Our Team
Meet the dedicated individuals who make SpeakUp Scholars possible.
Executive Team
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Rishi Sikh
Founder & CEO
Rishi Sikh, a junior at Westlake High School and a student advocate dedicated to uplifting marginalized communities, is the founder and CEO of SpeakUp Scholars. He founded SpeakUp Scholars with one goal in mind -- empower as many ESL students as possible. Recognizing their unparalleled potential with the right opportunties, he wants to make a genuine impact on their lives by offering them the very public speaking and debate classes that shaped him to think pragmatically, logically, and confidently.
Saina Dwivedi
Chief Operating Officer
Saina Dwivedi is a 11th grader at WHS who brings immense value to the India division with her sharp debating skills and natural charisma. Her ability to lead discussions, inspire peers, and articulate complex ideas makes her an invaluable asset to the team.
Sammy Rutten
Chief Creative Officer
Sammy Rutten is a talented and driven advocate with extensive experience in mock trial competitions, where he has developed a sharp legal mind and exceptional communication skills. His passion for justice and mentorship fuels his work with SpeakUp Scholars, where he empowers students to develop their voice and pursue their potential in the civics field.
Nawal Fatima
Chief Marketing Officer
Nawal Fatima brings a warm, kind-hearted presence to SpeakUp Scholars, making every student feel supported and encouraged. Along with her strong debate, public-speaking, and EMT skills, she empowers learners to express their ideas confidently while modeling calm leadership and compassion.
Oliver Krane
Chief Financial Officer
Oliver Krane is a junior at Westlake High School with a strong passion for mathematics. He is committed to helping students build confidence and understanding in math through tutoring and mentorship.
Trisha Shah
Chapter Leader in India & Co-CCO
Trisha Shah, a dedicated member of the SpeakUp Scholars program, is known for her pragmatic approach and sharp analytical mindset. Proudly serving in the India Division, her amiable outreach constantly leads to impactful outcomes, with every mission she serves.
Vedant Ramesh
Co-Director of International Relations
A sophomore at the prestigious Commonwealth School located in Boston, Vedant Ramesh has been dedicated to climate work his whole life, using his communication skills, ability to network, and eagerness for community action to create meaningful change in how we interact with our surroundings. Although Speak Up Scholars is his first experience in the education field, he applies the same skills he uses in his climate work to his position at SUS, where he works to secure connections with schools and organizations globally.
Altea Catanzaro
Co-Director of International Relations
Altea is a Junior at Commonwealth School with an interest in Law, Policy, and public organizing. She serves as both the president of the Commonwealth’s Speech and Debate Club and the vice president of its Model UN delegation, as well as participates in COMMUN (Commonwealth's Middle School MUN conference) and Commonwealth's MASSBAR Mock Trial Team. In her free time, you can usually find Altea scrapbooking, watching F1, or going out for a good cup of coffee.
Gitika Kohli
Director of Local Affairs
Gitika Kohli is a junior at Newbury Park High School who believes leadership begins with creating opportunities for others. Through tutoring and mentoring younger students, she has strengthened her ability to connect with others and turn ideas into impact. She hopes to build meaningful community partnerships and help students find their voice, grow in confidence, and reach their full potential.
Chapter Leaders
Isabella Xing Gonzalez
Chapter Leader & Founder in China
Isabella Xing Gonzalez is a junior at Oak Park High School with a passion for public speaking and advocacy. She has been involved in debate since 4th grade and is dedicated to giving back to her community through education and mentorship.
Ramin Rayess
Chapter Leader & Founder in Lebanon
Ramin Rayess is a Debate Coach at SpeakUp Scholars, teaching students in Lebanon and helping them build confidence, critical thinking, and persuasive speaking skills. He also plays a key role in developing curriculum to ensure engaging, structured, and impactful debate lessons for students.
Niel Peddibhotla
Chapter Leader & Founder in N.C. & Daily Video Creator
Niel Peddibhotla is a junior at Green Level High School, in Cary, North Carolina. He has a deep passion for debate, law, and public policy. He hopes to bring dedication, compassion, and energy to this organization, while also expanding upon the existing linguistic impact demonstrated by other members. His goal through this organization is to increase accessibility and access to topics such as debate.
