Welcome to DashStrom: Kavita Iyengar Joins the Team as Partner Coordinator

The Pittsburgh Pirate's Jalepeno Hannah stopped by to help welcome Kavita to the team, pictured here at Cafe Rachel, on Chatham University's campus. Left to right: Ketaki Desai, Co-Founder, CEO; Kavita Iyengar, Partner Coordinator: Rebecca Gaynier, Chief Growth Officer

There's a specific kind of growing pain every startup hits: the point where the vision is clear, the model works, and the thing standing between "it works" and "it scales" is systems. The infrastructure nobody sees until it's missing. That's the gap we're building for with our newest team member.

We're thrilled to welcome Kavita Iyengar to DashStrom as our new Partner Coordinator.

Kavita brings 22 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, and enterprise transformation. Most recently she was Vice President and Head of Procurement at Highmark Health, after leadership roles at HM Health Solutions and Pittsburgh-based Industrial Scientific. She's spent her career building the operational systems that let growing organizations scale, and she's long been part of Pittsburgh's business community.

Exactly the chops we need for where we are now.

DashStrom has spent its first chapter showing what's possible: the cluster economics, the school and community partnerships, the coaches who show up and change how kids see themselves. The next chapter is about building the systems and operations that let that model hold steady as it grows across more schools, more cities, more coaches, and more families. That's why Kavita's role reaches well beyond coordination. She'll manage our partnerships as they exist today, and she'll also build the operational backbone that lets DashStrom grow without losing what makes it work.

A Little About Kavita

Beyond the skill set, what made this an easy decision is how closely Kavita's values line up with DashStrom's.

She believes, as we do, in the promise inside every child. Growth mindset and resilience aren't traits some kids have and others don't. They're capacities every child carries, waiting for the right coach, the right moment, and the right nudge to draw them out.

She's deeply committed to Pittsburgh's startup community, the same ecosystem that's backed DashStrom from day one: the believers, builders, and early supporters who understand that this city grows by investing in itself.

And she's spent her career drawn to work that makes a difference, which is why she's the right person for this next step.

In her own words

"Some of my most treasured memories come from seeing what happens when we invest time, encouragement, and mentorship in children. I'm always inspired by how quickly a child shows you the value of that time. That's why DashStrom's work matters so much to me." — Kavita Iyengar, Partner Coordinator

Ketaki Desai, DashStrom co-founder and CEO, on the hire: "Kavita joins us at exactly the moment we need her most. We've proven that this model works. Now we need someone who can build the systems underneath it so it can hold weight at scale. Her operational instincts, paired with how deeply she believes in what we're building, make her exactly the right person to help DashStrom go from a startup that's found its dash to one that's ready to shine." — Ketaki Desai, Co-Founder & CEO, DashStrom

Welcome to the team, Kavita. We're excited to see what we build together.