Our Team
Aditi Biswal
Co-Founder and President Gyana Nadi Inc.
Senior student at Carlmont High school
Belmont CA
My name is Aditi Biswal and I am one of the members in the Gyana Nadi as well as a current resident in the Bay Area. For me, Odiya is such a unique culture to grow up embracing and I love to spread interesting traditions to my peers to show that we are not just a small state in India.
Ashish Kar
Vice President at Gyana Nadi Inc.
Senior student at Basis Independent Silicon Valley
San Jose CA
My name is Ashish Kar. From childhood, I have been fortunate to be close to my grandparents who helped me develop a love and admiration for Odia Culture and its Traditions. Growing up, I loved Odia Traditions and the Odia Language so much that I have found profound pleasure and happiness in spreading the same among my peers and the younger kids.
Aadesh Sahoo
Member of Gyana Nadi Inc.
Senior student at Amador Valley High School
Pleasanton CA
My name is Aadesh Sahoo and I am one of the members in the Gyana Nadi as well as a current resident in the Bay Area. For me, Odiya is such an unique culture to grow up embracing and I love to spread interesting traditions to my peers to show that we are not just a small state in India.
Plaban Mishra
Member of Gyana Nadi Inc.
Senior student at Dougherty Valley High School
San Ramon CA
My name is Plaban Mishra and I am one of the members in the Gyana Nadi as well as a current resident in the Bay Area. For me, Odiya is such an unique culture to grow up embracing and I love to spread interesting traditions to my peers to show that we are not just a small state in India.
Tarpan Mishra
Member of Gyana Nadi Inc.
Junior student at University of California Berkeley
As I recall meandering around the ancient and architecturally picturesque temples of Odisha, a wave of nostalgia swept over me. The vivid flashbacks of massive arches that were omnipresent throughout the marbled, reddish-brown walls and the mischievous gray langurs scurrying about the pundits reflected my culturally rich and unique childhood. Religion and cultural traditions were embedded in my upbringing through pujas, special holidays, and strict practices. Since entering high school, I was oblivious to the disconnect between Oriya traditions and myself. My heritage, which I had once taken pride in sharing with my peers, gradually diverged from my identity. Was it arrogance and selfishness? Being insecure about my cultural roots and background only played into assimilating into an environment where I couldn’t effectively express myself. Not only did this take a toll on my self-confidence, but served as a vital basis point for educating myself on how my culture affected me and others. As Vice President of Gyana Nadi, I aim to share the traditions of Oriya culture and my personal experiences with others, so that I can illustrate a new perspective of a unique culture using East Asian culture and language.
Devesh Panda
Member of Gyana Nadi Inc.
Senior student at University of California
San Deigo CA
My name is Devesh Panda and I am one of the members in the tri-state odiya group as well as a current resident in the Bay Area. For me, Odiya is such an unique culture to grow up embracing and I love to spread interesting traditions to my peers to show that we are not just a small state in India.
Aditya Prasad Biswal
Founder of Gyana Nadi Inc.
Senior student at University of Berkeley Engineering
Berkley CA.
As a young child growing up in the United States, I did not care much about Odiadiya culture. To me, I was an American living in the United States. Odisha was oceans away – and even further away in my mind. However, as I got older, my views started to shift. Witnessing the cultural evolutions of many of my peers, I began wondering about my own background. With Gyana Nadi, my fundamental goal is to spread my love and appreciation of Odia language through an active emphasis on speech, so we can bring a little bit of the Bay of Bengal to the Bay Area.