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Meet the Team

Sam Parakkal
Shweta Kakkar
Sharon Abraham
JOby Varghese
Tenzin Tsering
Maria Chacko
Sarah Bernal



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TENZIN TSERING is our Senior Associate for Fellowship. A Tibetan born and raised in northern India, Tenzin is guided by a commitment to purposeful work and continuous growth. He supports the fellowship through program coordination, systems thinking, and backend operations. He lives in Dehradun with his wife, their daughter, and their dog, Buddy.
Tenzin Tsering
Senior Associate for Fellowship

SHARON ABRAHAM is the JoyCorps Ecosystems Administrator. She oversees support for early-stage entrepreneurs and manages the administrative operations of training programs and courses offered by JoyCorps. She lives in Dehradun with her husband and three daughters.
Sharon Abraham
JoyCorps Ecosystems Administrator
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SHWETA KAKKAR is the Lead of Operations and Communication. She holds a postgraduate degree in Development Studies and an undergraduate degree in Business Studies. Shweta is skilled in operations management, cross-cultural communication, and program management, and loves connecting like-minded people. She lives with her husband and their two dogs in Dehradun, India.
Shweta Kakkar
Lead of Operations and Communication

SHALEM KALLIMEL steps in as Coordinator, Fellowship for JoyCorps. Having roots in South India, Shalem has lived mostly in North India, and is married to Kim, from the Northeast. His multi-cultural background, along with his passion to see people thrive and flourish, helps him easily adapt and be flexible. Shalem lives in Dehradun, India, with his wife and their three boys.
Shalem Kallimel
Coordinator, Fellowship for JoyCorps

SARAH BERNAL is the Lead of Development. She is passionate about cultures around the world and enjoys learning about them. Her background in Sociology (B.A.) and many years of experience teaching internationally drives her to partner with those developing businesses and those who carefully consider prospering communities that are in need of growth. Currently, she resides in Guatemala with her husband, two daughters, and a dog named Baloo, who keeps them on their toes.
Sarah Bernal
Lead Development

SAM PARAKKAL is our Executive Director. He grew up in the Arabian Gulf, earned a business degree in the US, and spent a decade gaining experience in business processes. He began coaching JoyCorps Fellows in India in 2018 and became E.D. in 2021. Sam lives in Dehradun, India with his wife and their two daughters.
Sam Parakkal
Executive Director
NIKHIL DWARKA serves as Senior Associate of Community Development, developing and managing our community support initiatives in India. He has spent many years as a mentor for young Tibetan men and women with backgrounds of addiction. Nikhil lives with his wife and their daughter in Dehradun, India.
Nikhil Dwarka
Senior Associate of Community Development
LIRIS THOMAS is the Coordinator for the Aspire Program. Growing up in Delhi, he has always been passionate about creating opportunities for people to thrive. With years of experience working on projects that empower those in need, Liris believes in the power of communities to drive meaningful change. Outside of work, Liris enjoys riding his motorcycle and filling his home with plants. He lives in Trivandrum, India with his wife, two daughters, and a few stray cats that frequently visit.
Liris Thomas
Coordinator for the Aspire Program

JOSIE MACKENZIE serves as the Lead of the JoyCorps Studio, where she works with clients to create entrepreneurial solutions that are contextually appropriate. She has a Master's degree in Design Thinking. She lives in Ireland.
Josie Mackenzie
Lead of the JoyCorps Studio

JOBY VARGHESE is the Lead of Fellowship & Ecosystem. He grew up in South India and has worked in various leadership roles for over two decades. He studied leadership in the US, where he helped with strategy development for a cross-cultural team. Joby lives in Dehradun, India, with his wife, Rhema, and their two daughters.
Joby Varghese
Lead of Fellowship & Ecosystem

ERICA D’SOUZA is a Senior Associate at the JoyCorps Studio. She loves working with data and helping people see the importance of it. She also loves understanding how processes and systems work and how they can be improved. She lives with her husband, two cats, and a dog in Mumbai, India.
Erica D' Souza
Senior Associate at the Studio
Asha Mathew is a Senior Research Associate at JoyCorps Studio, drawing on her PhD in International Relations and her research across policy and community contexts to explore how complex systems shape lived experience. She currently lives in Bangalore, India.
Asha Mathew
Senior Research Associate
ALWIN THOMAS serves as Design and Communications Associate. He works to provide JoyCorps with various design and communication needs which are visually appealing and functional. He currently lives in Dehradun, India. He is passionate about art and design.
ALWIN serves as Design and Communications Associate. He works to provide JoyCorps with various design and communication needs which are visually appealing and functional. He currently lives in Dehradun, India. He is passionate about design and art.
Alwin Thomas
Design and Communications Associate


Asha Mathew is a Senior Research Associate at JoyCorps Studio, drawing on her PhD in International Relations and her research across policy and community contexts to explore how complex systems shape lived experience. She currently lives in Bangalore, India.

