Growing up, Sailaja was a voracious reader. From Leo the Lop to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Amelia Bedelia, she loved every book she read. If you were to ask her today what her favorite book is, she"d likely say either the Harry Potter series OR The Tao of Pooh. It really depends on the day.

Sailaja has been a passionate volunteer in the Hindu Youth community for over twenty years and is an accomplished academic with degrees from Northeastern University, Harvard University, and Simmons College. She has also worked with multiple startups, helping them to refine their brand identity and develop their marketing communications. Her unique set of skills and experience help to her to drive Mango & Marigold Press forward. Her ambition is to have Mango & Marigold Press be an active participant in the field of multicultural children’s literature, moving forward with the belief that we need diverse kids lit for a diverse world. When she"s not working to change the face of children"s publishing, she can be founded hanging with her two adorable children at the park or at circus class (really, that"s a thing).

Megan spent her childhood and adolescent years lost in the pages of Nancy Drew, The Boxcar Children, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. As Co-Founder, Megan oversees the Mango & Marigold Press brand and all marketing efforts. Megan received her Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Graphics/ Digital Arts at Springfield College with minors in Music and Religion. In her spare time Megan goes on adventures with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and bunny. She is passionate about art, design, animals, and cultural education.

SriVani grew up in the pages of Harold and the Purple Crayon, Harry Potter, and Hinduism’s greatest epics. She learned to find a great love and appreciation for the many tales rooted in Hinduism, as they not only taught valuable lessons but provided a glimpse into her colorful heritage. At Mango & Marigold Press SriVani provides insight and knowledge into the Hindu Community and helps to ensure stories and illustrations accurately portray the communities" experience. She is a native of Boston, earning her Bachelors in Biology from Northeastern University and her Masters in Health Communication from Boston University. SriVani is passionate about food, cooking, and healthcare and Hindu American advocacy. When she"s not changing the face of children"s publishing, she"s hanging with her dog Kenobie and hubby in and around the Bay Area.

Amy Maranville has a BA in English literature and anthropology from Smith College, and an MA in children’s literature from Simmons College in Boston. She is a passionate believer in the importance of diversity in the books we give to our children, and is proud to present positive images of diversity in her stories. Amy lives in Somerville, MA with her husband, young sons, and beloved basset hound.

Anjali has loved reading for as long as she can remember. Between the covers of books, she has gotten lost in magical worlds, befriended fictional characters, and been a part of epic journeys. As an educator, writer, and mother, Anjali’s goal is to foster the love of reading and learning in the next generation. She is passionate about bringing diversity to children’s literature and sharing stories of India’s rich culture with our littlest adventurers.

Shobha is a California-based non-profit development consultant, professional voice talent, poet, translator, editor, and children"s author. She has spent two decades in the non-profit community as an advocate and fundraiser for persons with disabilities. Her voice has been used in documentaries, educational and journalistic initiatives, and audio books, and her essays and stories have appeared in publications including India Currents, Tulika Publishers and Skipping Stones. Her published books from Mango Books include A Pie Surprise and Other Stories, An Autobiography of a Tree, a translation of a Hindi children"s story, and Native American Folk Tales, from Solstice Publishing, Around the World You Wander and from Tulika Books, Read Aloud Stories and Dum Dum Dho. She has a BA in English Literature (Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Elmira College, New York, and an MA in English Literature from Syracuse University, New York.

Despite being told she’d have to change her name to work, Sheetal persevered to become an award winning actress and producer, known for her provocative performances in a wide range of memorable roles on film and television. Sheetal puts a spotlight on under-represented groups, not only through her trailblazing work as an actor, but also by being an outspoken advocate. Sheetal served in President Clinton’s AmeriCorps, is on the advisory board of Equality Now, and is an ambassador for The Representation Project. She believes if you can dream it, you can be it - even if you don’t see it. Sheetal, her husband, and their two kids live in New York and Los Angeles.

Raakhee is an writer, editor and pediatric cancer crusader. Her work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post, Moneyish, Redbook and HuffPo. Raakhee has also appeared on the "Today" show as well as both a host and guest on SiriusXM. "Super Satya Saves the Day" is Raakhee"s first book and is inspired by her own fiery 4-year-old daughter Satya.

Photo courtesy of Julia Xanthos

Nidhi Chanani is a freelance illustrator, cartoonist and writer. She is the owner of Everyday Love Art. Her debut graphic novel, Pashmina, was released by First Second Books in October 2017. She recently illustrated Misty – The Proud Cloud, a children’s book by Hugh Howey. She is an instructor in the Master of Fine Arts, Comics program at the California College of Arts.

Nidhi was born in Calcutta and raised in suburban southern California. She holds a degree in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She creates because it makes her happy – with the hope that it can make others happy, too. In April of 2012, she was honored by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change.

Her media appearances include CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 and BBC Radio. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, the Women’s March, My Modern Met, Bored Panda and India Times. Nidhi has worked with Disney, ABC, Airbnb, Sony, Microsoft, State Farm Insurance and a variety of other clients. Her non-fiction comics have appeared in the Nib. Everyday Love Art products are sold in retail shops across the country, including the San Francisco International Airport, Books Inc., and Therapy stores.

