OUR TEAM
ISHAN SHAH
President
Ishan Shah is a Director of Local Government and Stakeholder Engagement for New Jersey Natural Gas. He was previously a Senior Manager of Government Affairs at New Jersey based Quest Diagnostics. He has also served as Chief of Staff to NJ Assemblyman Kevin Rooney and as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Bob Hugin’s United States Senate campaign in 2018. Before working for Hugin, Ishan held multiple positions in the Office of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Born in India, Ishan was raised in North Bergen and currently resides in Guttenberg. He received his B.A. from Rutgers University (New Brunswick) and is a proud alumnus of North Bergen High School.
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MEET PATEL
Vice President
Meet Patel serves as Governor Murphy’s Aide for Intergovernmental Affairs. In his role, he coordinates Governor’s outreach to small businesses, non-profits, and constituents across the state impacted through COVID-19. He also drafts the Governor’s daily briefings.
Meet began the administration serving as the Governor’s Intergovernmental Affairs Intern through his internship placement via the New Jersey Leadership Program. Meet also served as the Committee Person for the New Brunswick Democratic Organization.
Meet received his B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, where he also served in the University Senate. Meet also served on the Structure and Governance Committee, which advised the University President on establishment and dissolution of colleges, schools, division, institutions and other educational units.
Meet currently resides in Jersey City.
KUNAL PAPIYA
General Counsel
Kunal M. Papaiya is a co-owner and General Counsel of USA Wine Traders Club, a growing portfolio of large-sized retail liquor stores throughout the state of New Jersey. In this current role, Kunal works in areas that include business and commercial law, corporate tax, and dealings with various governmental agencies such as the New Jersey Alcoholic Beverage Control. He previously externed at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, working in the risk management field for the company’s legal and compliance departments. Politically involved throughout his time at law school and during his undergraduate studies, Kunal also volunteered his time on various political campaigns within the state.
Kunal was born and raised in Mahwah and currently resides in Jersey City. He received his B.A. from Rutgers University (New Brunswick), and his J.D. from Rutgers Law School (Newark). While at Rutgers Law School, Kunal was a student attorney for the Rutgers Federal Tax Clinic, co-president of the Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), and co-founder of the Rutgers University Student Caucus (RUSC).
In gap-year prior to law school, Kunal served as a City Year Boston AmeriCorps Member where he helped support a classroom of third grade students for the 2015-2016 academic school year.
KARAN VIRMANI
Treasurer
Karan Virmani is the Chief Financial Officer for Profreight Brokers Inc, in Edison NJ as well as fulfilling the 2 positions of Secretary and Treasurer on the company’s Board. Profreight Brokers Inc. is a Customs House Brokerage that has been in business for 30 years and works hand in hand with US Customs in order to complete all documentation for Imports and Exports between the United States of America and the rest of the world. Karan has served in a similar role for his previous employers and has been in the Accounting and Finance world for over 15 years. Having moved to USA from his native New Delhi, India back in October 2003, Karan has worked with various small to mid-sized companies in order to streamline and formulate procedures and policies that have resulted in each organization bettering their financial health and being more stable and profitable.
Karan also strongly believes in giving back to the community and is always available to help be a mentor. He sits on the Board for SKN Foundation, a South Asian Non Profit Organization that deals in the Diabetes, Heart Disease and special needs space for the South Asian community, as well as being a Board Member for the Cancer Support Community of Central New Jersey.
AMIT JANI
Board Member, Former President
Amit Jani most recently served as the National Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Director for President Joe Biden. He previously served in New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s Administration, as well as the AAPI Director for the Murphy-Oliver Gubernatorial Campaign, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, and the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.
He worked as a Congressional Aide for Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., Congresswoman Judy Chu, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Amit is a Board Member for the Hudson County Schools of Technology.
DARSHAN JHA
Board Member
Darshan Jha is a legislative aide for the 8th Legislative District. He worked for the NJGOP as a field coordinator in 2018 in Burlington County. Before that, he worked at a nonprofit, focusing on helping individuals get into the workforce by helping them gain soft skills and job skills. From 2009 to 2018, Darshan served in the Army in various roles and left as a NBC NCO.
Born in India, Darshan was raised in South Jersey and currently lives in Galloway. He has a B.A from Stockton University and M.P.A from Widener University.
AADI KULKARNI
Board Member
Aadi is a proud NJLP alumnus from 2017 and currently is the Chair of the Alumni Board. He is a Senior studying Policy Analysis and Information Science at Cornell University originally from Far Hills, NJ. He has interned with Senator Cory Booker, the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, and Harvard Law School's Innovation Lab. Outside of exploring the tri-state food scene with other fellows, he runs 5ks, loves to cook, and is addicted to online chess.
AYUSH NALLAPALLY
Board Member
Ayush Nallapally is an NJLP alumnus from 2020 and is currently studying at Rutgers University. He recently worked in the 23rd Legislative District for Assemblyman Erik Peterson and previously interned in the 38th Legislative District.
Ayush is actively involved in politics, having served on Jack Ciattarelli's gubernatorial campaign. He has also worked with numerous legislative and congressional races, and even on his own candidacy for township committee in 2022. He currently serves on his municipal republican committee and continues to play a crucial grassroots role in Somerset County and New Jersey.
ROMI PAL
Board Member
Romi Pal is a 2018 NJLP Alumni, where she interned at the Department of the Treasury at the Office of the Governor. She is currently an Account Executive at Southwest Strategies, a public affairs firm in San Diego, California, focusing on community outreach, government relations and event coordination for a variety of public and private projects. Prior to joining Southwest Strategies, Romi was a project coordinator for a public outreach and communications firm in Sacramento, California. She worked closely with local government agencies in northern California on water, transportation and land use development projects. Additionally, Romi has held internships on Capitol Hill and at a political communications firm in Washington D.C.
Romi holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Political Science from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She received her Master of Arts in Communication with a concentration in Public and Media Relations from Johns Hopkins University.
SHEAA AMIN
Board Member
Sheaa Amin is a junior at the Honors College of Rutgers University-New Brunswick studying Political Science and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, minoring in Mathematics. She is involved with the Institute for Women's Leadership as a Leadership Scholar, as an Eagleton Undergraduate Associate, and as a Lloyd C. Gardner Fellow for the School of Arts and Sciences. A proud NJLP alumna from the 2019 cohort, Sheaa has since interned with the New Jersey Assembly Majority Office, the Center for American Women and Politics, Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) Vote, and the Department of Homeland Security.
She currently serves as the Sexual Violence Education Chair to the Rutgers University Student Assembly, and as Douglass Senator to the University Senate.