RLC TEAM

The Riverside Learning Center team is an exceptional blend of diverse expertise, seasoned wisdom, sharp humor, and unwavering dedication, passionately driving the global adoption of the I CAN Approach to learning and the HumanE Framework for education.

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  Kiran Sethi

  Kiran Bir Sethi is a designer who became a teacher, a principal who grew into an education reformer and subsequently morphed into a social entrepreneur. A trained visual communicator from the National Institute of Design, she comfortably uses the language of design as a tool for user centered innovations.

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  Kiran Sethi

  
  

  Kiran Bir Sethi is a designer who became a teacher, a principal who grew into an education reformer and subsequently morphed into a social entrepreneur. A trained visual communicator from the National Institute of Design, she comfortably uses the language of design as a tool for user centered innovation.

  
  

  Sethi founded the award winning Riverside School in Ahmedabad, India, in 2001. Riverside, is viewed as a laboratory to prototype design processes that uses a systems approach to build a culture of empowerment, graduating young citizen leaders with an ‘ I CAN Mindset’ – using their agency for the greater good. The values that nourish this mindset are the 5 E’s – Empathy, Ethics, Excellence, Elevation and Evolution – intentionally moving us to becoming HumanE, by design.

  
  

  Riverside Learning Centre ( RLC ) started in 2016, has codified the practices and processes of The Riverside School, and housed them in 6 Pillars ( Curriculum, Parent Partnership, Personal and Professional Development, Community, Administration and Leadership ) and designed Training Programmes that empower more schools to become I CAN schools.

  
  

  Kiran is also the founder of 'aProCh'—an initiative to make our cities more child friendly, for which she was awarded the Ashoka Fellow in 2008 and was a Yidan Fellow in 2019.

  
  

  In 2009, Kiran launched “Design for Change” which uses a simple 4 step design framework – FIDS (Feel, Imagine, Do, Share) to cultivate the I CAN belief in all children. Today, DFC is the world's largest movement of change - of and by children, and is in 60 countries — impacting over 2.2 million children and 65,000 Teachers.

  
  

  Over the years, Kiran, Riverside and Design for Change have won several accolades and Awards, and some of the most recent ones are:

  
  

  • November 2021 – Design for Change is one of the only 7 innovations that made it to HundrED.org’s Hall of Fame
  • In March of 2021, Kiran was invited to be judge for the prestigious YIDAN Prize.
  • In November, 2019, Design for Change conceptualised and helped to host the first ever All Faith - I CAN Children’s Global Summit at the Vatican in Rome from 27th to 30th November, with participation of over 2500 children from across 40 countries, who were blessed by the Pope!!
  • In October, 2019, she was awarded the Earth Prize in Luino, Italy
  • In March 2019, she was amongst the first batch of the ChenYidan Visiting Global Fellows at Harvard.
  • In January 2019, she was honoured with the Lexus Design Award for 2019, in Pune, India
  • In 2018, Kiran has been awarded the “Light of Freedom” Award, at the Vital Voices, U.S.A., Global Leadership Awards.
  • In 2018 Edutopia covered The Riverside School for best practices. In 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 -DFC has been recognised as one of the 100 most innovative educational programmes in the world by HundRED.org (based in Finland).

  Kiran currently resides in Ahmedabad with her Husband – GeetSethi and two wonderful children – their son, Raag and daughter, Jazz. She loves listening to music, watching movies, singing, dancing and has an insane love for fruit-filled Dark Chocolates!!!

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  Pranay Desai

  Pranay Desai has vast experience as a Visual Communication specialist. He graduated from the prestigious MS University of Baroda with core competency in the area of Graphic Design. At RLC, Pranay is responsible for the website design and the user interface of the I CAN platform.

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  Pranay Desai

  
  

  Pranay Desai has vast experience as a Visual Communication specialist. He graduated from the prestigious MS University of Baroda with core competency in the area of Graphic Design.

  At RLC, Pranay is responsible for the website design and the user interface of the I CAN platform. With his business acumen, he has also contributed in developing RLC’s business model.

  
  

  In his spare time, he is a passionate off roader and traveller.

