Kate Moynihan is an impassioned leader and decision-maker who has overseen programs in networked organizations and social enterprises in resource-constrained settings, internationally and in the United States. She is a catalyst for institutional and systems change, partnering successfully with diverse international organizations to deliver world-class leadership for mission-based social justice around the globe. Throughout Kate’s career, she has shown an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of people living in disadvantaged, marginalized segments of the world. Kate currently serves as Executive Director of the Seva Foundation. She lives in Oakland and is a proud parent of a fierce 16-year-old daughter who herself is engaged in restorative justice. They enjoy life with their dog Spirit.

Deborah has been with Seva since 2006. Before Seva, she worked as the Controller/Asst. Controller at several for-profit industries, including Cometa Networks, Softnet Systems, Stanford University Bookstore, Supercuts, United Artist Cable, and Viacom Cable.

Deborah enjoys time with family, Sketch (her dog), traveling, and crunching numbers for family and friends in her spare time.

Suzanne is a co-founder of Seva Foundation and since 1980, has held several staff roles. She brings skills as a program planner and social epidemiology researcher to Seva’s growing work.

Suzanne has had a longtime interest in India and Nepal, traveling there frequently as a college student and later for her Fulbright grant. She has worked with Seva teams to take lessons learned in one country to rapidly build new strategies in other regions.

Working and learning with Seva partners, volunteers, and donors is a big source of joy for her. When she is not on an airplane working with Seva programs and international committees, Suzanne enjoys reading, biking, and kayaking with family and friends.

Dr. Chundak Tenzing, MD, DO, MBBS, MPH, is the Worldwide Medical Director at Seva Foundation. He has worked with Seva and its partners for almost three decades, overseeing programs worldwide and advocating high-quality care. He is passionate about providing eye care to people living in places where it is nonexistent. He has worked with partner eye hospitals, mainly in Nepal, India, China, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Throughout his career, Chundak has been instrumental in helping to establish multiple eye institutes. These include, but are not limited to, Lumbini Eye Institute, Bharatpur Eye Institute, and eye care centers in remote hills of Nepal where there was no service. When he is not traveling, Chundak takes the time to write beautiful poetry and stories, reflecting the world that he sees.

Heidi lived in California as a child but left when she joined the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan. She spent more than 15 years working in health and international development in countries across Africa and Asia before returning to California, when she had the opportunity to work with Seva Foundation in 2013. Heidi brings a passion for fundamental human rights to her work, focusing much of her career on women and children. Before joining Seva, she oversaw the implementation of multi-million dollar health, education, and gender-based violence projects.

As the Director of Programs at Seva, Heidi makes sure that the funds raised are used most efficiently to improve or restore sight and transform lives. When she’s not working on ways to end avoidable blindness, Heidi loves hiking among the towering trees in California, playing with her cat, Einstein, and solving jigsaw puzzles.

Lauren joined Seva in 2017. As the Deputy Director of Impact & Operations, she translates data into impact and strengthens systems to improve efficiency across Seva’s programs and ensure compliance.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Lauren moved to the Bay Area in 2013. She has always gravitated to social issues and has more than 10 years of experience working within the social sector. From advocating for stronger global women’s health and rights policies to managing community-based health programs in rural Ghana, Lauren believes in Seva's philosophy of "compassion for action." Prior to Seva, Lauren has held positions at the Ghana Health and Education Initiative, The Philanthropy Workshop, and the United Nations Foundation.

She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.A. in International Development and Global Health.

In her free time, you’ll find her biking, camping, or exploring the East Bay with her husband and son.

Mr. Ravindra Shakya joined Seva in November 2020 as Regional Program Manager for Nepal and Cambodia.

He is a development practitioner who has spent over 37 years of his work career in nine different organizations. He primarily worked in Nepal, but also undertook three international assignments including Cambodia and Zimbabwe. He also served as an International Director for Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa. He has managed and led three different organizations in the role of Country Director, focusing on youth, education, and health.

During his eventful career, he worked with many donors, partners, teams, and young people to serve the rural and poor people in the communities. Recognizing his service, the Government of Nepal honored him with the prestigious National Award in Social Development 2014. He also led the development sector by being elected for two consecutive terms as the Treasurer of “Association of INGOs in Nepal” (AIN). In his last organization, Restless Development, he was voted as the “Best Director 2016” and the “Global Values Champion 2013.”

