Founder and Executive Director

“When I was younger, I thought I was going to grow up to be a doctor. But, when I got into high school, I realized I was no longer sure of my path since I enjoyed a variety of subjects. Blending my natural talents and interests led to a career in education, addressing inequities and increasing opportunities. My calling is to enable people to learn how to access and activate knowledge, identify opportunities, and develop skills and connections to pursue those opportunities. This is why I started SPEAKHIRE. I discovered my path was to empower others to find theirs.”

Executive Board Chair

Madhu Sowndararajan brings over 10+ years of experience in HR, leading the global HR strategy for Technology teams. She is very passionate about enabling teams and organizations to make meaningful and impactful decisions, with a huge part of this being around coaching managers and leaders to think bias-free through data. Outside of her work, she is passionate about immigrant and gender rights. She actively volunteers as an Economic Empowerment Coach for Maitri, a Bay area based DV agency. In this role, she offers career coaching services for women affected by Domestic Violence. When she is not working or volunteering, she spends her time playing her musical instrument called 'Jaltarang', an instrument played with water and porcelain bowls (see her Youtube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIXGuIHHWlfUsQwX5_I0Esw) . She currently works as a Talent Partner at Airbnb.

Executive Board Vice President

“As immigrants who came to America in the late 1970’s, I and my wife faced many challenges. The supportive community we had made the transition into a new country and integrating into the local way of life much easier. Raising children between two cultures can always be challenging, but it was important to us that we instill our ancestral culture and language in our children. The issues that children of immigrants and first-generation children struggle with around identity on top of the lesser resources and knowledge about the education system immigrant parents can provide them serve as limitations in their careers. Many immigrants live in cultural communities but our children grow up in between cultural communities; we must learn to properly support their particular needs and provide them with as many resources as possible. Mentors who have already been successful in their journey can accelerate the success of our children while we continue to help them as much as possible along the way. I’m working with my daughter to support her in this journey in the best way that I can.”

Executive Board Member

“As an immigrant who struggled with being understood both phonetically and culturally it took me a while to really get into the right professional networks and get my career going. Looking back, I wish I had access to organizations such as Speakhire. Speakhire will provide me the opportunity to give back and work with others who might be experiencing some of the same challenges that I did. A little bit about me, I currently lead Executive Search at Humana. Prior to Humana, I led recruiting in companies such WestRock and Morgan Stanley. With a passion for D&I I have implemented strategies that addressed diversity gaps in various companies that I have worked at. I have also been involved in various community organizations that are geared towards serving the “underserved”.”

Advisory Board Member

Edward Liu has been an educator and school leader for over 20 years, working in some of the most challenging high schools in Yonkers and in the Bronx. This included serving 10 + years at two all immigrant (ESL) high schools, first at Bronx International and then at Ellis Preparatory Academy. He has a passion for proving that students, regardless of their socio-economic background or where they came from, can achieve and excel academically. Mr. Liu always had a passion for studying and utilizing success and spiritual principles to impact the schools and students he served. Recently, he realized his goal of publishing his own personal and spiritual development book called The More We Become.

Advisory Board Member

My name is Jonathan Pinque, and work at New York Presbyterian - Weill Cornell & Lower Manhattan Hospital as a Patient Navigator Program Manager. I am also a community advocate at heart, and am joining SPEAKHIRE's mission as a firm believer in cultivating change, growth, and innovation from the ground up. Our youth here in NYC, and across the United States, are yearning for strong mentors who hold the keys to access important career blueprints, and to learn the necessary skills that can catalyze their path towards success. Personally and professionally, I have traveled across the globe, working within communities of all backgrounds and these experiences have shaped my leadership style, my approach to civic engagement, and cemented my commitment to making a difference in the life of others.

Lead Programs Coordinator

“As an educator and with experience of coming from an Immigrant family I have had the privilege of learning different languages and adapting to different cultures. Thus, giving me the flexibility to work with different age groups and perspectives which resulted in finding passion in the importance it is to have a leader whom students can connect to and feel comfortable with. It is rewarding to see how education has the ability to open minds and doors; something I found in SPEAKHIRE. I am eager to share my knowledge and experience in education to help transform and empower students to become our leaders of tomorrow.”

