Board of Directors 2025-26
President
Sraddha Shukla
Sraddha is a mom of two, a Finance & Strategy consultant and passionate about positive change. She joined the MVEF Board in 2022, and has led community-building initiatives, like the Gala as Co-Chair for two years, and Co-Vice President in 2023-24. She is now serving as President for 2025-26 in her second year.​
Originally from India and having lived in Canada before settling in California, Sraddha has a lifelong commitment to community building. From teaching underprivileged children in India to creating a social enterprise hub for immigrant women in Canada, and now at MVEF, she strives to make a meaningful impact.
“In our corner of the world, we have plenty and have the opportunity to experience the joy of giving and gaining community. Come, let’s build our village together!”​
School Representative at Bubb & Graham
sraddha@mvef.org​​​​
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Vice President
Rebecca (Becca) Swett
Becca joined the MVEF board in March 2025 and is now serving as Vice President.
She currently has one son at Landels Elementary (and one more looking forward to it), where she has been an active PTA member and Project Cornerstone Volunteer.
Becca has worked in product and program management in both big tech and startups since receiving her BS in Mathematical and Computational Science from Stanford University. She brings relationship building, strategy development, and storytelling skills from her tech experience, as well as devotion to the Mountain View community, with her to MVEF.​​​​
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School Representative at Landels
Treasurer
Khalil Bensassi
Khalil joined the MVEF Board in 2024 and is now serving as Treasurer. He has two children in the Mountain View School District. One of his motivations for serving on the MVEF Board is to help propose and secure funding for new programs.
Khalil, an aerospace engineer and computational scientist, is at the forefront of advancing spacecraft entry and re-entry models to improve predictive capabilities and ensure the safety and reliability of space exploration missions. He holds a M.S. in Aerospace engineering and a Ph.D. in applied science from The von Karman Institute and the Free University of Brussels, Belgium.
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School Representative at Stevenson & Crittenden
khalil@mvef.org​​​
Secretary
Mahalakshmi (Maha) Prabhakaran
Maha joined the MVEF board in March 2025 and is now serving as Secretary. She is a mom of two boys at Stevenson Elementary Maha has been an active parent volunteer in Stevenson and is excited to continue to be involved in enhancing public education. She is inspired by MVEF's mission of ensuring equitable access to art, science and enrichment programs for all kids in the district and hopes to make a positive impact through her work on MVEF board.
Maha has a PhD in Developmental Biology from Baylor College of Medicine and completed her Postdoctoral training in UCSF and Stanford. She continues to be committed to driving innovation in healthcare through her work in Abbvie's Strategy organization. Maha is passionate about reading as many books as she can, exploring new trails and finding all the waterholes, creeks, water parks and beaches in the area for epic summer fun.
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School Representative at Stevenson
maha@mvef.org​​
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Board Member
Dwight Rodgers
Dwight joined the MVEF board in 2013. He has two children, both in the Mountain View public school system.
Dwight holds a BS in computer engineering from Princeton University. He is a Director of Engineering at Adobe by day, and can sometimes be found making short films and animations in his nights and weekends.
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School Representative at Graham
dwight@mvef.org​​​​​​​​​
Board Member
Alane Kataria-Rennie
Alane joined the MVEF board in 2023 after serving for many years as a volunteer on the gala team. She especially loves the fact that MVEF provides high quality Art and Music instruction to every student in MVWSD.
Alane has two students in the district: an 8th grader at Graham and a 5th grader at Mistral. She has a B.A. in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and taught first grade in East San Jose with Teach for America. Alane co-leads a Girl Scout junior troop and dances with her Zumba class as often as possible.
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School Representative at Mistral and Graham
alane@mvef.org​​
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Board Member
Walky Goode
​Walky brings a unique perspective to the MVEF Board. A Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Maryland complements her experience working in the creative, tech, and non-profit sectors, from startups to FAANG companies.
Originally from Ecuador, she enjoys infusing her family life (with two boys at Bubb and Graham) with Latin culture. Walky is passionate about education, as evidenced by her prior service on the Global Youth for Education and Change board. She's excited to contribute to MVEF's mission to empower MVWSD students through innovative programs.