Ravindra is passionate about working with young people. His hobbies include traveling, gardening, and writing blogs. Ravindra did his MBA specializing in international marketing. He currently resides in Nepal with his small family, which consists of his grandmother, spouse and twin children.

Kuldeep worked with the Indian government for almost a decade before venturing out to work in consulting and not-for-profits. His area of expertise includes project management, program implementation, and evidence-based research. Before joining Seva Foundation in 2019, he worked with Tata Trusts, CRISIL Limited, Ministry of Rural Development, and the NITI Aayog, Government of India.

Kuldeep is a management graduate and studied sustainable development at EPFL, Lausanne. He is passionate about issues around technology and sustainable development. Furthermore, he is a strong believer in “compassion in action” and selfless service. In his free time, he enjoys being with nature and exploring the realm of meditation and ancient wisdom.

Arun is Seva’s Global Training Specialist with 20 years of experience with MNCs like Société Generale, Novartis, Bayer, and GlaxoSmithKline. He is a certified Herrmann Practitioner (Whole Brain Thinking), Australia; Competent Communicator and Leader (Toastmasters International, USA); Train the Trainer (Dale Carnegie Institute); TQM Facilitator (HIDA, Japan); and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. He has a proven track record in performance consulting and capability development for a diverse and global workforce.

Arun is passionate about new ways of learning (Micro, Social, Personalised, Experiential and Digital). He invests his leisure time in reading, yoga, nature walks, and playing with his two sons.

As a member of the San Carlos Apache tribe, Jennifer has a deep commitment to creating opportunities for success in Native communities. In past positions as an Indian Education Program Coordinator, Board member for the Southern California Indian Center and Program Officer at the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education, as well as other community and tribal organizations, Jennifer has helped a wide range of programs build success in education, language and culture preservation, career development, health and wellness within Native communities. With her extensive background in program development and program evaluation, she is excited to be joining the Seva team as a Program Officer responsible for the American Indian Sight Initiative. She is a recent transplant to California and loves desert camping and hiking.

She has more than 15 years of experience working with topics related to the empowerment and development opportunities for the small and medium enterprises (SME) to expand their businesses in the local and foreign markets; leading the execution and managed of donor-funded projects (KOICA, JICA, USAID, UE, IDB, WB), one of them managed as a regional platform related to the coastal erosion mitigation that benefited ten countries for Central America and the Caribbean. She also brings to SEVA’s organization her wide experience of liaising with private and public sectors around the region and business intelligence research. With her work she wants to contribute to improve people's livelihood especially of those who have some disadvantages to access quality services. She enjoys going outdoors and knowing new cultures around the world. Now she's joined SEVA?s team as Program Officer Latin America & Caribbean.

Patricia Gettler joined Seva in 2017. In her current role as the Operations and Finance Coordinator, she oversees the Program Department’s finances, develops systems to strengthen the team’s efficiency, and acts as the interdepartmental liaison. Before joining Seva, Patricia worked for over ten years in Early Childhood Education. She taught kindergarten and first grade at Creative Arts Charter School in San Francisco and 3rd grade at Community United Elementary School in Oakland. In addition, she continues her passion for education by providing literacy tutoring to children and adults. When she’s not working, you can find her gardening, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Claudia José joined Seva in 2021 as the new Program Administrative Assistant.

Before Joining Seva, she graduated with a BA in Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2019. She worked for 1.5 years at the government agency First 5 Alameda County, post-graduation, supporting their dental program and front desk operations. As a developing professional with a passion for social justice, she pursues opportunities at organizations that advocate for communities.

In her downtime, she loves to sing, dance, and spend time with friends and family. She looks forward to supporting the Programs Team and learning more about the great work at Seva.

Giri has been with Seva since 2007. In his capacity, he is in charge of the finance operations.

He began his career in the accounting department at St. Luke's Hospital in San Francisco.

In his spare time, he maintains his physical fitness and is enthusiastic about financial markets.

Julie officially joined Seva in 2004, after working as a temporary hire during the year-end fundraising season, and never looked back. She has served as the Director of Development since 2010. Before coming to Seva, Julie worked as a freelance photographer in Boston and the Bay Area. Making a midlife career change was one of the best decisions she ever made. Combining her passion for social justice and connecting people to Seva’s work was a natural transition. “We have wonderful supporters who have a solid commitment to Seva. Many have been donors for more than 25 or 30 years. It is an honor to work alongside them,” she reflects proudly.

