Nithin Jilla

Executive Director
Dreams for Schools

Nithin Jilla is the founder and executive director of Dreams for Schools, an Orange County-based nonprofit providing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education to underserved K-12 students. Under his leadership over the past six years, Dreams for Schools has grown from serving just 40 students to over 16,000 through direct and educational outreach programs.

Jilla has been instrumental in Dreams for Schools’ development, combining his passion for education, technology, operations, and fundraising. His strategic vision has enabled the nonprofit to employ 482 college students as mentors and expand offerings virtually during COVID-19. In the past year, Nithin led Dreams for Schools’ first regional expansion, implementing a successful pilot program with the Affton School District in Missouri, laying the groundwork for regional growth in coming years to bring STEAM education to more underserved communities nationwide.