Our Beliefs
At TREE, we believe strongly in the power of teachers to transform children's lives and positively impact society.
We see teaching as a highly complex, challenging, rewarding, and stimulating profession that is crucial to the well-being and development not only of each individual child but also of whole communities.
Our mission is to recruit, support, develop and inspire educators across their careers, and we hope that together, as a community of educators, we can reimagine and transform education.
TREE began in 2018, when Maya Thiagarajan, a global educator, returned to India with a desire to build a strong community of educators who could support each other and help each other grow.
Just as our students need to learn and grow in safe and nurturing spaces, so too do we as educators.
At TREE, whether we’re helping teachers find jobs, upgrade their skills, or connect with other like-minded educators to discuss big issues in education, we work hard to ensure that every teacher feels heard and valued, as well as intellectually challenged. We help our teachers introspect and reflect deeply, and we partner with them to encourage their growth. We know that when teachers grow and thrive, they bring learning alive and create magic in their classrooms.
Meet the Team
Maya Thiagarajan
Founder and Education Director
A global educator, Maya has lived and taught in the US, Singapore, and India. She earned a BA in English from Middlebury College and a Masters in Education from Harvard University.
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She is the author of 'Beyond The Tiger Mom: East-West Parenting for the Global Age,' a book on how to raise successful global kids by blending the best of Eastern and Western approaches to parenting and education.
Mini V.
Head of Operations and Recruitment
Mini oversees TREE's community initiatives and recruitment efforts. With a Post Graduate degree in Computer Science, she began her career in the IT field, but later pivoted to recruiting, where she found her passion. At TREE, she combines her skills as a recruiter, connecter, and planner, with her passion for bringing people together and making a difference in the world. Mini also enjoys music, good food, and travelling.
Indira Reddy
Head of Marketing and Strategy
With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, Indira has always been passionate about learning and teaching. Her goal is to shape young minds to become curious, driven and emotionally secure individuals. Indira is also committed towards helping and raising awareness for the differently abled community. She is an avid reader and loves movies, art, food and travel.
Sonali Prakash
Training Expert
Sonali Prakash graduated from Calcutta University with a BA in English Literature and a BEd. She taught middle and high school English at a number of different schools across India. An avid reader, she has also translated 19 children's books from English to Bengali. She believes passionately in progressive education, and she designs and teaches a range of courses at TREE.
Kavita Kurian
Reading Specialist
Kavita has an MA in Psychology from the University of Mumbai and an MEd from the University of Queensland, Australia. She has also completed the Library Educators Certificate Course offered by Bookworm, Goa. Over her career, Kavita has taught at international schools as a remedial/learning support teacher, and she has managed a preschool. A strong believer in the power of books, Kavita is an avid reader, and she spearheads TREE's Reading Magic program.