Board Member Spotlight: Vidya Surti

At Queens Gambit, our board members bring a powerful mix of expertise and passion to the table - and Vidya Surti exemplifies that balance. As Vice Chair and Chair of the Partnerships Committee, Vidya combines her scientific background with a deep commitment to equity, youth development, and access to opportunity.

Currently, she serves as a Laboratory Research Manager at Duquesne University’s Nanomedicine Manufacturing Laboratory, where she leads cutting-edge research with precision and purpose. But her leadership journey with Queens Gambit began years earlier.

“I joined the board as a junior in college,” Vidya reflects. “What drew me in was Queens Gambit’s ability to embed leadership, self-determination, and decision-making into an accessible curriculum.”

With a focus on youth, disability, and health advocacy, Vidya sees chess as more than a game - it’s a mindset.

“Youth should learn chess to improve concentration and patience,” she explains. “These are lifelong skills that go far beyond the board.”

In her role leading partnerships, Vidya is instrumental in forging connections that expand the reach and impact of Queens Gambit’s programs.

“I’d love to see Queens Gambit grow through expanded partnerships and programming,” she shares.

And beyond the boardroom or the lab, Vidya proudly embraces her identity and heritage.

Fun Fact: “I’m Indo-Fijian!”

With leaders like Vidya, Queens Gambit continues to model how strategy, science, and self-determination can work together to create real change.