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Empowering America with Vision, One Individual at a Time

AINAK is a Silicon Valley-based nonprofit organization focused on helping under-resourced school students and underserved communities across America access free eye care services, including comprehensive vision tests and corrective eyeglasses. 

AINAK is a Silicon Valley-based nonprofit organization focused on helping under-resourced school students and underserved communities across America access free eye care services, including comprehensive vision tests and corrective eyeglasses.

 

In the United States alone, about 62 million people do not have vision insurance or the access to eye care services such as eye exams and prescription glasses. AINAK is there to bridge the gap for this segment of the population.

Regular eye exams can help to detect more serious or other underlying conditions. Lack of good vision can cause individuals to underperform in school or at their place of work, to lose independence with certain daily tasks or withdraw socially. Having a perfect vision is a precious gift that should not be taken lightly therefore eye care is an important part of everyday living.

Our mission is to reach out to underprivileged California communities to receive free vision care of cost and thereby have an improved quality of life.

Our aim is that no child be left behind in realizing their dreams just because their vision issues were not identified on time or, even when identified, the parents could not afford to pay for eyecare. Our hope is that lack of eye care is not an impediment in the ability of these children to excel in the classroom and become successful citizens.

Our Story

How We Got Started

AINAK was launched by Poonam Goyal in 2020. She was inspired to create AINAK during her time volunteering at a school in an underserved community. 

She noticed a few disengaged children at the back of the classroom. When asked why they were not participating, they said that they could not see what was being written or taught on the board. When these students were moved to the front, their involvement improved.  

Poonam saw the problem and created AINAK to provide access to free eye care for these communities. 

Our Team

poonam

Poonam Goyal

Founder & CEO
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AINAK was founded by Poonam Goyal in 2018. Poonam worked for the Banking Industry for over 30 years. She also served on the Board of the South Asian Real Estate Association. She has a graduate degree in Life Sciences from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India. She was inspired to create AINAK when she realized how often old pairs of frames get thrown away after being used. There is a growing need for education worldwide, and the first step is to have the ability to see.

poonam@myainak.org

Sunita Verma

Chairperson of the Board
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Founder and CEO of Success Academy. Sunita Verma was a Research Assistant in the Atmospheric Science Group at Nasa Ames Research Center, Moffett Field. She received her Masters Degree in Chemistry from the University of Lucknow, India. She was a co-founder of Bihar Samaj USA. Sunita actively participates in several non-profits both in social and health care nonprofits.

sunita@myainak.org

Vidya Srinivas

Vice Chairperson of the Board
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Vidya is a Branch Manager at Comerica Bank. She received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic College in Bengaluru, India. Vidya believes in giving back to the community she supports and works with San Jose Homeless Shelter and Shankara Cancer Foundation.

vidya@myainak.org

Anjalika Goyal

Co-Founder & Secretary
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Anjalika is a Workflow Automation Business Analyst at the First Republic Bank in their Private Wealth Management sector, and an MBA Candidate at Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business. She received a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Northeastern University, in Boston, Massachusetts. There, she served as External Vice President for the Multicultural Greek Organization, chair member for the Pan Asian-American Council, and Webmaster and Secretary for Delta Phi Omega Inc. Delta Phi Omega Inc. is an all female South-Asian interest organization, focused on Children’s Literacy. In her spare time she serves on the Leadership Boards of her HOA and the neighborhood community.

anjalika@myainak.org

Dr. Ashima Varshney

Corporate VP Operations
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Dr. Varshney has been an Ainak volunteer since its launch in 2020. During her time as a volunteer, she helped Ainak in implementing nonprofit policies and procedures as mandated under the 501-C3 guidelines. She will continue her work in helping Ainak stay compliant.
Dr. Varshney, has been at Pfizer Inc for the last 28 years and is currently a Director of Global Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) Strategy. Prior to this role, she led a group of analytical scientists in the Quality organization. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Masters in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. She has worked on several of Pfizer’s products ensuring that Pfizer’s life-saving drugs, including those for COVID treatment, are made available to patients around the world. Dr. Varshney is passionate about eye health and believes in the gift of sight. She has played a pivotal role in ensuring that Zithromax, the product used for the treatment of Trachoma under the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), is accessible to patients in Africa demonstrating a commitment to addressing critical global eye disease. Her unique combination of a strong scientific background and a quarter-century of pharmaceutical industry experience along with a commitment to making a positive impact on eye health, positions her as an invaluable asset in shaping the strategic direction of AINAK.