ERICA D’SOUZA is a Senior Associate at the JoyCorps Studio. She loves working with data and helping people see the importance of it. She also loves understanding how processes and systems work and how they can be improved. She lives with her husband, two cats, and a dog in Mumbai, India.

JOBY VARGHESE is the Lead of Fellowship & Ecosystem. He grew up in South India and has worked in various leadership roles for over two decades. He studied leadership in the US, where he helped with strategy development for a cross-cultural team. Joby lives in Dehradun, India, with his wife, Rhema, and their two daughters.
Asha Mathew
Senior Research Associate at the Studio
Erica D' Souza
Joby Varghese
Senior Associate at the Studio
Lead of Fellowship & Ecosystem

JOSIE MACKENZIE serves as the Lead of the JoyCorps Studio, where she works with clients to create entrepreneurial solutions that are contextually appropriate. She has a Master's degree in Design Thinking. She lives in Ireland.

LIRIS THOMAS is the Coordinator for the Aspire Program. Growing up in Delhi, he has always been passionate about creating opportunities for people to thrive. With years of experience working on projects that empower those in need, Liris believes in the power of communities to drive meaningful change. Outside of work, Liris enjoys riding his motorcycle and filling his home with plants. He lives in Trivandrum, India with his wife, two daughters, and a few stray cats that frequently visit.
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NIKHIL DWARKA serves as Senior Associate of Community Development, developing and managing our community support initiatives in India. He has spent many years as a mentor for young Tibetan men and women with backgrounds of addiction. Nikhil lives with his wife and their daughter in Dehradun, India.
Josie Mackenzie
Liris Thomas
Lead of the JoyCorps Studio
Coordinator for the Aspire Program
Senior Associate of Community Development
Nikhil Dwarka

SAM PARAKKAL is our Executive Director. He grew up in the Arabian Gulf, earned a business degree in the US, and spent a decade gaining experience in business processes. He began coaching JoyCorps Fellows in India in 2018 and became E.D. in 2021. Sam lives in Dehradun, India with his wife and their two daughters.

SARAH BERNAL is the Lead of Development. She is passionate about cultures around the world and enjoys learning about them. Her background in Sociology (B.A.) and many years of experience teaching internationally drives her to partner with those developing businesses and those who carefully consider prospering communities that are in need of growth. Currently, she resides in Guatemala with her husband, two daughters, and a dog named Baloo, who keeps them on their toes.

SHALEM KALLIMEL steps in as Coordinator, Fellowship for JoyCorps. Having roots in South India, Shalem has lived mostly in North India, and is married to Kim, from the Northeast. His multi-cultural background, along with his passion to see people thrive and flourish, helps him easily adapt and be flexible. Shalem lives in Dehradun, India, with his wife and their three boys.
Sam Parakkal
Lead Development
Sarah Bernal
Shalem Kallimel
Executive Director
Coordinator, Fellowship for JoyCorps
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SHWETA KAKKAR is the Lead of Operations and Communication. She holds a postgraduate degree in Development Studies and an undergraduate degree in Business Studies. Shweta is skilled in operations management, cross-cultural communication, and program management, and loves connecting like-minded people. She lives with her husband and their two dogs in Dehradun, India.

SHARON ABRAHAM is the JoyCorps Ecosystems Administrator. She oversees support for early-stage entrepreneurs and manages the administrative operations of training programs and courses offered by JoyCorps. She lives in Dehradun with her husband and three daughters.

TENZIN TSERING is our Senior Associate for Fellowship. A Tibetan born and raised in northern India, Tenzin is guided by a commitment to purposeful work and continuous growth. He supports the fellowship through program coordination, systems thinking, and backend operations. He lives in Dehradun with his wife, their daughter, and their dog, Buddy.
Lead of Operations and Communication
Shweta Kakkar
Sharon Abraham
Tenzin Tsering
Senior Associate for Fellowship
JoyCorps Ecosystems Administrator

ALWIN serves as Design and Communications Associate. He works to provide JoyCorps with various design and communication needs which are visually appealing and functional. He currently lives in Dehradun, India. He is passionate about design and art.
Design and Communications Associate
Alwin Thomas
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