of Blackout Arts Collective, then served in leadership positions from community-based organizations to national philanthropic institutions. Taij’s experience as Executive Director of Resource Generation inspired her to found Standing in Our Power (SiOP), a network of cis and transgender women and gender-expansive people of color. She also co-stewards Dandelion Medicine Liberation and WILDSEED (a community farm + land-based healing sanctuary). Taij is the mother of three beautiful beings, Shakti, Satya, and Shiv Nanda.
Priya Florence Dadlani (all pronouns) is an Indo-Caribbean cultural worker from Silver Spring, MD. Informed by the belief that art sparks culture shift & sustains revolution, Priya’s charge is to utilize the transformative powers of storytelling, community organizing, political education, facilitation & radical imagination to collectively disrupt the current world order & rebuild anew. Priya currently organizes with SPICY, a zine-making collective they founded in 2018 that works at the intersection of art, justice, and cultural archival. In addition, they are leading strategic communications to resource gender justice movements at Third Wave Fund, dismantling patriarchy with Jahajee Sisters, and supporting the dreams of Black and brown creative entrepreneurs at Media Sutra . You can find Priya on social media at @priya.florence, their website priyadadlani.com, or subscribe to her newsletter titled Dispatches from Chrysalis through which she openly spirals through her own process of becoming, and hosts collective journaling workshops. Priya resides in Brooklyn, NY with her partner Jordan and their two sweet dogs, BiBi and Cheeni.
Sarah Bhagudas (she, her) is a first-generation Guyanese-American and third-year medical student passionate about making a difference in her community, both in the pediatric community and among women. Growing up in Brooklyn, she was raised to appreciate the beauty and culture of her Indo-Caribbean roots although she was faced with a lot of self-hatred. As she grew older, she was able to realize where we as Indo-Caribbean members come from and learned to appreciate the honorable efforts made by her ancestors. However, throughout her education and work experience, she noticed a lack of Indo-Caribbean representation in medicine. Currently, Sarah is part of the brilliant Vaksana project team with A Different View which works towards building the first-ever women’s retreat in Guyana. Sarah believes it is an absolute honor to be able to contribute to Jahajee Sisters which has and will continue to make such an impact on the lives of so many people. Going forward, her mission is to continue representing the Indo-Caribbean community and serve as an example that anything is possible and within reach if you put your mind to it!
Nikita Boyce (she/they) is a queer abolitionist and liberationist from Guyana. Having graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Critical Theory and Social Justice with a focus on Critical Race Theory, Nikita spent time in the non-profit field working in both medical and shelter-based case management. She is currently a financial consultant for low-income Black and Brown women in the US. Nikita’s framework for being is predicated on the experience of joy and the goal of decolonization. They believe in the power of community and ancestral gratitude. You can find her by bodies of water or tall trees- often with a delicious homemade meal.
Nadia Khan-Roopnarine is a first generation Muslim American of Indo-Guyanese descent. After graduating from New York University with a Masters degree in English education, Nadia served as a founding teacher at a 6-12 public community school in Brooklyn, NY. In this role she helped manifest the school’s commitment to critical pedagogy by shaping an equitable and democratic school community that served the local neighborhood. As a classroom teacher, department chair, mentor teacher, and coach to new educators, Nadia spent a decade working collaboratively with various stakeholders while elevating the voices and experiences of students through activism and project based learning. Nadia is a radical educator whose philosophy is built on a foundation of critical pedagogy and constructivism. Mainly, she believes that learning experiences should be shaped mutually and equitably by all parties involved in a teaching and learning relationship. Nadia also pursues an active research agenda with interests including anti-colonial approaches to schooling, Indo-Caribbean feminism, femtorship, and new teacher mentorship. After working for a decade in the New York City Department of Education and upon completion of her doctorate in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities from Molloy University, Nadia shifted to a new position as an assistant professor of education at a small University on Long Island. In this role, Nadia works with pre-service teachers to prepare them for lifelong careers as educators. It is her hope that her students graduate and go on to work in low-income communities and communities of color. In her free time Nadia enjoys reading novels and spending time with her husband, son, and cat.
Lisa Maria Ramadhar (she/her) is queer, Indo-Caribbean program evaluator in New York City. With a background in public health, her work focuses on addressing structural barriers to health equity. Recently, she has been evaluating capacity building efforts to address organizational policies and practices that promote health inequities. This work operates on the principle that if we can eliminate inequities in the way we do our work, then we can eliminate inequities in health that are based on social identities and position. Lisa’s social justice work began in adolescence when she discovered her passion for serving her community. In various volunteer appointments, she has served as a sexual assault crisis counselor, tutor for disadvantaged high schoolers preparing for the SAT, and counselor for individuals living with severe mental illness. In 2014, when Michael Brown was murdered, Lisa realized that her service to her community could be enhanced by being politically active to call attention to injustice and advocating for change. Service-oriented volunteerism could help individuals, but political activism could change entire communities and society as a whole. This was the beginning of her activism, which has evolved from participating in her first march to a more focused effort to promote the safety of people of all gender identities in the Indo-Caribbean community as a member of the Jahajee Sisters Steering Committee. Lisa is a Guyanese immigrant, who enjoys coffee in the morning, tea at night, and a good game of “trop chal” with her cousins.
