Ms Deepa Biswas Willingham, a naturalized citizen of
the United States, born and brought up in Kolkata,
India, obtained her primary education from Mother
Teresa, an undergraduate degree from the Calcutta
University, moving to the United States to pursue
Masters and Ph.D. degrees.
Her professional life was spent in health-care
management, entrepreneurship and education, with
most of her time and personal resources being spent
in the non- profit sector.
When asked why Ms Willingham started this school for
girls in the country of her birth, she answers, “It is the
fulfilment of a life-long dream…to give back the gift of
education, particularly to girls.”
She has served on the Boards of Corner Stone House
of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Federal Credit Union,
Santa Barbara Swim Club, Santa Barbara Rehab Institute,
and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital.
Recipient of many humanitarian awards including
Santa Barbara’s ‘Gutsy Gals You Inspire Me Award’ in
2013; “Women of Action” Honore at the White House
Ms. Deepa Biswas Willingham
Founder PLC, CEO of PACE Universalin 2014, Times Now – Global Amazing Indian
citation from the Times of India in 2015; one of three
“Inspiring Women of Action” at World Bank’s
celebration of International Women’s Day in
Washington DC, 2016 and the Peace Hero by United
Nations Association – Santa Barbara Tri-Counties
Chapter, 2018.
Ms Willingham was also honoured by Rotary
International in a featured article entitled “A Road
to Piyali Junction” in the October 2020 issue of the
Rotarian magazine.
An Honours Graduate in Economics from
St. Xavier’s College in Calcutta and Chairman of
NNM Group of Companies engaged in Real
Estate development and Information Technology.
He has served in various trade organizations as
Vice-President Master Stevedores Association,
(Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry) and
City Developers Forum and as a member of
CREDAI Bengal.
Mr Chatterji is the President of Saroj
Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute,
Managing Trustee of The Sunil Gavaskar
Foundation for Cricket in Bengal; Pandit
Dr Firoz Dastur Music Foundation (Mumbai)
and Jalsaghar Foundation (Kolkata).
For the past eighteen years Mr. Chatterji has
been at the helm of PACE’s pioneering program
at the PACE Learning Centre at Piyali overseeing
its operation and meticulously implementing the
organization’s mission with utter dedication and
commitment to the cause.
Madan Mohan Mohanka, Graduate in Engineering
from BIT Mesra and MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, is
the Founder Chairman of Tega Industries. He is not
just a successful industrialist but a philanthropist
who seeks to improve the lives of those who are less
fortunate by providing high-quality education to
children in rural and semi-rural India.
He has put in place educational schemes at his
company, to impart knowledge and training to his
employees and their children, and provides
various vocational training opportunities for the
communities impacted by his company.
Mr Mohanka has set up and supports schools in
Rajasthan and Haryana and in various villages in
Bengal, to impart experiential education to students,
to benefit not just the present generation,
but future generations as well.
