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Sharon Grady is an educator in Ireland, working as a Special Education teacher in a Primary School setting for children aged 4-12 years old. Sharon has an enormous interest in inclusion, diversity and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This is Sharon’s eighth year working in the education sector. She has a keen interest in trauma-informed and trauma-responsive education.
Sharon is currently completing a Master’s in Education. She has a Diploma in Psychology, as well as Psychotherapy and Counselling. She also has a background in IT and people management. She has a B Sc. in Information Technology from Trinity College Dublin and worked for over a decade with a large multinational company, in a management and training capacity.
Sharon is involved in her local Scout group where she plays an active role in the informal education of 8-12 year-olds. She recently received the Scouting Ireland Bronze Merit Award for service above and beyond normal expectations. She is a member of the Literacy Association of Ireland. Sharon lives in Co Meath with her husband and two sons.
Shane O´Connor has worked internationally as a facilitator, trainer and educator in a wide range of areas from Peace and Global Education, Youth Work for professionals to Teacher training workshops. He has over two decades of experience working for local peace and human rights organisations, as well as larger International NGOs and educational institutions in the Global North and South. Over the past number of years, Shane has developed & led the CIT (Compassionate Integrity Training) Education Initiative and Coordinated the Global Education Network. He has also nurtured CITs strategic partnership with UNESCO/MGIEP. Now joining Charter for Compassion in 2022 in the Education Sector to continue co-creating and expanding compassion throughout the education community around the world.
Lucy Gray is an experienced consultant and observer of educational innovation, collaborating with various people and institutions on modernizing education. She is a frequent speaker and workshop presenter at conferences.
Lucy has an influential voice using social media and a vast professional network that brings added value to her clients. Her projects have included:
•Advising companies and non-profits
•Content development
•Instructional coaching
•Social media amplification
•Strategic planning for schools and organizations
•Virtual conference production
Her career began in the Chicago Public School system, where she taught primary grades. She also served in various capacities related to educational technology at the University of Chicago's Laboratory Schools, Urban Education Institute, and Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education. Most recently, she was the Director of Educational Technology at North Shore Country Day School. She has received the distinctions of Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Certified Innovator and is also a recipient of ISTE's Making It Happen award.
In 2007, Lucy founded the Global Education Collaborative, a 28,000+ member network for educators interested in connections, collaboration, and project-based learning. She expanded on this work by co-founding the Global Education Conference Network, highlighting some of the most innovative educators and thinkers in the global education space. In 2022, the Global Education Conference Network will be rebranded as Actionable Innovations Global.
An educator by training, Moses Machipisa has spearheaded various youth initiatives in his country in civic leadership development and volunteering.
Among some of his accomplishments, his project on the application of social media in advancing youth civic participation which trained 1300 youth leaders in Zimbabwe on active citizenship was presented and selected as one of the top three innovations in democracy at the World Forum for Democracy 2016.
Between March 2018 and December 2019, Moses led one of the largest volunteer movements in Zimbabwe under the #ThisIsMyHOME Campaign in response to a Cholera outbreak in some of the high-density suburbs within the capital city, Harare.
#ThisIsMyHOME engaged more than 3500 volunteers and had a direct impact of 40 000 beneficiaries who received information on Cholera prevention and handwashing training and disaster relief support. #ThisIsMyHOME was also instrumental in the response to Cyclone Idai which devastated Zimbabwe in 2019.
Moses Is also actively involved in promoting access to quality Education in marginalised rural communities in Zimbabwe.
Moses is an Alumni Capernaum Scholar and Alumni Global Thinkers Forum Mentee (Telemachus 2019). He is also a Harvard Kennedy Executive Education School Alumni (Leading Non-Violent Movements for Social Progress) and alumni of the prestigious Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Fellowship.
In 2020 Moses was identified as one of Zimbabwe’s emerging young leaders under The Sxoll Fellowship.
Moses is a Global Citizenship and Civic Education Advocate.
He is currently a 2021 Apolitical Academy Fellow which is an incubation program for the next generation of public leaders.
Moses is passionate about Ubuntu leadership and is the Secretary general of the Ubuntu Global Network. He believes in the power of young people in transforming Africa.
He currently sits on the board of The Charter For Compassion as a trustee.
Andrea Monsanto is the national manager of well-being program development for Tecnológico de Monterrey. She has a biochemistry degree from SUNY at Stony Brook in New York, studied at the New York School of Practical Philosophy, and has a master’s degree in Positive Psychology from Life University, Atlanta.
Andrea worked hand in hand with a team from Life University and UNESCO to bring Compassion Integrity Training to Latin America, which was successfully implemented with thousands of participants.
For over two decades, Andrea has been practicing mindfulness and has been an international coach, guiding hundreds of individuals towards developing compassion and integral well-being. She has participated in international conferences such as Well-being 360, World Happiness Fest and has been invited by UNESCO to introduce its SEEK program.
Andrea is committed to continuous learning and developing in herself the qualities that she wants to inspire in others. Her mission is to contribute to human flourishing by helping others find inner peace, prosperity, and compassion.
