Our Advisors

BENGALURU/BANGALORE, INDIA

SURESH K. KRISHNA

Mr. Suresh K. Krishna is the co-founder & CEO of Yunus Social Business Fund Bengaluru and co-founder & partner of Yunus Social Business India Initiatives.

He has studied MA in sociology and Management at IIMB, Bengaluru. Mr. Suresh is a regular speaker & presenter at various national & international forums.

“Yoga is an integral part of all of our lives. It is not about physical wellbeing but the emotional and spiritual wellness too. Yoga Gives Back has been thriving since long with a mission to mobilize the global yoga community to empower women and children in India to build sustainable livelihoods. As a social entrepreneur and managing Trustee of a Charitable Trust myself, I strongly feel that our missions are alike and that we together can achieve many things to bring a positive impact in the community, more importantly during this pandemic.  I support YGB and respectfully stand with its mission and vision. “

David Swenson

“We should give back. We are so blessed to be able to practice yoga. Then what? We should take this positive energy and find a way to use it in some way. There are a lot of ways to do that. Yoga Gives Back is a very targeted, exact method. When you support this organization, you know exactly what’s happening. You can see them on the website, photos, etc. Get involved, even a small amount of money goes a long way. It’s a wonderful organization. Just give back in a way you can.”

Kino MacGregor

“The daily practice of Ashtanga Yoga has transformed my life and through Yoga Gives Back I have the chance to give something back to the home of Ashtanga Yoga in the world in India. For as little as the cost of one yoga class you can change someone’s life in India. Yoga helps Westerners find peace and thus make their lives more sustainable. With the power of micro-financing Yoga Gives Back helps Indian women gain access to opportunities that would otherwise simply not exist. I am honored to do what I can for Yoga Gives Back.”

Philip Goldberg

Philip Goldberg has been studying India’s spiritual traditions for more than 50 years, as a practitioner, teacher, public speaker, and writer. He is the author of numerous books, including Roadsigns on the Spiritual Path; the award-winning American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West; The Life of Yogananda: The Story of the Yogi Who Became the First Modern Guru; and his latest, Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times: Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity, and Courage. He blogs on Elephant Journal and Spirituality & Health, cohosts the Spirit Matters podcast, and leads American Veda Tours to India. His website is www.PhilipGoldberg.com.

“I have always considered India my spiritual homeland. It is a land of both sublime blessings and horrifying problems. Its people need help, and it warms my heart when those whose lives have been enriched and transformed by the wisdom of India’s sages step up to contribute. One of those generous souls is Kayoko Mitsumatsu, and I am honored that she asked me to be an advisor to Yoga Gives Back. I have high regard for the work YGB has done and look forward to helping it continue to uplift Indian lives in any way I can.”

LOS ANGELES, CA

TARA LYNDA GUBER

Tara is a philanthropist, activist, educator and practitioner of yoga for nearly 40 years, Tara Lynda Guber is author of Contact Yoga, the acclaimed guide for utilizing yoga to strengthen relationships, romantic and familial, which earned  several awards including a gold Independent Publisher Book Award and a Nautilus Book Award. Tara has been a prominent health and wellness advocate for decades, and regularly traveled to teach at education facilities such as Kripalu Center, the Esalen Institute, and Omega, along with yoga conferences across the U.S., Canada and Europe. A former elementary school teacher, in 2001 she founded YogaEd, one of the first full-time yoga programs to be integrated in a public school, designed to help children explore body, mind and self, and improve their mental focus, academic achievement and relationships. Prior to founding YogaEd, she co-founded Education First!, which successfully produced television programming including a two-hour educational special ,“Back To School” for CBS.  With her husband Peter Guber, CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group, they are owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) and Golden State Warriors (NBA), with Tara serving  on the board of the Golden State Warriors Foundation, which works to promote sports and health via youth programs.  Also a member of the UCLA Health board and the Joyful Heart Foundation board, she is a founding member of the board of directors of The Accelerated School, the charter school in South Central Los Angeles named “Elementary School of the Year” by Time magazine. Tara Guber resides in Los Angeles.

“I support Yoga Gives Back as an amazing program that supports children and women and India towards creating sustainable livelihoods. I have a deep connection with yoga, and it’s birthplace, India. What better way to connect than through an organization that offers ways to improve the future of both of those?”

SANTA MONICA, CA

MALLIKA CHOPRA

Founder of Intent and The Chopra Well
SANTA MONICA, CA

Mallika Chopra is a mom, media entrepreneur, public speaker and published author. Her most recent book, Living With Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy, was published in April 2015.

