Meet the team

  • Aney-Patel

    Aney Patel

    FILM SUBJECT, MEDICAL VOLUNTEER

    A native of Gujarat, India, Aney is a physician’s assistant who has worked at numerous hospitals in New York City. She leads, organizes, and fundraises for women’s health initiatives in rural India.

  • Farida-Mir

    Farida Mir

    FILM SUBJECT, ARTIST

    An artisan and jewelry maker in Dasada, Gujarat, Farida belongs to a wandering tribe called the Mirs. She is the only girl in her community to have reached high school. She can converse in English, French, and Italian.

  • Matt-Alesevich

    Matt Alesevich

    DIRECTOR, PRODUCER

    Matt is a writer and photojournalist who has crafted stories for global brands including Google, Uber, Vice, and Al Jazeera. Since 2013, he has documented medical expeditions in rural India.

  • Hemal-Trivedi

    Hemal Trivedi

    DIRECTOR, PRODUCER

    Over a 20 year filmmaking career, Hemal’s work has won one Oscar, three Emmys, and a Peabody. She’s been nominated for eight Emmys, an MTV Movie Award, Cinema Eye Award, and Independent Spirit Awards.

  • Matt-Rachamkin

    Matt Rachamkin

    PRODUCER, PHILANTHROPIST

    A two-time Emmy-nominee, Matt has executive produced Amazon Studios’ Sylvie’s Love, starring Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha, and Showtime’s The One and Only Dick Gregory.

  • Cynthia-Kane

    Cynthia Kane

    PRODUCER

    Co-creator of the Sundance Channel’s DOCday, Cynthia has brought over 150 international productions to screens worldwide. She’s responsible for bringing the groundbreaking docuseries The Staircase to US television.

  • Prerana-Thakurdesai

    Prerana Thakurdesai

    PRODUCER

    Prerana has directed 10 short films on women’s reproductive rights. She's also produced a feature documentary and the hit Indian show "Satyamev Jayate" presented by Aamir Khan. Prerana was recently awarded the DOCNYC Documentary New Leader honor. Her work has aired on PBS World and History Channel, among others.

  • Rod Mickels

    Rod Mickels

    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    Rod is the Co-Founder of InVision Communications, a corporate communications firm, and the Founder of The Giving Exchange, a nonprofit organization. He serves on several non-profit boards and is actively involved in mentoring young entrepreneurial talent.

  • Drew Hagen

    Drew Hagen

    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    Co-founder of InVision Communications, Drew oversees the company’s charitable projects and sits on the boards of The Giving Exchange, The Good Tidings Foundation, and Operation USA.

  • Sarva Rajendra

    Sarva Rajendra

    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    Founder of Real World Caregiving and the executive director of the Sahasra Deepika Foundation for Education, Sarva focuses her philanthropic efforts on educating and empowering girls in India.

  • Rohi Mirza Pandya

    Rohi Mirza Pandya

    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    Rohi Mirza Pandya is an award-winning creative producer in TV, film, and theater. She is the co-founder of Box Office Guru Media and the RASA film group, which actively explores projects featuring strong female protagonists and stories portraying empowering Muslim characters.

  • Rita Meher

    Rita Meher

    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    Rita is the co-founder and executive director of Tasveer, the world's first Oscars-qualifying South Asian film festival. She was an executive producer on the Oscars-shortlisted & BAFTA-nominated short film Yellow and the editor of the award-winning Bangladesh documentary Threads.

  • Jonathan T. Baker

    Jonathan T. Baker

    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    A former Sony executive, Jonathan produced The Banker, starring Samuel L. Jackson, and Amazon Studios’ Sylvie’s Love, starring Tessa Thompson and Eva Longoria.

  • Bina-Shukla

    Bina Shukla

    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

    A Microsoft alum, venture investor, and founder of the Ahana Foundation, Bina Shukla is dedicated to expanding opportunities for women in venture capital and filmmaking. Bina leads initiatives that celebrate women’s stories and support impactful storytelling.

  • Anand Gautam

    Anand Gautam

    EDITOR

    A Haryana, India, native, Anand’s work has screened on PBS and at many international film festivals, including DOC NYC, HotDocs, and IDFA.