Billy began working with Seva Foundation about ten years ago. He recently came on board as a full-time employee in the capacity of Senior Manager of Development Operations. He has worked in fundraising for about twenty years at various institutions like the Haas School of Business, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Sutter Health, and many more. His passion for nonprofit work stems from his mother’s belief in giving selflessly to others. So it was a natural transition when he happened upon Seva.

Billy immigrated from Vietnam at the age of eight and is now a Bay Area native of over thirty years. He is the father of two children, a twelve-year-old girl (Ashlinh) and an eight-year-old boy (Ryan). He enjoys basketball, scuba diving, and water rafting.

Blanca's journey at Seva began in 2008, where she served as the Super-Temp for the Gifts of Sight department. After departing for some time to focus on her family, she rejoined Seva again in 2017. Her current role includes managing database integrity and managing our Gifts of Sight department. Blanca leads a dedicated and talented team to ensure a successful year.

Recently, the Seva mission hit home when her father's eyesight began to deteriorate due to cataracts. Because of this, she relates with the importance Seva plays in people's lives, making cataract surgery accessible, and feels very honored to be part of the Seva family.

Jeanne spent most of her professional life working as a graphic designer and museum art framer in San Francisco and Bloomington, Indiana.

In 2015, after returning to the San Francisco Bay Area, she landed in a fundraising position with Seva Foundation. As the Development Administrative Assistant, she manages planned giving and monthly donors’ accounts while helping to keep the Development department running smoothly. She is grateful to have found work that is close to home and has such an amazingly beneficial impact on the world.

When she is not working, you can usually find her walking her dog, Lily, or dreaming up creative ways to bring awareness to the climate crisis.

Smriti loves telling and hearing stories. She is passionate about her role at Seva, knowing that what she does every day helps people in need.

Prior to Seva, Smriti lead marketing and communications for Startup India, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's flagship initiative. Another professional highlight was as co-founder of a very successful handbag brand, called “3 Mad Chicks,” that she ran for five years with her best friends from university.

Smriti decided to further hone her business acumen by spending an incredible year living abroad in England, where she studied Business and Marketing at the University of Oxford. If you can’t find Smriti enjoying fabulous teas while reading some of her favorite books, she is most likely painting, cooking or traveling to the next new destination with her 2 dogs.

Adam brings over 25 years of work experience as a graphic designer and web developer to Seva’s communications team. In addition to his service with Seva since 2015, Adam has championed the causes of other nonprofits such as Rainforest Action Network, Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for Biological Diversity, EarthJustice, Institute for Policy Studies, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and more. He stays busy outside of work raising his two young children, playing music, and working a spiritual practice toward self-realization and human maturity. Learn more about Adam at www.adamchew.com

Rolando joined Seva 11 years ago. As IT Director, Rolando manages technology operations at Seva. He advises the organization on tech trends and its digital transformation in carrying out its mission. Rolando enjoys being part of Seva’s effort to eliminate blindness. In his personal time, Rolando enjoys reading, traveling, and volunteering in the community.

Amy Rubin is a Senior HR Consultant overseeing the HR function at Seva Foundation. Amy has over 25 years of diverse human resources experience and specializes in HR compliance and best practices.

Amy is responsible for developing hiring practices, performance management, compensation, benefit, and training programs. In addition, she has developed and conducted company training for employees and managers. Her training background includes teaching the following courses for employees and managers: Performance Management, Interviewing Techniques, Management Techniques and Best Practices, and Employment Law.

Amy has her BA in Psychology from Saint Mary’s College, a Human Resources Management Certificate from UC Berkeley, and an SPHR certification from the HRCI.

In her free time, you will find Amy at the beach collecting shells with her daughter or cycling with her family on the many trails in the Bay Area.

Ruth was born in Hawaii. She attended college in Hawaii and California, and graduated with Masters degrees from both the California College of Arts and Crafts and Mills College in Oakland. Her professional experience includes working at museums in San Francisco and Hawaii, and initiating the moving image preservation efforts in Hawaii. She has been a part of the Seva Foundation staff since 2000 and is responsible for coordinating the Board committee meetings.

Judy Zimola works in communications both professionally and personally, mostly in the non-profit sector. "I can't say it better than Wavy Gravy, I like to put my good where it does the most." When she's not writing, making calendars, or cajoling people into being in videos, Judy enjoys swimming in the invigorating waters of the SF bay, polka dancing, and road tripping.

