Team

Adithi Jayaraman

Adithi Jayaraman is one of the founders of EdGift. As a young girl, she always knew that it was her obligation as a privileged individual to give back to the world and once she became aware that not all girls have the same opportunities as she, she wanted to do something. She used the privileged and fortunate situation she was given to spread knowledge, love and inspiration to girls all around the world! Leading the EdGift Foundation is one of Adithi’s favorite things to do! She particularly enjoys running the workshops with her sister, the team, and the peer leaders. Just the sight of the girls’ reactions, the several hands being shot into the air, and the excitement of the team and peer leaders brings joy to Adithi! No matter what school or country, there is always this same special atmosphere of pure love and genuine excitement that you cannot find anywhere else! In her spare time, Adithi loves to travel because she enjoys being exposed to new cultures and meeting different people. She also loves to work with little kids, as their energetic personalities always keep her on her feet and allow her to grow alongside them!

Keerthi Jayaraman

Keerthi Jayaraman is one of the founders of EdGift Foundation. She started the nonprofit organization in 2013 after graduating from the Girls’ Leadership Institute at the Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey. Keerthi feels strongly about female empowHERment and believes that every girl should have the opportunity to learn more about leadership. She loves her work with EdGift and cannot wipe the smile off her face when she is with the incredible students she gets to work with. In addition to her work with EdGift, Keerthi loves to travel, swim, and sing. She firmly believes in the idea that “Knowledge is Power” and hopes to spread this ideal through EdGift.

Jayla Creekmur

Jayla Creekmur started working with EdGift in 2017, leading her first workshop in November. Jayla is an huge advocate for girls empowerment, and she believes working with EdGift is an excellent way to spread confidence among a wide range of girls. She loves that EdGift travels to schools to work with girls because it means girls don’t have to leave their classroom in order to learn how to be a SHE-ro. In her free time, Jayla loves to read and watch movies. She is so excited to be working with EdGift and is excited to help inspire the next generation of female warriors.

Madison Hobbs

Madison Hobbs started working with EdGift in 2017 to continue her passion for community service and to help empower young girls. EdGift seemed like the perfect fit for her because it encompassed something she loved doing when working with her charity Traveling Soles: giving the opportunity for girls to change their own lives. Madison believes that all girls can be leaders if given the necessary tools and encouragement, and loves working with EdGift so she can be that encouragement. Seeing a young girl become more confident in herself and her abilities is something that makes her extremely happy, knowing that she had a little part to play in that development.  Working with EdGift gives her the unique opportunity to share her leadership experiences with others in hopes of inspiring them, and even reassuring them that leadership and being a leader does not always mean being the speaker at the front of the room. To Madison, leaders have many facets and come in many different forms, something she hopes to instill in the girls she works with through EdGift. Also, Madison loves photography, reading, and dancing.

Jahnavi  Kirtane

Jahnavi started working with EdGift in 2017, at the age of fifteen. Her work with EdGift is fueled by her passion of inspiring girls and expanding the opportunities granted to them within her own community, as well as globally. She is aware of the significant challenges and disadvantages facing girls and is eager to help combat these issues. Jahnavi finds working work with EdGift “rewarding, inspiring, and refreshing.” Working with EdGift has and continues to widen her perspective and catalyzes her passion to empower girls, which empowers her in return. In her spare time, Jahnavi spends her time in nature, dancing, and spending time with family.

Nadia La Mar enjoys volunteering and reading as well as soccer and being on the step team. She loves helping those in need and participating in community service such as through food banks, mentoring, and collection drives. She joined the EdGift Foundation in March of 2018. Nadia wanted to become a member of the EdGift Foundation team to make a positive difference in the lives of young children in underprivileged and under served schools by teaching about bullying and morals. In addition, she wants young girls to know that they are smart, strong, and leaders in a world that may tell them otherwise. Nadia wants to help eliminate disparities present in public sectors such as education, health, and poverty in America.

Grace Hillabrant started working with EdGift in 2018 as their publicist. Her interest in social justice and female empowerment led her to join the foundation. After studying photography at an all-girls institution in England, she generated a unique, international perspective at the intersection of female empowerment and art. In addition to receiving multiple Scholastic art awards, she has won awards at the Kent Place, Montclair, and NJ Young Filmmakers film festivals. Using film and photography, she is excited to share EdGift’s message across all social networks.

Chris Warren is currently a Senior at John P. Stevens High School, Edison, NJ. Chris is also an outstanding athlete who has played baseball, football and track. He led his first EdGift workshop in January 2019, and immediately realized the importance of serving as a role model to Middle School boys. Chris enjoys working with children and mentoring them. Chris understands the importance of helping younger leaders understand and exercise their potential. In his experience, the workshops afford students the opportunity to speak with someone close to their age about important topics, which is priceless.