Latchmi Devi Gopal, a queer first-generation Guyanese-American born and raised in The Bronx,
exemplifies the collectivist values of her heritage and hood. She is a dedicated community organizer,
activist, and campaign strategist focused on national, local, and electoral issues. Latchmi’s expertise
includes coalition development, grassroots training, scaling mass movements, and advocating for
economic justice. She holds degrees in Political Science and Public Health from Boston University.
Latchmi has built a career around impactful roles that enhance community power. She has worked to
raise the minimum wage and expand voting rights at Demos, supported international grant-giving at
the Open Society Foundations, and executed a national canvassing program mobilizing thousands of
voters as the National Distributed Organizer for the Bernie 2020 Presidential Campaign. She also
played a pivotal role in the inaugural team at Organized Power in Numbers as the Director of
Communications and Strategic Partnerships. In 2021, Latchmi ran for NY City Council in her
neighborhood at the peak of COVID-19, addressing the health crisis’s disproportionate impact on
Bronx communities.
Most recently, Latchmi was the National Digital Outreach Coordinator for Organized Power in
Numbers, contributing to the Black Futures Lab’s efforts to survey millions of Black Americans and
involve them in the political process. She is in her sixth year as an Associate Board Member for
WHEDco, an organization devoted to fostering thriving families in The Bronx. Additionally, she is a member of Rider’s Alliance, an organization that fights for Transit Justice for all NYers. You can catch
her exploring the world through food and neighborhood runs.
Natasha Rupan (she/her) is an entrepreneur and small business owner in Richmond Hill, Queens – the heart of Little Guyana. She owns and manages two driving schools that prepare young people and new immigrants with the skills they need to drive, supporting their independence and financial freedom. Natasha is an immigrant from Guyana, where she was raised by her mother. Natasha is an amazing mother of one, and is raising her daughter to be a strong advocate for herself and others.
Vesna is a Guyanese immigrant who is passionate about making the world a better place. She believes in serving others and creating a world where resources and options are readily available for anyone who needs them. Vesna is committed to her community and passionate about immigration law, which has led her to offer pro bono immigration advice and services. She was involved with organizations such as Operation Dreamcatchers (a New York State nonprofit that addresses medical disparities in Guyana by collecting and donating medical supplies and devices to underfunded medical facilities and underserved patients), the Uncontested Divorce Program (a no-cost pro se divorce program that serves low-income clients in executing their divorce pleadings and provides advice and counsel about the divorce process), and The Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO) (a limited legal advice program for unrepresented defendants with consumer debt cases in New York City, Westchester, and Buffalo). Vesna holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in Economics with honors from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and a J.D. from Fordham University’s School of Law. Before attending law school, she worked as a credit analyst at Standard & Poor’s and TIAA, following investment-grade companies in the financial sector. Vesna is Of Counsel at Anderson Law, specializing in commercial real estate transactions and immigration matters. She is the granddaughter of Guyanese healer and philanthropist Jamsie Naidoo (Uncle Paplo).
Nathalie Jaikissoon is a first-generation, Indo-Caribbean feminist trailblazer and mental health clinician dedicated to empowering children and adolescents. Currently serving as a Mental Health Clinician for Henry Street Settlement’s School-Based Mental Health Clinics, she provides crucial therapy in varied modalities to children, adolescents, and college-aged clients. Nathalie also serves clients beyond the city in Westchester via a group private practice.
A passionate advocate for young women, Nathalie serves as the Programs Chair on the National Board of Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (WYSE), where she supports university mentors in guiding middle school mentees. Her dedication to mental health and mentorship began during her undergraduate years at the University of Central Florida, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Minor in Human Services. Nathalie further honed her expertise by earning a Master of Social Work with a concentration in Clinical Practice and Family, Youth, and Children from Columbia University. Her professional journey is marked by a commitment to clinical excellence and a deep understanding of the unique challenges children and adolescents face.
In addition to her clinical work, Nathalie is an entrepreneur, owning and operating Days by Duchess, a travel concierge and event business. Her multifaceted career reflects her passion for mental health, advocacy, and the joy of exploring new places. Nathalie Jaikissoon’s work is a testament to her belief in the power of dreams, resilience, and the importance of supportive communities. She continues to break barriers and inspire others with her dedication, compassion, and innovative spirit.