Mallika is the founder of Intent.com, a website and app focused on personal, social and global wellness. Her intent is to harness the power of social media to connect people from around the world to improve their own lives, their communities and the planet.

“I support YGB because of the work they do to support women and children in need. Kayoko, her team, and the many supporters of YGB’s programs embody an authentic understanding that yoga is about service, not just to ourselves, but to our world. Their programs educate and empower, and support real transformation for individuals and communities.”

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

PREMAL SHAH

Co-Founder & President, Kiva.org
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Premal co-founded Kiva.org in 2005, which now loans microfinance to 2.4 million people in 83 countries, in total of over 984 million dollars as of 2017. Repayment rate is 97.1 %. Premal’s inspiration for Kiva came during a 2-month volunteer trip he took to India in 2004. During his trip he worked with low-income women to help them sell handcrafts online. While the project had mixed results, it strengthened his belief that the right combination of technology, business and love can create access to opportunity for those who need it most.

Prior to Kiva, Premal worked at PayPal for 6 years as Principal Product Manager during the company’s early years. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and to FORTUNE magazine’s ‘Top 40 under 40’ list for his work as a social entrepreneur and co-founder of Kiva. He is a graduate of Stanford University.

“I believe in the power of yoga to re-center ourselves and connect with the divinity within us and more importantly, within each other. When we give, it not only helps someone else but just as importantly, it helps us spiritually grow. YGB is one of my opportunities to spiritually grow.

Lisa Walford

“My teacher B. K. S. Iyengar always said that “Generosity does not impoverish.” I’m so incredibly grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to giving back in particular to the country from which Iyengar came from, India. There are those of us to whom generosity, gratitude is kind of the core who we are. I think for those of us who have the capacity to cultivate that muscle, that heart muscle of gratitude is a tremendous practice in small ways, in big ways.”

LOS ANGELES, CA

GURMUKH KAUR KHALSA

LOS ANGELES, CA

Gurmukh is the co-founder of Golden Bridge, the premier center for the study and practice of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation as taught by Yogi Bhajan. For more than four decades students in Los Angeles and around the world have sought out her classes in Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, and Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga. Since being baptized more than 40 years ago with the spiritual name that means, “One who helps thousands across the world ocean,” Gurmukh has dedicated her life to fulfilling her namesake. As two of the world`s leading Kundalini Yoga teachers, she and her husband Gurushabd travel worldwide, bringing this vast Technology and Teachers’ Training Programs to students globally in the U.S.A., Mexico, Europe, Russia, India, and South Africa. She is the creator and pioneer of The Khalsa Way Prenatal Teachers’ Training Immersion. Gurmukh`s book, The Eight Human Talents, has been a long-time yoga best-seller along with her many DVDs. Gurmukh founded Seva Corp., a nonprofit organization that supports schools and orphanages in India. Her Spiritual Teacher Yogi Bhajan taught, “We have come to create teachers, not to have students.” She has dedicated her life to the Teachings of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan.

PRANIDHI VARSHNEY

LOS ANGELES, CA
Yoga Shala West

Pranidhi Varshney is a devoted ashtanga yoga practitioner and teacher, and the founder of Yoga Shala West, a community-supported ashtanga yoga studio in West Los Angeles. She teaches to share the deep love she has for ashtanga yoga and for all students who follow this path. She aims to cultivate, for herself and for her students, a sense of balance on and off the mat- simultaneous strength and surrender. Her goal is to inspire her students to build a regular practice, for committing to practice is the surest way she’s found to live an authentic, compassionate life.

She also has a deep passion for the arts, and has released an album of Sanskrit chanting. Pranidhi is active in the global yoga community, working as a Yoga Gives Back ambassador and sitting on the advisory board of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition. Through all her work, she aims to inspire, provoke, build community, and ultimately touch the heart.

“Yoga has given me a profound connection to my roots and a method for living well. This gift carries with it a responsibility to be of service to the world. YGB has given the yoga community a way to do that, and to share the fruits of our work. The organization is opening the eyes of yoga practitioners around the world and inspiring us to contribute energy and resources to help those in need. India is the birthplace of many of our practices, and by helping to uplift its people, we honor yoga’s roots. I look forward to supporting YGB and expanding the reach of our community. “

KOMNIEVE SINGH

Komnieve is a meditator, motivator and entrepreneur based in Southern California. Most recently, he served as the President and co-founder of CallFire, a software company that was named one of the top 5 places to work in Los Angeles as well as one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the United States by both Inc. Magazine and Delloite Consulting. Prior to CallFire, he founded an open source focused telecom consultancy. He now finds himself deepening in stillness and contemplation while applying his business acumen to helping socially conscious organizations make an impact.

