Meet The Team
Sairekha Suresh has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1996. She is a lawyer based out of Mumbai India and heads a practice that specializes in workplace discrimination. She is a keen advocate (pun intended) for the rights of persons living with type 1 diabetes. She is one of the Founders of Club 1 KEM, a patient-healthcare provider ecosystem for T1Ds in Pune (her hometown). Sairekha drives many conversations of persons with T1D with the regulator on aspects of disability status, insulin pricing, access to medication etc. Apart from being passionate about her work and type 1 diabetes, Sairekha loves to travel, read, cook, or spend time with her dog.
Angad Chandhok has been living with Type 1 Diabetes since 2013. A graduate of the prestigious IIT, Angad is one of the backbones of the small but growing Diabetes- tech voices in India. An avid marathoner, Angad is one of the faces that set up a community run for T1D’s in Bangalore, where he is currently based. Angad is also responsible for creating a growing T1D community in his hometown Lucknow, the first of its kind. He is the brain behind several of T1DF India’s social media campaigns. Apart from this, Angad loves outdoors, fitness, rock music and reading in his free time.
Naveen Kottige has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1990. He is somebody who has always used his voice and wealth for the good of the community. An entrepreneur and social cause activist, Naveen is the T1DF India's chairperson based at Bengaluru. He wishes to bring in change the way society and regulators looks at Type 1 Diabetes. Apart from being passionate about Diabetes and Social causes, Naveen loves his family, music, art, travel & animals.
Beemajan Yussouf, popularly known in the community as Beema Akka, has been living with diabetes since 1989. A native to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu but was brought up in Bangalore. She worked at Diacon hospital as diabetes educator until 1996 when she moved to Sydney, Australia. She lives in Sydney with her husband, two sons and daughter-in-law. A certified diabetes educator, Beema Akka is the Vice Chair person of T1DFIndia. She founded Diabetes Care Awareness Network in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu in 2014 and her passion is to foster anyone living with Diabetes to lead a quality life.
Prashanth Mani has been living with diabetes since1998. He is a strong voice and the backbone of the T1D community in Tamil Nadu. He is a certified diabetes educator who straight-lines on his CGM like it were a competitive sport. When he isn't firefighting diabetes, he is an avid traveler, a party monster and an avid biker. Prashanth lives in Chennai and is the General Secretary of the T1DF India.