Priti Sait
Co-founder
Priti co-founded her first preschool in 1984 under the mango tree of her family’s colonial bungalow, located opposite Richards Park, in East Bangalore. A pioneer of Montessori education in Bangalore, she spent the next 35 years as teacher and educator, establishing five successful schools that have shaped the culture of learning in the city.
Kai is guided by Priti’s unmatched expertise in Montessori practice and experience in early years education. Her positivity, empathy and whole-heartedness lie at the heart of our school.
“I am deeply grateful to all the parents who have given me the opportunity to help their children explore, learn and grow. I feel blessed to be a learner and to serve the Kai community as an educator and mentor. "
Saad Sait
Co-founder & Executive Director – Kai Early Years | Kai CIRCLE
Board Member & Executive Director – Legacy School Bangalore
Trustee – Vidyaniketan Academy
Saad is a visionary leader and principled professional with a rare ability to anticipate the future of education. With two decades of experience, he is a true trailblazer and has consistently been ahead of the curve in reimagining how schools can serve children, families, and society. In 2009, he returned to India to take the helm of Vidyaniketan Academy, and under his leadership, transformed it into Legacy School Bangalore a reputable international K–12 school known for its high standards in learning, operations, and innovation. His unwavering commitment to quality and progressive, student-centered practices has positioned Legacy as a leader in the Indian education landscape.
Over the years, Saad has gone on to establish Legacy Early Years, one of India’s leading Montessori preschools, and most recently launched Kai Early Years, India’s first standalone IB-authorized early years school. With a relentless drive for innovation and an eye for detail, he has led the design and development of learning environments that don’t just house education, but actively support it, making him one of the first in India to integrate purpose-built learning spaces as a pedagogical tool.
Saad pursued his education in India and the United States and began his professional career in the field of education at a private US university. As a lifelong learner, he also completed certificate courses in Leading Change in Education from the Business and Education Schools at Harvard University and the International Baccalaureate. Saad is regularly invited to speak at prestigious fora on a range of education transformation and school leadership topics. In September 2018, he was recognised among the Top 50 Visionaries in Education, and awarded the Education Icon of the Year 2018, by Education Today.
“At the heart of a great school are its passionate educators who come together every day to champion children and their learning. Kai aims to transform practices in the early years for educators, parents and schools across India and internationally, for the years to come."
Jennifer Sait
Co-founder & Director of Learning and Development – Kai Early Years | Kai CIRCLE
Board Member & Director of Learning and Development – Legacy School Bangalore
Jennifer is a visionary leader and pedagogical expert known for her strategic foresight, eye for detail, and unwavering belief in the transformative power of teachers and caregivers. With two decades of experience, she holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership, a dual undergraduate degree in Business Administration and International Business, and has pursued graduate studies in TESOL. She has also completed certificate courses in Leading Change in Education from the Business and Education Schools at Harvard University and the International Baccalaureate.
Jennifer’s global journey in education has taken her across the United States, South Korea, Ecuador, and India, where she has worked with children and educators from the early years through high school. Her experience spans a wide range of international curricula, including the International Baccalaureate, Cambridge International Pathway, Montessori, and Common Core.
As a former teacher and instructional leader, Jennifer played a central role in transforming Legacy School Bangalore into an international curriculum school. She continues to serve as Board Member and Director of Learning & Development at Legacy, where she remains actively involved in driving its strategic and academic growth. Building on this foundation, she led the design, development, and accreditation of Kai Early Years, India’s first standalone IB World School for early years and its first dual-curriculum model combining Montessori and the IB. Under her leadership, Kai successfully completed both the IB authorization and five-year evaluation cycles, earning national and international recognition for its quality and innovation.
Jennifer’s visionary leadership continues with the inception of Kai CIRCLE, where she is shaping a dynamic new chapter focused on empowering the adults who influence childhood development worldwide.
Jennifer leads with a strong focus on building culture and growing people. She mentors educators with deep commitment, personalization and care, empowering them to thrive and lead with clarity and confidence. She is regularly invited to speak at leading forums on educational transformation, early years leadership, and teacher development.
“Enabling our children to think of their role in the world and their impact on it is essential if we want our children to be the kind of human beings that will make the world a better place to live in."
Nidhi Udani
Co-founder & Director of Operations – Kai Early Years | Kai CIRCLE
Board Member & Director of Operations – Legacy School Bangalore
Nidhi has been a cornerstone of operational excellence at both Legacy School and Kai Early Years, playing a vital role in the successful startup and growth of Kai Early Years from its inception. With over a decade of experience at Legacy School, she has expertly implemented systems, processes, and quality controls that ensure smooth, efficient school operations.
Her wide-ranging responsibilities include managing vendors, partnerships, facility management, and providing strategic foresight to support sustainable growth. As the leader of talent acquisition, retention, and school culture, Nidhi leads with heart fostering a supportive and cohesive community where staff and faculty feel valued and empowered.
Her unique ability to unite operational teams and educators strengthens the foundation of both schools, creating thriving environments dedicated to delivering outstanding education.
“Working as a leader in school administration has been a journey of self-discovery, of unlearning and learning, leading and following, to ensure that we achieve a sense of well-being, and create a thriving community."
Abhinav Reddy
Co-founder
An experienced civil engineer and successful entrepreneur, Abhinav designs and builds living and learning spaces for urban environments. Combining aesthetics, engineering intelligence, responsive urban planning, and modern construction management practices, his projects are considered landmarks in and around Bangalore.
When Abhinav’s search for a safe, spacious, and well-rounded preschool for his 6-year old daughter, in his part of town, Whitefield, yielded no results, he recognised a need and an opportunity. Around the same time, he met early years educator, Saad Sait, who was also exploring ways to respond to Whitefield parents asking for a world class, preschool in their locality. The two connected and the idea for Kai was born. Kai Early Years and KaiCircle were built in record time, adhering minutely to international standards and guidelines for safety, accessibility, and functionality.
Abhinav holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Transport Planning from the University of Southern California, USA.
“We built Kai in such a way that early learners have abundant freedom to explore their world and engage with it. The diversity of indoor and outdoor environments; a generosity of space and corridor-less access to it; natural light yet climate-controlled; all come together to give early years education in India, the importance it deserves."
Sharayu Thampi
Head of School
As a seasoned educator and experienced teacher trainer, Sharayu has dedicated the last twenty years of her life to early childhood education. She finds herself at home in school and cherishes having the opportunity of sustaining a caring, nurturing and friendly school environment. She strives to achieve this with both students and teachers, to ensure that they truly enjoy their learning and teaching experiences and uncover their potential.
As someone who has been part of the IB accreditation journey during her tenure, Sharayu is passionate about constructing meaningful learning opportunities in the Early Years, and greatly values the Montessori and the IB-PYP for their proven approaches, experiential, inquiry-based curriculum that empowers each student and adult to become life-long learners.
Sharayu has a Master’s Degree in Education and Child Psychology and continues to be an active learner; apart from completing multiple IB workshops, she has attended a host of Early Childhood Programs and Workshops on the Reggio Emilia and Montessori Philosophies.
“Every child should be valued as a citizen with rights and must be given opportunities to make contributions to society now and in the future. To give children both - choices and a voice, we create an environment that enables our learners to make a difference."
