Who We Are

Zahra has over ten years of experience designing, implementing, and managing international donor-funded programs. She is a dedicated leader that has accumulated a diverse set of skills that make her scope of abilities range beyond the basic boundaries of the development system. From educational development, to social science research, to civic engagement and capacity building, to global health systems strengthening she has a vast range of experiences to draw from. Her leadership roles in the field have strengthened her ability to multi-task, maintain clear lines of communication, and oversee the management of large scale programs. She has extensive knowledge of resource mobilization and program development, SPSS and qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, possesses significant cross-cultural experiences, and has worked in countries of post, chronic and recurring conflict such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Specialties: International Development, Program Management, Resource Mobilization

Shelby (they/she) is committed to community service and honored to serve on the API Chaya Board of Directors. As a community engagement planner with Metro Transit, she brings a mobility equity lens to her service with the agency and appreciates the importance of storytelling to the agency's community engagement and philanthropic efforts. Also a Got Green Food Access Committee member and a childhood sexual violance survivor, Shelby is passionate about community resilience, healthy families, and gender and racial justice.

Veronica is a viral immunologist studying the impacts of infections on the brain in her postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Her past research focused on the health impacts of environmental chemical and pesticide exposures among Mexican-American mothers and children. Veronica completed her Ph.D. at the University of Washington, where she studied viral infections of global health importance and how they uniquely impact women's immune systems. Veronica is passionate about the intersections between health, racial, and gender equity and social justice. During her studies in Seattle, Veronica became involved with API Chaya as a volunteer and eventually a board member. Veronica was born in San Diego, CA and grew up in a multiracial household. She currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where she spends her free time eating good food, running and biking the beautiful city parks, and helping shelter animals find new homes.

Dr. Kode is a purpose-driven executive leader, advisor, and strategist with over two decades of progressive experience and success in the healthcare ecosystem. Her key strengths include low-ego, values-based leadership, high emotional intelligence, and consistent execution through curiosity and growth. She's passionate about transformational leadership, healthcare equity, technology, and innovation. Tarul currently serves as Founding Principal at Ellipsis Healthcare Leadership, Vice President, Clinical Consulting at Calibrate, Advisor at Techstars, Redesign Health, Remedy Product Studio, and various mission driven start-up companies and community organizations. She is a member of Chief, the world’s largest women’s executive leadership network. She earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy with Honors from the University of the Pacific in an accelerated program in 2002. She completed the Harvard Global Health Care Leaders program in 2022, and is currently studying venture capital through Berkeley with a focus on healthcare equity.

Nitika is in-house litigation and regulatory counsel at Epic Games, Inc. Growing up in the King County South Asian community, Nitika has had a long-standing relationship with API Chaya (and its predecessor Chaya) as a supporter and a volunteer. During law school she was a legal intern at API Chaya and saw firsthand the direct, informed, and intersectional impact API Chaya has on the community through its tireless advocates and community organizers. She is honored to now serve on the Board.

Lorrie was born in Okinawa and grew up on Oahu, on the Windward side of the island. Lorrie moved to Seattle in 1999 and has been involved with API Chaya (early days with API Women and Family Safety Center) for many years. Lorrie currently works for King County Metro Transit, Accessible Services as a Transportation Planner. Prior to her work as a Transportation Planner, Lorrie has worked in the field of violence against women since the mid-1980's and is a Clinical Social Worker.

Srilata Remala is a dedicated nursing student at PLU, set to complete her studies in December. Her academic journey encompasses notable institutions, including GWU for her undergraduate degree and CMU, where she earned a Master of Science in Healthcare Policy and Management.

Across five years, Srilata has exhibited her dedication within the non-profit realm. She has skillfully overseen non-profit organizations and taken the initiative to establish an organization of her own. Her involvement with community-based initiatives is a testament to her commitment to meaningful outreach. She currently also serves on the board of Farestart. Srilata's personal life is enriched by the presence of her family. Alongside her husband Charles, she is a proud parent to two daughters, Saanvi (7) and Saila (3). Adding to the familial tapestry are their cherished canine companions, Hunter and Chai. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Srilata approaches each endeavor with an unwavering dedication to instigating positive change. Her journey is characterized by a perpetual thirst for knowledge and an abiding reverence for the invaluable moments shared with her loved ones.