Ruby Goel

VP Data Security
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Data Architect at Visa focusing on systems-level development of digital products. She completed a Bachelor of Science from IET, Lucknow in Computer Science, and has since lent her expertise to data-focused organizations in Ebay, Paypal, and AMD. She volunteered as an expert for Rippleworks, a nonprofit organization providing technological and marketing help to social ventures based in third-world countries. In her spare time, she enjoys reading historical fiction novels and hiking around the Bay Area.

Dr. Banu Ramachandran

VP Grants

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Banu has a Ph.D in Microbiology and Cell Biology and has over 25 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry. During this time, she has worked for both small and large pharmaceutical companies. She was also a founding member of a consulting and analytical
testing laboratory for pharmaceutical products. In this capacity, she managed all aspects of running a small company (technical and financial details).
Banu believes in giving back to the community. She worked as a volunteer in her local hospital
for many years and always tries to volunteer for various causes whenever the opportunity arises. She enjoys traveling, hiking, reading books and cooking.

Banu is very passionate about eye health and she is looking forward to working with Ainak.

Neetu Varshney

Director New Jersey Outreach

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Neetu Varshney is a STEM supervisor for a school district in Union County, New Jersey. As a passionate educator for 20+ years, Neetu has taught mathematics to high school students and now works with teachers and other administrators to ensure that students get the best education they deserve. In her experience, she believes that having a good vision is essential to students’ success. Unfortunately, many students are not able to perform well due to vision problems. At AINAK, she is hoping to reach such families and make a difference in their lives.

Dr. Cindy Arregoitia Sarabia

Director of Bilingual

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Medical degree from the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City Mexico in Medicine.

University Of California Berkeley graduated with a Masters in Translational Medicine and Bio Engineering

Employer: Recor Medical (Otsuka Holding Inc.) as Medical Affairs Manager

Cindy is fueled when helping others. Her passion for healthcare and the well-being of others motivated her to serve as a first responder, and later, she pursued a medical degree. Throughout her career, Cindy has diligently practiced as a general physician in diverse settings, ranging from rural practices to state-of-the-art hospitals.

Driven by her desire to make a meaningful impact, Cindy transitioned her focus from traditional clinical practice to research and innovation after successfully completing a postgraduate degree from UCSF/Berkeley. Presently, she is fully devoted to translational science, research, and the advancement of medicine.

Cindy takes immense pride in her membership within the Latino community, and she is delighted to be a part of the AINAK team, dedicated to volunteering and offering her expertise to underprivileged communities.

Dr. Afsaneh Mahajerani

Director Optometrist Services
 
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Dr. Mahajerani is a Bay Area native. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis and her Doctorate Degree in Optometry from Pacific University College of Optometry in 1997.

Lizbeth Heredia

Director Bilingual Community Relations
 
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Lizbet Heredia was born and raised in Los Banos, CA. Community service has always been close to her heart. She balances her roles as a Human Resources Coordinator in the water industry and as an entrepreneur managing two small businesses. Lizbeth holds a BA in Organizational Leadership from Fresno Pacific University and an AA in Social Science and Criminal Justice from Merced College.

Driven by a passion for helping others, she is excited to be part of the Ainak team as a Director Bilingual Community Relations for Spanish-speaking families in California. Lizbeth will be responsible for translating documents and press releases and communicating with the families. Ainak’s mission to provide free eye care to children who otherwise couldn’t afford it resonates deeply with her. Her bilingual skills will help to bridge the communication gap and ensure that every child receives the care they deserve and become productive members of the society and are able to realise their dreams of whatever they want to be once they grow up.

As a parent of three kids, she is committed to ensuring that every child has access to essential services and opportunities. Volunteering with Ainak will allow her to use her skills to make a meaningful impact in her community.

