Our Team

FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Ruby Arun, a dynamic young leader, is revolutionizing STEM education through her organization Mission:MathMinds. As founder and CEO, she's impacted over 18,000 females globally, generating $884,000 in economic impact. Ruby's innovative efforts, including partnerships with the UN and Goldman Sachs, combat math anxiety and empower girls in STEM. A gifted vocalist, she's performed at Carnegie Hall four times and placed in the top 3 internationally 13 times. Academically, Ruby has ranked in the top 5% nationally in math competitions and leads her school's Business Professionals of America chapter. She is currently an intern at NexusEdge Education and has worked at Stanford University on AI models for EV charging optimization, showcasing her diverse commitments to technology and leadership.

MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kate McCully holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Seattle Pacific University (WA) where she graduated Cum Laude and was a Member of the National Mortar Board. Kate holds a Certificate in Secondary Education and endorsements to teach Mathematics in grades 6-8 and high school grades 9-12 in both Illinois and Washington. She currently works as a middle-school math teacher at Holy Family Catholic Academy in Inverness, IL. Kate has collaborated in math education research analyzing the problem-solving strategies among pre-service teachers in relation to confidence and mindset. Her classroom and educational philosophies are heavily inspired by the research of Drs. Jo Boaler and Carol Dweck, and her goal is to inspire and challenge young women to be open to developing a “mathematical mindset.”

Lindsay was the President of the Palatine Jaycees in 2022, and now serves as part of their Board of Directors. She is currently a Senior Principal Engineer at Northrop Grumman.

Nabeela currently serves as the State Representative for Illinois’ 51st District. She also coaches the Debate Team at William Fremd High School.

Alexis Giff is currently a medical student at Harvard Medical School, having graduated from Brown University where she also researched as a Fulbright Scholar at Campus Biotech.

Lori Kim is a Sr. Customer Success Account Manager at Microsoft and Co-President and Program Chair at Barrington Council for Gifted and Talented.

Joanna Cutts is the Founder of Cogitania and came to the United States as a Visiting Scholar from Brown University.

Cheryl Nowak serves as the Chairperson of the Mathematics Department and Head Math Team Coach at Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Sadhika is a senior at William Fremd High School. She is on Fremd’s Girls Who Code Executive Board and is passionate about coding. She is also hoping to pursue Computer Science as her future career. She enjoys volunteering and wishes to help many young girls make their way into STEM as a part of Mission:MathMinds

MATERIALS COORDINATOR

Eva Cytron is a rising sophomore at Deerfield High School. She enjoys playing soccer and taking STEM classes in and outside of school. She also is passionate about helping other girls share her love of STEM through Mission:MathMinds.

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT CREATION

Sharon is a junior at William Fremd High School. She is a member of Fremd's Orchestra and several STEM clubs. She enjoys developing data visualization projects focused on healthcare activism in her free time. Her ultimate goal is to make health-related data and resources accessible to everyone. She believes in equal opportunities for all to innovate, lead, and contribute to a greater cause.

EVENT MARKETING DIRECTOR

Navya is a rising senior at William Fremd High School. She is enjoys dancing, baking, coding, and doing her nails. Navya is involved with her schools Student Council where she plans school wide events and in Coding Club and hopes to peruse a career in computer science. She is also interested in AI and Machine Learning and enjoys learning about technological advancements. She is excited to be a part of Mission:MathMinds to encourage and empower young women in stem to find and peruse their passions

DIRECTOR OF VIDEO EDITING

Allison Lee is a student at William Fremd Highschool. She enjoys exploring different art mediums and hopes to show young girls on how to merge interests in stem with the arts. She hopes to pursue the sciences in the future and become a cosmetic chemist.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

Allison DiGangi is a rising senior at Fremd High School. Allison decided to become part of the Mission:MathMinds team because they believe every girl deserves an equal opportunity to excel in STEAM and they enjoy helping others.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

Kashvee Shah is a rising senior at Fremd High School. She has done science club for 4 years and has her own business as she plans on pursuing business when she grows up. She loves painting and has done art classes since she was 5 years old. She also loves baking. Kashvee believes that every girl deserves an equal opportunity to shine in the STEM field.