Srilata started her journey with API Chaya in 2007 as a volunteer and continued to build on that relationship over the years. She’s excited to serve in a more formal board, and is excited about the future of API Chaya!

Karen (she/they) was born and raised in a Korean immigrant family in Los Angeles and has lived in Seattle since 2012. She worked for ten years in various roles in the criminal justice reform field including consulting state governments on criminal justice reform, working to advance reform legislation and policy implementation in Hawai'i, Washington, and Montana. They served as a policy advisor and director for a community-led board providing oversight and input on police reform efforts. She now staffs the Seattle HIV Planning Council, a governing board responsible for determining the service needs of people living with HIV in King, Snohomish, and Island County. Karen is passionate about racial justice, disability justice, gender justice, and the decolonial movement to build a unified, autonomous Korea.

Thao (she/her), a domestic violence survivor, has been connected to API Chaya as a volunteer and donor since 2016. She brings her strategic and operational mindset to help foster and develop API Chaya’s growth through her 18+ years of demonstrated experience designing and leading global strategic projects and programs for telecommunications and cloud technology companies. Her background ranges from implementing and leading a worldwide incident response program, to designing and driving a Global Sales and Marketing initiative. She is committed to helping those who are vulnerable and in need, and empowering API Chaya staff to drive impactful community outreach.

Evelyn is a transformative justice practitioner, community organizer, and sociologist based on Coast Salish lands / Seattle. Evelyn was born and raised in Hawai’i and moved to Seattle in 2015 to receive a BA in Sociology from Seattle University. Evelyn brings experience in policy and advocacy work from several non-profits, including Real Change and Ingersoll Gender Center as well as extensive experience in communications and outreach from several local and state political campaigns. Evelyn currently serves as a Legislative Aide for Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales, representing the International District and Southeast Seattle. Evelyn has been involved with API Chaya as a student in the Relationship Skills class, as a Natural Helper, and as a volunteer for Language Access organizing. When not organizing, Evelyn can be found on a karaoke mic at Bush Garden or the WildRose.

Neeraj is a Finance Executive with Zillow Group, and has also held leadership positions with multiple companies including Salesforce, Tableau, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Intel. He has been responsible for the strategic relationships with Suppliers, while also having the responsibility to drive Diversity and Sustainability programs globally. He has been active in the Seattle Indian community over the last 30+ years with organizations including; the Snovalley Cultural Club, the Snoqualmie Bharat Association, the IAWW/IACS, the Indo American Chamber of Commerce, and the Indo American Friendship Forum Foundation. He has also served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Snoqualmie. He is currently a new member of the API Chaya Board. He holds a B.A. and MBA from the University of Washington and a Management Certification in Cyber Security from Harvard. In his personal life he is a proud and active father of two,(his daughter is a Sophomore attending Western Washington University, and his son is a Freshman at Mount Si High School).

Nafessa brings over 15 years of experience in international development and social impact to the API Chaya board. Throughout her career, she has fostered impactful partnerships between public and private sectors, including startups, nonprofits, NGOs, government agencies, foundations, and B Corps. Her proven ability to build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders has resulted in significant investments in underserved communities around the world.

Nafessa possesses a unique ability to connect deeply with individuals and organizations. This allows her to identify areas for improvement and implement transformative strategies, systems and processes, that empower people and organizations to thrive and scale. Her experience spans core business areas like product development, strategy, sales, marketing, and operations, providing her with a well-rounded understanding of how to achieve success.

Nafessa's passion for social impact is evident in her work on critical issues affecting refugees, asylum seekers, sexual assault survivors, arrested youth, and HIV-positive individuals. Her on-the-ground experience in Africa, India, and Indonesia, coupled with visits to over 40 countries, gives her a deep understanding of global challenges and opportunities.