Our Team

FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Ruby Arun is a young leader whose journey began with a passion for math and a drive to make a difference in her community. From a young age, Ruby recognized the importance of empowering girls in STEM fields, inspiring her mission to combat math anxiety through her unique math-first approach. As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mission:MathMinds, Ruby has spearheaded a global movement to empower girls and women in STEM, earning widespread recognition and praise for her transformative initiatives. Under Ruby's visionary leadership, Mission:MathMinds has emerged as a leading global organization, generating over $754,000 in economic impact and positively affecting the lives of over 18,000 females worldwide. Ruby's innovative programs and partnerships, including collaborations with the United Nations and Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, have solidified Mission:MathMinds as a catalyst for change in the STEM community. Through her dedication to research-based mentoring programs and the creation of a Female Role Models network featuring influential leaders like Senator Tammy Duckworth, Ruby has helped girls and women develop the skills and confidence necessary to succeed in STEM fields.

In addition to her groundbreaking work in STEM, Ruby is an accomplished American classical and musical theatre vocalist, earning international recognition for her talents. With victories in prestigious competitions such as the American Protégé International Voice Competition and the American Fine Arts Festival International Golden Voice Competition, Ruby has had the honor of performing at the esteemed Carnegie Hall four times in the last few years. With this, Ruby remains committed to her academic pursuits, consistently placing in the top 5% nationally in math competitions such as the AMC 8, MathCon, and more. Additionally, she leads her school’s Business Professionals of America competition chapter and has qualified for nationals three times. Ruby's dedication to academic excellence and empowering others underscores her role as a young leader and role model in communities globally.

MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kate McCully holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Seattle Pacific University (WA) where she graduated Cum Laude and was a Member of the National Mortar Board. Kate holds a Certificate in Secondary Education and endorsements to teach Mathematics in grades 6-8 and high school grades 9-12 in both Illinois and Washington. She currently works as a middle-school math teacher at Holy Family Catholic Academy in Inverness, IL. Kate has collaborated in math education research analyzing the problem-solving strategies among pre-service teachers in relation to confidence and mindset. Her classroom and educational philosophies are heavily inspired by the research of Drs. Jo Boaler and Carol Dweck, and her goal is to inspire and challenge young women to be open to developing a “mathematical mindset.”

Lindsay was the President of the Palatine Jaycees in 2022, and now serves as part of their Board of Directors. She is currently a Senior Principal Engineer at Northrop Grumman.

Nabeela currently serves as the State Representative for Illinois’ 51st District. She also coaches the Debate Team at William Fremd High School.

Alexis Giff is currently a medical student at Harvard Medical School, having graduated from Brown University where she also researched as a Fulbright Scholar at Campus Biotech.

Lori Kim is a Sr. Customer Success Account Manager at Microsoft and Co-President and Program Chair at Barrington Council for Gifted and Talented.

Joanna Cutts is the Founder of Cogitania and came to the United States as a Visiting Scholar from Brown University.

Cheryl Nowak serves as the Chairperson of the Mathematics Department and Head Math Team Coach at Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Sadhika is a junior at William Fremd High School. She is on Fremd’s Green Team and is passionate about spreading awareness on environmental issues. She is a part of Fremd’s speech team and is currently doing the Radio Speaking event. Coding is one of her hobbies and she enjoys taking classes to learn more about it. She likes computer science and is specifically interested in learning more about cybersecurity at the moment. She enjoys volunteering and hopes to help many young girls make their way into STEM as a part of Mission:MathMinds

DIRECTOR OF WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Kaavya is an upcoming senior at Lake Zurich High School. She enjoys art and exploring different mediums in her free time. She shares this passion with others through her business’ art classes. She also enjoys coding and learning about computer science (which she intends to pursue in the future) at school and as a leader of the club Girls Who Code. Kaavya is excited to work with other equally strong and motivated individuals and spread M3’s mission!