Yasmine Ramzi-Issa Muna (International Affiliate with Emory University, Compassion Center, Partner at Khleif & Co.) has a collective experience of 15 Plus years in the field of early education. As a consultant, educator and social entrepreneur, she focuses on bringing Art and Social Emotional and Ethical learning as a growth tool for her elementary art students.
Committed to promoting education that empowers children, educators and caregivers through mind and heart collaboration, she partnered with Khleif & Co., Emory University and Life University that lead today's latest scientific approaches to SEL [social and emotional learning]. Promoting non-violence and finding peaceful, Ethical values through SEL.
Yasmine facilitates the Social, Emotional, Ethical and Compassionate learning workshops aimed at both students and educators.
- Certified social, emotional, ethical and compassionate Learning facilitator [SEEC] [Life & Emory University]
- Bachelors of Elementary Education (with Distinction) June 2006-American University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Minor Equivalency in Fine Arts, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Yenifer Nahar (Positive Psychology & Wellbeing Practitioner) is curious about the components contributing to human flourishing, cultivating positive relationships and personal growth, and an explorer of the connections between the science of emotions, skills, strengths, and habits and how these increase life balance and wellbeing.
She has lived in Venezuela, Portugal, The Netherlands, and currently lives with her husband in Indonesia. Yenifer’s professional background includes world-class hospitality, international education, and diplomatic and military culture. Yenifer uses her skills as a certified Positive Psychology and Wellbeing Practitioner and Compassionate Integrity Training Facilitator, combined with her strengths of love of learning and zest for life to navigate the path and concepts shaping thriving environments and resilient communities.
Yenifer loves connecting with her two children, and in her free time, she likes finding flow savouring mindful walks in nature, playing with calligraphy and watercolours, and cultivating her creative thinking to make a positive difference in the ecosystems where she is and in the life of others.
Anjali G Sharma is a writer, educator and a development sector enthusiast. She leads Education initiatives at Charter for Compassion, India. In the past, she has had around 13 years of work experience in the Telecom industry and start-up ecosystem with exposure to clients and cultures across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Carrying forward the corporate excellence in the development sector, she now helps Non-profits in the Education space across various domains of communication, strategy, curriculum, networking, facilitation and operations.
When COVID struck in 2020, Anjali envisioned and executed a digital empowerment drive in collaboration with Saajha to enable underprivileged girls studying in Delhi government schools who were at the most vulnerable position. Today, the campaign while empowering girls digitally is also mentoring them closely through thoughtfully curated interventions. It is actively nurturing and raising the aspirations of these girls while also helping them walk the distance that exists between them and the life-changing opportunities. By working closely with their parents and the community, Anjali is working hard to change the mindsets that often are the biggest roadblocks for the grassroots change.
In her strive to ensure equity in education and opportunities, Anjali has compiled an anthology named “My Act of Heart” - a diverse and inclusive work based on real acts of compassion done by children from around the world. The book scheduled to release soon worldwide is her attempt to facilitate an enabling platform that spotlights compassion as the thread that binds us all across differences and diversities. As a proud mentor, she shares that a few of the girls from Delhi government schools whom she has been mentoring will also feature in this work.
She was felicitated with Women Achiever Award at International Womens Day 2021 and won IBM Award for Making a Difference for her efforts for the cause of education. She was a finalist at the Orange Flower Awards 2020, for Social Impact and writing about Women at work and Orange Flower Awards Finalist 2021 for writing about Women at Work.
Her published work includes Escape Velocity (2018, an anthology by Write & Beyond) and Write in Power (2021, an anthology by Hidden Pen Collective). She contributes regularly to various online and print publications writing on social and topical issues. By-lines at Womens Web, The Logical Indian, Yourstory, Feminism in India, Different Truths and News Shuttle.
Rakhee Sharma is a Mindful Leadership Coach, facilitator, and motivational speaker. She is certified by Marshall Goldsmith and CCA, Canada. She is the co-founder of the Zemyna Foundation. She works as a catalyst for human flourishing and wellbeing.
Rakhee was selected for Goldman Sach’s Women Entrepreneurship Program with a full scholarship by ISB, Hyderabad. She is certified in the Women Leadership Program from Case Western Reserve University, Science of Happiness from Greater Good Science Centre, UC Berkeley, and Demystifying Mindfulness from Leiden, Netherlands. She is M.A. in Indian Classical Vocal music and B.Ed.
Rakhee is a Global Goodwill Ambassador from GGA and Ambassador with the Charter of Compassion. She is a mindfulness practitioner and teacher in the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition. She is the program lead of the Compassionate Schools Network in India. For the last six years, she has been a coach and facilitator with the award-winning women's leadership program, Aparajita.
Rakhee has 18 years of experience working with companies like Rolls Royce, Genpact, Maruti, Airtel, Microsoft, AIG, Fresenius Kabi, Schneider Elec, Flipkart, Accenture, HPCL, V-Mart, Ramboll, Chowgule Shipping, ACC, Jindal Stainless Steel, HPCL, etc. She has been a motivational speaker at Vedica Scholars, Siemens, and Universities like – Symbiosis, GD Goenka, AIMS, VIT, SRKR, and JNIT.