Sarita Puri

Director of Partnerships and Patron Services
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Sarita Puri joined AINAK in September 2024, following the organization’s expansion into New Jersey. Before retiring, Sarita worked as a data processor and administrative assistant in the Human Resources Department at AT&T in New Jersey. Known for her compassion and caring nature, she dedicated much of her free time to supporting elderly family members and home-bound seniors in her community. Her passion for volunteerism and helping others naturally led her to become involved with AINAK. Sarita also enjoys hiking and proudly shares that she has circumnavigated the holy Mount Kailash in the Himalayas.

San Truong

Senior Bilingual Community Reachout Manager (Vietnamese)

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San is working as an Account Clerk at Santa Clara County. San is a graduate from San Jose State University with a degree in Art History. During the last year of college, she got a temporary job with Santa Clara County which led to a permanent job- she has now been there for over 20 years. She is currently working in the customer services and support unit.
San enjoys helping others which is one of the reasons she joined AINAK. Aside from volunteering for AINAK, San also helps prepare food for the homeless once a month at a Vietnamese temple. During her free time she enjoys gardening, art and crafts and ballroom dancing.

san.truong@myainak.org

Miron

Vietnamese Community manager of Sacramento & Stockton Region

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Miron works Citibank as a banker. She has a BS degree in Business Psychology from Palo Alto University. She volunteers at the local Vietnamese Temple in San Jose. She is actively involved in the local Vietnamese Community. Miron is a proud mom of an 18 month old baby boy and newborn daughter.

Raka Gupta

Marketing and Content Designer

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She designs and develops websites and marketing content for digital and print mediums for various market segments. Raka is extremely passionate about working with non-profit organizations and giving back to the community.

Sneha Lundia

Advisor 

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Sneha is the Founder & CEO of Step2Growth, a marketing strategist and startup mentor. She facilitates building a strong and scalable marketing foundation for start-ups. For her outstanding work with startups, she has been honored as the Woman of Influence, 2021 by Silicon Valley Business Journal. Amongst other things, her contributions have also enabled 2 major startup acquisitions. She is a contributor at Forbes and a Council Member at Forbes Business Council. She is also an active advisor at multiple accelerators.
atisha

Atisha Varshney

Advisor
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Atisha is a CEO and Founding Principal at Forward City Labs. After getting a Bachelors in Architecture in New Delhi, India, she received a Master’s Degree in Landscape and Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Atisha co-founded Anchal project as graduate student, focusing empowerment and health for sex workers in India by giving them alternative methods of earning a living. Atisha is well-connected with the planning landscape in Silicon Valley and is actively involved with local chapters of APA, SPUR and ULI, where she serves on the Urban Catalyst team and Silicon Valley programs committee respectively. Atisha is a new mom of a 3 month old baby boy.

Parth Patel

Advisor Technology
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Parth Patel, a founding member of Mendel AI, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our organization as the Director of Technology. At Mendel AI, Parth spearheads a multidisciplinary team focusing on the development of symbolic AI solutions in healthcare. Parth holds a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University, which has been instrumental in his work on AI in healthcare. Before joining Mendel AI, Parth volunteered at the SPCA, showcasing his empathy and love for animals. Outside of work, he maintains a balanced lifestyle, enjoying reading, biking, and origami.

Michelle Edwards

Advisor 

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Michelle has held several high level positions at several big banks and credit unions. During her tenure at these institutions she was responsible for developing and leading a profitable sales team. Michelle has experience working with charitable organizations. She has been a Board Member and Committee Chair for Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA) in San Mateo County; Board Member for Foothill Bobby Sox and San Jose Strikkers Softball. She has been an active volunteer with Second Harvest, Habitat for Humanity and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Michelle is most proud of being a mother of two and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren.

michelle@myainak.org

Dr. Shivang Dave

Advisor Technologist 

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Shivang R. Dave, PhD, is a co-founder and CEO of PlenOptika, Inc., biomedical technologist, and social-impact entrepreneur. Focused on technology translation, his bioengineering research career has spanned synthetic chemistry, nanotechnology, and biomedical imaging at the University of California, Berkeley, University of Washington, Seattle, UW Foster School of Business Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a Madrid–MIT M+Visión Fellow he co-invented a breakthrough technology to expand access to vision care and eyeglasses globally. The QuickSee technology commercialized by PlenOptika, has been used on more than 3 million patients in 30+ countries since its launch in late 2018. Prior to his efforts at PlenOptika, Shivang helped commercialize two separate biomedical technologies, each expressing his passion for thoughtful design and healthcare innovation. Through extensive and long-term mentoring relationships, he enjoys sharing his experiences and insights regarding innovation and entrepreneurship with early-stage professionals around the world.

