Shetal Patel

Founder  Shetal has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. After selling the business she owned for over seven years, she turned her hobby of photography into a part-time business. She enjoys capturing faces and the stories behind them.  Shetal’s photos appear monthly on the cover of Neighbors of Four Points magazine. She is the mother of two teenage boys who have worked with her in giving back to children in Africa. She is dedicated to spending the time and effort necessary to make Sparkle and Rise a success in connecting people in the US with underprivileged children around the world. She says, “We can’t change the circumstances these children were born into, but we can give them the opportunity to succeed with the medical care, education, and resources they so desperately need.”  

Laney Lyons Sturdivant

Chief Operating Officer Laney’s passion is to create the possibility of a better future for our children. From Cambodia, to Peru, to Ghana (where she volunteered) to our own East Austin. I’ve learned all children deserve the opportunity to learn and grow and that laughter and love is universal. I left my law firm manager position 10 years ago and started my own virtual, back office paralegal company to allow myself flexibility to travel and be available locally to meet the needs of our children, as well as my own young son. I’ve been so blown away by the participation of the Austin community in coming together to meet the needs and bring some fun wants to these children as well as clothing, reading glasses, soccer balls, money for school lunches and other items sent to Ghana. I enjoy this life with my husband, John, our children John John, Jordan, Maximus and Siena and hope you join us in bringing these children some love and laughter. I know it sounds cliche, but you truly get more than you give from it

Donna Sharma

Volunteer Lead, Africa Donna is a loving mother and a doting wife. When she is not busy running around with her little boy, she gives her time and dedication to give back to less fortunate. She and her friends take care of a needy orphanage in Lusaka, Zambia with proving food, school supplies and other needs. She is actively looking for more ways to help these children. She is a great addition to our Sparkle and Rise team in Africa.  

Shivani Joshi

Project and Social Media Manager , Newyork  Shivani is a hiring manager for a medical equipment company, a devoted wife and most importantly, a doting mother. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Public health from University of North Florida. In her spare time, she loves volunteering for organizations that help children with education. Working with children in whatever capacity she can has always been her passion. On her recent trip to India, She had the pleasure of volunteering for Sparkle and Rise, and the experience gave her a deep appreciation for how Sparkle and Rise seeks to improve the quality of life by making children understand their true potential. Sparkle and Rise has inspired Shivani to start the penny project in Brooklyn, NY ; where she resides with her family. 

Ana Luring

Volunteer Team, Zambia 

April Garner

Writer and Editor April is a freelance writer who manages and writes content for a community magazine and has written web and social media content for numerous businesses. She is attracted to work that makes a meaningful difference in the world, no matter how unglamorous or behind-the-scenes it may be. She’s currently working on a novel, and she edits things for fun (no kidding). She recently began volunteering as an editor for Wikipedia. April loves that Sparkle and Rise helps people find realistic ways to help others and makes it easy to include the whole family because real empathy starts at home. She lives in Austin, on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, with her family.

Somya Mohan

Volunteer Team, Austin

Sanjay Chakraborty

Advisor, India Team Sanjay is a Founder and Chief Marketing Advisor for ESSKSEE Consultancy. As a Marketing Communications  professional for over 25 years, he has worked with various big and small organizations understanding consumer behavior and providing marketing communication strategies and branding. He is a co-chairman of PR committee and editorial board at Ahmedabad Management Association. He enjoys mentoring various startups, writing books and giving back to the community.  Creativity in any field whether it is a big organization or a non-profit charity motivates him.    

Celine Mbunda

Volunteer Team: Lusaka, Zambia My Name is Celine Mbunda, I’m 22 y/o and I’m passionate about Humanity and Global Change, and that is why I am determined to break the bias and stereotypes against women through empowerment because I believe we are just as tough as men! Giving has always been a part of me because I believe I don’t have to be Mother Theresa or Bill gates to be able to help the less privileged, there’s always something small, yet meaningful we can all do to help the needy, a big heart is more than enough to make a difference, the needy have far more problems than Money…..It’s the Little things that matter, Sharing the little we have and not expecting nothing in return. That’s genuine Love. Giving comes with a lot of benefits and blessings so I have nothing to lose.

Shaan Patel

Fundraising and Event Manager

Aikam Singh

Youth Ambassador-Sacramento Area Aikam is a valuable asset of the Sparkle & Rise youth ambassador team. As a middle school student attending STEM curriculum he understands the value of education and is involved in projects to help less privileged kids get education, books, clean drinking water etc. He collaborates with mentors and team  members to support various ideas, helps with product design, advertising, video editing and fundraising activities. He hopes to make a difference with his ongoing creativity, empathy and hard work.  

Kunal Chawla

Youth Ambassador-Austin

Katherine Luering

Youth Ambassador, Zambia

Nico Luering

Penny Jar Manager, Zambia