EXECUTIVE BOARD
CAROL WOLFSON
Carol Wolfson is a business and NGO consultant, philanthropist and writer, with over three decades of experience working in the Asia Pacific region. Carol has served on a multitude of fundraising/international boards and advisory committees, including WWF (HK), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (US), Beacon Vocational Schools (Beijing), the Catalyst Foundation for Women (Beijing), Kids' Earth Fund (Tokyo/Russia) and the Snow Leopard Trust (Seattle). She has developed funded and managed the building of two Project Hope primary schools, and was International Director for a Children’s Charity in Vietnam and Mongolia with 14 fundraising branches worldwide. In 2005, Carol founded Second Chance Animal Aid (SCAA) in Shanghai. Carol was a founding board member of the Himalayan Consensus from its establishment in 2005. She has been the primary private donor and fund raiser for Himalayan Consensus projects in Tibet and is now focused on assisting in the development of cultural and micro-finance sustainable projects in Nepal and throughout the Himalayan region.
SONAM JATSO
Sonam Jatso has been a civil servant, a consultant, a social entrepreneur, a community leader, an independent writer, and a politician. He has visited every corner of his country, Bhutan, and has also traveled and studied in many parts of the world. He has been an advisor to many foreign authors of books on Bhutan including: “The Blessings of Bhutan,” “The Heart of Buddha,” and “Drukpa Kunley” —a favorite Buddhist saint of the Bhutanese people. Sonam plays an active role in Bhutan’s private sector development, participating extensively in public discourses on democracy and his country’s Gross National Happiness based policy making. As the Secretary General of the party of the serving government, Sonam works closely with the Cabinet and Members of Parliament in Bhutan. During his free time, Sonam runs an informal weekend program known as “BIRDS – Bhutan Innovation Research and Development Service.” BIRDShelps unemployed youth start and grow socially responsible businesses. Sonam is also in the process of writing his first book on Bhutan’s development vision.
"Bhutan’s development philosophy of Gross National Happiness and Himalayan Consensus has a lot in common."
SHRUTI PODDAR
Shruti Poddar founded the Shruti Foundation, for promoting wellness, value based leadership, education, skills training for youth and women’s empowerment. She is convenes the foundation’s WE-ASC “Education Culture” Congresses for global advocacy of human values, holistic education, pedagogy and local learning paradigms. The foundation’s Institute for Living Values (I-LIV), evolves Value based learning systems and curriculum for educational and management institutions, skills training for local communities and leadership training for corporations, institutions and international organizations. She draws her inspirations from Indian knowledge systems and gives public talks on the Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads, Vedic, Shakta and other Mantric knowledge systems with a contemporary, spiritual, scientific and psychological approach in understanding the human mind and its applications in self-management and leadership. She is active in the preservation of the living heritage architecture of Rajahstan.
AMBICA SHRESTHA
Ambica Shrestha is a Nepalese social entrepreneur and the president of Dwarika´s Hotels and Resorts. Shrestha, who was born in Darjeeling, India, got her secondary education in St. Joseph. She settled in Nepal after marrying Dwarika Prasad Shrestha, an artist. With the help of Ambica, Shrestha started a movement in preserving the ancient architecture of Nepal. Heritage preservation expanded in scope through restoration and renovation of Nepal's architectural heritage evolving in the founding of Dwarikas, Nepal's penultimate heritage hotel with a thriving museum quality collection of antique art.
Shrestha managed the hotel she had established with her husband after his death in 1991. Ambica is working as honorary consulate General of Spain for Nepal She also serves as the head of Nepalese Heritage Society and Business and Professional Women Nepal and works to preserve the cultural heritage of Nepal and improve the lot of underprivileged women. She is a spokesperson for gender equality and empowerment in South Asia.
MAHENDRA LAMA
Mahendra Lama is the Professor of South Asian Economies, School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He was the Founding Vice Chancellor of Central University of Sikkim in India in 2007. He served as the Chief Economic Adviser in the Government of Sikkim with a Cabinet Minister Rank for seven years (2000- 2007) and various national committees. He is also a member of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Hill and Mountain regions in 2008. Till recently he was the Pro Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi and Member of the prestigious National Security Advisory Board of Government of India.
KAMRAN LASHARI
Mr. Kamran Lashari is a Civil Servant of Pakistan. He has been on many Administrative and Managerial Positions of the Govt. of Pakistan. He has been Deputy Commissioner at Lahore, Karachi, Thatta and Sukkur, Pakistan. He also was the pioneer of Horticulture and Beautification of Lahore and the first Director General of Parks & Horticulture Authority in the year 1998. He remained nominated Mayor / Chairman at Capital Development Authority, Islamabad for 5 years. He retired as the Federal Secretary, Govt. of Pakistan. Mr. Lashari is presently engaged with the passion of his life i.e. Restoration and Promotion of Cultural Heritage. For the last four years, he is working as Director General, Walled City Lahore Authority, trying to rehabilitate the Old City of Lahore.