Pratham 2025 Gala Celebrates 30 Years of Transforming Lives

HOUSTON: The highly anticipated Pratham Houston Gala returned on Friday, April 25, marking the celebration of Pratham’s 30th anniversary. This year’s gala, themed “Together We Learn, Together We Thrive,” brought together Houston’s Indian-American community and supporters to honor three decades of transforming education for millions of children, youth, and women in underserved communities
in India.

The evening featured an electrifying performance by Jeffrey Iqbal. The event was catered by Dawat Catering. Sarojni, a dynamic young woman from Pratham’s skill-building programs, Zoomed in live from India to share her journey with Priyanka Ghosh, Director of Communications, Pratham USA.

Dr. Vikram Gopal, Co-President of the Pratham Houston Chapter, shared, “This evening, we celebrate the transformation that Pratham has brought about over the last three decades—bringing together communities, stakeholders, and supporters to build future-ready communities through learning.” Pradip Seernani, Co-President of the Pratham Houston Chapter, added, “Pratham’s mission continues to unlock potential at every stage of life—equipping individuals with the tools they need to learn, earn, and thrive.” Chairs for the Houston gala Sheetal Patel and Bhavesh Patel shared “We are thrilled to chair this momentous event celebrating Pratham’s three decades of transforming lives through education. The Houston Gala is a testament to the power of community and collective action, and we are honored to bring people together to support this incredible cause.”

The corporate sponsors of the evening included Wells Fargo, Imagimake, Impex Capital Group, Ascend Performance Materials, Active Athlete, Packwell, Fidelity, Amegy Bank, Sara Appliance & Electronics, Bank of America, Texas Inpatient Consultants, Bayou Microfund, Gordon Arata, Chugh LLP, Bank of Texas, Sunrise Natural Foods and United Rentals Matting Solutions.

Fundraising Consultant Harry Santa-Olalla conducted a high powered, energetic and entertaining pledge drive that raised almost $2 million in 45 minutes. Funds raised at the Houston Gala will go directly toward expanding Pratham’s award-winning education programs, giving children and young people around the world the opportunity to learn and thrive.

Pratham envisions a world where every child is in school and learning well. A leading global education non-profit, Pratham delivers high quality solutions to schooling and training challenges through award-winning evidence-based
programs. With 30 years’ experience of working in India and beyond, Pratham changes the lives of over 5 million children and young people every year. Pratham’s work has been recognized through major International awards, including the Asia Game Changer Award, the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award, the WISE Prize for Education, the Henry R. Kravis Leadership Prize, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and most recently the 2018 LUI Che Woo Prize.

Pratham USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 14 chapters across the United States that raise awareness and mobilize financial resources. The volunteer-driven organization ranks among the top 2% of all nonprofits in
America, consistently achieving a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for “sound fiscal management” and “commitment to accountability and transparency.” For more information, visit prathamusa.org.