OUR TEAM

Astha Sharma Pokharel

Astha Sharma Pokharel is a Clinical Teaching Fellow at the UC Berkeley School of Law International Human Rights Law Clinic. Prior to joining the clinic, Astha was a Bertha Justice Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights. There, she worked to defend the constitutional rights of advocates for justice in Palestine, and advocates for environmental justice, including in cases such as Bronner v. Duggan, defending an individual who was sued for the American Studies Association’s decision to endorse the call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, and Energy Transfer Partners v. Greenpeace, defending an organizer who was sued by a pipeline company for resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline. In the spring and summer of 2020, she was on legal teams challenging the continued detention of immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in cases such as Dada v. Witte. Astha grew up in Rome, Italy, and calls Kathmandu, Nepal home. Prior to moving to the U.S. in 2014, Astha worked on gender justice issues in Kathmandu.

Rina Gurung

Rina Gurung is a staff attorney at Staten Island Legal Services, a part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) which provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals throughout the five boroughs. Rina provides tenants with legal representation to protect and enforce their rights, and to avoid homelessness and displacement. Prior to joining LSNYC, Rina was an Equal Justice Works VISTA legal fellow at the Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center where she focused on preservation of project based section 8 properties throughout New York City. Rina has dedicated her career to public interest law, serving communities with marginalized population. Rina obtained her law degree (Juris Doctor) from New England School of Law in 2013 and undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance) from Queens College of the City University of New York in 2009.

Rinchen Sherpa

Rinchen specializes in business immigration law. She has worked at Madan & Saigal LLC in New York since 2003. Previously, she worked at Fox Mandal, New Delhi, India as an associate in corporate law. She holds a bachelor's degree from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi, LL.B degree from Delhi University, and LL.M degree from the University of San Francisco. Rinchen has spent over 2,500 hours volunteering with organizations supporting immigrant communities. Her volunteer experience includes assisting newly arrived immigrant children with English homework and lessons at a community center in lower Manhattan for New York Cares, and teaching citizenship preparation classes and assisting with the filing of naturalization applications at the Emerald Isle Immigrant Center in Woodside, Queens.

Shirley Lin

Shirley is an associate at Outten & Golden LLP, where she represents employees in litigation and negotiation in all areas of employment law, including discrimination, wage-and-hour, and contracts. Shirley has litigated both labor and employment cases on behalf of a variety of employees in state and federal court, and represented claimants before federal and state departments of labor. Prior to joining Outten & Golden LLP, she was a Skadden Fellow at the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF), where she represented low-wage Asian immigrant workers and labor trafficking survivors. Upon graduating from the City University of New York School of Law in 2010, Shirley clerked for the Honorable Denny Chin of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. During law school, she served as Managing Articles Editor of the New York City Law Review, and represented two habeas petitioners imprisoned in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and Bagram, Afghanistan, before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Before law school, Shirley directed communications efforts at AALDEF, and was the Director of Community Organizing at New Immigrant Community Empowerment. Shirley graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 2002, with a B.A. in Women's Studies and Spanish Languages & Literature.

Cynthia Greenberg

Cynthia (Cindy) Greenberg joins of our Board of Director, and has worked as a consultant and strategist to the progressive sector for over a decade. A longtime organizer, associate/acting director of Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, and founding director of the Jewish Social Justice Network, she has organized several landmark convenings, including the National Immigrant Integration Conference; Sex, Justice and Speaking Truth: Anita Hill 20 Years Later; and the First North American Conference on Judaism and Human Rights. She is the co-editor of I Still Believe Anita Hill: Three Generations Discuss the Legacies of Speaking Truth to Power (Feminist Press, 2013) and is proud to be the grand- and great-grand-daughter of Eastern European Jewish immigrants. She lives in Brooklyn.

Moh Sharma

Moh Sharma is currently a Senior Policy Advisor and the Director of Outreach and Member Services for the Committee on Small Business in the U.S. House of Representatives under Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez. She was previously a Legislative Aide for the Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and a Senior Policy Advisor for the House Democratic Caucus. Moh has previously worked at the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, the Connecticut Technology Council, and the Connecticut Judicial Branch. Moh received her B.A. (Hons.) and M.A. in Economics from the University of Connecticut, M.S. in Global Affairs from NYU, and J.D. from CUNY School of Law. She holds various positions on a few volunteer boards and is currently the president of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association, the vice president of the Congressional South Asian American Staff Association, the president-elect of the South Asian Bar Association of Washington D.C., the chair of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Alumni Association, and on the board of directors for the Washington Leadership Program.

