Meet the team

Rahem Hamid is a co-founder and Executive Director of the National Geography Bee and a Massachusetts state finalist in the 2017 National Geographic GeoBee. He is a 2025 graduate of Harvard College, where he majored in history and was an executive at The Harvard Crimson. He lives in the Boston area.

Pranay Varada is a co-founder and Executive Director of the National Geography Bee and the 2017 National Geographic GeoBee champion. He is a 2025 graduate of Harvard College, where he majored in statistics and government and was president of the Harvard Open Data Project. He lives in Washington, DC.

Nihar Janga is the Media Director of the National Geography Bee and the 2019 National Geographic GeoBee Champion. He is currently studying Symbolic Systems at Stanford University and is involved with the school’s club rugby team. His main interests include applying technology in education and law. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Samvrit Rao is the Sponsorships Director of the National Geography Bee and the winner of the 2019 International Geography Bee. He is currently a student at Columbia University, where he is majoring in neuroscience and computer science. In his free time, Samvrit enjoys performing with Columbia Bhangra and volunteering at his local hospital. He currently resides in New York City.

Avi Goel is the Content Director of the National Geography Bee and the winner of the 2018 International Geography Bee. He is currently a graduate student at San Jose State University, where he is studying aerospace engineering. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Swastik Patel is the Operations Director for the National Geography Bee and a California state finalist in the 2019 National Geographic GeoBee. He is currently studying IT and Management at Purdue University, and leading Team VISOR in the NASA SUITS Challenge. In his free time, Swastik loves reading sci-fi and fantasy books.