OUR TEAM
We are a passionate group of educators determined to bring about a much needed upgrade to the current standardised system of schooling. Our team has extensive experience with leading international schools across the city and has recently undergone rigorous training in the US and in Australia by world-renowned thinkers and practitioners. We are united by a common goal – to bring the highest quality educational experience to our children.
PARMEET SHAH
CEO, Big Picture India and NEXT
Parmeet is the founder and CEO of Next and also works at Marathon Group. He has been scouring the globe for the best educational models for the last 6 years. He holds a BA in Economics from Yale University and an MS from Columbia University, USA.
ELLIOT WASHOR
Co-Founder, Big Picture Learning
Elliot, who is the co-founder of Big Picture Learning is our coach, mentor and guide. He has been involved in school reform for more than 30 years as a teacher, principal, administrator and writer. He leads Big Picture’s international endeavours and has been working very closely with our team
SUKRITI PANT
Advisor
Sukriti has spent the last six years supporting language development through play and daily routines at Fröbel Kindergarten in Potsdam, Germany. Prior to this, she led a learning centre for first-generation learners with H.E.L.G.O.e.V. in Howrah. She holds an M.A. in Education from Azim Premji University and is pursuing an M.A. in Childhood Studies and Children’s Rights at Fachhochschule Potsdam
NIKHIL BANGERA
Program Director
Nikhil has spent the last 10 years setting up and leading programs at NEXT, Mumbai. Prior to NEXT, he spent a decade developing educational content and curricula for students and adults at Packt Publishing, Zaya Learning Labs, and Kotak Education Foundation. He holds an M.A. in Education from Azim Premji University, an M.A. in Sociology, and a B.E. in Computer Science from Mumbai University.
AMOLIKA LAVATE
Advisor
Amolika has been a member of NEXT, Mumbai for the past five years and is an integral part of the Early Years Programme. With over 17 years of experience, she brings a strong understanding of early childhood education. She is deeply passionate about the Montessori approach and a holistic, big-picture view of learning. She has worked with institutions in Mumbai, served as an Academic Coordinator in Bengaluru, and has been a Montessori trainer at RKC. She holds a B.E. in Computer Science from Pune University.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Are you a passionate educator determined to make learning engaging, authentic and relevant for every child? We have a revolutionary proposition that you can help us bring to life.
MEDIA COVERAGE
OUR TRUSTEES
R.Z. SHAH
RZ Shah is the founding father of Marathon. Many may know that before he started the business in 1969, he was actually an educationist. He’s had a very deep association with the very first school in Mulund – SMPR. He started as a student, became a teacher, and then the principal, then also became a trustee and president of the trust. For more than 50 years he has had a close relationship with this school, so education runs very deep in his veins. It has been a long standing dream of his to start a school in his hometown, for which he has spared no expense.
MAYUR SHAH
Mr. Mayur Shah, Managing Director of Marathon Group has over 25 years of rich and varied experience in the real estate and construction industry. He is a civil engineer from the University of Bombay and MS in structural engineering from University of Oklahoma, USA. He is currently the President-Elect of MCHI, the association of real estate developers in Maharashtra and also the Vice President of Jain Jagruti Group.
CHETAN SHAH
Mr. Chetan R Shah, Vice Chairman of Marathon Group, has three decades of experience in planning, operations, quality assurance and execution of large projects. He is a B. Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Bombay and M.S in Structural Engineering from the Houston University, USA. He is a past president of Lions Club Mulund and the current president of JITO, the Jain International Trade Organisation.
