With over 24 years as a professional facilitator and  35 years as a Bharatanatyam dancer, Ajay offers a unique approach to learning through deep understanding of one’s own somatic wisdom. He has facilitated over 450 programs for more than 15,000 participants and Ajay’s expertise encompasses designing and delivering competency-based leadership programs, high-performance teams, and change management initiatives for individuals and organizations. As a performing artist he has toured India, UK and the USA for performances. An accredited ICF-PCC Coach, Ajay’s clients include CEOs and senior leaders in India and the US, focusing on self-awareness and impactful leadership. Ajay’s academic credentials include a Master of Arts in Global Leadership from Royal Roads University, Canada.

Furthermore, leveraging his deep insights from Natya Shastra, the Ramayana, and bodywork, Ajay offers a distinctive coaching in relationship enhancement. For over five years, he has helped individuals and couples gain profound self-understanding, identify relationship patterns, and foster deeper connections.

Founder of the California College of Ayurveda 

Dr. Marc Halpern, D.C., MAS. (Ayurvedacharya) has played an important role in the development of Ayurvedic medicine in the West. He is considered to be a preeminent practitioner and teacher of Ayurveda in the United States and continues to develop the programs at the College. He is one of the few Westerners ever recognized in both the United States and in India as an authority on the subject of Ayurveda, and was awarded the All India Award for Best Ayurvedic Physician. 

A pillar in the development of the profession in the United States, he is the co-founder of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association for which he served as Chairman of the National Committee on Ayurvedic Education. He is also a co-founder of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine and the National Council on Ayurvedic Education. He started his career as a Doctor of Chiropractic in 1987 when he graduated from Palmer West Chiropractic College. His journey to understand the cause of suffering and to heal himself led him to the field of Ayurvedic Medicine in 1991 when he completed a post-graduate certification program in holistic medicine through New York Chiropractic College. This program introduced him to Ayurveda. At that time, there were only a handful of individuals in the United States knowledgeable in Ayurveda. 

Dr. Marc sought out Dr. David Frawley as a teacher and began a journey deeper into the Vedic sciences. Dr. Frawley introduced him to several teachers from India, most notably Dr. Subhash Ranade. Dr. Halpern sponsored Dr. Ranade to come to the US and to stay at his home. During his visits, Dr. Halpern was given copies of the classical texts. Studying these texts and observing his teacher treating patients helped shape how Dr. Halpern would eventually train other practitioners. Realizing that there needed to be a formal profession for Ayurvedic Medicine in the United States, Dr. Halpern dedicated himself to building this profession, and has been following this mission for more than 20 years. He has authored two important textbooks in the field of Ayurvedic Medicine as well as the popular book, Healing Your Life: Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda and the audio recording, Yoga Nidra and Self Healing. He has published articles in almost every major journal and magazine of Yoga or Ayurveda, and in 2005 was interviewed by Mike Wallace on CBS’s 60 Minutes. Dr. Halpern’s own remarkable story of personal healing was featured in the national magazine Spirituality and Health. He has been quoted in many major newspapers, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Miami Herald. In addition to his work with the California College of Ayurveda, Dr. Halpern is a certified yoga instructor and a regular teacher of Ayurveda at International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers worldwide. 

Dr. Dilip Amin is the founder of InterfaithShaadi.org and HinduSpeakers.org and serves as the Director of the Peninsula Multifaith Coalition in the San Francisco Bay Area. A Dharma Ambassador and former Advisory Committee member of the Hindu American Foundation, Dr. Amin is also a jail chaplain and a columnist at Patheos. Over the past 18 years, Dr. Amin has guided over 1,200 young adults in navigating interfaith relationships, sharing his insights through four published books, including Interfaith Marriage—Share & Respect with Equality (Mount Meru), Hindu-Muslim Shaadi—Samasyayen Aur Samadhan (in Hindi, Garuda), Hindu-Muslim Marriage: Difficulties and Reconciliations (Garuda), and Hindu Vivaha Samskara, which he co-authored.

Dr. Amin holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and has dedicated over 42 years to research in medicine, securing six patents and publishing 23 scientific papers.  Born in Gujarat, India, and currently residing in the U.S., he has traveled to over 40 countries, gaining a rich understanding of diverse cultures and religions. He previously served as President of Plymouth Balvihar in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and founded the Balvihar at Sanatan Mandir in San Bruno, California. He has been happily married for 45 years and is the proud father of two American-born children.

