B’luru-based Ravi Boregowda elected as president of AKKA 2024-25

Bengaluru-based Kannadiga Ravi Boregowda has been elected as President of Executive Committee of AKKA (Association of Kannada Kootas of America) for the year 2024-25 in USA. 

“The first AKKA World Kannada Conference (WKC) after Covid Pandemic would be held on August 30, 31 and September 1 in 2024,” Ravi told DH. 

A Software Engineer by profession, Ravi is serving as the President of an Information Technology company in the USA, (which is involved in providing IT services to State and Federal government within the USA) and he is the resident of Richmond, Virginia in the USA. 

“Akka WKC is held once every two years. It was last held virtually in 2020 during Covid Pandemic. Post-pandemic, since people were still trying to settle down AKKA WKC was not held in 2022,” Ravi said. 

As president of AKKA, Ravi plans to work towards having Kannada language as an accredited course in all the Schools in the USA, besides encouraging International Kannada students.

He said, “I plan to work as a liaison between the Karnataka government and the US local and state governments to build a bilateral relationship and promote ‘Foreign Direct Investments’ to India among the Indian communities especially, for Kannadigas. I plan to encourage and involve more women in AKKA committees,” he said. 

Ravi has been serving as board of director of AKKA from 2020.

He has served as Vice President of AKKA (2015-2016), as Joint Secretary of AKKA (2013-2014).

Ravi said, “During my stint in AKKA in the past, I have visited all Kannada Kootas (KK) across the USA and involved presidents of all those KKs in strengthening AKKA,” he said. 

Ravi has also served as secretary of Richmond Kannada Sangha (RKS) from  2007-2008, president of RKS (2013-2014). He is currently serving as Chairman of RKS too from 2023.

Passionate to promote Kannada language and culture outside Karnataka especially, in the United States, he has promoted Kannada Kali programme with the support of local Kannada sanghas, said Ravi.

Background

Born to late B Boregowda who had served in Karnataka state government, and Jayamma B, a homemaker, Ravi studied in St Joseph’s school, and PUC in government PU college in Channapatna, Ramanagara district. 

He has done BE in Automobile in Malnad College of Engineering Hassan, University of Mysore,  and Post-graduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.  After working in Bengaluru and Canada for a while, he moved to the USA in 2000. 

Ravi is married to Saraswathi Gowda, an IT professional from Mysuru, and he has two daughters, Nidhi Gowda, studying in first-year degree in Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond Virginia and Isha Gowda, studying in 11th grade. 

During Covid pandemic, Ravi has participated in several AKKA charity events and has raised funds to help Covid patients in Karnataka, and also for Mysuru Zoo (Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden). He plans to enhance those AKKA charities, fundraising and cultural activities further to help needy Kannadigas, and for the cause of Kannada language and culture, said Ravi.