My Bio

Below is my academic, professional, and work background. For a quicker summary, check out my Linkedin page.

Life story

My mother and father are my most sacred guides, giving me a foundation to connect with the nobility of myself and others because they gave that gift to me. I give thanks to them and all of my elders and ancestors. My parents are from small (ish) towns in India, ,and my connection to the motherland is very deep. I’m proud to be from LA, where we have the the roots of hiphop and my best friends still reside. I love to Bhangra dance and dance of all forms. I’m proud to be on a journey to educate others to decolonize yoga and honor the traditional roots of yoga in a western context. Yoga as way of life.  I have a wonderful partner and 3 children who bring so much joy to my life and truly are my biggest teachers.

Academic & Professional Training

My professional background & training begins with graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with degrees in Anthropology & Education. Berkeley is truly who I am. IAs an anthropology student, I focused on critical race theory and understanding culture and how our evolution impacted that. UC Berkeley was great preparation for leading change in the world. I was proud to co-found Aspire for Change-a teacher mentoring program that continues to exist at UC Berkeley.  I also had the opportunity to travel abroad for 1 year in college, and live with indigenous communities & study the impact of globalization on the environment and local community in 6 different countries around the world as part of the International Honors Fellowship Program. 

I'm a proud AmeriCorps member completing a year of service working with East Bay Habitat for Humanity & completing my year of service with Partners In School Innovation.

I completed my graduate work by receiving a Masters in Administration, Policy, and Social Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a certificate of non-profit management at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

The highlight of my executive level training was completing a 10-day residential program based at the Harvard Kennedy School called the "Art and Practice of Adaptive Leadership," led by Professor Ronald Hieftz and Marty Linsky, based on the Adaptive Leadership Model.   I continue to refine my skills by returning to the Harvard Kennedy School as alumni facilitator, being involved in the Harvard Adaptive Leadership Network, Harvard Global Leadership & Peace-making Network, and facilitating workshops at the Adaptive Leadership Alumni Conference. 

I had the privilege of completing a 1-year long certification program with the Coaches Training Institute and became a certified leadership coach. I draw heavily on this experiential & rigorous training.

Over the last 8 years, my most serious training has been in Theater of the Oppressed studying under Jiwon Chung over the past few years. Theater of the Oppressed has become to me the most important part of my practice and work. I have now given workshops at Foothill College, Maitri, Soulforce, and many other organizations. I have also studied with Armand Volkas completing the Healing the Wounds yearlong program as a Level 1, 2, and 3 trainings over the past 3 years. In this work, I have explored techniques of drama therapy and Playback theatre, incorporating these strategies in my work. I have worked with communities in Northern Ireland, Armenia, Palestine, and Asian-American communities.

In 2017, I completed the Kingian Training for Nonviolence with Kazu Haga and East Point Academy.

I also completed Tier 1 and Tier 2 Restorative Justice training with Restorative Justice Center for Oakland Youth (RJOY) in 2018.

Most recently, I am a certified Yoga and Mindfulness teacher through the Art of Living. I’m certified to teach both adults and teachers and have completed over 500 hours of training and certified by the Yoga Alliance.

Work Experience: 

I've now worked with organizations and people for 20 years.   Many have been community-based nonprofits, but I have also worked with law firms , tech companies, schools, and other organizations. At the heart of my experience was working at Partners In School Innovation as a teacher-level and principal level coach for 8 years.  Prior to that, I worked with a variety of community based organizations and schools, including teaching middle school children and working in youth development. 

My interest shifted to leadership development programs over last 7-8 years. I had the honor of leading the AIF Clinton Fellowship for Service in India & serving on the Advisory Council for a few years.   

For the last few years, I have been working as an independent consultant, trainer, facilitator and coach.   My projects range from 1 day workshops to several month-long engagements.  Some of these projects are summarized here:

• Strategic advising on the national scaling strategy for Partners In School Innovation

• Engagement with Bellwether Education Partners to integrate diversity in the talent management approach to consulting

• Curriculum Development for the Muktangan School, Mumbai India

• Capacity-Building Advising for Atma Mumbai (a NGO capacity-building organization.)

