Our Team

Our Team

We aim to embody the benefits of a well-balanced mind and are dedicated to helping individuals and organizations sustain peak professional performance with ease, kindness and compassion. Our teachers have rich and diverse backgrounds that include coaching senior executives at Fortune 100 companies, working in the world’s top neuroscience labs and holding prominent executive positions in leading companies.

Our staff, board and teachers all share a personal commitment to practice what we teach.

Board of Directors

Rhonda Magee

Professor of Law at the Univ. of San Francisco and a leader integrating mindfulness into law and social justice.

Rich Fernandez

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

CEO SIYLI, former director of executive education and people development at Google

Arianna Huffington

Chair, President and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post; author of 14 books, including Thrive

Karen May

Vice President of People Development at Google, former Organizational Psychologist and Leadership coach, Senior Advisor to the SIYLI board

Scott Kriens

Co-founder of the 1440 Foundation, Chairman of the Board and former CEO of Juniper Networks, Advisor to the SIYLI board

David Yeung

Co-Founder & CEO of Green Monday; global movement maker on sustainability and plant-based diet; social entrepreneur; impact investor.

Jayesh Goyal

Senior Vice President at Aggreko; clean energy advocate; Advisory Board Member of Sunday Friends

Bill Duane

Bill is a well-being expert, engineering executive, organizational consultant and former head of the Well Being and Learning Group at Google.

Cecily Mak

Chair of the Board or Directors, SIYLI

Mirabai Bush

Author and Senior Fellow at Center for Contemplative Mind in Society. Co-developed the Search Inside Yourself curriculum. Has taught contemplative practice in life and work for 45 years.

Amishi Jha

Neuroscientist, Researcher, Associate Professor University of Miami

Advisory Board

Arianna Huffington

Chair, President and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post; author of 14 books, including Thrive

Karen May

Vice President of People Development at Google, former Organizational Psychologist and Leadership coach, Senior Advisor to the SIYLI board

Scott Kriens

Co-founder of the 1440 Foundation, Chairman of the Board and former CEO of Juniper Networks, Advisor to the SIYLI board

David Yeung

Co-Founder & CEO of Green Monday; global movement maker on sustainability and plant-based diet; social entrepreneur; impact investor.

Golbie Kamarei

Head of People at Quay, Founder of BlackRock Mindfulness, TED Talk 'Success at What Cost?', Advisor on Future of Work/HR Tech with Kamarei Advisory.

Jenée Johnson

Mindfulness, Public Health and Racial Healing Innovator.

We are proud to showcase a team of talented individuals who have completed our yearlong teacher training program and are certified to teach the SIY program.

Find an SIY Certified Teacher near you

Rich Fernandez

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

CEO SIYLI, former director of executive education and people development at Google

Lindsey Kugel

Director, Public Programs and Partnerships

Lindsey has a strong background in startups and nonprofits.

Steph Stern

Director, Global Expansion

At SIYLI, Steph leads the team that brings SIY to organizations, aiming to inspire compassionate workplaces.

Carolina Lasso

Director of Marketing

Passionate marketer & teacher. Former Googler, author of plenitud.net. Loves helping brands and individuals attain their full potential.

Tyler Peterson

In Service of Wisdom Teachers

Tyler is an entrepreneur drawing on diverse experiences in business, technology, finance and sustainability.

Alex Moyle

Director of Finance

Alex brings his extensive background in Corporate Accounting and Finance along with his passion for mindfulness and social change.

Jason Sbordone

Director of Product Development

Jason has built his career around leader development and coaching and believes mindfulness is the key to a healthy world.

Ilana Robbins Gross

Director of Public Programs

Ilana brings her diverse work experience organizing in New Orleans, education in Brazil, and technology in San Francisco.

Brandon Rennels

Teacher Development Manager

A management consultant by trade, Brandon worked for large corporations in Dubai before transitioning to SIYLI.

Judith Harris

Engagement Manager

Judith believes that changing the way we show up at work impacts the way we show up with ourselves, in relationships, and in the world.

Abi Olmstead

Engagement Manager

Abi is a champion for offering the tools and practices for resilience and wellbeing to her global clientele.

Regina Zasadzinski

Public Program Program Manager

Regina is passionate about facilitating transformative participant experiences and creating a world that works for all.

Abri Holden

Teacher Development Manager

Abri is a former leadership development consultant and is passionate about supporting people to access their wisdom within.

Sarah Hunt

Engagement Manager

Sarah is a communications specialist with a strong background in client relationship development and facilitation.

Simone Harris

Program Manager

Simone has a background in project management and experience coordinating programs for incarcerated individuals and their communities.

Caitlin Stull

Public Program Manager

Caitlin’s greatest joy is empowering individuals around the world to deepen connection to mindfulness, compassion, and authenticity.

Sarah Salamon

Teacher Training Program Manager

Sarah is passionate about cultivating and creating space for empowered humans to connect mindfully, teach & grow.

Chade-Meng Tan

Bestselling author and philanthropist.

Marc Lesser

Author, speaker, facilitator, executive coach and Zen teacher

Philippe Goldin

Professor of Neuroscience, researcher in cognitive-affective and contemplative neuroscience, health psychology and behavioral science.