Iniya Nandakumar, an incoming senior at Coppell High School in Dallas, Texas, is an education advocate and founder of Fund the Future, a student-led initiative dedicated to strengthening public education and expanding student representation. Through Fund the Future, Iniya has created campaign internship opportunities for students, hosted Coppell ISD’s first student-led school board candidate forum, and is currently organizing a district-wide school supply drive to support classrooms and educators across North Texas.
Iniya serves as Head Intern for Texas State Representative Cassandra Garcia Hernandez, where she manages a team of interns and supports community outreach initiatives. Her work in education advocacy has included testimony before the Texas State Board of Education and local school boards, where she has advocated for stronger student representation and increased investment in public schools. Her advocacy has been featured by the Dallas Morning News and in an ACLU documentary.
Beyond her work in Texas, Iniya is the co-founder of Mann Nalam Foundation, a youth-led nonprofit inspired by her family’s agricultural roots that supports organic farmers across South India through fundraising, advocacy, and community partnerships.
Iniya is also a board member of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) and a Fellow with Civics Unplugged, the Youth in Policy Institute, and Riley’s Way Call for Kindness. She is excited to serve on the League of Minority Voters National Youth Council and hopes to ensure that students have a meaningful seat at the table in decisions that shape their communities and future.