Program Administrator

“SPEAKHIRE’s mission resonates with me because I grew up in an immigrant family and I have many relatives and friends who are also immigrants. I’ve seen firsthand their struggles of adjusting to life in the United States, especially my cousins who are around my age. SPEAKHIRE helps people like them connect to the community around and provides guidance for their future. I believe it’s an invaluable program that helps disadvantaged students define their path and develop their skills, and I wish to help SPEAKHIRE expand its impact. I was very fortunate to have met many amazing mentors from my experiences and I hope others who deserve a better chance will have these opportunities and support as well. I am glad to be part of the SPEAKHIRE team and I hope to assist the program so that I can help more students pursue their dreams and see themselves as leaders in the future!”

Operations Associate

“As the child of immigrants, I understand how transformative quality resources can be when preparing to enter the workforce. I want others to have access to services that offer opportunities, create communities, and allow them to be equipped with the skills needed to succeed in new environments. It is important to inform people, particularly immigrants and those who have other marginalized backgrounds, to navigate the workplace.”

Communications Associate

“As a second-generation immigrant and first-generation college student, I often think about how my parents — particularly my dad — went straight to the workforce right after settling in the States. While his younger siblings were able to attend college and go on to have sustainable, successful careers, he never received the education, support, guidance, and long-term growth that young immigrants like him should have been provided. My parents have inspired me to constantly strive for excellence, to persist in all of my endeavors, and to create paths when there seem to be none. As I am completing my bachelor’s degree in Marketing, I aim to not only have a successful career in the field, but to also leave a positive impact on my community. I am elated to join SPEAKHIRE and help the mission progress by ensuring that Tomorrow’s Leaders have the equitable resources, opportunities, and support needed to thrive.“

Communications Associate

“I am a second generation immigrant and an immigrant myself from Canada. SPEAKHIRE helps people like me gain leadership skills and connections to important resources. Working at SPEAKHIRE gives me the experience I need to succeed in my future career path and shows me the positive impact I can help make on students like me.”

Communications Associate

“My parents were immigrants from China, and as I was growing up, I could feel a clear divide between me and my American friends. I will be the first in my immediate family to go to college, and it’s a very new path for us. Thankfully, I have a lot of support from my school and also peers, and I hope other immigrants and people of color have a support group as well, which is why I think SPEAKHIRE’s mission is so inspirational and important. I hope that the work that I do will help a fellow student out!”

Junior Board Chair

”My name is Lylia Belbegra and I am a sophmore in college. I moved from Algeria to Philadelphia in 2014. SPEAKHIRE has helped me a lot in the years that I have worked with them. I have developed my leadership skills and I’ve become more bold in the pursuit of my dreams. My main goal is to keep improving through the Junior Board and help other girls through their journey to become self-confident leaders. I strongly believe that being confident is the key to take on any challenges and obstacles that come your way. I want to be there and help them as much as I can so they can achieve their goals and finally say, “We made it!”

Junior Board VP

“My name is Adama Bah, and I’m from Guinea Conakry. Growing up, my mother instilled in me the value of education when I was little. She used to tell me that one of the most effective tools for changing the world in the modern day is education. Speakhire has shown me the way to a promising future. I was a part of the Foundational Year in the 11th and 12th grade at International Community HS in the Bronx. My exposure to the program has given me a wealth of chances that have helped me in every aspect of my life. The SpeakHire program has given me many chances that so many others do not have, as well as opened my eyes to a bright future. I'm thrilled to have the privilege to assist others in need, to work with students and be in a position to improve their lives. I'm eager to carry on this journey with SpeakHire and educate tomorrow's leaders in order to inspire and empower them for a better tomorrow.”

Junior Board Secretary

Junior Board Treasurer

“My name is Leyli Hernandez, a freshman at Academy of American Studies. My parents came to the US from Mexico but growing up with immigrant parents they have always told me that not everyone has the opportunity to do things they may wish to do, so it's always right to help others have an opportunity in whatever it may be. I was a part of the student council at my middle school CASA 7th and 8th grade and I used what my parents had taught me about opportunity by helping other students have a voice and sharing their voices when being elected as school president. During this time I had just joined SPEAKHIRE which helped me enhance my knowledge of what I meant by opportunity and how to better my leadership as a school president. However, even after middle school, I continued to use the skills that impacted me the most and continue to be a part of SPEAKHIRE by being part of the Junior Board which I would have never imagined happening but thanks to the opportunity Ms. Hetal had given me I also believe others can have that same opportunity when joining SPEAKHIRE.”