Meet The Board

This will be my ninth year as a parent at The Village School, with my son in 11th grade and my daughter in her sophomore year of university after graduating from Village. I was born in Vietnam but have lived in Houston since I was a child. My husband, whom I met while attending The University of Texas at Austin, is from Paris, and our family has also lived abroad in Dubai. This international experience has given me a unique appreciation for diverse cultures. I love the sense of community and the many opportunities to be involved, including my prior service on the VSPA Board and as the Speech and Debate Parent Liaison. Having been a part of the Village Enrichment Board since its creation two years ago, I'm passionate about our mission to support extracurricular programs at Village. I am excited to collaborate with parents, students, and staff to create an even more enriching experience for all.

I immigrated from Taiwan in 1991 and have lived in Houston ever since. The 2025/26 school year will be our 14th year at The Village School. My son is in 9th grade, and my daughter will be a freshman and my son is a sophomore at university. I am a small business owner. I have served as Treasurer on the VSPA Board, and I have enjoyed serving our school community, and I look forward to serving again.

Born in Qatar, I moved to the U.S. at 17 to pursue my undergraduate studies, followed by a master’s degree from Cornell University. Having lived in multiple states, I’ve been very fortunate to connect with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds in various stages of life. In a continued attempt to bring diversity into our kids lives, our family joined Village last year with our PK2 daughter and PK4 son, drawn by its vibrant and welcoming community. Outside of Village, we’ve fostered dogs with the SPCA for over a decade and have cared for more than 50 dogs through the years. We have loved becoming part of such a welcoming community at Village. I am excited to serve on the VSEO Board as a way to give back and help strengthen this wonderful network of families.

The 2025/26 school year will be my fifth year at Village, and my daughter Aarya will be in 7th grade. I am originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland and moved to London with my husband Ravi who is a native Londoner. We moved to Houston in 2015 for Ravi’s business, and I have been blessed to be a full time mother since the birth of Aarya, leaving a career in facilities management where I oversaw health, safety, and environmental strategies for BNP Paribas’ London based commercial real estate portfolio. Since joining Village, I was appointed HRP for Aarya’s 3rd Grade class, served as ES and MS VP, and currently also serving as the parent lead for the Speech and Debate Team. Prior to this, I spent 3 years as HRP at Yorkshire Academy. Outside of Village, I operate our charitable foundation which supports Be An Angel, Autism Speaks, and BuildOn. Through BuildOn, Ravi and I rec

Girija Patel is an attorney, entrepreneur, and educator dedicated to making legal support accessible and practical for business owners. She is the founder of GBP Law, where she provides fractional in-house counsel for entrepreneurs, startups, and online businesses, with expertise in business law, intellectual property, and strategy.

In 2020, she launched Your Contract Buddy, an online contract template platform helping business owners integrate legal protections without the barrier of high costs. She also founded Junior Pitch Deck, an entrepreneurship program for middle school students that fosters innovation, teamwork, and leadership skills.

With a career spanning from prosecutor to law firm owner, Girija brings a deep commitment to service, education, and empowering future generations.