Anuja Kohli Mariwala
Director
Anuja Kohli Mariwala has worn many hats — as an engineer, education consultant, food blogger, Pilates instructor, and wellness coach. She discovered her passion for cooking as an undergraduate student at MIT and shares her knowledge of South Asian and Indian regional cuisines with a large and loyal following of readers on her food blog, the Pepper Cook Studio. Anuja’s love for food and service drives her to bring people together to cook for a cause. She started the Pepper Cook Seva Kitchen in 2019, and today it is a growing community of dedicated food enthusiasts who gather weekly to prepare healthy and wholesome meals for the most vulnerable and underserved areas of Mumbai.
Jaisal Kohli Mariwala
Director
Jaisal graduated from Duke University in 2014 with a B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, and a minor in Math. He has worked as a trader at both JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Citibank NA in New York for five years, and as Head of Strategy & Sales for FSIPL in Mumbai. He is currently building Mintd, a fintech start-up. Jaisal enjoys tennis, scuba diving, and learning new things.
Jaiveer Kohli Mariwala
Director
Jaiveer Mariwala has a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Chicago and an M.Sc. degree in Journalism from Columbia University. His work experience includes editorial work for magazines in both India and the United States, where he has also been published. This year, he is managing marketing and product development for Sil Food India, a leading processed-foods brand.
Jaiveer’s interests include reading, playing tennis and soccer, and scuba diving. In addition to serving as a director of the Seva Kitchen Foundation, he is also a frequent attendee at our Tuesday cooking sessions.
Javahar Kohli Mariwala
Director
Javahar has a B.Sc. degree in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies from Duke University (2019). His academic experience has focused on ecology and conservation research, and included extensive fieldwork across national parks in India and South Africa. Javahar has also worked on product innovation, category management and business development in the health and nutrition space, at OmniActive Health Technologies, where he published a scientific article to secure regulatory approval of their ingredient, Capsimax™, and at Nutriti, where he is currently employed. Javahar also manages Earth Focus Foundation’s Life Sciences Program at Kanha National Park. His role involves developing an education program for primary, middle, and high school students living in communities around Kanha. Javahar’s expertise in nutrition and community outreach will help expand Seva Kitchen’s work to forest-dwelling communities.
Jever Kohli-Mariwala
Director
Jever Kohli-Mariwala is a fiction writer who was raised in Mumbai and now lives in Brooklyn. Jever received her B.A. from Yale College, where she served as Editor-In-Chief of the Yale Daily News Magazine. Her work was selected for the Elmore A. Willets Prize for best undergraduate fiction writing and the Richard Schoenberg Prize for the best critical essay upon an American poet. After graduating, she worked as a paralegal at the Innocence Project, studying the impact of emerging technologies on predominantly Black and brown communities, and participated in writers’ workshops in New York. Jever will begin her M.F.A in Fiction at Brooklyn College in the fall of 2024.
Vandana Walia
Independent Director
A postgraduate with a diploma in Business Management & Finance from Symbiosis, has Vandana boasts extensive experience in customer care. After growing up in Mumbai, she had the opportunity to live and work in many Indian cities before returning to her home city. Having volunteered from a young age, Vandana is passionate about helping people and bringing about positive, meaningful change. She considers Seva Kitchen her second home.
Prisha Dani
Co-founder
Prisha Dani is currently a sophomore studying bioinformatics and public health at Wheaton College. Passionate about social equity and public health, she spent three years working at the Myna Mahila Foundation, an NGO focused on menstrual hygiene and women’s empowerment.
In her free time, she loves watching films and sports, dancing, and playing board games with friends and family.
Simren Bhinde
Co-founder
Simren Bhinde is currently a second-year undergraduate student at Emory University, studying environmental sustainability. A trained Climate Reality Project Leader, she is interested in climate change and sustainability communication. She has previously worked for both the Pepper Cook Studio and Zest for Life as an intern, making large contributions to their websites, as well as editing a cookbook. In her free time, she loves to crochet, watch sports on the television, and drink hot, steaming chai.
Rajender Das
Studio Assistant
Rajender Das has been a key part of the Pepper Cook Seva Kitchen from its inception. As Studio Assistant, he has managed both kitchen inventory and cooking, as well as food distribution, which he handles single handedly. A well-trained gourmet cook who can make anything from scratch, his compassion for children and his love for service make him the backbone of Seva Kitchen.
Sudesh Kohli
Sudesh Kohli, who has B.Sc. and B.Ed. degrees from Delhi University is the inspiration and guiding force behind the Pepper Cook Seva Kitchen. At 86, she is a steady supporter of the Foundation’s work and a generous donor. She still cooks Kada Prasad for Mumbai’s poorest children, encouraging us to continue to focus on others through her committed participation.