Sikandar Fawad
Chapter Leader & Founder in Pakistan
Sikandar Fawad is a high school student at Aitchison College in Pakistan who is passionate about public speaking, leadership, and community service. He is the founder of the Aitchison Speaking Union, where he works to create opportunities for students to develop their confidence and communication skills. He is also an active member of the Entrepreneurial Society and is deeply involved in initiatives that encourage students to grow and make a positive impact in their communities. Sikandar is driven by a desire to be a positive role model for others, believing that leadership is not only about achievement, but also about setting a strong example and helping others realise their potential.
Ari Moreno
Chapter Leader in Ventura County
Ari Moreno is a junior student-athlete at Westlake High School who enjoys helping others learn the Spanish language. With a warm and supportive attitude, she hopes others grow and become stronger in Spanish, which will help them in the long run.
Isabella Canchola
Chapter Leader in Ventura County
Isabella is a hardworking and caring person who enjoys helping children and bringing them joy and warmth. She especially loves working with Spanish-speaking children and making them feel welcomed, supported, and comfortable. She has experience volunteering with kids and working alongside committees to support her community. Isabella enjoys teaching, helping others, and making a positive difference in children’s lives.
Safwan Ali
Chapter Leader in Ventura County
Safwan Ali is a senior at Westlake High School that is extremely passionate about computer science. He has accumulated experience through work with his robotics team, digital literacy and programming NPO, research, app/website that is in development, and more. Aside from computers, he also loves to explore his academic side through the Academic Decathlon and the Spanish language, having earned numerous medals for both.
Aashna Kocher
Chapter Leader & Founder in Texas
Aashna Kocher is a 10th grader from Cedar Park, Texas, with a passion for leadership, public speaking, and dance. From competing at the state level in debate and becoming a national dance finalist to expanding Youth & Government across her community, she enjoys challenging herself and creating opportunities for others. She's excited to grow, connect with like-minded students, and make a meaningful impact.
Darrelle Cruz Castro
Chapter Leader in Ventura County
Darrelle Cruz Castro, a dedicated high school junior who enjoys serving her community by volunteering at a free clinic and by serving as a summer intern at elementary schools. As a native Spanish speaker she is passionate about helping others embrace their culture.
Elizabeth Wells
Chapter Leader in Ventura County
Elizabeth Wells is a volunteer with SpeakUp Scholars, creating videos that educate students that utilize the platform. She is involved with various clubs at her school and enjoys spending her time giving back to the community.
Luca Hayutin
Chapter Leader & Founder in Santa Monica
Luca is a junior at Windward High School and is passionate about Spanish language and also giving back to underserved community members.
Duncan McInnes
Chapter Leader & Founder in Alabama
Duncan McInnes is a junior at The Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, Alabama, ranked #1 in Alabama for his junior class in Speech and Debate. He also works on independent research and app development, usually drawn to projects that make something useful available to people who don't normally have access to it. He's excited to bring that same focus to this organization's work in Alabama, treating debate and public speaking as something every student deserves a real shot at, not just the ones who already have the resources for it.
Emily Diaz
Chapter Leader & Founder in Orange County
Emily Diaz is a proud senior at Tustin High School. She is an 8th Time Nationally Recognized Carson Scholar, 1 of 26 National Alexander Hamilton Scholars, Questbridge College Prep Scholar, and Santa Ana Regional Team Leader for the Simon Scholars program. This year, Emily serves as an ELD Senior Mentor at her school. She has spent her summers teaching first graders at TPSF. Outside of school, Emily is the Director of Organizing for the nonprofit GENup, the sole OC Mental Health Policy Fellow at the Youth Leadership Institute, and a Legislative Research Intern at IGNITE National. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with children and scrapbooking. In the future, Emily aspires to major in Political Science.