  • Manoj Narula

    Manoj Narula

    CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Originally from Faridabad, India, Manoj’s body of work spans Bollywood and Hollywood. He shot Imaginary Rain, a Bollywood film set in New York starring 5-time India Best Actress winner Shabana Azmi.

  • Jonah Markowitz

    Jonah Markowitz

    CINEMATOGRAPHER

    An investigative photojournalist and regular New York Times contributor, Jonah’s work has been nominated for two Emmys and is on display in the Museum of the City of New York.

  • Niyati Kukadiya

    Niyati Kukadia

    SOCIAL WORKER

    An environmental conservationist, Niyati is an interpreter for various tribal and ethnic groups in rural Gujarat. She is an advocate for responsible and sustainable tourism and study abroad programs.

  • Aditya Roy

    Aditya Roy

    FIELD PRODUCER

    An Ahmedabad-based biologist, naturalist, and filmmaker, Aditya has shot and advised on projects in rural Gujarat with National Geographic, Animal Planet, and the BBC.

  • Pavan Patel

    Pavan Patel

    FIELD PRODUCER

    A photographer, mountaineer, and adventure tour guide, Pavan’s work has been published in magazines all over the world. He’s a spotter and interpreter on wilderness excursions in rural Gujarat.

  • Gunnard Doboze

    Gunnard Doboze

    COMPOSER

    Gunnard has scored three films that have been nominated for Academy Awards, including the 2012 Best Short Documentary Saving Face. His work has been featured on HBO, Showtime, and A&E.

  • Poorva Dinesh

    Poorva Dinesh

    ADDITIONAL EDITOR

    Based in Pune, India, Poorva’s recent film It Happens was supported by Docedge Kolkata, the DOC NYC x VC Storytelling Incubator, and the Scottish Documentary Institutue’s Connecting Stories Mentorship Program.

  • Tyler H. Walk

    Tyler H. Walk

    POST-PRODUCTION ADVISER

    A Cinema Eye Award-winning and Emmy-nominated editor, Tyler earned a Sundance 2020 Special Jury Award for Editing. He worked on Michael Moore’s Where to Invade Next and the Oscar-nominated How to Survive a Plague. 

  • Rachel Bozich

    Rachel Bozich

    ASSISTANT EDITOR

    Rachel began her career in editing, before moving to producing and directing. She produced season one and two of Netflix's Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal and is currently directing her first documentary series.

  • Micah Lorick

    Micah Lorick

    ADDITIONAL CAMERA

    Micah works as a first, second, and third AC, in addition to editing and operating sound. He’s currently attached to three movies on various streaming platforms, including Apple TV and Tubi TV.

  • Chris O’Flaherty

    Chris O’Flaherty

    ADDITIONAL CAMERA

    A visual storyteller and wildlife enthusiast, Chris has worked with the UN, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and the Disney Conservation Fund. He was the cinematographer on WTLEY research shoots in 2017 and 2018.

  • Vaithahavya Vadlamani

    Vaithahavya Vadlamani

    ADDITIONAL CAMERA

    V.V. is the creative head at the Eastern Film Company in Hyderabad, India. He was a camera operator and translator during the 2018 Yatra research shoot in Vizag.

  • Charly Louise

    Charly Louise

    ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

    The founder and director of Venus Rising Media, Charly was a producer on the earliest WTLEY research shoots in Cleveland in 2017 and in Vizag, India, in 2018.

  • Ramesh Shah

    Ramesh Shah

    HUMANITARIAN

    Co-founder of the Medical Yatra medical mission with his wife, Jaya, Ramesh started organizing medical missions into India after an earthquake struck his home state of Gujarat in 2001.

  • Jaya Shah

    Jaya Shah

    HUMANITARIAN

    A lifelong pediatrician and co-founder of Medical Yatra medical missions, Jaya has been inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame for her selfless service to India and Ohio.

  • Agyat Mitra

    Agyat Mitra

    SOCIAL WORKER

    A global ambassador for Play for Peace, Agyat has traveled the world—from Israel to Sri Lanka—organizing youth empowerment camps in rural areas.

