Our Team

Sangeeta Venkatesh

Sanitation and waste management has been an obsession with her. Even while pursuing a Post-Graduate program in Biotechnology from the M.S. University, Vadodara, her research area focused on sewage water treatment with yet another waste – gamma rays from Cobalt-60 from radioactive waste. Starting off as a Researcher at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Sangeeta has several publications – both technical and non technical- to her credit, including a book ‘Celebrating the Earth-Stories about Prithvi’, which gives the reader a glimpse into Vedic Ecology through stories.  As a freelance writer for 14 years, she has contributed to magazines such as Education World, Life Positive; newspapers such as Deccan Chronicle and Times of India; and has also written extensively for Chillibreeze for their clients. She has also collaborated with Canadian and American universities on international biotech projects and has been involved with corporate India in their solid waste programs. As Project Consultant in the area of sanitation to a tsunami rehabilitation project in Tamil Nadu, India, she is part of a consortium which aims to build a million toilets in rural India in the next few years. She believes that India should have a ‘toilet mission’ even before a space mission. Sangeeta has also recently been inducted as Research Director of SociotechInnovation4Change- a startup social enterprise focusing on water, sanitation, energy and medicine.

Passionate about music she learns Hindustani music, loves to work out and swim. Otherwise, she is a regular homebody spending time with her two boys, husband and mother-in-law.

Anjali Ghai-Saini

Anjali is currently Group Chief Financial Officer of Fiorano Software worldwide and Member of the Board of Directors, Fiorano Software Technologies Private Ltd. She has over 20 years experience in corporate finance, investment management, global corporate structuring and tax strategies. Prior to Fiorano Software, she was at American Express Financial Advisors in California, USA for about 8 years, and with Thapar Group as Manager Corporate Finance for about 7 years where she managed global financing and banking for all Ballarpur group companies. She is an ACA, being a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India as well as a CPA being a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the USA. She holds a rank position from ICAI and was recipient of the Elijah Watt Sells award from the AICPA and a bronze medal holder from the CPA Society of the State of Illinois, USA.   She has lived in Silicon Valley, California, USA for 15 years and has been in Bangalore now for 6 years.

She joined Whitefield Rising with a vision of making Whitefield a clean, green and pedestrian and cyclist friendly town. She is seeing this as an opportunity to achieve her goal through participation of like minded individuals.

Ambika Sen

A teacher, counsellor and social worker,Ambika is an active member of the Whitefield Rising Waste Management Team. Her passion for nature, cleanliness and a strong sense of social responsibility led her to an active involvement with Exonora, a Chennai based NGO dealing with solid waste management. She remained a part of the Exonora team for almost 20 years, from 1992-2010 before moving to Bangalore and settling in Whitefield.

She is the creativity behind the Whitefield Rising Logo.

Col Pradeep  Handa

Col Handa joined NDA in 1955,was commissioned from  IMA in 1959, served 26 years in the Corps of EME, opted for pre-mature retirement from the Indian Army in 1985, set up an export business and has now retired as a Whitefield resident. His hobbies & interest are travelling & sports.

He has always been a firm believer of a philosophy that while dealing with public problems where one doesn’t have any control in his hand, either one occupies the ringside seat, keeps suffering & brooding  or  chooses to come forward & offer one’s services, be a part of the problem/solution &  improve matters. Accordingly he had always been on the lookout for some community service or voluntary outlet with the sole purpose of improving matters in the society.  With his age & restricted eye sight, reading was no longer a pleasure. One day he came across the coverage about the activities of Whitefield Rising and  knew he had found the activity of his liking. He looks forward to working with this team  & contributing his efforts to improve Whitefield.

Ritu George

An artist and advertising & media planning professional, currently working with RuralShores Business Services incharge of Marketing and Communications. She has also worked with Aurigo Software Technologies, and J Walter Thompson, besides doing voluntary work at Parikma Humanity Foundation and Swami Vivekanand Youth Movement. She has done Business Management Studies from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai and Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Technology) from Regional Engineering College, Bhopal. As an artist, she has exhibited in galleries in Bangalore, New York and online.  As part of her artistic interests, she also hand crafts upcycled gift bags.

She believes that communities can get together and tackle common issues. Hear it in her own words:

 Whitefield Rising-an effort by volunteers

 How do we get together and share

 Emerging is a team to handle woes of Traffic

Deepa Peck

Working as Sr. Manager with Total Environment, Whitefield.Resident of WF since 1991 –  married to 4^th generation descendent of original settlers of Whitefield (1882), hence, passionate to preserve the heritage and history of the area.(Hon) President of the Whitefield Settlers’ & Residents’ Assoc ., established in 1905 by Mr. D.S, White, who founded Whitefield.  At that time the Assoc. was the sole governing body in Whitefield – before the Govt. took over. Mr. White’s vision was for a Whitefield where  “all would work towards the common good,” …  am thrilled to be a part of WF Rising, working with people who share his vision and passion.

G. Balakrishna