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School Representative at Graham
walky@mvef.org
Board Member
Raji Kaul
Raji has been active in the MV district community in various capacities as a parent volunteer, PTA member and now as a MVEF board member. She hopes to contribute positively and have a meaningful impact as she believes in MVEF’s goal to influence each and every student having seen her own children benefit from the programs MVEF funds.
She has a college freshman and a 5th grader in the district. She holds a masters degree in Microbiology from Texas Tech University and worked in the biotech industry for more than a decade before switching to working part time for the school district currently as ELPAC coordinator.
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​School Representative at Graham
​raji@mvef.org​​
Board Member
Desiree Caballero
Desiree is a brand builder, storyteller, and strategist with 15+ years in tech, leading employer brand and people-focused marketing at companies like Google, Coursera, Robinhood, and most recently, Ampere.
A proud double Bear, Desiree earned both her undergrad and MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Outside of work, you’ll find her exploring new trails, hunting for the best farmers market finds, or chasing after her five-year-old son, who always keeps her on her toes. Desiree is an incoming Landels mom of an incoming Kindergardener son. She joined the MVEF Board in March 2025.
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School Representative at Landels
desiree@mvef.org
Staff
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Executive Director
Valerie Duncker
Valerie joined MVEF as Lead Executive Director in April 2024 and became the sole Executive Director in April 2025. A mother of three, her children have attended schools in the LASD and MVLA districts -two are now in college, and her youngest is a junior at MVHS.
She currently serves as VP of Membership (after having served two years as Auditor) on the MVHS PTSA Executive Board and previously served as Financial Secretary on the PTA Board at Blach Junior High. Valerie is passionate about enriching education and giving back to the community.
She has volunteered at Loyola, Blach, Egan, MVHS, LAHS, and Foothill College, where two of her children participated in the Middle College Program.
Valerie has led fundraising at Loyola Elementary and served on the board of a local education non-profit. She is also an active member and Co-VP of Communications of NCL, a national organization promoting community service for mothers and daughters in grades 7–12.
Valerie holds an MBA and brings over 15 years of corporate and tech startup experience as a Program Manager, with a focus on Marketing, Communications, and Operations.
Data & Operations Manager
Jyoti Jacob
Jyoti joined the Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF) in September 2025, bringing with her a deep commitment to educational equity and a passion for supporting student development. As a parent of 2, she is an active school volunteer, supporting programs such as Project Cornerstone, Art and STEAM initiatives, and Speech and Debate clubs in her kid’s schools and also volunteers actively in her community.
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With over 15 years of experience in the software industry—as both engineer and program manager — Jyoti has worked across corporate and non-profit sectors. She is excited to support MVEF’s mission in her role, where she applies her skills in data analysis, operations, and relationship management to strengthen donor engagement and organizational impact. She holds a Master’s degree in Computer science and Engineering, and is excited to leverage her technical and organizational expertise to help MVEF support every student in reaching their full potential.
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jyoti@mvef.org
MVEF Ambassdors at School 2025-26
Antara Bhardwaj
Graham
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Antara Bhardwaj, a Bay Area native and dedicated community member, is the mother of a Graham Middle School student. During her son's time at Gabriela Mistral Elementary, she served as a room parent for five years, actively supporting the school community.
Since 2021, she has also represented the school in the Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), advocating for resources and support for local schools.
As an arts educator, Antara runs her own dance organization, Antara Asthaayi Dance, based in Mountain View. Through her organization, she mentors young girls, sharing the rich traditions of Indian classical dance and culture, and fostering a deep appreciation for the arts. Antara also serves on the city of Mountain View’s Performance Art Committee,” helping to bring the performing arts to reflect the heart of our community.​​​​​​​​
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antara@hey.com​​​​​​
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Dhwani Shaw
Imai
​Dhwani, originally from India, has called the Bay Area home since 2005. Passionate about building strong communities, they're actively involved at Amy Imai Elementary where their child attends, and at Graham Middle School where their other child is a student.
