Kalpana Kanthan

Kalpana Kanthan has a diverse work experience spanning different roles and industries. From 2022 to the present, they have served as the Chief Development Officer (CDO) at the American India Foundation. Prior to that, they held the position of Interim Chief Development Officer at the same organization from September 2022 to November 2022. From May 2022 to August 2022, Kanthan worked as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the American India Foundation.

Before joining the American India Foundation, Kanthan worked at Columbia Business School from March 2015 to April 2022. Kalpana held the positions of Senior Associate Director from 2019 to the present and Associate Director from 2015 to 2018.

From 2011 to 2015, Kanthan worked as a Consultant for BigShot Camera for Education: Kimera LLC. In this role, they provided strategic support for the establishment and market entry of the company. Kalpana also cultivated connections with school districts and nonprofit programs to increase awareness and sales of BigShot for STEAM education. Kanthan initiated nonprofit and school partnerships for nationwide product dissemination and designed classroom curricula for science and arts classes using BigShot.

Kanthan's earlier work experience includes serving as a Parent Volunteer and Primary Caregiver at The School at Columbia University from September 2005 to February 2015. In this role, they orchestrated successful community-building, communications, and fundraising initiatives. Kanthan increased fundraising output by over 40% compared to previous years and created diverse engagement opportunities for parents and faculty members.

Additionally, Kanthan worked at Classroom, Inc. from March 1999 to December 2004 in various positions, including Associate Director of Communications, Director of Development, and Manager & Associate of Development. Prior to that, they worked as an Account Executive at John O'Donnell Company from September 1997 to February 1999, where they designed and implemented fundraising strategies for Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens and St. Vincent's Services.

Kanthan's earlier roles include working as a Producer, Anchor, Writer, and Assistant at Plus Channel & AIM Television in India from June 1993 to June 1995, and as a Research and Program Associate at KATHA from October 1994 to May 1995.

Kalpana Kanthan earned a Bachelor's Degree in Economics Honors from Lady Shri Ram College For Women in 1989, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Social Communications and Marketing from Sophia Polytechnic in Mumbai, India in 1992. Kalpana later pursued a Master's Degree in Communications from Purdue University, completing it in 1997. In 2020, Kalpana obtained a Kundalini Yoga Teacher Certification from the Kundalini Research Institute, and in 2021, they became a Certified Hypnotherapist after completing the program at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. Additionally, they have obtained various other certifications including Ayurvedic Nutrition & Culinary Training Foundations from Bhagwat Life in 2021 and Naam Yoga Teacher Certification from Naam Yoga Los Angeles in 2018.