Guanyu Teng
Chapter Leader & Founder in Xuzhou, China
Guanyu Teng is an international student from Xuzhou with a strong interest in the humanities and social sciences. His research explores China’s family planning policy and its lasting impact on individuals and society. He is particularly interested in understanding the experiences of marginalized communities and has actively participated in community service and local initiatives in Xuzhou. He hopes to continue using research and community engagement to better understand society and contribute to positive social change.
Matthew Li
Chapter Leader & Founder in Washington
Matthew Li is a junior student-athlete at The Overlake School in Redmond, Washington. An aspiring lawyer, Matthew develops his legal reasoning through speech and debate alongside research in the humanities. As part of SpeakUp Scholars, he empowers Mandarin-speaking students to build confidence and pursue their goals.
Anousha Salimi
Chapter Leader & Founder in Virginia
Anousha Salimi is an 11th-grade student in Virginia with a deep passion for law, public policy, youth advocacy, and creating opportunities for ESL students. As an ESL student herself, Farsi (Persian) was the first language she spoke. Growing up bilingual, she initially found it difficult to connect with others and communicate everything she wanted to express in English. As she became more confident, Anousha discovered a passion for public speaking and loved having the opportunity to speak her mind and share her perspective. Through roles in Mock Trial, DECA, FBLA, Policy Decoded, and several community service organizations, Anousha has continued developing her communication and leadership skills while working to create positive change in her community. Anousha is also the co-founder of No Voice Left Unheard (NVLU), a student-led initiative focused on raising awareness about human trafficking and empowering young people to take meaningful action. In the future, she hopes to pursue international law and policy, using her voice to advocate for others and create opportunities for people to find confidence in their own voices, no matter what language they speak.
Volunteers
Thad Hankins
Daily Video Creator
Thad Hankins is a student-athlete and scholar in his junior year at Westlake High School in California. He is passionate about supporting underserved youth through free math tutoring and community service.
Maya Stabinksy
Volunteer Debate Coach
Maya Stabinsky is a junior at Nightingale Bamford School with a passion for debate, environmental advocacy, and public policy. Known for her thoughtfulness and kindhearted nature, she brings both empathy and insight to every conversation she takes on.
Jackson Cassar
Daily Video Creator
Jackson Cassar is a talented SpeakUp Scholars team member known for his strong math skills and ability to make even the toughest problems feel easy. His funny, upbeat personality brings energy to every session, helping students learn while having a great time.
Eve Zhong
Volunteer Debate Coach
Eve Zhong is a Debate Instructor at SpeakUp Scholars, teaching students in China and empowering them with strong argumentation, public speaking, and critical thinking skills. She brings a global perspective to the program through engaging lessons that make debate accessible and impactful for students.
Lilia Fried
Outreach Volunteer
Lilia Fried is a member of the SpeakUp Scholars team who supports outreach initiatives, with a focus on planning and organizing fundraisers. Her work helps expand the program’s reach and sustain opportunities for students around the world.
Elena Tourian
Social Media
Elena Tourian is a Social Media Editor at SpeakUp Scholars, creating and editing daily videos that highlight the program’s activities and student achievements. Through engaging and dynamic content, she helps share the impact of SpeakUp Scholars with a broader audience.
Isabelle Robins-Faden
Tutor
Isabelle Robins-Faden is a Tutor at SpeakUp Scholars, working with elementary school students to build strong foundations in reading, writing, and communication. She helps young learners grow in confidence while developing essential academic skills.
Victor Brisan
Tutor
Victor Brisan is a Tutor at SpeakUp Scholars, working with high school students to strengthen their academic skills and critical thinking. Through supportive and engaging instruction, he helps students build confidence and succeed in their studies.
Jeremy Lundberg
Tutor
Jeremy Lundberg is a Tutor at SpeakUp Scholars, working with high school students to strengthen their academic skills and critical thinking. Through supportive and engaging instruction, he helps students build confidence and succeed in their studies.
Caldwell Shaw
Finance
Caldwell Shaw works with SpeakUp Scholars on Funding and Grants, helping secure resources that support and expand the organization’s programs. Through his efforts, he helps ensure that more students have access to opportunities in public speaking and education.