Dr. Amarnath Laxminarayan
President
Chief volunteer officer of Avinya. He chairs the board, leads strategy and governance, and represents Avinya to the wider community.
Our story
Why Avinya exists
Kannadigas in North America are spread thin. A family in Seattle, three in Toronto, a dozen in Dallas — each holding on to the same language and the same traditions, mostly on their own.
Avinya was founded in 2023 to close that gap. Rather than asking people to travel, we build on a digital platform: programs that work whether you are in Vancouver or Virginia, and that give the next generation a reason to keep Kannada in the house.
We are a Texas nonprofit corporation and an IRS-recognised 501(c)(3) public charity, run entirely by volunteers.
Mission & vision
What we are trying to do
Mission. To promote and preserve the cultural heritage of Karnataka and the Kannada language among Kannadigas living across the United States and Canada, through digital platforms that make distance irrelevant.
Vision. A connected North American Kannada community where language, art and tradition are carried forward by everyone — not only by those who happen to live near a big chapter.
Our objectives
Four objectives, set out in our bylaws
Every program Avinya runs — today or in future — has to serve at least one of these.
ಅ
Cultural Awareness
Celebrating Karnataka's traditions, customs and arts so they stay visible and alive far from home.
ಒ
Language Preservation
Keeping Kannada spoken, written and read — by the generation that arrived and the one growing up here.
ಪ
Community Engagement
One community, regardless of which city you landed in. A cohesive effort to unite Kannadigas across North America.
ಡಿ
Digital Outreach
Distance is a technical problem. We treat it like one — a platform that puts Vancouver and Atlanta in the same room.
Board of Directors
Who runs Avinya
Avinya is governed by a volunteer board of directors.
Dr. Anuradha Tavarekere
Vice President
Acts for the President when required and takes on the duties the board assigns, working across programmes and community outreach.
Rohit Annigeri
Secretary
A product leader in the technology industry. As Secretary he keeps Avinya's records, minutes and governing documents, and makes sure required filings are made on time.
Prashanth Gowda
Program Director & Treasurer
A principal software engineer who studied at Bangalore University and holds postgraduate certificates in AI & machine learning and in cloud computing from UT Austin. He runs Avinya's programme calendar and its books.
Verified nonprofit
You can check every word of this
Avinya is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. Our IRS status, our determination letter, our filings and our constitution are all public — here they are.
IRS 501(c)(3)
Tax-deductible
Listed in IRS Publication 78 Data with deductibility code PC — public charity.
- Legal name
- Avinya - A Digital Platform for Kannada Culturalingua Initiatives
- EIN
- 93-2554787
- IRS determination letter
- Issued 28 July 2023
- Publication 78 Data list
- Yes
- Deductibility code
- PC — public charity
- Most recent filing
- Form 990-N (e-Postcard), tax year 2024
- Registered address
- Leander, TX 78641
- Governing document
- Constitution v3.0, adopted 3 January 2025
Look us up on IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search
IRS determination letter (PDF)
2023 Form 990-PF (PDF)
Constitution & Bylaws (PDF)
Search our EIN, 93-2554787, on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search to confirm this independently. Contributions to Avinya are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for a donation unless stated at the time of giving.
ಲೆಟ್ಸ್ ಇನ್ನೊವೇಟ್ · ಲೆಟ್ಸ್ ಯುನೈಟ್ · ಲೆಟ್ಸ್ ಬಿ ಅವಿನ್ಯಾ
A digital platform for
Kannada culture across North America.
InnovateUnitePreserveEst. 2023
Let's innovate. Let's unite.
Let's be Avinya.
Wherever you are in the US or Canada, there is a Kannada community waiting to hear from you.