Annual Day 2025
Kalpana Dass
Academic Development Head
Kalpana Dass is a dedicated educator and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in Early Childhood Care and Education. She holds a Master of Education with IB Educator Certificates (University of Bath , UK) and additional qualifications in Counseling Psychology (Northwestern University, Chicago), ECCE (Mumbai University) & Law (Government Law College, Mumbai).
Kalpana’s career is marked by significant achievements in establishing and managing early learning centres. She created and developed the Kangaroo Kids Pre-School brand in Bangalore, earning numerous accolades for innovation and excellence in education. She founded Tara Early Learning Centre, further demonstrating her commitment to nurturing young minds through high-quality educational frameworks.
As an Education Specialist, Kalpana has spearheaded various initiatives in a mentoring capacity with a focus on curriculum planning, professional development and quality assurance. Her roles at various organisations like Bhartiya city-Nikoo Homes, Presidency Group of Institutions and Kai EarlyYears highlight her capability in driving academic integration, advancement and operational excellence.
Kalpana’s ongoing research endeavours emphasize Innovative teaching strategies in the 21st century, the Function of play & Readiness in early years, Curriculum by backward design -amongst a few of the relevant topics today .
Her affiliations with Bombay University as a Lecturer, Professional National organisations(ECA), International early education organizations (NAEYC, LEGO Foundation, World Forum etc.,) and contributions to global conferences underscore her influence and thought leadership in the field.
Alongside a commitment to personal growth, her passion extends to promoting emotional wellness and positive intelligence in children, empowering them to navigate contemporary challenges effectively. Through her diverse roles and ongoing initiatives, Kalpana Dass continues to make a profound impact on early childhood education.
Sandeep U
CFO
Spearheading the finance, Sandeep is a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and has close to 10 years of experience in handling finance for various organizations. Having spent his career life in a CA firm, venture capitalist firm, real estate and in the garment industry, Sandeep is keen on implementing his knowledge and expertise at KARA to fuel the growth that we envision. He’s the true follower of the saying that “None of us are stronger than all of us” which has enabled him in achieving the KARA’s goal to build a most strong and consistent team. He was a part of setting up and implementing a complex business processes committee across multiple industries/sectors. In his journey at KARA he made sure that every ₹ spent on each square foot will have a direct and huge impact in every organization’s growth as even the biggest cloud is a large collection of very tiny droplets of water. He is a strong believer of money saved is money earned and is looking forward to starting this fast-paced ship.
Rukmini Padakadla
HR
Meet Rukmini P, our esteemed Head of Human Resources, bringing in over 15 years of progressive experience in the field. As a seasoned leader, she has demonstrated her prowess in various aspects of Human Resources, including workforce management, recruitment, payroll, and policies/procedures development. Her exceptional expertise lies in sourcing and hiring top-notch talent, ensuring that our team comprises the industry’s best and brightest minds.
With a background in Science and a PG degree in English literature, along with a PG Diploma in Human Resources and Marketing, Rukmini exemplifies a highly skilled professional. Her unwavering commitment to driving our organization’s success through effective HR strategies and practices, particularly focusing on workforce management, sets her apart as a true asset to our team.
Sapna Erappa
Strategic Operations – Head
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do” – Steve Jobs
It is this belief that inspired Ms. Sapna Erappa to follow her passion, after a decade’s career in banking and finance. Her journey in Early Childhood Education began in 2010 and ever since she has worked with renowned preschools in Bangalore in various leadership roles over a span of 15 years. She holds a degree in Finance & Marketing and has wide exposure in Early Years Education. She has participated in a number of Early Childhood Conferences and IB workshops.
In her current role as the Strategic Operations – Head at Kara4Kids, she has worked towards building a strong team, motivating them to ensure top-notch standards are maintained in the schools. She believes that a loving and happy environment not only helps children to learn while having fun but also brings the best out of the teachers. Ultimately, the aim is to ensure plenty of learning opportunities are offered to children to bring out their innate potential. Her goal is to create a balanced learning ecosystem where every stakeholder in the school community takes responsibility for the child’s learning journey. She firmly believes and hopes that the education system of today helps children to develop empathy, compassion, and resilience along with academic excellence.
MANAS MEHROTRA
CHIEF MENTOR
Manas Mehrotra is a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Bachelors of Law, MBA (Entrepreneurship) from Babson College (USA). The Founder of NestaVera Group of companies, Manas has his vision rooted in the core belief that the only thing constant in this dynamic business era is Change. He believes that the ongoing process of Brainstorming, Innovation, and Adaptation to change should always be the heart of any organisation that seeks economic and social success. He drives his workforce with a strong emphasis on inculcating faith and building long term strategic relationships with both clients and employees.
Manas has also played a pivotal role in the success of Greenwood High Schools. The institution has grown many folds with more than 9 National level Awards to its name in last 3 years under his leadership. Under his stewardship & unique approach to education, Greenwood High Schools have unparalleled achievements to their name in moulding the young minds of tomorrow. He believes in combining quality education with a proper blend of traditional values and the best that modern-day technology has to offer.
KHUSHROO RUSTUMJI
CHAIRMAN-EMERITUS
Khushroo Rustumji, an alumnus of IIT is the founder of Kara. Having been the Chairman of two companies listed on the BSE, a subsidiary of a Company listed on the London Stock Exchange and a Consultant to numerous national and international organizations, his tenure of work before establishing Kara spans a myriad of corporate experiences.
With a strong belief in how a good Preschool is the vital ingredient in building a Child’s Foundation, Rustumji and his wife envisioned Kara. Upon returning to India after having spent 21 years in the UK, they decided to establish the first pre-school with international standards in Bangalore, much to the delight of discerning parents here. This is how the tale of kara unravelled years ago under the stewardship of Rustumji.
PRACHI MEHROTRA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Backed by their sheer hard work and talent, women entrepreneurs worldwide are changing the landscape across every industry. One such visionary in the field of early education is Prachi Mehrotra- Executive Director at Kara4kids. She is also the Director at NestaVera Group of Companies.
After completing her formal education at a boarding school in Mussorie, Prachi moved to the UK to pursue her degree in Management studies at the University of Nottingham post which she returned to India to pursue her MBA in Finance & Marketing. Her enriching experience, exposure, and learning in these pivotal years taught her the art of adapting to different scenarios, pertaining to education, demographics, and cultures.She strongly believes in developing a culture of trust and transparency at the workplace, which will in turn facilitate the construction of an efficient, effective, productive, and valuable organization.
As an achiever of excellence in both academic and extra co- curricular fields, she reckons that curiosity to learn is the spark that should be the driving force of every organization. As a millenial mother to three children herself, she strongly beleives that early learning is where the root of knowledge begins to get founded for an individual, therefore it is imperative that equal importance be showered upon these nascent founding years of our children’s lives. She passionately envisions to create dynamic,explorative, nurturing – learning and childcare spaces where children fall in love with the joy of learning every day.
As an Executive Director of Kara4Kids, she handles a multi- faceted role across various domains i.e. Operations, Marketing, Teaching Pedagogy, Expansion, Implementation of teaching interventions, and Management of all the preschool and child care centers. Her ever-dynamic approach and exuberance make her an exemplary leader.