I grew up attending a diverse Pentecostal Church in Pittsburg, CA where it was heavily instilled in me to help others. Some of the church programs I'm currently involved in are The Compassion Ministry: Providing Meals and Necessities to the Homeless and the Community Food Drive. I started my journey with Seva as a part-time Data Entry temp for Gifts of Sight in October of 2020 during the pandemic. As it was a challenging time for everyone and many transitioned to working remotely, I was asked to stay on call and continue to help in the Development department. A year and a half later, I officially joined this incredible organization, and I am honored to take part in the process of making a difference in people's lives by having their sight restored. Having advanced astigmatism since kindergarten, out of all 5 senses, my eyesight has always been the most important sense to me, and I believe it greatly helps me sympathize with those that we help. When I'm not volunteering or working, I love spending time with all of my spoiled fur children (5 dogs and 2 cats) and being adventurous by traveling and discovering new food places.

Peter joined Seva in 2003 when he returned to Berkeley after finishing his studies at Hampshire College in Western Massachusetts. The son of theologians who met while studying at Yale Divinity School, Peter's passions include serving others and helping to promote and produce Seva's benefit concerts. When not at work Peter can be found at Burning Man, on Kauai, skiing in the Lake Tahoe region, or playing ultimate frisbee & basketball.

Tamara grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Her family moved from Maryland in the early 1970’s to live in a commune / alternative school in Boulder Creek. She was into music from a very young age and was strongly influenced by the music of the 1960’s and 70’s, especially the Grateful Dead.

As a teenager and young adult Tamara followed her musical interests as well as her interests in international cultures. She traveled the country with the Grateful Dead and traveled the world collecting experiences in Latin America and Asia. Pursuing her education Tamara attended World College West in California and The School for International Training in Vermont, she also studied abroad in Mexico for a year and graduated with a degree in International Development. Following graduation Tamara moved back to the Bay Area and starting working for the Seva Foundation, nicely melding her interests into a career and a path of service.

For the past 26 years Tamara has been working with the Seva Foundation, producing benefit events with Wavy Gravy, Seva founding board member and activist clown. Together they have produced more than 60 events raising significant funds for the organization. The Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Crosby & Nash, Jackson Browne, Ani DiFranco, Ben Harper, Chris Robinson, John Lee Hooker, Ruthie Foster, David Grisman, Steve Earle, Joan Baez, Rising Appalachia, Lukas Nelson and Yonder Mountain String Band are among the many, many artists who have contributed their time and talent to the Seva cause.

In 1999 Tamara founded Tapestry Productions, a Bay Area production network whose mission is to raise funds for and awareness of non-profit organizations through live music events. Weaving together the talents and good will of musicians and community members, Tapestry Productions produces authentic events that help make the world a better place. Tapestry Productions has produced fundraising events for The Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, The Pacifica Foundation, Changemakers, Earthdance Live, Camp Winnarainbow, Creating Our Future & MoveOn.

In 2019 Tamara co-founded Shooting Star Events to produce the Hog Farm Hideaway and The Days Between, two new music festivals at Black Oak Ranch, home of the Hog Farm & Wavy Gravy’s Camp Winnarainbow.  

"Public assemblage is a powerful tool for fundraising and awareness building. When we come together for a common cause, we build a stronger community and are able to have a greater impact towards the things we care about."

Ratana has been with Seva since 2003 and is the program director at Seva Cambodia. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Management. Ratana was born in Kandal province, Cambodia. From 1981-82, he lived in a refugee camp near the Cambodian-Thai border, during the civil war after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime. Ratana spent time studying in the camp under the United Nations Border Relief Operation (UNBRO) and worked there for more than ten years as an administration clerk responsible for administrative affairs and statistics, monitoring food distribution, and warehouse control.

n early 1992, Ratana moved on to work at Professional Technical School, providing computer courses. That same year, he became a staff member of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and repatriated from the refugee camp as a special envoy to Cambodia. His resume includes working for Action Nord Sud (ANS) and Agricultural Development Action (ADA/HI.ANS).

Ratana is married with three children, a daughter, and two sons. His hobbies include reading and researching various topics.