Dr. Rajendra Modi

Advisor Ophthalmologist
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He did his Boards in Ophthalmology as Chief Resident in New York. Dr. Modi is a Member of the New York Society of Ophthalmology. He is on the Board of Trustees SANKARA NETHRALAYA. He is a member of Sankara Eye Foundation, USA. Dr. Rajendra Modi has extensive experience in providing free eye care to the underserved communities in rural Rajasthan. He runs a free vision center in his hometown of Neemkathana. He runs a free school for underserved children in Jaipur. He is involved with several other charities.

Dr. Sneha Panchal

Advisor Optometrist
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Dr. Sneha Panchal completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of California, Irvine with a concentration in optometry and first fell in love with the field as an optometric intern. She went on to graduate from the University of Missouri- St. Louis College of Optometry with a Doctorate of Optometry Degree. While in optometry school, she completed rotations and training in Ocular Disease at the Kansas City Veterans Hospital, Contact Lenses at UMSL Eye Center, Pediatric Care, and Primary Care Optometry at various private practices.

Dr. Panchal is a member of the American Optometric Association and the California Optometric Association. She has also assisted with nonprofit organizations such as the India Cultural Association and Charitable Care Foundation. Dr. Panchal enjoys spending time with family, hiking, reading, and loves making new recipes. She is very passionate about eye care and we are very excited for her to join the team.

Meher

Community Outreach Manager
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Meher is a high school junior in San Jose, California. She values Equality and Inclusion for all, regardless of color, gender, race, and social status. For this reason, she is thrilled to join AINAK! She believes everyone should be able to see and appreciate how beautiful the world is, through their own eyes with 20/20 vision. Meher truly loves animals. She has taken in a stray cat that showed up at her house and tended to its every need, including vet visits, and now the cat is part of the family! During her middle school years, she was involved in a program called WEB (Where Everybody Belongs). This program made sure everyone in the school felt heard & safe. Meher has now started another leadership program Club Harmony where they talk about what discrimination is, working as a school community towards overcoming racism-related issues, etc. Other than that, she’s also a part of a number of clubs such as Leos Club, Asian Pacific Islander Student Union, Club Harmony (Vice President), Black Student Union, and Girl Up. Through these extracurriculars, she makes an effort to work with clubs that unionize many minorities as activism is something she deeply cares about. In her school life, she has organized many events such as a women’s charity mile, and a donation drive for hygiene products, and made sure to plan during LGBTQ+ history month to make sure the student body felt represented. She loves sports, playing both softball and field hockey in her free time! In the future, she aspires to work in the medical field.

Aditi

Technology Lead
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Aditi is a sophomore at Cupertino High School. She is a youth ambassador at AINAK. Aditi is a sophomore at Cupertino High School. She is a youth ambassador at AINAK because she loves giving back to the community as much as she can. She has created an online learning platform called The Coding Leaf where she offers tutoring and summer camps in math and programming for middle school students. Aditi has a passion for math and computer science, and has been coding for over 6 years. Aditi participated in two coding competitions Plathacks Global and The Coder School’s Coder Fair. She won first place in both competitions. In the future, she wants to pursue a degree in Computer Science & Engineering. In her free time, Aditi loves listening to music, painting, reading thriller novels, and spending time with her friends. She is also very athletic and enjoys running, swimming, and biking.

atisha

Aryan Varshney

Student Ambassador New Jersey

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Aryan Varshney is a rising freshman at J.P. Stevens High School in Edison, New Jersey. He was a school president for his middle school in 8th grade, where he helped host events such as dances, fundraisers, and food drives. In these food drives, with the help of his school, he was able to collect lots of food to donate to the local food shelters. In AINAK, Aryan wants to continue his passion of giving back to the community, as well as inspire others. Outside of school, Aryan enjoys playing baseball, playing the violin, and solving Rubik’s cubes.

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AINAK is a US based nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code tax exempt status (Tax ID: 81-0860783) in the federal law of the United States e.

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