MEET THE TEAM
JAYA GUPTA
Founder and President
Jaya Gupta is the founder of Girls and Literature. As someone who has always been passionate about education, she was inspired to use her resources to help girls around the world create better lives for themselves. Jaya is a student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and her favorite book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
ZARA LAIQ
Director of Operations
Zara Laiq is the Director of Operations of Girls and Literature. She is committed to expanding the organization's reach through leading new initiatives and events. Zara is a Junior in High School, and her favorite book is The Fifth Wave.
HUMAIRAH BINTE-SHARIF
Staff Writer
Humairah Binte-Sharif is the Staff Writer for Girls and Literature. She strives to make a positive impact, through her enthusiasm and commitment. Out of the many hobbies she has, reading is her most treasured! Her favorite children’s book is “The Giving Tree.”
NAKSHATRA VALA
Book Drives Lead
Nakshatra is Girls and Literature's book drives lead. She finds schools in areas with low literacy and works to donate books to them. She is currently a junior in high school and her favorite book is The Pact.
ERICA TIMOTHY
TikTok Content Creator
Erica is a member of the social media team and originally from Bristow, VA. She joined GAL because she wanted to help girls all around the world gain access to books and education. Her favorite book is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
VENICE TAMAYO
Social Media Content Creator
Venice Tamayo is part of the GAL social media team and works to promote the nonprofit and spread awareness. She is passionate about increasing access to education. Venice is a current Junior in high school and enjoys reading. One of her favorite book series is The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.
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VANESSA TAMAYO
Social Media Content Creator
Vanessa Tamayo is part of the social media team for Girls and Literature and hopes to spread the word about GAL to promote easy access to education about literature. She enjoys reading and one of her favorite books is They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
TENIOLA OLUKAREH
Chapter Coordinator
Teniola Olukareh is from Nigeria and is currently in my third year of a six-year MD program in the Caribbean. She looks forward to the journey ahead. My favorite book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. She's excited to join GAL as the new Chapter Coordinator and can’t wait to collaborate with everyone, learn from one another, and make a positive impact together.