Our Board & Staff

Ms. Gill is an accomplished professional with exemplary executive experience. In her role as Executive Director, she is responsible for executing and overseeing programs related to policy, research, education, civic engagement, and youth leadership for the Sikh American community. Prior to coming on board as Executive Director of SALDEF, Ms. Gill was a volunteer trainer for SALDEF conducting Sikh Awareness training around the country for schools, law enforcement, and state/local government and she worked with the New Jersey Attorney General’s office to develop statewide curricula. She also helped to establish the SikhLEAD New Jersey program which encourages civic engagement among Sikh students.

Additionally, Ms. Gill ran her own company and served as president and CEO of PARS Environmental, Inc., an environmental consulting firm in New Jersey from 2003 – to 2017. During that period the company experienced significant growth. In 2014, Ms. Gill was selected as ”Small Business Person of the Year” by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), representing the State of New Jersey at the National SBA conference in Washington, D.C. Ms. Gill was also selected among the Best 50 Women in Business by NJBiz and listed among the top 40 Entrepreneurs under 40 by NJBiz the same year.

Ms. Gill served as a board member of The ONE Project, an interfaith and community coalition organized to address social needs through education and volunteerism, and was the president and a founding member of Inspiring South Asian American Women (ISAAW) an organization dedicated to promoting civic and community engagement among South Asian American women. In 2018, Ms. Gill was named among the top 50 most influential people of color in New Jersey by ROI-NJ.

Jaspreet’s work at the organization’s national office in Washington, DC includes managing operations; leading human resources; supporting financial oversight, and augmenting community engagement. Jaspreet is currently leading an effort to streamline internal processes, including knowledge management and transition, so SALDEF can better serve the Sikh American community for decades to come. Jaspreet is also currently coordinating SALDEF’s signature SikhLEAD program.

Her previous experience includes serving as a Human Resource manager and running a small business. Jaspreet earned an MBA with concentrations in Marketing and Human Resources from Punjab University.

Amrita Kaur serves as Director of Communications at SALDEF, where she drives communications strategy at the intersection of Sikh American civil rights, advocacy, and representation. With over a decade of strategic communications experience and a Master of Public Health Management from New York University, Amrita brings a unique combination of public health expertise and mission-driven storytelling to one of the nation’s leading Sikh American advocacy organizations.

In her five-plus years at SALDEF, Amrita has been instrumental in expanding the organization’s media presence and cultural impact. She launched SikhLEAD Media, a Los Angeles-based program dedicated to increasing authentic Sikh representation across film, television, and journalism. She also founded Sikhs in Storytelling, SALDEF’s largest annual event, growing it from 100 attendees in New York City to more than 300 in Chicago, uniting Sikh American voices, storytellers, and change-makers to share lived experiences and shift public narratives.

A sought-after voice in Sikh American advocacy, Amrita is recognized for building narrative power through digital media and storytelling for change, speaking at national conferences including the National Sikh Medical and Dental Association (NASMDA) and the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), and bringing her communications expertise and lived perspective to audiences across the country.

Simran Sandhu holds a Master of Public Policy and a certificate in Homeland Security and Public Policy from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Writing from UC Merced.

Her expertise spans homeland security policy, national security policy, and emergency preparedness, with a particular commitment to safeguarding Sikh American communities. She also has a strong passion for addressing and eliminating information gaps with the Sikh-Punjabi community and is a dedicated proponent of working with government institutions to strengthen their ability to serve communities effectively. Her policy interests include advancing efforts on issues such as transnational repression, education, and voting rights, with the goal of empowering and protecting vulnerable communities populations through an equity-based policy lens. 

Deval holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from The George Washington University. Her professional journey has spanned both Capitol Hill and the nonprofit sector, including serving as a Communications and Legislative Intern in the U.S. House of Representatives under Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr.

Deval’s connection to SALDEF began as a Media and Communications Intern, later stepping into the roles of Program Coordinator, Media and Communications Associate, and now Strategic Partnerships and Communications Manager. Through these experiences, she discovered a deep passion for storytelling, civil rights advocacy, and bridging the gap between grassroots community advocacy and policymakers.