  • Swati Bhatt

    Swati Bhatt

    SOCIAL WORKER

    Swati is a Play for Peace ambassador who focuses on building agency in adolescent girls. She’s worked all over India and in refugee camps from Greece to South Sudan.

  • Ankita Modi

    Ankita Modi

    PEDIATRICIAN, MEDICAL ADVISOR

    A Cleveland native, Ankita is a pediatrician in Charlotte. She’s been a leader on numerous medical missions in rural India and advised and supported Aney throughout her journey.

  • Shivangi Desai

    Shivangi Desai

    MEDICAL VOLUNTEER

    Shivangi graduated from GMERS Medical College Sola in Gujarat and is an internal medicine resident at Flushing Hospital Medical Center in New York.

  • Sonali Thakkar

    Sonali Thakkar

    MEDICAL VOLUNTEER

    Born in Mumbai, Sonali moved to the US in high school and is now a physical therapist in Dallas. She speaks Gujarati and continues to support, advise, and plan future trips to Gujarat with Aney.

  • Hina Metha

    Hina Metha

    MEDICAL VOLUNTEER

    A Gujarati-American pediatrician in Dallas, Texas, Hina had her first medical mission experience on the 2020 Medical Yatra medical mission in Punjab, India. She plans to keep volunteering on trips into rural Gujarat.

  • Ginny Gregory

    Ginny Gregory

    MEDICAL VOLUNTEER

    A nurse practitioner from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Ginny is also a long-time international medical volunteer. She’s volunteered on medical mission trips in India, Bosnia, Ukraine, and Haiti.

  • Jenn Shaw

    Jenn Shaw

    ADVISER

    Jenn executive produced and directed the 3-part docuseries Running While Black for Vice and Adidas. Her ESPN film $15 Kicks was executive produced by Spike Lee and earned a Black Reel Award.

  • Venkat Pranav

    Venkat Pranav

    PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

    An engineer in Visakhapatnam, India, Venket played various roles throughout the 2018 Yatra research shoot in the Araku Valley—from running sound to translating for patients.

  • Ola Ogunye

    Ola Ogunye

    LEGAL ADVISER

    A media attorney in New York, Ola previously spent years as an intake attorney at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. She provided pro bono counsel to documentary filmmakers, stage productions, musicians, and artists.

  • Seth Kessler

    Seth Kessler

    PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY

    An art director, UX designer, and photographer, Seth’s photography from Yatra shoots in India won first place in a 2016 Rotary Club International Photo Competition.

  • Priya Naresh

    Priya Naresh

    RESEARCH ASSISTANT

    A filmmaker and researcher based in New Delhi, Priya has made four films. She has won the Golden Bioscope award by CCF and International Young Filmmakers Award in Germany.

  • Shreyas Dasharathe

    Shreyas Dasharathe

    RESEARCH ASSISTANT

    Shreyas is a filmmaker and researcher based out of Pune, India. An alumnus of the National Institute of Design, his films have been awarded at prestigious Indian film festivals, including the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) and the Toto Awards for Film.

  • Marga Varea

    Marga Varea

    FESTIVAL DISTRIBUTION CONSULTANT

    The founder of Twin Seas Media and an impact producer for DC/DOX, Marga is a distribution strategist for independent filmmakers. With extensive experience in documentary films, she has worked with numerous creators and award-winning films.

  • Daniel Fabi

    Daniel Fabi

    DESIGNER

    A no-code web developer and UX designer, Dan helps brands establish their online voices and is a frequent collaborator of film and fashion brands in New York.

  • Kenneth Teaton

    Kenneth Teaton

    CONSULTANT

    Kenneth has been nominated for three Tony Awards for Broadway producing this decade: 2018 Best Play (Latin History for Morons), 2022 Best Revival of a Play (for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf), and 2013 Best Revival of a Play (The Trip to Bountiful).

  • Suraj Prakash

    Suraj Prakash

    PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

    Suraj served as a Hindi and Punjabi translator for both the film and medical team during the 2020 Yatra shoot in Punjab. He also led the distribution and collection of release forms in the region.