Team
Budding Leaders was founded in 2017 by Rohan and Sarang. Since then, it has grown with over 30 volunteers. And expanded work beyond leadership classes. Now the community work expands to art and craft classes, hospitals and un-housed community.
Sonali
CEO
Sonali Goel
CEO
Toshan
Creative Director
Sonali attends Cal Poly Pomona Architecture Program in California. Sonali has been engaged with Budding Leaders since 2017. She was Captain of Junior Varsity Hockey team at her school.
She has been leading Ongoing Art and Craft classes in Calabazas library since 2022, planning activities and teaching elementary school age kids different theme based crafts every other week.
Sonali has a passion for community work and art. Sonali received a Presidential Award for Volunteering Services in 2020 and 2021 and has been helping out with different nonprofits since elementary school. During COVID, Sonali conducted Virtual Art Classes for elementary school students on origami, draw, paint, etc. in 2020.
Sonali created and donated several fidget blankets to Senior centers. She organizes twice-a-month drives to collect, package and distribute essential items like hygiene kits, food, clothes and blankets to unhoused in Bay Area.
In her free time, she loves to play field hockey, softball, soccer, draw/paint, and play with animals. She is excited to lead Budding Leaders team and continue to support current initiatives and start new ones.
A student at Milpitas High School, Toshan brings imagination and heart to everything he does. At Pashchimi, he helped organize food drives and led creative fundraising through student-run snack shops—turning small ideas into lasting community impact.
A passionate animal lover, Toshan volunteers with The Humane Society of Milpitas to support shelter animals and adoption efforts. After eight years of competitive soccer, he now referees youth matches, where he’s learned the value of patience and fair play.
As Creative Director of Budding Leaders, Toshan designs and leads hands-on workshops—from coding and game development to sustainability projects like creating no-sew bags from recycled clothing. A lifelong drummer, he also performs with school and community bands, using music as his creative outlet and source of joy.
Toshan’s work reflects his belief that creativity, compassion, and leadership can inspire change at any age.
Tanish
Chief Technology Officer
Rohan
CFO
Advisor & Founder
Currently a student at Foothill College, Tanish blends technical skill with a deep sense of community purpose. His early volunteer work with Pashchimi sparked an interest in digital storytelling—creating websites, event promotions, and online campaigns to support local causes.
As CTO of Budding Leaders, Tanish oversees the organization’s technology strategy, from managing outreach systems to supporting coding and game development workshops across Bay Area libraries. His thoughtful leadership ensures smooth operations and meaningful learning experiences for students.
Beyond his technical role, Tanish gives back as a soccer referee and coach for the City of Milpitas, mentoring younger players in teamwork and sportsmanship. A multi-instrumentalist—piano, flute, and guitar—he performs in school and community ensembles, balancing analytical thinking with artistic expression.
Tanish is driven by a quiet passion for innovation, mentorship, and using technology to empower others.
Rohan is a Data Scientist working at Roblox. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 2023 majoring in Data Science and Statistics. Rohan started to become involved in community leadership in the 8th grade, and his passion has flourished ever since. Rohan founded Budding Leaders in 2017. He conducted leadership classes in Calabazas Library, West Valley Library as well as libraries in Sunnyvale and Cupertino.
After graduating from High School, he has been remotely engaged in Budding Leaders activities and advises team on partnership and engagement. Rohan also manages all documentation for Budding Leaders.
In his free time, he likes to watch football, eat, and hang out with friends. Rohan is ecstatic about making a meaningful impact in the Bay Area through Budding Leaders.