Rahul Merani

Rahul Merani is a Partner at Mentors Fund and a Member of the Board of Trustees at Oakland Zoo. Rahul has been with Mentors Fund since January 2021 and Oakland Zoo since January 2018.

Rahul has gained international acclaim and national awards for their animal management and endangered species programs. In 1991, they pioneered protected contact which places barriers between the keepers and elephants and incorporates persuasion through rewards rather than discipline.

The East Bay Zoological Society renewed a 30-year management agreement with the City of Oakland in 2011 to continue operating Oakland Zoo. The East Bay Zoological Society is governed by a Board of Trustees, comprised of dedicated volunteers who provide oversight of the organization's mission and policies.

Public support comes from the City of Oakland and East Bay Regional Parks District, which contributed 15% of the Zoo's 2010 operating budget of $11.3 million. Remaining funding comes from the community that supports and enjoys the Zoo including private individuals, foundations, corporations, and memberships. Annual public support allows admission prices to remain low, and therefore keeps this gem of the East Bay accessible to all economic levels of the community.

Rahul Merani has a Masters of Applied Finance and Investment from FINSIA (Financial Services Institute of Australasia), a Professional Designation in Personal Financial Planning from University of California, Los Angeles, a Bachelor of Business in Accounting & Finance from University of Technology Sydney, and a High School diploma from Knox Grammar School.