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Santosha Pochiraju is a student from Adlai E. Stevenson High School. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future with a focus in narrative medicine where treatments are tailored to the lifestyle of the patient. She is involved in clubs like HOSA and FDA and various community organizations like Cancer Kids First Illinois. She believes and advocates for creating a safe space for women in STEAM through Mission: Math Minds.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

Allison DiGangi is a rising junior at Fremd High School. Allison decided to become part of the Mission:MathMinds team because they believe every girl deserves an equal opportunity to excel in STEAM and they enjoy helping others.

DIRECTOR OF SERVICE ARCHIVING

Tanvi is a student a senior at Lake Park High School and joined Mission Math Minds in 2022. She plays tennis and enjoys baking in her free time. She plans to pursue a career in data science as a machine learning engineer. She believes that every girl should have an equal opportunity to excel within the STEM field.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

Kashvee Shah is a junior at Fremd High School. She is now involved in science club since she plans to pursue a career in forensics and criminology. She is also passionate about assisting young women in finding their paths and is thrilled to be a part of Mission:MathMinds.

DIRECTOR OF MENTORING PROGRAM

Malvika is a rising junior at William Fremd High School. She enjoys debating as a member of Student Congress on various issues and subjects, volunteering and working for the NWSRA, working with students at the Eye Level Center for Learning, and pursuing music through piano, choir, and Indian classical dance and singing. Malvika joined Mission: MathMinds in 2023 and loved volunteering and working with the team and is very hopeful for the future to increase opportunities to advance women in all fields of STEM.

DIRECTOR OF VOLUNTEERS

Mitali Athwale is a rising junior at Fremd High School and joined Mission:MathMinds in January 2022. She does Kutchipuddi Dance and is a competitive debater and is a versatile dancer. She is interested in the medical field and wants to pursue a career in neuroscience. She enjoys interacting with her community and is excited to support this cause.

DIRECTOR OF VIDEO EDITING

Allison Lee is a student at William Fremd Highschool. She enjoys exploring different art mediums and hopes to show young girls on how to merge interests in stem with the arts. She hopes to pursue the sciences in the future and become a cosmetic chemist.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH

Nitya is a student at William Fremd High school. As a dedicated Varsity Speech Team competitor, she enjoys sharing her voice about topics she is passionate about through public speaking. Nitya LOVES Taylor Swift and also hopes to enter the medical field in the future, with aspirations to become a pediatrician. She is thrilled to be on the Mission:MathMinds Team as she believes in the power of empowering younger girls through initiating creative, interactive interviews with inspirational female role models throughout the STEM field.

EX-DIRECTOR OF CONTENT CREATION

Prisha is a student at William Fremd High school. Her hobbies include singing (her favorite), painting, and dancing. She’s always had a passion for learning and wants to go into the computer science field when she’s older, although she loves biology and physics as well. She believes that every girl should have the chance to thrive in the STEM field and is super excited to be part of the Mission:MathMinds organization to make this possible.

EX-DIRECTOR OF MENTORING PROGRAM

Saloni Nair joined Mission:MathMinds in March 2021 as a sophomore in high school. She is really dedicated to helping young girls be confident in themselves. She loves volunteering and has been a part of her school’s American Red Cross and Self Over Service Club since freshman year. Saloni is a Senior at William Fremd High school and is also an active Mentor at Mission:MathMinds.

EX-DIRECTOR OF THE MENTORING PROGRAM

Shruthi Senthil joined Mission Math Minds in April 2021 during her sophomore year of high school. She has been doing Indian Classical dance and music for 11 years. Shruthi is very passionate about community service and loves to help make a difference. She has devoted many hours of service to various organizations such as SKY Kids Storytime, National Honors Society, Community Threads, and Amita hospital. Shruthi loves math and is committed to helping young girls reach their full potential in STEM. She is an active Mentor at Mission:MathMinds, and is currently a senior at William Fremd High School.

EX-DIRECTOR OF THE MENTORING PROGRAM