Dhwani and their family have directly benefited from MVEF programs, including reduced class sizes and enriched music and art opportunities. They are eager to raise awareness for MVEF's impact at Amy Imai. Beyond their involvement with the PTA and MVEF, Dhwani is a dedicated volunteer with Pack 33, serving as a committee chair.​​​
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Dhwani has a master’s in electrical engineering from USC.
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​dhwani.shah@gmail.com​​​​​​​
Lara Gill
Vargas
Lara Gill has been a Foundation rep for Vargas since 2020. As an English teacher and Teacher Induction Coach for the Sequoia Union School District for over 20 years, she knows how crucial educational Foundations are in supporting teachers and ensuring that art and music survive in our schools. She is the membership chair for the PTA and loves volunteering at school events.
Her youngest son attends Vargas and her oldest son is a sophomore at Mountain View High School, and both children love to draw thanks in part to the amazing CSMA arts education provided by the Foundation. She moved to California from Bellevue, WA to attend Santa Clara University where she played varsity Water Polo and majored in English. After working as a college admissions counselor and homeless youth advocate she earned a Master's Degree from Stanford University and is a National Board Certified Teacher. ​​​​​​​
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​gill@seq.org​
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Jon Stewart is an educator and Instructional Coach with the Sequoia Union High School District, where he has dedicated his career to teaching math and supporting newcomer immigrant students in their transition to a new school environment. Jon holds an MA in Education from USC and an Ed.D. in Organizational Learning from Vanderbilt. As an MVEF site representative,
Jon is passionate about strengthening student experiences through the resources MVEF provides. With a second grader in the district and another future MVWSD student, Jon is committed to fostering the partnership between MVWSD and MVEF, helping to build impactful programs for all students in Mountain View.
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stew5992@gmail.com​​​​​
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Landels
Rajaram is a dedicated community member and the proud father of a fourth-grader at Landels Elementary. Originally from Goa, India, he relocated to the U.S. in 2015 to pursue new opportunities. With a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering,
Rajaram currently works in the tech industry in the Bay Area. A resident of Mountain View, he’s a proud Costco member who enjoys giving back to his community.
When he’s not busy, Rajaram spends quality time with his family, engages in running, delves into the world of math and programming, and finds solace in reading poetry.
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​BeiBei (Patricia) Xu
Crittenden School
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BeiBei (Patricia) Xu – Crittenden School Representative Patricia Xu is a media professional with a strong background in storytelling, education, and community engagement. Before her career in media, Patricia was a teacher and college guidance counselor at an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. Many of her students have graduated from top universities including Stanford, UC Berkeley, Northwestern and etc. She holds an MSc in International Accounting & Finance from the University of Birmingham and dual M.A. & B.A. degrees in English Language & Literature. In Mountain View, Patricia is an active parent volunteer and is excited to serve as the MVEF School Representative for Crittenden Middle School. She is passionate about supporting programs that foster creativity, equity, and academic opportunity for all students in the district.
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Imai
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​​​​​​​​​​​Mona has been a proud Imai and MVWSD parent for the past 11 years. During that time she has served on Imai's PTA Board for 8 years including the roles of President, VP, Financial Secretary, Secretary and VP Volunteers, in addition to founding and chairing the Walkathon for 4 years as well leading the school wide carnival. She is a strong supporter of community engagement both at Imai and within the broader community, and has worked diligently within Imai to foster community connections, including raising awareness of MVEF.
Her youngest son is currently in 5th grade at Imai and her twin sons are in 10th grade at MVHS. As an active Scout family, she has also taken on various leaderships roles within Pack 80 and Troop 75.
Mona spent nearly 25 years as a senior leader at a market insights consultancy (within the Healthcare sector) and enjoys gardening, wine and food pairing, hosting parties and travelling. She graduated with degrees in Physiology from UCLA and a Masters of Health Finance and Management from Johns Hopkins University.
She is very excited to give back to MVEF and to continue to drive momentum of MVEF within Imai.​​​​​​​
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