Seema's career spans two decades in the academic, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors. Innately curious about the world, Seema combines the broad perspective of a generalist with specific expertise on social justice and human rights. Her work has touched on a wide range of topics, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, urban education, community organizing, women's rights, youth development, disaster philanthropy, and the global water crisis.

 

Prior to launching COMM|VEDA Consulting in 2017, Seema served as deputy director at Cricket Island Foundation, where she helped resource the field of youth-led social change. From 2010-2016, she was Foundation Center's (now Candid) director of research for special projects, where she spearheaded the research department’s transition from written reports to a full suite of rich, interactive online tools, providing grantmakers with the information needed to make strategic decisions. While at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, Seema co-directed a seminal, six-year national, longitudinal study on community organizing and school reform. She is a co-author of a book that documents the study’s findings, Community Organizing for Stronger Schools, published by Harvard Education Press.

 

As the author of more than 40 publications, Seema has built a reputation for combining rock-solid research chops with a keen eye for effective communications, defying the classic case of a report sitting on a shelf. As a project manager, she understands how to foster collaboration, deftly managing large, multi-stakeholder teams. She brings extensive knowledge of the nonprofit and philanthropic landscape to her work, as well as a strong understanding of systems change efforts. 

 

Seema earned her B.A. in psychology at Duke University and a Ph.D. at DePaul University in clinical-community psychology. She works with clients across the globe and is based in Brooklyn, New York and Atlanta, Georgia.

 

LinkedIn | Resume

​

​