Roshan Bista was born in a remote village in the Bhojpur district located in the eastern part of Nepal. After completing his bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, he started his career as a schoolteacher in Kathmandu. After two years of teaching, he had the opportunity to work with, International Resources for the Improvement of Sight (IRIS) in Cambodia as Program Administrator. After IRIS phased out the program in Cambodia, he joined Seva Cambodia in May 2014 and is a program co-coordinator. His role includes coordinating Seva Cambodia eye care program activities and training with partner eye units and hospitals. He also coordinates and assists the program director and team for planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluating the program activities implemented by partners, community-based research, and reports writings. He is married with two daughters. And in addition to his regular work with Seva, he enjoys reading books, exploring new ways of learning skills through training and new apps online. He also enjoys regular physical exercise and meditation.

Sophon was born in a farmer family in rural areas of Battambang province that is the western border of Cambodia Thailand, during the civil war in the 1980s. She grew up with the support of her parents and two siblings. She achieved her master’s degree in Business Administration in General Management. She first started working as a primary teacher in her nearby village. In order to move forward, she worked in various positions within organizations such as Cambodia Health Education Development (CHED), Opération Enfant du Cambodge (OEC), and Save the Children. Currently, Sophon works with Seva Foundation Cambodia as a program coordinator.

Sarath was born in Battambang Province, Cambodia, and was raised by modest means. Although he had a challenging upbringing, he was supported and encouraged by his parents to complete his education. Sarath went on to pass exams becoming a primary school teacher. He commuted for six years, at Bavel district, Battambang Province about 55KM (30+miles) every day from his home. By supporting himself through teaching, he was able to obtain a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance, graduating in 2012. He joined Seva in August 2012 as an Admin Finance Officer. In March of 2012, Sarath married and became a father to a daughter and a son. He enjoys playing sports, reading, and researching and is always thrilled when patients get their sight back.

Sophal was born in a farmer family in rural areas of Svay Rieng Province (in the Southeast of Cambodia near Vietnam). During the civil war in 1970 almost in the countryside, there was fighting between rebels and the government. So the school was closed so he had to drop out. He moved to live in the refugee camp at Khmer Thai Border due to fighting. Eventually repatriated from the Khmer Thai border by UNHCR, he worked with Action Nord Sud (ANS), Handicap International France (HIF), and with the Operation Enfant Du Cambodoge (OEC). Sophol joined Seva in 2016.

Ram grew up in a remote village and was raised by a modest family west of Kathmandu. After his primary level education, he completed his ophthalmic assistant training and then joined Lumbini Eye Hospital as an ophthalmic assistant in 1984. Ram joined Seva in 1998. As the program director, he oversees programming in Nepal.

Ram draws tremendous inspiration for his work from his mother. “My mother is my teacher in my life,” he says. “Whatever I am now, all credit goes to my mother.” He is happily married, with three grown children - all of whom work in the medical field.

Parami joined Seva in 2003 just before completing her MBA degree. Since she joined Seva she has worked in various capacities. As Program Manager, Parami supports Seva’s partners in program implementation and capacity building. She leads the team in Kathmandu and is the deputy to the Program Director. She also oversees the financial management of Seva Nepal and works closely with the Seva Head Office. She loves traveling and enjoys field visits. She has a daughter and lives in Lalitpur, where she spends precious time with her family.

Prasanna is from a small hill station called Tansen in western Nepal. He joined Seva in December 2015. Since then he has been working as a Program Associate. He has worked with many organizations within public health intervention programs and he feels extremely proud to help Seva serve its mission. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading non-fiction books and traveling to new places—especially Seva field trips. Prassana enjoys spending time with his family.

Apsara started working with Seva Nepal in May of 2019. She is responsible for bookkeeping, generating financial statements, and supporting our partners on financial matters. She received training in accountancy and graduated in Business Studies. Apsara is from Bhaktapur, one of the medieval kingdoms in Nepal, nestled in the beautiful Kathmandu Valley. She loves traveling and reading books, and has a beautiful little daughter.

Daisy M. Jenkins, Esq. is president of Daisy Jenkins & Associates, LLC and a retired HR Executive. Jenkins advises C-Suite executives and provides executive and developmental coaching and leadership development. She is a Senior Advisor with the THEO Executive Group in Irving, TX, an author of three books, and has published numerous Op-Eds as a Public Voices Fellow. Jenkins is a strong education advocate and mentors women and professionals of color across the nation. She received both Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Organization Communication from the University of Hawaii and a Juris Doctor from the James E. Rogers College of Law at The University of Arizona. Jenkins is a Member of the State Bar of Arizona.