Puneet has diverse experience working in the Non-profit & Education sectors for the last 10 years. She is passionate about working with the Sikh youth and has been volunteering her time within the community, serving in various capacities. She has a vision of educating and empowering our Sikh youth to prepare them for leadership positions in the future.

Puneet has an MS in Non-profit Management from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and a BS in Information Systems from IITM, India. She is currently serving as an Ambassador in the UPenn Alumni Association and DEI committee.

Soni Singh has been in the Education field for the past decade through various settings with diverse needs.

As a Secondary STEM Educator, she has taught Advanced Science subjects and created student-centric Magnet curriculum, to encourage holistic learning and exceed educational goals. Additionally, she has served high-needs institutions by teaching Arts Integration through modeling Harvard’s Project Zero Initiative.

She aims to cultivate a community of forever learners through leading and facilitating professional development seminars on best practices.

Soni’s also had the opportunity to participate in and co-create Interfaith and Sikh-specific projects, such as GAAVANI, which combined both Arts and Education, to make Gurbani accessible through Sikh female-led participation.

Rajvir, a long-time volunteer with SALDEF, was born in London, England before his life’s journey led him to the United States. Throughout his childhood and later the harsh realities of post 9/11 America, he personally experienced discrimination and harassment as a Sikh American. These experiences ignited a passion within him to challenge stereotypes, bridge cultural divides, foster understanding, and advocate for the rights of Sikh Americans. Rajvir attended law school at Rutgers as part of his mission to continue to advocate for the Sikh community and is currently a partner at Hoagland, Longo, Moran, Dunst & Doukas, LLP in New Brunswick, NJ.

Prabhdeep currently serves as a Partner at Armory Square Ventures, a technology venture capital firm based in NY.  Prabhdeep has also held a number of leadership roles at Uber, including the Head of Enterprise and General Manager of several markets for Uber Eats. Prabhdeep has been involved in advocating for the Sikh American community most of his life, having spent many years volunteering and fundraising for various Sikh causes. His family also started Camp Chardi Kala where he’s been an active supporter for over 30 years.

Coming from humble minority roots, Arveen Kohli is a zealous entrepreneur looking to pay it forward through non-profit and private organizations. She is the Founder, President, and CEO of 11th Dimension Services. Prior to that, Arveen served as the Federal Services Leader at Dell Technologies, working with Fortune 50 Companies.

Manjit Singh is the founder and President of Agilious, a technology consulting firm, and the co-author of The Lean Playbook: Build a Lean Organization Yourself. He co-founded SALDEF in 1996 with a mission to protect the rights of Sikh Americans through legislative advocacy, public education, legal assistance and accurate portrayal of the Sikh religion. Manjit is a staunch advocate for social justice, civil liberties and religious liberties for all humans, regardless of faith, race, ethnicity, gender and national origin.

Bhagdeep (Dee) has been in the convenience store industry for close to three decades, beginning in the family gas station at the age of 14, working full-service on weekends. Since then, Dee has worked continuously in the Gas & Convenience industry, buying, selling, and developing Chevron branded sites in the greater Bay Area. Dee feels strongly about giving back to his community. To this end, he serves on the board of directors of several organizations for some of which he is a founding member.

Ikaasa Suri is an MD candidate at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She graduated with highest departmental honors from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Computational & Systems Biology. At UCLA, Ikaasa focused her studies on the intersection of medicine, technology, and public policy, using her technical background towards building more equitable models of care. To that end, she co-founded a biotechnology startup and served as President of the Society of Women Engineers, where she founded the Women in Engineering Lobbying Program and Mental Health Awareness Week. Between college and medical school, Ikaasa served as Associate Director of Sikh Americans for Biden and as a Policy Fellow at SALDEF. Now in medical school, she furthers her passions for innovation, clinical care, and community engagement by serving as Chief Clinical Officer for an NIH-funded medical device startup, founder of Mount Sinai’s first course on innovation in women’s health, and Vice President of the Sikh Medical Initiative.