Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, included in the 2021 TIME 100 Next, recipient of New York Times’s best actors list and ambassador of Plan Canada, has won the hearts and minds of an international audience. This Tamil-Canadian’s bold wit, fearless and fluid personality has garnered attention amongst an inter-generational audience as a Gen Z with a mission: to pave her own path, on her own terms. Committed to her craft, creating space for equity, diversity, and inclusion within the entertainment industry is her M.O. Her natural talent in acting and comedy was revealed through her starring role as Devi, in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix’s hit show, Never Have I Ever. Engaging the audience through a roller coaster ride of deep emotions while making us laugh at the same time is a testament to Maitreyi’s multi-faceted skills and abilities. When Maitreyi is not acting, she is an advocate for public education, the universal right to education, missing and murdered indigenous women, gender equality, and authentic representation.

Poorna Jagannathan

Poorna Jagannathan is an actress and producer. She is best known for her portrayal of Dr. Nalini Vishwakumar in Mindy Kaling’s Never have I Ever, which premiered globally on Netflix in April 2020 to critical and fan acclaim, as well as Safar Khan in HBO’s Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated show, The Night of. Jagannathan has been a vocal advocate on behalf of survivors of sexual violence: she initiated, produced, and acted in the play Nirbhaya, by Yael Farber, which dealt with breaking the silence around sexual violence. Nirbhaya won the 2013 Amnesty International Award and was hailed as “One of the most powerful pieces of theater you’ll ever see” by The Telegraph. Jagannathan has fought for diverse representation in the media and, in particular, more nuanced portrayals of South Asian women. In an interview with Vogue last year, she called for complexity in casting, saying “If it were left to Hollywood, more brown representation would mean a lot more doctors, scientists, and terrorists. …when we only tell those stories, we deprive ourselves and our community of the real, human issues that are going on, including addiction, depression, and the feeling of not belonging. We don’t get to present ourselves as complex beings, ones who are yearning and struggling for what we want.” Jagannathan was born in Tunis, Tunisia, and grew up in Pakistan, Ireland, India, Brazil, and Argentina. She speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, and Tamil. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and mutt.

Richa Moorjani

California-born Richa Moorjani made her series lead debut last year as ‘Kamala’ in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix’s comedy, “Never Have I Ever.” After its premiere, the show immediately hit #1 around the world in the Netflix Top 10 and was nominated for numerous awards for its first season including a TCA Award, People’s Choice Award, Independent Spirit Award, Hollywood Critics Associate Award, and NAACP Image Awards. Beating out over 15,000 applicants from a global casting call, the series reteamed Richa with Mindy after she previously guest-starred on her eponymous series, “The Mindy Project.” Returning for season two this summer, “Never Have I Ever” continues the story of 15-year-old ‘Devi’ as she navigates high school, first loves, changing friendships, and living with her mother and stunning overachieving cousin ‘Kamala,’ who is getting her Ph.D. for Caltech. Raised in a family of performing artists, Richa began her acting career in high school (even performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival during her tenure) before studying theater and dance at university. She also is a trained Bollywood, Kathak, and Indian Classical dancer who focuses on meaningful projects in film, television, and dance that give a voice to the South Asian Diaspora.”