Aparna Gupta is a Grade 11 student at Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai, where she has excelled academically while nurturing a remarkable combination of creativity and environmental awareness. Growing up along Mumbai's dynamic coastline, she developed an intimate understanding of marine ecosystems and witnessed firsthand the delicate balance between urban development and environmental preservation. Her coastal upbringing and active involvement in adventure camps through the IAYP Society throughout the variety of landscapes in Maharashtra fostered her respect for natural heritage and the need to preserve it.

She has demonstrated her commitment and ability to engage communities for positive change as a volunteer leader in the Tata Mumbai Marathon, where she raised an impressive amount of INR 1,54,001 for The HEAL Foundation. Her experience as a grassroots organizer, plus her work on social justice issues with the International Justice Mission, gave her the skills to engage communities. In TideTurners, Aparna synthesizes her coastal consciousness and community organizing to democratize coastal access to marine conservation knowledge sustainably, ensuring that the maritime legacy of Mumbai is healthy, while empowering the next generation of environmental stewards. In her free time, Aparna enjoys Bharatnatyam and is a skilled equestrian and musician.