Crusaders of KODAWest

	Lisa (Hermatz) Chahayed, co-founder of KODAWest, is a deaf mother of two hearing daughters, Monessa (13) and Linnea (11). She was born and raised in Michigan, in an oral program, and learned ASL as a student at RIT/NTID where she graduated. Ms. Chahayed began acting and dancing, and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she founded and directed the dance troupe, Prism West. She has worked in several productions at Stepping Stone Theatre and Deaf West Theatre where Ms. Chahayed earned a “Best Translation” nomination at the 2000 Los Angeles Ovation Awards, for her role as ASL Master. For numerous years, Ms. Chahayed instructed dance workshops to deaf and hearing children at the House Ear Institute’s annual Family Camp. She taught ASL and coordinated the TRIPOD Family Sign Program for ten years. Ms. Chahayed is currently teaching ASL at Pierce College, Glendale Community College, John Burroughs High School in Burbank and The Country School. Seeing the gaping need for a program to serve not only the hearing children of deaf parents here in Southern California, but the Deaf parents with hearing children, Ms. Chahayed decided it was vital to establish an organization that focuses on those needs.
	A co-founder of KODAWest, Lauren Abbott Maucere graduated from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) with a BS in Environmental and Occupational Health. She worked at The Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD) as a research partner with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on tobacco awareness among the deaf and hard of hearing youth community throughout California. Ms. Maucere became supervisor of the GLAD Health Services department, overseeing tobacco and breast cancer research with UCLA, Latino Family Outreach project, HIV interpreting services, Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, and the Deaf Women Outreach program. Along with Deaf Women Outreach, she was recognized by the California AIDS Clearinghouse with an award for doing extraordinary work within the AIDS community. Ms. Maucere is currently on the task force at the National Center on Deafness (NCOD) at CSUN and can be seen in Disney’s Baby Einstein DVD titled “My First Signs” along with her daughter, Daniela. She is a deaf mom to two hearing children, Daniela (6) and Gianni (3).
	Kavita Pipalia, KODAWest’s Camp Director, born in Calcutta, India, graduated from Gallaudet University with BA in Business Administration. While at Gallaudet, she was involved with the Indian Deaf Organization, the International Club for the Deaf, and chaired both, the Homecoming Float Team, and the Leadership Training Program. For her involvement, Ms. Pipalia earned an honorary award from Gallaudet. She taught adult literacy and computer classes at Goodwill, and then was promoted as program manager of Deaf services and Interpreting services. Ms. Pipalia served on the board of California Relay Service Advisory Committee for eight years. During that time, she was chairperson for the Board of “Request For Proposal” committee to bid for Video Relay services. Ms. Pipalia continued her education at California State University, Northridge , graduating with a MPA in Public Administration. Currently, Ms. Pipalia serves as an advocate and advisor to several Indian Families who have deaf children and is serving as president of “Seven Summit”, a non-profit organization, that serves the deaf and deaf/blind nationwide. Ms. Pipalia is a deaf mother of two hearing kids, Erica, (13) and Zak, (10).