Nidhi draws and dreams every day with her husband, daughter and their two cats in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rashmi S. Bismark, MD, MPH is a physician specialized in Preventive Medicine with expertise from public health, health behavior, lifestyle medicine, and complementary & alternative therapies. Her clinical practice is focused on holistic mindfulness-based interventions tailored to individuals and communities. With over two decades of exploring traditional healing practices from India, including Ayurveda, energy healing, meditation, and yoga, Dr. Bismark is also a teacher trainer at Yoga Medicine by Tiffany Cruikshank where she contributes to curriculum and co-leads advanced modules on Yin Yoga and Meditation for yoga teachers from around the globe. Dr. Bismark feels very fortunate to travel the world with her husband"s job, raising two little yoginis-in-training, and sharing mindful ways of nurturing life and healing. www.rsbismarkmd.com

Monique Chheda is a dermatologist living in Maryland. She has been married for four years and has two young children. Becoming a mother inspired her to revive one of her hobbies, writing. Wanting to pass on her Indian culture to her children, she found a scarcity of children"s books that allowed Indian-American children to connect with their heritage. This prompted her to write her own children"s book, Bindiya in India. Her hope is that through literature, she can share India"s rich culture and language with the next generation.

Payal Doshi has a Masters in Creative Writing (Fiction) from The New School, New York. Having lived in the UK and US, she noticed a lack of Indian protagonists in global children’s fiction and one day wrote the opening paragraph to what would become her first children’s novel. She was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and two-year-old daughter. When she isn’t writing or spending time with her family, you can find her nose deep in a book with a cup of coffee or daydreaming of fantasy realms to send her characters off into. She loves the smell of old, yellowed books. Rea and the Blood of the Nectar, the first book in The Chronicles of Astranthia series is her debut middle grade novel.

After graduating from Salem State College, Tim started his design career in event and marketing/promotions agencies in and around Boston. When he made the move to NYC as Promotional Art Director for ELLEgirl Magazine, he worked with fashion brands including America’s Next Top Model, Marc Ecko and TJMaxx. Before moving into books, Tim designed for Stuff and Vibe Magazines. Eventually, he made the leap into book publishing as Senior Designer for Disney Editions/Disney Press. Tim has art directed and produced books for both the children’s and adult contemporary markets for publishers including Cantata Learning, Race Point Publishing, Sterling Innovation, Scholastic Books, Blue Apple Books, Girl Scouts of America, Hinkler Books, and Enchanted Lion Books. As an illustrator in the children’s publishing market, Tim is thrilled to be working with Mango & Marigold Press. He lives in Shirley, MA with his husband, Michael and three pups Edith, Emmett, and Steve.

Christy"s love of art and illustration began in a library. From a young age, she was inspired by picture books and garnered hours of drawing practice by copying their illustrations. In grade school, she had Bill Peet"s autobiography perpetually checked out and her dream was to become a Disney animator (or a marine biologist). These days, she spends most of her professional time in the world of advertising, but still gets most excited when a project provides her with the opportunity to draw. Christy has a BA in Studio Art from Wheaton College and Certificate of Art Direction from the Creative Circus in Atlanta, GA, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Using his background as a traditional 2d artist, Josh enjoys creating efficient and bold designs with strong visual narratives As a commercial artist he has successfully developed 2d designs and sequential narratives to deliver high quality results. In his spare time Josh works on his personal comic "Green Asphalt" and develops my his IP Muscular Man.

Lisa Kurt is an artist and illustrator living and working in Reno, NV with her husband and young son. Before heading West, she grew up and lived in the Boston area, receiving her BFA in illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art and MS in Library Science from Simmons College.

Lisa works primarily with acrylics and mixed media. Through her work, she explores stories that involve people, animals, and creatures in mysterious settings, often incorporating nature and the unexpected. Lisa’s work focuses on themes surrounding nature, memory, stories, mythologies, allegory, and dreams.

Jessica Blank is an illustrator, explorer, and naturalist living in Texas. She attended the Maryland Institute College of Art and Vermont College of Fine Arts for illustration and graphic design. When not drawing, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her family. This is her first picture book.

Morgan is an illustrator who specializes in children’s illustrations and stories. She has been creating art ever since she could hold a pencil and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a focus in illustration while attending university. She finds inspiration in nature, animals, and the joy of simple yet beautiful moments. Some of the things she enjoys apart from drawing includes cold rainy days, being around loved ones and dogs, tea, and reading.

Debasmita is a Kirkus-Best Prize-nominated internationally-published picture-book illustrator and graphic novelist based in Singapore. With a decade of experience in the field of art-for-change, she works with mixed media, marrying ink, paint, and digital tools to create diverse fiction and non-fiction visual stories for children & young adults. She has illustrated over twenty picture books, comics, and poems, and her art has been exhibited across the globe.