ABOUT
Our Leaders
Our consultants have degrees from top-ranking colleges, universities and business schools and have extensive industry experience. They are exceptionally bright, analytical, team players with passion for community service.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Deepali Sachdeva
Founder & Board Chair
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Deepali is a management adviser, an influential leader and an effective manager with numerous business success stories spanning more than two decades.
In 2002, she founded CLASS as an answer to the need expressed by professionals for a more wholesome and satisfying community service experience. She has been on numerous boards of nonprofits.
She is a visionary who believes that it's important that knowledge resources from the community be used to serve the community, if we want our future generations to appreciate & inherit the values & tradition to serve the community in which they live in.
She has a Master's in Business Administration from University of Chicago – Graduate School of Business and Post graduation in Sustainable Business from University of Cambridge.
Sudeep is a co-founder of CLASS. Sudeep has more than two decade of experience in Digital Banking, Digital Payments, Digital Commerce and Innovation, successfully building new businesses and managing P&L.
His key strength is his ability to understand industry trends and underlying patterns, leveraging the same to advise executives and suggest solutions.
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He believes that the key to the community development is to effectively utilize the knowledge capital present in the community. His sense of humor and optimistic approach to life has inspired many.
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He has a Master´s Degree in Business Administration from Indian Institute of Management and an undergraduate degree in Electronics Engineering.
Sudeep Kanjilal
Co-Founder & Board Member
Karla Nema
Board Treasurer & Secretary
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Karla Nema is an effective leader, experienced in building high performance teams committed to delivering excellence in customer service, advancing processes, and attaining key business objectives.
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An innovative thinker, managing problem resolution with calm energy, and a positive attitude Karla has spent 18+ years in the corporate world. She is a seasoned IT professional with a blend of Product Maintenance/Support, Development, and Management experience covering all areas of the product cycle.
Karla resides in San Jose, CA with her loving husband, where they are devoted parents to two bright and beautiful daughters. Always involved in her children’s education, Karla has long been an active participant in all aspects of the educational process, especially in the areas of math and computer science.
Paul Gonzalez
Board Member & Chair IT
Paul Gonzalez is known for digital transformation and operational excellence with expertise in various industries, including consulting, media and entertainment, higher education, and hospitality.
As a seasoned professional with 17 years of experience, Paul enables organizations to transition from legacy to modernized technology by bridging the gap to cloud services, mobile readiness, and system integration. Paul earned an MBA from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of California, Irvine.
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He strives to give back to the community in different ways, such as donations, making hygiene kits or food for the less fortunate, beach clean-ups, or mentoring. Passionate about technology and leveraging it to empower community-based organizations. Has a strong belief that everyone can make a difference, large or small, to be the high tide that raises all ships. 
Amy Hom
Board Member & Chair Nonprofit Relations
Amy brings 20+ years of experience as a Client Success Manager in the tech industry, where she built lasting relationships with customers by helping them to solve their business problems and achieve their goals. She retired from the corporate world in 2019 and now works to serve the community, bringing her passion for equity and social justice to the nonprofit world.
She has a Master's in Mechanical Engineering from USC, and a Bachelor's in Engineering from UCLA. She and her husband live in the Bay Area and are the proud parents of two daughters. In her spare time, Amy enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, scuba diving, and exploring nature.
Andre McFayden
Board Member & Chair Consulting Practice
Andre McFayden is a Silicon Valley veteran whose career interests have spanned data storage, lasers, and semiconductors, and whose roles have evolved from engineering to product management to technical and strategic marketing. He is known for leading via influence large cross-functional teams, developing creative solutions for customers, and value selling.
Andre holds a BS degree from MIT, and a PhD degree from UC Berkeley, both in Materials Science and Engineering. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, mountain biking, golf and international travel.