Aatish Gurung

Aatish Gurung is the Communications Coordinator at Adhikaar. Aatish initially started at Adhikaar in 2019 as a Communications Fellow. Aatish is of Bhutanese Nepali descent and also a member of the Women Deliver Young Leaders program that connects young advocates with the platforms, people, and resources to amplify their influence. He brings to Adhikaar diverse expertise in social justice movements and digital organizing after working in both community-based and international organizations in New York City. Aatish graduated with a B.S. from the City College of New York and is currently pursuing graduate study at the University of South Wales, UK. Aatish is fluent in five different languages: Nepali, Dzongkha, Tshangla, Hindi, English, and intermediate in Tibetan.

Dolma Sherpa

Dolma Sherpa is the Nail Salon Organizer at Adhikaar. Born and raised in Nepal, Dolma moved to the U.S. in 2015 and quickly became involved in Adhikaar as a nail salon member in 2016. She soon became a member leader and engaged in campaigns like One Fair Wage, and was part of the Steering Committee that led the launch of Adhikaar’s first-ever Workers Association in 2019. Dolma worked as a Fellow at Adhikaar since 2019, leading the workforce development program for the nail salon campaign. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Nepal and speaks four languages (Nepali, English, Tibetan, and Hindi).

Yangchen Dolma (Yangla)

Yangchen Dolma (Yangla) is the Domestic Worker Organizer at Adhikaar. She is a first-generation daughter of Tibetan immigrants, born in Nepal and moved to the United States when she was eight years old. Yangla began at Adhikaar as an intern in 2013, and went on to coordinate the civic engagement and health navigator programs. More recently, Yangla was on the 2020 Census team as an Organizer. She has a dual Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Economics with a minor in Culture and Communications. Yangla is fluent in Tibetan, Nepali, English, and Hindi.

Pabitra Benjamin

A supporter of Adhikaar since 2010, Pabitra was elected and has served as an active board member to the organization since 2015, demonstrating a strong commitment to facilitating staff and board leadership as well as pressing us to deepen our political analysis and strategies. She began as Executive Director in 2017. Pabitra’s life and work are rooted in community. Pabitra immigrated to the US when she was 7 with her parents. She has lived in Nepal and in various states all over the US since then. Growing up in a working class household, her passions for community organizing grew out of this experience. She began organizing as a teenager in her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin and then later as a student organizer at the University of Wisconsin, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts. Pabitra brings to Adhikaar strong and diverse alliances, seasoned and developed over the last two decades of her life, blending an intersectional approach to race, class, caste, gender and ethnicity. We are excited for this timely perspective to be at the leading edge of our work. Pabitra also brings a holistic approach to leadership, believing that by nurturing relationships among staff she manages and all stakeholders with whom she interacts, we stand stronger and more united in creating the change we seek. During her career, Pabitra has served in leading organizing efforts, most recently with Amnesty International USA as their field director and interim campaign manager for gun violence and criminal justice.  Her journey has included lead staff positions with networks and grassroots organizations including the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, the Rights Working Group, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote and Fair Wisconsin/Action WI Education Fund.

Narbada Chhetri

Narbada Chhetri leads the workers' rights program at Adhikaar, advocating for the rights of the community's sisters and brothers and assisting with access to services. She led Adhikaar in successfully campaigning for the New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2010, and in 2015 was at the helm of the New York State Nail Salon Workers Bill of Rights. She currently represents Adhikaar on the National Domestic Workers Alliance board of directors. She has completed the 2012-13 Union Leadership Institute at Cornell University and the 2014 Coro Immigrant Leadership Program. Her campaign focus also includes organizing beauty technicians (nail salon) workers for their health and safety at the workplace. She oversees a range of programs, campaigns and services that support members to develop the skills & knowledge needed to secure better jobs and to live with dignity and respect in the U.S. In her current role Narbada empowers Nepali-speaking immigrants to speak up about the injustices they face, and to learn about and assert their legal rights. With her close guidance, 9 trafficking survivors have secured victories and over $300,000 in lost or stolen wages have been recovered. Prior to coming to the U.S. in 2006, Narbada worked as a human rights activist in Nepal for 15 years, working in many issue areas including anti-trafficking. Her own experience of struggle and story is a tool to educate and empower others. She currently lives in Woodside, Queens, with her daughter. Contact: narbada@adhikaar.org