DIRECTOR OF MENTORING PROGRAM

Malvika is a rising senior at William Fremd High School. She enjoys debating as a member of Student Congress on various issues and subjects, volunteering and working for the NWSRA, working with students at the Eye Level Center for Learning, and pursuing music through piano, choir, and Indian classical dance and singing. Malvika joined Mission: MathMinds in 2023 and loved volunteering and working with the team and is very hopeful for the future to increase opportunities to advance women in all fields of STEM.

DIRECTOR OF VOLUNTEERS

Mitali Athwale is a rising Senior at Fremd High School and joined Mission:MathMinds in January 2022. She does Kutchipuddi Dance and is a competitive debater and is a versatile dancer. She is interested in the medical field and wants to pursue a career in neuroscience. She enjoys interacting with her community and is excited to support this cause.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH

Navya is a rising senior at William Fremd High School. She is enjoys dancing, baking, coding, and doing her nails. Navya is involved with her schools Student Council where she plans school wide events and in Coding Club and hopes to peruse a career in computer science. She is also interested in AI and Machine Learning and enjoys learning about technological advancements. She is excited to be a part of Mission:MathMinds to encourage and empower young women in stem to find and peruse their passions.

STEM PROGRAM ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Sidney is a rising junior at William Fremd High School. She is a member of her school’s Fashion Club, Asian American Club, and Girls Golf Team. During her free time, she enjoys volunteering at Barb’s Animal Rescue. She joined Mission:MathMinds to assist in spreading awareness of women in STEM and believes that all women deserve an equal opportunity to excel within the STEM field.

EX-DIRECTOR OF CONTENT CREATION

Prisha is a student at William Fremd High school. Her hobbies include singing (her favorite), painting, and dancing. She’s always had a passion for learning and wants to go into the computer science field when she’s older, although she loves biology and physics as well. She believes that every girl should have the chance to thrive in the STEM field and is super excited to be part of the Mission:MathMinds organization to make this possible.

EX-DIRECTOR OF MENTORING PROGRAM

Saloni Nair joined Mission:MathMinds in March 2021 as a sophomore in high school. She is really dedicated to helping young girls be confident in themselves. She loves volunteering and has been a part of her school’s American Red Cross and Self Over Service Club since freshman year. Saloni is a Senior at William Fremd High school and is also an active Mentor at Mission:MathMinds.

EX-DIRECTOR OF THE MENTORING PROGRAM

Shruthi Senthil joined Mission Math Minds in April 2021 during her sophomore year of high school. She has been doing Indian Classical dance and music for 11 years. Shruthi is very passionate about community service and loves to help make a difference. She has devoted many hours of service to various organizations such as SKY Kids Storytime, National Honors Society, Community Threads, and Amita hospital. Shruthi loves math and is committed to helping young girls reach their full potential in STEM. She is an active Mentor at Mission:MathMinds, and is currently a senior at William Fremd High School.

EX-DIRECTOR OF THE MENTORING PROGRAM

EX-DIRECTOR OF WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Kaavya joined Mission:MathMinds in 2023. She enjoys art and exploring different mediums in her free time. She shares this passion with others through her business’ art classes. She also enjoys coding and learning about computer science (which she intends to pursue in the future) at school and as a leader of the club Girls Who Code. Kaavya was excited to work with other equally strong and motivated individuals and spread M3’s mission!

EX-DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Santosha Pochiraju joined Mission:MathMinds in 2023. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future with a focus in narrative medicine where treatments are tailored to the lifestyle of the patient. She is involved in clubs like HOSA and FDA and various community organizations like Cancer Kids First Illinois. She believes and advocates for creating a safe space for women in STEAM through Mission:MathMinds.

DIRECTOR OF SERVICE ARCHIVING

Tanvi joined Mission Math Minds in 2022. She plays tennis and enjoys baking in her free time. She plans to pursue a career in data science as a machine learning engineer. She believes that every girl should have an equal opportunity to excel within the STEM field.