Community Conversation
with Farooq Mitha
Nidhi Khanna
Chair
Nidhi Khanna started working in politics in 2008 as an organizer for former President Obama's presidential campaign. She also served as a Northeast Regional Digital Lead for Obama’s organizing arm, Organizing for Action. In her roles at OFA, she trained volunteer organizers and teams to work on issue advocacy campaigns. Khanna was the Deputy Campaign Manager for former New York Assemblyman Matt Titone’s campaign for Surrogate Judge, who became the first openly gay Surrogate Judge to serve in New York history. Currently, she works full-time for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. Prior to working in advocacy full-time, Khanna worked as a scientific researcher. She received her B.S. in biology and philosophy and a M.S. in environmental science.
Susmita Saha
Team Member
Susmita Saha is currently serves as the Vice Chair for APPI Colorado Democrats. She served as the Event Director in 2014 for the Obama campaign in Cincinnati, Ohio. There she recruited volunteers, organized events such as Women for Obama, and promoted Obama’s policies in a swing district. In the past, Saha worked as policy analyst at the Illinois State Senate. She currently is an educator in Colorado.
Aseem Chipalkatti
Team Member
Aseem Chipalkatti is a South Asian American community organizer and law student whose work revolves around ensuring the collective representation of minority groups, especially the South Asian community. As the co-founder and Board President of South Asian Americans for Washington (saatwa.org), he is excited to advocate for and promote the
goals of the South Asian and overarching AAPI communities in his home of Seattle and Washington State, as well as throughout the United States.
Aseem is a 3L at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and is working towards a career centered on affirmative litigation, with a focus on ensuring the rights of those traditionally and historically marginalized in this country. Before law school, Aseem was a political and communications consultant, and has worked on elections in Philadelphia, Sacramento, and the Greater Seattle Area. As a proud Venture for America alumnus, Aseem has worked for startups in both Philadelphia and St. Louis (both of which will always hold a special place in his heart). He received a BA from Claremont McKenna College in 2015.
Venkat Kodumudi
Team Member
Venkat is an Innovative Technology Leader based in Northern Virginia, running the US Blockchain Technology practice for a large Global Consulting Firm. Venkat has recently been named in a patent filed by his company, and is currently Pending Award.
Venkat has over 28 years in the Information Technology field has held numerous executive positions in various industries and has overseen large portfolios of applications and environment. He has served as CTO for startups as well. He has also served as a Federal Government IT executive.
Venkat's passion outside work is community service, and Venkat is the President of the local chapter of a global faith-based community service organization.
Venkat maintains that ethical living and integrity are the foundation of human life and strives to maintain these in every step of his life. This view of life is what prompted him to take an active role in politics and essentially provide his support in whatever way to the Vice President Biden's campaign.