You can read his recent articles on Patheos: Patheos Blog
Website: InterfaithShaadi.org
YouTube: Interfaith Shaadi Videos
LinkedIn: Dilip Amin
Twitter: @IFShaadi

Faculty – Community Education Division (Ayurveda & Integrative Health)

Vaidya Dr. Vandana Baranwal holds an M.D. in Ayurvedic Prasūti Tantra and Strī Roga from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, and is a distinguished Ayurvedic physician specializing in women’s health and integrative wellness. With nearly three decades of professional experience, including over a decade of clinical practice and teaching in the United States, she brings deep expertise in traditional Ayurvedic gynecology and holistic healthcare.

Prior to moving to the U.S., Dr. Baranwal served as Professor at SDM College of Ayurveda, Karnataka, one of India’s premier Ayurveda institutions. She currently teaches Ayurveda and integrative health at the Integrative Health Center, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, and at various Ayurveda institutions internationally.

She is the Founder of Ayurvedatri LLC – Women Wellness Solutions, through which she promotes Ayurvedic approaches to women’s health and well-being. She also serves as Founder and President of the Ayurveda Association of Ohio (501c3), working to expand the reach and credibility of Ayurveda in the Western world.

A prolific educator and scholar, Dr. Baranwal has co-authored two books on women’s health—Strī Roga Vimarśa and Prasūti Tantra Sandarśinī—and serves as Staff Editor for the Ayurveda Journal of Health (University of Massachusetts). Her contributions to Ayurvedic education have been recognized with the Charaka Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Drawing on her roots in Varanasi and a deep understanding of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Vedic traditions, Dr. Baranwal is dedicated to advancing authentic Ayurvedic knowledge and cultivating holistic health across all stages of life.

You can find Vaidya Dr. Vandana Baranwal –
Website- https://www.ayurvedatri.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-vandana-baranwal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayurvedatri/

Sahana Singh is an author and commentator based in Ithaca, NY in the United States. Having a professional background in environmental engineering, she brings a unique perspective to her writing, with her grasp of diverse subjects such as Indian history, water management, and education. Her first book “The Educational Heritage of Ancient India – How an Ecosystem of Learning was Laid to Waste” has been appreciated for awakening Indians to the role played by India in spreading knowledge around the world. The book has garnered acclaim for its compelling narrative, awakening readers to the profound impact of India’s intellectual legacy.

Building on the success of her first book, Sahana’s second work, “Revisiting the Educational Heritage of India,” published by Vitasta, offers a deeper exploration into India’s distinctive ecosystem of learning. In this work, she meticulously unravels the layers of India’s knowledge-centric society, connecting it with the major academic disciplines pursued today.

Sahana Singh’s work enables a deeper understanding of India’s cultural and educational roots. It helps to cultivate an appreciation for the historical forces that continue to shape our contemporary world.

An alumnus of Delhi Technological University, Sahana made a career shift to writing after moving to Singapore. She worked as Editor of Asian Water Magazine for many years. Sahana’s articles have been published in Reader’s Digest, Washington Post, Discovery Channel Asia, Asian Water Magazine, Swarajya, IndiaFacts and other publications. Sahana is on the board of many nonprofit organizations related to history, heritage, education, and restoration of Samskara. She is passionate about travelling and connecting the dots across different societies, civilizations and disciplines.

Faculty – Community Education Division (Sanskrit Studies)

Dr. Suryanarayana Nanda is Sanskrit Studies faculty and a distinguished scholar with a lifelong commitment to the study of Vedic texts and Classical Sanskrit literature. He holds a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, as well as an M.A. and M.Phil. from Delhi University. Additionally, he earned his Sahityācārya degree from S. Jagannatha Sanskrit Visvavidyalaya, Puri.

Dr. Nanda has had an illustrious academic career, including serving as an Assistant Professor of Sanskrit at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He also spent a decade as an Acharya (traditional teacher) of Vedic texts and philosophy at a renowned Gurukul in New Delhi. In addition to his teaching roles, Dr. Nanda has had a significant impact on media, having worked for over ten years as a Sanskrit broadcaster with All India Radio and Doordarshan in Delhi.

A passionate advocate for the promotion of Sanskrit as a spoken language, Dr. Nanda volunteered as a full-time Pracharaka for over 13 years, contributing to the preservation and growth of Sanskrit in modern society. An accomplished author and editor, Dr. Nanda has published more than 30 articles in Sanskrit, Hindi, and English, and served as editor of Arsha Jyotih, a respected Sanskrit monthly magazine.

Since 2012, Dr. Nanda has been serving as an Acharya at the Vedic Culture Center, Arya Samaj Greater Houston, where he continues to inspire and educate others in the teachings of Vedic culture and Sanskrit.