NEWARK, Calif. — Technology entrepreneur Renu Motwani Malhotra is set to join the Newark Unified School District Board of Education following the 2026 election, according to the latest unofficial results.
Photo Caption : Renu Malhotra and Chirag Kathrani at OpGov.News Office.
Malhotra previously ran for the Newark City Council in 2024. During that campaign, she met Chirag Kathrani, founder of Open Governance News. She supported the concept of the Open Governance Initiative and later helped introduce it to the Newark City Council.
The initiative was created to simplify public access to local government. Through the Open Governance platform, council meetings from multiple cities are summarized in language intended to be clear and accessible to residents. The summaries also highlight public comments, which are an important part of local government meetings.
Malhotra ran for the Newark Unified School District Board with the campaign message: “A technologist who never left the classroom.”
During a visit to the Tri-Valley Voice office, Malhotra discussed her experience serving with her husband on the homeowners association board in their community. She said that while costs at many other associations had increased substantially, their community’s HOA fee had risen by only approximately $20 over the past 22 years decades. Kathrani says this demonstrated how integrity, financial discipline and consistent oversight can help boards maintain accountability and control costs.
Kathrani congratulated Malhotra on her election and said he looks forward to seeing the contributions she will make to the Newark Unified School District.
Malhotra has participated in the community through several educational and civic roles, including:
Girl Scout troop leader
Robotics coach with the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Program director for a Tri-City foreign-language program
Active parent partner in Newark schools
Board member of the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair
Board member of the American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin
The Newark Unified Board of Education consists of five Newark residents elected at large to overlapping terms. The board serves as the district’s legislative body and establishes the policies under which the school district operates.
Malhotra introduced the Open Governance Initiative during the Newark City Council meeting on July 24, 2025.
A summary of that meeting is available at Open Governance News.
The video of the introduction is here.
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