Krishan joined the YLS in 2015 as social secretary and after assisting in organising numerous successful events for the community decided to take on the position of vice chairperson in 2017.
He is a qualified tax advisor (CTA) and currently works as a manager at PwC based in London Bridge.
In his spare time, Krishan enjoying socialising with friends, watching cricket, watching football and reading. He also enjoys exploring London and finding new spots to eat and drink.
This pint sized lady may sometimes be mistaken as “trouble” – Really, she is just a straight talking, hard-working and enthusiastic individual. Keen to give back to the community, Amee is passionate about contributing to events, opportunities and adventures for young Lohanas of all ages. She welcomes feedback and would like to hear your thoughts on our events.
If she hasn’t already infected you with her love for a scoop (or two) of Baskin Robbins pistachio almond ice cream, she will surely get you with her infectious smile and willingness to help others. An avid fan of the Fast and Furious franchise, Amee lives by the Toretto motto ‘I don’t have friends, I’ve got family’. It is this family with which, she loves to spend quality time. Any other time will be spent engaging in creative activities or a spot of shoe shopping.
Oh, and did we tell you she bakes… maybe she can help you discover your superpower! Having worked and spent much time outside of London, Amee is finally back home. She promises to anaesthetise only at work and keep the events interesting, fun and full of energy!
Jay Ruparelia is an Education Consultant specialising in Department for Education Pilot Projects and Programme Management.
Jay has a degree from UCL and prior to entering the Education Industry worked at UBS and Ernst & Young.
His main interest is fine dining – he has eaten at most Michelins in the UK and many around the world! Jay is a serious traveller as well, allowing him to further his foodie passion.
Jay also has an interest in family trees and has made one with over 1000 people in it online.
He has joined the YLS because he feels that it is important for Young Lohanas to maintain the sprit of community and without a body of this nature that would be more difficult. He also would like to expand his network amongst the Lohana community.
Roshni has a legal background and holds an undergraduate law degree from City University as well as the Legal Practice Course qualification from BPP, which is the course that solicitors need to sit (how very Rachel from Suits).
In Roshni’s spare time she loves a bit of voluntary work, shopping, yoga, shopping, tennis, shopping, theatre, shopping and getting involved and trying to make a meaningful difference whenever possible. Roshni is extremely passionate about helping empower young people and getting involved in worthy community initiatives so that through kindness and compassion, we make this world a better place than when we found it. This is something which has stemmed from her childhood and upbringing. Some of these initiatives have resulted in having the pleasure of hosting the BBC, former Prime Minister David Cameron and the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire to name but a few. Roshni has been delighted to be part of the YLS family since 2014 as Assistant Secretary but at the same time has enjoyed running YLS events such as a careers event, the 2016 children’s Diwali event and a trip to the theatre to see Matilda. Roshni feels that being part of the YLS has definitely been enriching as well as a wonderful opportunity to showcase people’s talents as well as trying some new and different things that you may not otherwise be able to in the normal day to day routine. It is a joy and huge sense of camaraderie to to bring much needed events with the support of the community through social, cultural and spiritual events, and lets face it-having some fun in the process.
Bindya Devani, Immediate Past Secretary of the YLS is a Head of Mathematics and Edexcel Examiner by profession. She graduated with a BSc in Mathematics from Queen Mary University. Bindya loves to travel and recently had a jungle filled adventure in South East Asia, which saw her zip lining through forests and spending nights in the wild attempting her very own Bear Grylls mission – so if you need any survival skills advice – she will be happy to fill you in on how not to do it!.
Her passion for teaching and helping others made her stay back in Laos to volunteer in teaching English…which tested her own communication skills to say the least! In her spare time Bindya enjoys shopping, theatre, pilates and reading- the dystopian genre being her thing!
Chandni graduated from Kings College London with a distinction in her medical degree and a prize-winning first class degree in maternal and childhood physiology. Chandni has published a volume of academic research which has been presented at international medical conferences. She is a member of the Royal College of Anaesthetists with a specialism in pain medicine, women and children’s health, and aesthetic medicine. Furthermore, she dedicates a lot of her time to charity work; she works with and is on the board for an International children’s charity.
When she isn’t with her patients, she likes to accept a challenge or two, most notably climbing some of the world’s highest mountains! Chandni has climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, trekked through the Andes and most recently was fortunate to have been part of an excursion, The Himalayan Health Exchange. She treated over one hundred patients within the Zanskar valley, over a six week period and can’t wait to do it again!
Chandni feels honoured to be given the opportunity to give back to the community that has helped to raise her. She is a hardworking, dedicated and humorous free spirit and hopes to bring lots of positivity to this year’s YLS family.