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  Parul Patel

  Parul Patel is associated with The Riverside School since its inception in 2001. A B.Com graduate by education, she started her career as a Junior K.G. Teacher in 1990. Working as a School Administrator, Parul has actively spearheaded several initiatives started by The Riverside School, namely, aProCh.org, Design for Change and Koshish.

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  Parul Patel

  
  

  Parul Patel is associated with The Riverside School since its inception in 2001. A B.Com graduate by education, she started her career as a Junior K.G. Teacher in 1990. Working as a School Administrator, Parul has actively spearheaded several initiatives started by The Riverside School, namely, aProCh.org, Design for Change and Koshish. Her contribution to augment Joy of Giving program and the RTE program at Riverside has been exemplar. She now looks after the administrative work of RLC and ensures better implementation of processes and good governance at RLC. She enjoys reading and watching movies and is an out-and-out people's person. Her administrative skills are impeccable and she puts her heart and soul into everything that she does.

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  Shruti Narayanan

  A designer and growth hacker, who is fuelled by her passion for understanding the nuances of cross-cultural application of space, sustainability and design thinking to create not just buildings, but a feeling! Shruti Narayanan, has completed her undergraduate B.A.(Hons) program from Pearl Academy in Interior Architecture and Design.

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  Shruti Narayanan

  
  

  A designer and growth hacker, who is fuelled by her passion for understanding the nuances of cross-cultural application of space, sustainability and design thinking to create not just buildings, but a feeling! Shruti Narayanan, has completed her undergraduate B.A.(Hons) program from Pearl Academy in Interior Architecture and Design. 

  Her 'pursuit of knowledge' has always been a cherished obsession and a dominating influence for her. She comes with an experience in project management, space planning and computer aided designing. Her background in co-ordinating all facets of design, from conceptual processing’s to final delivery inform her mindful approach. She considers herself a ‘forever student,’ eager to both build on her academic foundations in design thinking and stay in tune with the latest technologies and techniques through continued coursework.

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  Nirav Modha

  Nirav Modha brings in many years of experience working with leading media houses in India and is the lead documenter (film-maker) for Riverside Learning Center, converting the complex educational processes into short films that are simple to understand and easy to share. Nirav has a post graduate degree in Multimedia and International Trade..

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  Nirav Modha

  
  

  Nirav Modha brings in many years of experience working with leading media houses in India and is the lead documenter (film-maker) for Riverside Learning Center, converting the complex educational processes into short films that are simple to understand and easy to share. Nirav has a post graduate degree in Multimedia and International Trade, and has been working with Riverside on process documentation for the past seven years. He has specialised in Motion Graphics, Brand Solutions and Post production. He also runs his own creative agency, Talkingcloud. Outside of the workplace, Nirav is passionate about both nature and yoga.

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  Raag Sethi

  Raag Sethi graduated from the Woodstock International School in Missouri in 2009, after which he took a gap year to work for the Design for Change contest which was featured in TED that same year. He completed his undergraduate degree from Chapman University, California in Integrated Educational Studies with an emphasis on schools..

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  Raag Sethi

  
  

  Raag Sethi graduated from the Woodstock International School in Missouri in 2009, after which he took a gap year to work for the Design for Change contest which was featured in TED that same year. He completed his undergraduate degree from Chapman University, California in Integrated Educational Studies with an emphasis on schools in the community and music performance in Classical Guitar.

  Currently he works at The Riverside School, conducting Professional Development courses for teachers regarding Pedagogy and teaching Music, Global Perspective and Literature to High School students. He also spends considerable time providing consultancy to Riverside Learning Center, specifically for impact measurement and observation processes.

  He also has a Jazz band in Ahmedabad and organizes the Ahmedabad Jazz & Blues festival annually. Raag is currently pursuing his Masters of Science in Psychology in Child and Adolescent Development.

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  Priti Patel

  With over 20 years of experience in the field of education, Priti Dr. Emwise, holds a key leadership role as a Key Stage leader and mentor at The Riverside School.. Her wealth of experience and leadership qualities positions her as a role model, leading with empathy and care...

