Our Board of Directors
Haifa Dia Al-Attia
Haifa Dia Al-Attia is an Advanced Leadership Initiative Senior Fellow and a firm believer in the power of education to transform lives, livelihoods and the world into a better place for all, providing opportunity and hope in all contexts.
Mandar Apte
Mandar Apte is the Founder and Executive Director of Cities4Peace, the Producer/Director of From India With Love, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). Mandar has studied, practiced and taught meditation practices for the past two decades.
Claudio Araya
Claudio Araya is a clinical psychologist and PhD in Psychotherapy Research, and is working towards developing an enacted and relational perspective of mindfulness, together with the application of mindfulness and self-compassion in different context, especially in psychosocial vulnerability context.
Jaskaran Basran
Jaskaran is Foundation Manager and Research Coordinator at the Compassionate Mind Foundation (UK) and an associate lecturer at the University of Derby. She is currently completing a PhD on the use of compassion focused therapy for individuals with narcissistic traits.
Gonzalo Brito Pons
Gonzalo is a clinical psychologist and Ph.D. holder in psychology, interested in the integration of meditation and psychology. He is a compassion-focused therapist and trainer and also a teacher trainer of the Compassion Cultivation Training and Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance programs. He has authored several articles and books on these topics and teaches widely in Latin America and Europe
Yi Heng Cheng
Yi Heng is a senior consultant to international financial institutions in clean coal technology and hydrogen production, as well as carbon neutrality strategy. He is also Asia Deputy Director of the International Ecological Development Union (EDUI) and a fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Science. Yi Heng is a practitioner of Information Healing.
Mauricio Conejo - Past Chair
Mauricio is Executive Director of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, concurrently serving as a distinguished professor and board member. Mauricio also established the certificate program on cognitive neuroscience and mindfulness for mental health professionals at the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience and the UPR Medical Sciences Campus.
Diana Divecha
Diana Divecha, Ph.D. is a developmental psychologist and Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale Child Study Center and Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She writes about children and families for the general public and consults with organizations on matters of developmental science.
Daniel Ellenberg
Daniel Ellenberg, Ph.D. is the founder of the Men and Boys Compassion Coalition (MBCC), a group seeking to educate both professionals and the public about what defines a strong, compassionate man.
Elissa Epel
Elissa is an American health psychologist. She is director of UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center, head of The UC wide Mental Health Council for climate change, and former co-chair of the Steering Council for Mind and Life Institute.
Chris Germer
Chris Germer, PhD is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School.
Rick Hanson - Chair
Rick is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and a New York Times best-selling author. With his son Forrest, he produces the Being Well podcast which has downloaded over 25 million times. He’s also lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, as well as taught in meditation centers worldwide.
Johnny Hon
Johnny is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of the Global Group of Companies. He holds a PhD in Psychiatry from the University of Cambridge and a Master of Buddhist Studies from the University of Hong Kong and is applying his studies to Buddhist Counselling in psychotherapy to help people with mental health issues.
Reggie Hubbard
Reggie is an internationally recognized yoga and meditation teacher and the founder/chief serving officer of Active Peace Yoga.
Jeremy Lent
Jeremy Lent is an author whose writings investigate the patterns of thought that have led our civilization to its current crisis of sustainability. Jeremy is founder of the nonprofit Liology Institute, dedicating to fostering an integrated worldview that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on the earth.
Myriam Mongrain
Dr. Mongrain obtained her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from McGill University, and has pursued her research interests in personality vulnerability to depression since her arrival at York in 1993. She has integrated positive psychology interventions and compassion training as resilience boosting strategies for subjective well-being. As well, her lab is pursuing research interest within existential psychology, specifically on the topic of nihilism.
Loyce Ong’Udi
Loyce is Founder and Director of Mwanzo works to create sustainable rural communities in her home village in Rabuor and neighbors in Kenya.
Niki Petrocchi
Nicola is a professor of Psychology at John Cabot University and a CFT therapist and trainer based in Rome. They are the author of several national and international peer review publications and book chapters on compassion, compassion-focused therapy, and the physiological correlates of prosocial motivations. They are also the founder of Compassionate Mind Italia which is linked to the Compassionate Mind Foundation in the UK.