Sonal works as a Wealth Management Consultant with St. James’s Place, helping individuals and families take control of their money and achieve financial freedom. She’s been fortunate to use this knowledge to present a talk on “Managing Finances” and “Building a Property Empire” to the youth at our recent successful Careers Fair, and hopes to continue sharing these vital areas to the community in the future. Having completed a degree in Law and the Legal Practice Course, she delved into the world of finance and is working towards her Chartered Financial Planner qualification.
Sonal had the pleasure, with her background in finance, to serve on the committee as Treasurer between 2017-2019, and was proud to see it become the most successful YLS term from a financial point of view.
Passionate about giving back and as someone who operates from kindness and compassion, Sonal has taken the lead on two consecutive Sewa Day projects, the most popular being the YLS care home visit, and the food and clothes donations for the homeless during Navratri. It’s been awe inspiring to see the community tirelessly and generously pull together to help those in need. She’s keen to continue working to ensure YLS offer such events on a more frequent basis to give those young and old the opportunity to perform Sewa regularly.
Outside of the fast paced world of Financial Services, you’ll most likely find her in the kitchen (which ends up looking more like a bombsite, much to her mum’s despair) baking healthy yet decadent desserts for family and friends. Besides her never ending quest to cook healthy meals, she has a wide range of interests ranging from fashion and beauty, to photography, travelling and guilty pleasures like Bollywood movies and celebrity gossip(!)
Sonal is excited to be involved as a General Committee member and use YLS as a platform to engage in more Sewa projects to help those in need, as well as aiming to bring a new perspective on personal development and business networking in the coming term, hopefully bringing out the famous Lohana entrepreneurial and business gene in our Luwi youth!
Shyam Kanani joined YLS as Co-Treasurer, given his proficiency with numbers and is now a General Commitee member to serve in a broader capacity, including continuing to manage our ever growing (cheeky!) Insta feed and producing our eye-catching event flyers. He is our numbers guy, having graduated from the University of Manchester with a Degree in Mathematics.
A hardcore cricket fan, if he isn’t taking the field himself, you’ll most likely find him with friends, cheering on the boys in blue. So much so, he’s even project managing a YLS trip to watch T20 cricket in the summer!
Long bitten by the travel bug and a keen adventurer, Shyam recently returned from a 4 month solo backpacking adventure across Australia and South-East Asia. Living like a local, having the pleasure of watching the India vs Australia Test series live or learning to cook an authentic Thai Green Curry, he believes life is all about the rich experiences we have. His goal is to travel to 50 countries by age 30.
Shyam has a thirst for continuous self-development. An avid reader, he is passionate about the study of business, psychology and spirituality, being inspired by the likes of Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie and Eckhart Tolle. He wants to ensure the youth of today are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to make informed decisions about their career paths and future opportunities. He project managed the highly successful Careers Fair in 2018 and is excited to continue working on these areas with YLS as a vital offering for the next generation, including areas of motivation and self-development to better support their mindset and personal growth.
Shyam joined YLS to get involved with a team of spirited, like minded individuals who want to create fun and useful events to bring our community together. He’s also made some great friends along the way! He intends to infuse his personality and passion for sports, travel and self-development with the YLS. So next time you see him at an event be sure to come and say hi …just don’t say “Dhoni who??”
Niraj is a Dispensing Optician who works at an optical boutique in London where he specialises in luxury optical eyewear.
Niraj is a very sociable, outgoing person; always surrounded by friends and family when not at work and always up for dinner and drinks. As many of you already know he enjoys dancing (especially during Navratri!) and music. He is also a keen traveller; most recently he completed a road trip on the west coast of America.
At university, Niraj was president of his Hindu society where he managed to build a wealth of experience in organising social events such as their sell out annual garba event with over 900 students ranging from from three different London universities.
Niraj is very excited to become a member of the YLS family to help bring the community together and is looking forward to organising many successful social events over the next two years!
After graduating from the University of Nottingham with a Masters degree in Chemistry, Meera currently works as a Procurement Manager for Network Rail.
Network by name, network by nature.. Meera loves socialising and making new friends! You’ll always catch her chatting or laughing away. Unable to sit still, her hobbies include travelling to new countries, going to music festivals and volunteering.
Meera also enjoys going to comedy shows or the theatre in London, so let her know if you’ll keep her company! A big believer of ‘You get out what you put in’, Meera is excited to work hard organising social events to create an engaged community!
Swarupa Dawada is a pharmacist by profession, having gained a Masters in Pharmacy from the University of Bath. Swarupa’s hobbies are forever changing, but the one she just cannot get enough of is Bachata – a treat from the Domnican Republic.