Charleston, SC

TINA BECK

Charleston, SC
Tina Beck, Chief Marketing Officer of Elite Consulting Partners, is a seasoned marketing professional, who has achieved superior results in executing strategic marketing campaigns, with specialization in the fields of public relations, media relations, social marketing, copywriting, multimedia campaign development, event management, and specialty promotions. Elite Consulting Partners, of which Tina is a member of the leadership team is a recruiting and transition consultant, merger & acquisition, and business consulting firm focused on providing strategic advice and solutions to the financial services industry. Elite Consulting Partners prides itself on offering unparalleled service, unbiased advice, and expert guidance to both advisors and corporate clients in order to ensure each client’s objectives and goals are realized during their due-diligence and transition process.
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA

JULIA WILSON

Former Vice President, University Advancement, CSU Channel Islands; Former Executive Director, Grameen Foundation West Coast
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA

Retired after 25 years of non-profit fund raising, Wilson is now consulting with organizations that work in areas of poverty alleviation, mostly focused around healthcare and education for women and girls as a means of social change. In previous roles she worked with Grameen Foundation and Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Laureate for his pioneering work in micro finance, to bring awareness and resources to the lack of status and opportunity for poor women.

“I joined Grameen Foundation in 2007 because I believed strongly in the power of microfinance and its role in the empowerment of women. In May of that year, Kayoko approached me about establishing a relationship between the Foundation and Yoga. I was thrilled that such committed individuals would bring the Yoga community to support the movement. Yoga enthusiasts understand the importance of healing the spirit and nothing heals the spirit of impoverished families more than a woman’s ability to support her children. I have seen it first-hand and I am pleased to continue my work with Yoga Gives Back as an advisor.”

LONDON, UK

MELVYN CARLILE

CEO, MindBodySpirit Ltd
LONDON, UK

Melvyn Carlile is the CEO of the legendary Mind Body Spirit Festival, a global brand that for the past 37 years has stood as a catalyst for personal transformation, change, health and wellbeing. Melvyn has a large network of well-connected shakers and movers all dedicated to bringing about real change and empowerment. “I’m no Yogi but most of my good friends and brothers are so I guess I’m a little bit yogic by association”

Melvyn’s other skills involve marketing, documentary production and visual communications.

“I truly believe in the concepts, core ethics and actions of YGB. Personally I only get involved with organisations that touch my heart and can deliver support to those in need and not just support in the form of a sticking plaster, but real empowering solutions for change, hope and a better life. The Micro-financing incentives and opportunities made possible by YGB offer independence and the prospect of security to thousands of women throughout India and because of that I AM IN.”
LOS ANGELES, CA

SUSAN NICHOLS

Founder/CEO NEWHIPPIE ®, Former CEO/Founder yogitoes®
LOS ANGELES, CA

Susan created the global brand yogitoes® after slipping on her yoga mat recognizing an unmet need, and followed an unknown path of designing a patented yoga towel which then revolutionized the industry, making a yoga towel a ubiquitous tool in the marketplace. Her leadership at yogitoes® was deeply rooted in sustainability for change, and the company was honored the 2013 Sustainable Quality Award Grand Prize in Santa Monica from the State of California for Excellence in Sustainable Economic Development, Social Responsibility, and Stewardship of the Environment.

“Yoga is a foundation for life’s journey. It enables us to truly see our connection to one another, and empowers oneself to break free from limitations fulfilling our Souls calling. When you grow, I grow, we grow. Yoga Gives Back is a beautiful exchange of growth, empowering women and children with a foundation for a sustainable future. I am deeply grateful for my practice of yoga, it is the core foundation of my success as an Entrepreneur, and I love that YGB is igniting female Entrepreneurs in our Motherland India.”

LONG BEACH, CA

DR. SIVA MOHAN

Ayurvedic Practitioner, Svastha Health Ayurvedic Wellness
LONG BEACH, CA

Siva began her path to healing in neuroscience, and this sparked her interest in the mind-body connection. In Medical School (Cornell University Weill Medical College) and during her Public Health Masters (UC Berkeley), she focused her studies on an extension of the mind-body relationship: the effects of community, development, and culture on health behavior.