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  Priti Patel

  
  

  With over 20 years of experience in the field of education, Priti Dr. Emwise, holds a key leadership role as a Key Stage leader and mentor at The Riverside School.. Her wealth of experience and leadership qualities positions her as a role model, leading with empathy and care.

  Priti is renowned for her compassionate leadership style, always prioritizing the well-being of her students and teachers. Her passion lies in developing programs that foster empathy and citizenship among students, as demonstrated by her active involvement in the creation and implementation of the Citizen Leader program at the school.

  Her years of experience in the education sector qualifies her as a trainer, conducting numerous workshops on diverse programmes such as Classroom Management, Citizenship, and Making Learning Visible. Through these workshops, she has effectively supported educators in enhancing their practices, enabling them to positively impact their students' lives.

  Priti's qualities, including her warmth, empathy, and infectious smile, make her an inspiring figure in the education community. She is dedicated to instilling moral values in her students, leading by example in all aspects of her work. Priti's passion for artistic expression through sketching and painting showcases her creativity and serves as an inspiration for her students to pursue their own passion.

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  Arpita Bhansali

  A unique combination of art, design, and education and an acute eye for detail fuels her exploration of the world’s lesser-discussed issues. Graduated from Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, majoring in Creative Education, she comes with an eagerness to continue working towards integrating her ideas into practice.

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  Arpita Bhansali

  
  

  A unique combination of art, design, and education and an acute eye for detail fuels her exploration of the world’s lesser-discussed issues. Graduated from Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, majoring in Creative Education, she comes with an eagerness to continue working towards integrating her ideas into practice.

  
  

  On the journey of building herself as a reflexive designer, she reflects on her own learning processes and iterates design outcomes accordingly. Her enthusiasm stems from learning about new ideas and concepts, conversing with children and documenting their experiences, and introducing the concept of making as learning.

  
  

  Her illustration skills are expressive at the very least and give her a platform to find her stance about things that matter. In her free time, she also likes to dabble with art, watching shows and journaling. If she goes missing, you can find her sitting in a corner making books.

  
  

  She comes from a big intergenerational family and has found herself growing around them.

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  Parvez Shaikh

  Parvez Shaikh is a graduate in Business Administration (Event management and Public relations) from the Bharatiyar University. With an experience of around seven years in the field of event management, all through he has been known for his calm nature along with a decisive nature. Experiences and interactions throughout his career have shaped..

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  Parvez Shaikh

  
  

  Parvez Shaikh is a graduate in Business Administration (Event management and Public relations) from the Bharatiyar University. With an experience of around seven years in the field of event management, all through he has been known for his calm nature along with a decisive nature.

  
  

  Experiences and interactions throughout his career have shaped him as an adaptive individual and an ever-ready learner.
  He is an explorer both ways - personally as well as professionally. In terms of work, he loves to explore new ideas, designs and methods. Personally, he enjoys exploring new places, food and cultures. In his free time Parvez loves meeting his friends, going for long drives and playing table tennis. Talking about his family, they are a family of four - his father, his brother, his wife - Shafaq and himself. He feels his personality of being a 'Go-getter' stems from them.

  
  

  All in all, he believes that every day of life is a new lesson which brings new learnings for everyone.

  
  
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  Adithya

  Adithya started as a Teach For India fellow, teaching grades 4 and 5 in Mumbai. Later, he moved to the US, and graduated with a Masters in Public Policy program from Harvard University. Post grad school, he worked in venture capital with DRK for a few years - investing in organisations across healthcare, education and financial services..

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  Adithya

  
  

  Adithya started as a Teach For India fellow, teaching grades 4 and 5 in Mumbai. Later, he moved to the US, and graduated with a Masters in Public Policy program from Harvard University.

  
  

  Post grad school, he worked in venture capital with DRK for a few years - investing in organisations across healthcare, education and financial services. He then joined IDEO.org where he led Business Design for the Africa team, building products for Unilever, Mastercard, the World Food Programme and others.

  
  

  Most recently ran his own startup - Hushl, building AI solutions for enterprises.

  
  

  He brings experience from education, design, venture capital and entrepreneurship to Riverside.