Having been a YLS devotee in previous years, and patriotic to North West London her entire life, joining the YLS Committee North London was just meant to be. Swarupa, who is never one to turn down a good deal herself, wants every young Lohana to benefit from the rich social and cultural network on offer through YLS.
Anisha is working with Ernst & Young having become a Chartered Accountant. She studied International Business with Spanish at the University of Warwick and spent a year abroad in Madrid.
Since the age of five Anisha has been passionate about dancing, having participated in the Guinness Book of World Records, for the largest piece of mass choreography in Trafalgar Square, at the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and at the Natural History Museum. She also enjoys playing tennis as well as squash in her spare time and loves to travel.
Previously, Anisha has carried out voluntary work in India which involved teaching school children English and designing as well as decorating a playroom for students. Furthermore, she has volunteered at the local Hertsmere Indian Community Association by organising weekly activities for children and teaching them Gujarati.
Anisha wishes to continue serving her community and for this reason has joined the YLS team. She sees it as a great opportunity to give back to the community what it has given her.
Raji Dattani, is a Legal & Compliance Officer by profession; highly passionate (and opinionated!) about global affairs & the legal arena, she hopes her articulate nature & organisation skills can enhance the solid base of structure & governance already laid by the society.
She believes community collaboration creates unity amongst all generations of Lohanas and wishes to endorse the cultural roots she is proud of. Her room is a library filled with Jane-Austen novels, cooking recipes & she aspires to experience adventure in all corners of the world. Bollywood fanatic & choreographer, Indian-cricket-team crazy & an ice-cream lover!
Nekhil is a dentist by day and dancer by night! He graduated from Sheffield University and since completing his masters degree his next goal is to master dancing. After doing street and hiphop dancing for a while he is currently learning to breakdance. So, if you see someone spinning on the dance floor (or trying to) it’s probably him! When he isn’t so energetic he likes to chill out while watching an American TV series or the Formula 1.
He currently lives in Essex and works in Kent but is a North London lohi at heart. He loves meeting new people and getting people together to have a good time, as well as doing some good by helping others. His goal in the YLS committee is to help arrange events for people to mingle, develop interests, and grow together as a community. If you have any suggestions or want to know more about the YLS and events feel free to drop him a message!
I am a quiet,shy, yet caring person who takes time in mingling with new people. I’m mainly family oriented but enjoy going out with friends and family on regular basis.
Currently works for “saving and improving lives”. NHS Blood and Transplant (Manufacturing Department). I enjoy my job and the people I work with.
Enjoy meeting new people,making new friends. Aim is to help not only the young Lohanas but also the whole Lohana community as a whole in all aspects. I hope I’ll be a helpful and useful committed community member.
Rupin did not grow up in an area full of lohana’s and the YLS really gave him a wonderful opportunity to meet people of a similar background and feel more connected with his community. This year he joined the YLS committee and hopes to give this same welcoming opportunity to other young Lohanas.
Rupin is an optometrist and freelances with various opticians, some days are devoted to visiting elderly patients who need their eyes tested from the comfort of their own home.
Seeing as Rupin is on the general committee, I’m sure you will see him at most of the events, especially if there is dancing involved!
Recently back from backpacking around South America, his playlist is full of Reggaeton with Despacito at the top.
Rupin loves socialising and meeting new people so be sure to say ‘hey’ when you see him around.
Kishan Raja is a committee member for YLS and studied Finance and Accounting at university. Kishan felt there was a huge opportunity to gain valuable knowledge of working within an organisation such as YLS. Kishan believes there are many elder friends and colleagues around him, whom he can learn from and together explore new visions and opportunities to progress the community to the next level. Furthermore, Kishan joined YLS because he feels everyone has an important role to play in giving back to the community. In addition to this, a huge sense of fulfilment can also be achieved from this voluntary task. Kishan hopes to contribute to the well being of the society.
I have graduated in Accounting and Finance from Uni of Herts. and currently working as a Financial Analyst for a company based in Victoria. After attending several events over the past few years, I believe it would be great to be part of organising these events and contributing towards them for other young Lohana’s. It will be great being part for a community that is always open to new ideas.
If Mark Zukerberg had met Sapna before he launched Facebook, he would have named it after her purely based on her social networking skills. Sapna’s day job in her Canary Wharf office involves solving complex problems related to the secretive world of compliance within the finance industry. But her real passion is to teach children how to one two three four and get on the dance floor. And let it be known, her iPod can only handle desi tunes and beats to the rhythm of Bollywood.
Closer to home though, her sense of loyalty to her family and friends and her love for all things Lui shine through like a beacon. She has been involved within the Lohana community since she can remember and wants to help keep this community spirit going amongst the youth. She lives up to her name and dreams big, and all it takes to be part of that dream is to say hello the next time you meet her.