• Development of Culturally-Responsive Management Training Series for new managers and scan of diversity/equity focused leadership training approaches across the country (through support from the Leadership Learning Network)--to be published.

• Continuing relationship with Talent Advisory Board to advise select companies in the legal field in Silicon Valley conducting workshops and training sessions. (on-going)

• Continuing relationship working with Public Allies to implement a diversity assessment across the country led by Public Allies alumni, including publishing a report and leading local campaigns nationally (on-going)

• Leadership coaching for emerging leaders of color for College Summit

• Faculty Member for Next Generation Leaders of Color Fellowship Program with Compass Point (on-going). Courses including authentic communication & multi-cultural leadership.

• Guest speaker and faculty member for Alumni Series for the Next Gen Leaders of Color Program with CompassPoint (on-going). Past workshops focused on Negotiation Skills For Women of Color.

• Guest Speaker on Succession Planning on Silicon Valley Council of Non-Profits

• Team Peer Facilitator and Workshop Leader for Washoe Native American Tribe in the Bay Area, in partnership with CompassPoint

• Workshop Leader & Speaker for Adaptive Leadership Alumni Conference Harvard Kennedy School of Government

• Consulting with the Talent Philanthropy Project (now Fund the People) on how to strengthen the investment that philanthropy makes with organizations in the areas of leadership development and talent investment. My main focus was executive and leadership transitions.

• Speaker & Trainer with Maitri around Skakti-Driven Leadership (Co-Equal Female-Centered Leadership)

• Speaker & Trainer with Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits on Empowering Next Gen Leaders & People of Color (*creating a strong internal pipeline of leaders.)

• Theater of the Oppressed with Maitri, Foothill College, and many other conferences and convenings over the years.

• Advisory Board Member Equity in the Center- An initiative to increase diversity/equity in the nonprofit sector

• Youth Trainer- Art Changes Us (2020)

• Youth Trainer- with Tovi Scruggs-Hussein & Tici'ess: Educational Leadership Services (2021)

• Founder, Youth Co-Leader, Soulforce Leadership (present)

Frameworks I use in my work: 

• Adirenne Maree Brown’s Emergence

• Gandhian/Kingian Framework for Non-Violence

• Adaptive Leadership

• Appreciative Inquiry

• Structural Oppression & Anti-Racist Leadership

• Compassionate Conversations

• Applied Behavioral Change

• Social & Emotional Intelligence

• Mindfulness & Inner Transformation

My Soulwork:

Soulforce Leadership Fellowship

My soul work is working with young leaders as part of the Soulforce Leadership Fellowship. Soulforce Leadership conducts a week-long intensive workshop every summer for local high school teens in the Bay Area. In this workshop, we do deep reflection and study, and explore what it takes to make soulful change in the world that keeps us whole, inspired, and connected as we move forward in the world.

Soulforce Leadership Institute is an incubator for youth leaders & community leaders who want to see and create change in their communities using principles of nonviolence, mindfulness, justice, equity, and love.  Offered as a 5-day Leadership Institute with summer follow-up throughout the summer.  

PAST WORK:

• We have had five high school circles since the summer of 2014. This program consists of a 5-day Leadership Institute followed by weekly online meetings during the summer, a culminating community event, and multiple opportunities for growth throughout the year with the dual goal of inner & outer change. Apply here

• We launched our first mothers circle on December 3rd, 2017 and provide ongoing opportunities for mothers, such as book circles and yoga retreats. We continue to offer mother’s circles.

• We launched a young adults circle during a weekend retreat at Hidden Villa on January 26-28th 2018 and have regular focused on teaching young people skills of Kingian/Gandhian nonviolence. We seek to work with student leaders.

• We are launching our first kids circle in 2021 inspired by our teens who tell us to start earlier!

• We are a partner of the Harvard Adaptive Leadership Peacemaking Network.