Nadia Michel Stephan (International Affiliate with Emory University, Compassion Center, Managing Partner at Khleif & Co.) has a collective experience of over 35 years in the fields of management, Human resources, training & capacity building. For the past decade, she focused on social, emotional, ethical and compassionate learning, educating the heart and mind, holistic approaches to education, mental health and wellbeing. She partnered through Khleif & Co. with Emory University and Life University to bring in the updated and newest scientific studies and approaches to SEL [social and emotional learning]. She is a member of the International Program Committee for SEE Learning, Emory University. Nadia facilitates the Social, Emotional, Ethical and Compassionate courses. She developed and conducted training sessions on HR topics at the New York Institute of Technology and other known training centers. Nadia compiled and presented specific Moore Stephens training courses for the region starting from orientation & induction courses to soft skills workshops such as diversity, time management, presentation skills, team building, etc.
- Certified social, emotional, ethical and compassion at eLearning facilitator [SEEC] [Life & Emory University]
- Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Certified Trainer
- Holistic Counsellor
- Certified Manager (CM Number 10038)
- Empreteca– Entrepreneur Empretec Jordan, BDC/UNCTAD
- Licensed touse SHLOccupationalTests, Eligible for British Psychological Society Level A and B Registration,UK
My name is Dilshad Virani. Currently, I’m associated with the Aga Khan Development Network as a Secondary teacher since September 2010. Previously, I was the Principal and Founding Director of a pre-school in Mumbai, India. I was the Core Faculty for Early Childhood Care and Education at the Academy for Career Enhancement (ACE) and mentored a significant number of trainee teachers during my association with ACE. I also worked with the Aga Khan Education Service. India (AKES, I) as a Programme Coordinator a long time ago. In my current organisation, I worked closely with the Primary level department as a Core Faculty for the Field Support Teacher Training Programme (FSTTP) as well as Continuous Professional Development of PL teachers. I also mentor the Student Trainee Teachers and the NQTs.
My academic credentials include a post-graduate degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Mumbai and dual degrees from the Institute of Education, University College London viz. a Masters in Teaching (MTeach) and a MA in Education specialising in Muslim Societies and Civilisations. I am a certified Early Childhood Educator as well as CELTA English language trainer. Personally, I read and reflect a lot on the topics of mysticism and spirituality. Lately, I have developed an interest in the area of Climate Change and Sustainability. I have also audited an online course on climate change and sustainable futures. I support interfaith initiatives in different ways. Recently, I participated in the Interfaith Fun Run organised by the Faith and Belief Forum, London as well as presented a session on Ismaili devotional literature at the 2021 Parliament of the World Religions.
I am a strong advocate of research and I believe that research can help develop agency, influence, self-efficacy and voice. It would be an honour and privilege to serve voluntarily in the Education sector with the Charter for Compassion. Thank you.
Arun Wakhlu, (born 1955) is the Founder Director and Chief Mentor of Pragati Leadership Institute, Pune, India. He is also the Chairman of Pragati Foundation, an NGO dedicated to unfolding Joy, Peace and Abundance through facilitating connections, conversations and co-creation.
Arun holds a B. Tech degree from IIT Delhi, and a PGDBA from IIM Ahmedabad. An eloquent presenter, insightful coach and a Master Facilitator, Arun has logged over 25,000 hours of facilitation and coaching internationally. He has worked to develop leaders in leading organizations (Business, NGOs and Governments).
An accomplished writer, Arun has published more than twenty eight papers and written the award winning book “Managing from the Heart." He has helped pioneer the concept of "Wholesome Development" and “Wholesome Leadership” aimed at working from joy for prosperity with peace. His latest book ( co-authored with his father Prof. Dr. Omkar N Wakhlu ) “One Wholesome World” is a practical game changing manual for global transformation starting with each one of us.
Arun’s seven core strengths are Compassion, Creativity, Optimism, Enthusiasm, Relationship Building, Strategic Mindedness and Resilience. He loves life and sees it as Love In Full Expression!
Tara Waudby believes compassion elevates innovation and that peace begins in schools. She is committed to shifting educational paradigms and is co-founder of the Compassion Summit, a global movement committed to building a coalition of compassionate schools. Her additional interests include futuring, positive psychology, fostering mission-driven schools, and using a systems approach to schooling.
A TCK herself, Tara began her teaching career in Phoenix, Arizona before moving into international education where she has spent 20+ years in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Taiwan serving in numerous leadership and teaching roles including Head of School, Assistant Superintendent for Learning, High School Principal, Assistant Principal, Professional Development Coordinator, ESL Coordinator and a teacher of special education, ESL and secondary English. Tara holds an MA in Educational Leadership, an MFA in Poetry, and two graduate certificates in educational technology and future-driven schooling. She has volunteered for ISTE as the chair-elect of the Digital Storytelling Network, for NESA as a PDAC member and for COETAIL as a coach. Currently, she serves as the Head of School of Riffa Views International School. She is also pursuing her PhD in Education for Social Justice through the University of San Diego.