Meenu Gorkhali Singh

Meenu Gorkhali Singh currently serves as the Director of Operation and Finances at Adhikaar. She volunteered for the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program at Adhikaar during the summer of 2015 and came on board as a full-time Director of Operations and Finance in April of 2016. As a Nepali-speaking first generation immigrant herself, Meenu is committed to Adhikaar’s mission and vision. She is committed to the community and brings extensive experience, managing complex operations, launching and growing new initiatives, diversifying revenue streams, and developing leadership skills to create a system and structure to our growing organization. She holds a graduate degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA) major in Management from the New York Institute of Technology, New York.  Her contact: meenu@adhikaar.org

Maya Gurung

Maya Gurung has assisted over 1500 Nepali speaking individuals across the nation, helping them obtain urgent immigration information and case management for issues ranging from health care, wage theft to government benefits. Currently, she is assisting the Nepali community members with follow up and troubleshooting in pursuit of their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) obtained after the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. She also provides Tibetan and Nepali interpretation during legal consultations and for other government agencies. Maya previously worked with U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), focusing on housing and resettlement. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Affairs from Skidmore College. Contact: maya@adhikaar.org

Megha Lama

Megha Lama is an Organizer for the nail salon campaign and also coordinates Adhikaar’s civic engagement programs. She started at Adhikaar as a SICO Intern (Summer Internship in Community Organizing) in 2009 where she was actively coordinating the youth group program. She is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Asian American Studies. Prior to working at Adhikaar full-time, she interned at Chhaya CDC helping their Nepali speaking community members. She also worked at Chase in Queens as a Personal Banker, dealing with clients from a diverse background. Contact: megha@adhikaar.org

Namrata Pradhan

Namrata is an Organizer, organizing primarily elder caregivers and other domestic workers. Namrata was a human rights lawyer in Nepal, and also served on Adhikaar's Steering Committee.

Contact: namrata@adhikaar.org

Pabitra Dash

Pabitra is an Organizing Fellow at Adhikaar, mainly focused on outreach and organizing of nail salon workers, coordinating meetings, workshops and OSHA trainings. She joined Adhikaar’s nail salon campaign as a member in 2015 and has been working as a nail salon worker in New York City since 2010. Before coming to the United States, Pabitra organized brick workers in Nepal. She has always been interested in social work, teaching Nepali and math to adult learners in Nepal when she was 11 years old.  

Sandhya Gurung Pradhan

Sandhya Gurung Pradhan joined Adhikaar as a volunteer in 2010, and later became the Vice Chairperson on Adhikaar’s Steering Committee. She is a 2014-2015 Public Allies Fellow/ C.N.L, and is currently appointed as a full time Program Assistant. She is a Health Navigator to help community members access healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, and also serves as a facilitator for the English for Empowerment Classes and for Civic Engagement. Prior to coming to the United States, Sandhya worked in a Government Office under the Government of Sikkim, India for 20 years. She is a mother of two beautiful children and lives in Jamaica Estate, NY. Contact: sandhya@adhikaar.org

Tsering Lama

Tsering joined Adhikaar as a English For Empowerment facilitator in 2014 and began working as a Domestic Worker Organizer in 2016. She holds a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Hunter College, and bring years of experience working as a nanny. In Nepal, she was part of an ensemble cast for Studio 7, and worked as a volunteer organizer for two Tibetan non-profits Dropo Team and Ancient Culture Protection. In New York, Tsering has also volunteered with New York Cares since 2009 primarily facilitating after school Science and arts and crafts classes and English classes. Contact: tsering@adhikaar.org

Aakriti Khanal

Aakriti Khanal was born in Nepal and moved to the US when she was 11 years old. She currently lives in NYC and serves a Adhikaar’s Research and Development Coordinator. She studied Government and International Politics at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and proceeded to work as the Special Assistant to the Ambassador of Nepal to the U.S in Washington, D.C. She has also worked as a union organizer for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and as an intern at the office of Senator Tom Harkin. Aakriti has been an active member of the Nepali community since 2005 and, as a hobby, performs traditional Nepali dances at various cultural events. She deeply cares about labor, immigration and gender issues and is fluent in Nepali, Hindi, English and Spanish.

Prarthana Gurung

Prarthana Gurung is a first-generation daughter of Nepali immigrants, born and raised in the South. She currently serves as the Campaigns & Communications Manager at Adhikaar. Prarthana has worked within various issue-based movements on a national and state level, including anti-fracking, violence against indigenous women and girls, indigenous land rights, DREAMers, and public health. She returns to Adhikaar after four years of campaign consulting work in D.C. to lead the organization's local and national campaign strategy, particularly around the Nail Salon Workers program, and manage the organization’s overall communications work. Prarthana resides in Astoria, Queens. You can check her out online on Instagram and Facebook.