“I believe in increasing our awareness of energetic exchanges; of how they feel; of aligning our actions, words, and intentions to have our energetic exchanges feel good. This is the essence of the mission of YGB to me, a harmonious energetic exchange with Mother India. And thus, I support YGB because it feels good and aligned for me, someone who has benefitted greatly from and feels deeply interconnected to the wisdom born of Mother India.”

SANTA MONICA, CA

SUZY SHELTON

Freelance Business Consultant
SANTA MONICA, CA

Suzy is a free-lance business consultant specializing in the yoga and wellness industry. She began her career in advertising running major accounts such as Hyundai, Disney and Mattel. Most recently she managed the Los Angeles studio Maha Yoga for nearly 12 years. Suzy has consulted with 5 Point Yoga in Malibu, Yoga Matt Studio in Silverlake, Black Sheet Yoga in Oceanside, Unplug Meditation in West Los Angeles and Electric Soul Yoga in Studio City. Suzy has studied yoga philosophy at Loyola Marymount University, the Sivananda Yoga Center and the New Dwarka Temple. She completed a 200-hour Yoga Alliance yoga teacher training with Travis Eliot and Rudy Mettia. A dedicated volunteer, Suzy has given her time to causes such as the Downtown Women’s Center in Skid Row Los Angeles, KCRW Radio Station and the City of Santa Monica. She is currently a volunteer with Reading Partners helping to unlock skills of students who struggle with reading.

“The principles of yoga inherently lend themselves to flexing the muscle of gratitude. It is with this sense of gratitude that Yoga Gives Back identifies and honors the birthplace of yoga. In our Western culture of abundance and accumulation, pure joy is instantly achieved when your strengths are used to help those whose lives are impacted with the gift of time, knowledge and the cultivation of selflessness.”
SILICON VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

RAJ JASWA

Board of Trustees, The Indus Enterprises (TiE) Global; CEO and President, Dyyno, Inc.
SILICON VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Raj was the President of TiE Silicon Valley from 2005 to 2008, the world largest nonprofit dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship. TiE was founded by successful Indian entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley in 1992, which now operates in 12 countries with 11, 000memers. Raj received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Raj and wife Kalpana have charitable interests through the Jaswa Charitable Foundation, whose primary beneficiaries include El Camino Hospital SAHC, India Community Center, the Blind Foundation for India, Chinmaya Mission, and Bidada Medical Camp. Raj studies Yoga diligently with Arkady Shirin and Sherry Han.

“We do Yoga to re-discover the limitless capabilities that nature had endowed our body and our mind. Somewhere along our journey through life, we lose our way. And our body and mind becomes the sad reflection of our confusions. Yoga gives us a step by step method, to use our own body and our own mind, to rediscover our true self and start enjoying the gifts of nature. Sharing the bounties of what Yoga gives us, unveils the truth that we are all manifestations of one universal spirit. When we help others, we help ourselves.”
DALLAS, TEXAS

LUCY BILLINGSLEY

Board of Directors, Grameen Foundation
DALLAS, TEXAS

Lucy Billingsley is known for her enthusiasm for microfinance as a business solution to poverty, and her energetic involvement in Chiapas, Mexico. In just four years, she raised more than four million dollars for the Latin America initiative, specifically to finance micro loans for her Chiapas Project. Lucy serves on Grameen Foundation’s Board and Development Committee. Lucy has more than 25 years of experience in real estate with expertise in development and property management. She is also an avid yoga practitioner with teacher Randy Justis at BKS Iyengar yoga Studio of Dallas.

“As yoga represents the union of our internal and external lives, microfinance and Yoga Gives Back represents the union of those of us so fortunate in the US with others less fortunate across the world. We become united in our joint mission to make the lives of our families and our world be better. We are linked as neither of us can change the world without the other. We must be an integrated whole working as one.”

DR. PATRICE BRAUN

Professor Braun is Director of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Women & Technology, one of ten globally networked centres focusing on mainstreaming women in the knowledge economy, and Adjunct Professor with the Collaborative Research Network at the University of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia.  Patrice holds a PhD in regional network development underpinned by information and communication technologies (ICT) and a Masters by Research on the use of the Internet for community informatics. A globally engaged action researcher, her work in sustainable regional development and social enterprise focuses on women’s empowerment and inclusive entrepreneurship.  Patrice consults with government, NFPs and industry both in Australia and abroad on gender and SME policy, networks, collaboration and ICT for Development (ICTD) processes for regional resilience and community well-being.

“Women and girls’ empowerment is my passion. I support YGB as this brilliantly simple idea is an effective way to support our sisters in India to develop to their full potential.”

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