Lilli Ross - Vice Chair
Lilli is a writer, mindfulness teacher, classical singer, and movement practitioner. She attended the University of Virginia and Columbia University and has studied the work of developmental psychologists and social scientists. Assisting others to prevent and heal trauma is her life mission.
Baljinder Sahdra
Professor Baljinder K. Sahdra is a researcher at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University. She has made substantial scientific contributions in the areas such as well-being, mindfulness, compassion, nonattachment, intensive meditation, discrimination and social identity. She also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. According to Research.com, she is one of the "Best Scientists in Psychology" in the world.
Michael Yellow Bird
Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD, is Dean and Professor of the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba. He is a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation in North Dakota, USA. His research focuses on decolonization, neurodecolonization, Indigenous mindfulness and contemplative practices, and the cultural significance of Rez dogs.
Our Team
Dutonne Chong - Communications Specialist
Dutonne is a values-driven writer and communications specialist with extensive experience in nonprofit and social impact organizations. She is highly passionate about using her skills in storytelling, digital content strategy, and community engagement to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and drive meaningful social change.
Marina do Pico Schor - Connectors Program Administrative Lead
Marina is a writer, journalist, content creator and activist from Buenos Aires. Apart from her professional work in print and online media, she has been volunteering in grassroots organizations for over a decade, advocating for environmental justice, child literacy, hunger relief and community development.
Rachael Ebanks-Gold - Events & Administration Manager
Rachael stewards the practical side of our mission, overseeing event production, website management, and community support with a balance of technical skill and heartfelt communication. A trained mindfulness teacher and depth-oriented coach with a background in nutrition and Buddhist philosophy, she is dedicated to building a compassionate world by helping others find their way back to wellbeing.
Fabiana Fondevila - Newsletter and Podcast
Fabiana is an author, teacher and activist, who weaves inner and outer work by way of love and aliveness. On the "inner" front, she works with emotions, dreams, poetry, shadow and myth; on the "outer" plane she focuses on transforming the world through creative collective actions on behalf of life.
Michael Gayner - President and CEO
Michael was the Executive Director of Drala Mountain Center from 2012 to 2023, and has been practising meditation since the mid-1980s. He has a Ph.D. in Education with a focus on holistic education, and the intersection of teaching and meditation.
Ayden Heim - Digital Support
Ayden Heim is a web designer at Idea Builders, where he has been building his skills in site management, design, and content updates. With a fresh perspective and a passion for learning, he’s committed to keeping the GCC running smoothly and looking its best.
Michelle Keane - Comptroller
Michelle brings a cross-functional background spanning finance, business operations, and content strategy, as well as a lifelong curiosity about human potential. Originally from Ireland, she now calls Northern California home.
Maria Paula Jimenez Palacio - Head of Compassion Corps
Maria Paula is a Colombian contemplative trainer and compassion coach. She is a Senior Teacher and Teacher Trainer of the Compassion Cultivation Program developed at the Centre for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University. She is also a certified teacher and teacher trainer of the Mindfulness Based Emotional Balance Program developed by Margaret Cullen and she is a trained teacher of the Mindful Self-Compassion program developed by Chris Germer and Kristin Neff. She is trained as a therapist, and she is also a lecturer, organizational consultant and advisor to groups and individuals on topics related to well-being/ whole-being, change, contemplative practices, mindfulness, compassion, self-compassion and purpose.
Rachel Perera Weingeist - Chief Advancement Officer
Rachel is a connector, creative leader, and catalyst for cultural transformation. With more than two decades in arts and culture, she has built powerful alliances that connect visionary ideas with funding to create lasting impact. As a strategist, advisor, and curator, she designs and leads initiatives across cultures, genres, and disciplines—often highlighting content from sacred and remote places.
Eric Schuman
Eric Schuman is a growth marketing advisor supporting the GCC's digital strategy, content, and audience growth. With a background in specialty coffee, consumer experience, and community building, he brings a practical, people-first approach to connecting organizations with the audiences that matter most to them.
Lauren Sunshine - Community Architect
Lauren Sunshine is a digital strategist, heart-centered entrepreneur, and advocate in the gender-healing space.
Cat Swartbooi - Social Media Manager
Cat is a creative strategist currently based in Cape Town. Cat specialises in creating content with a radical empathy scope. Prior to joining the GCC Cat worked with the Movement for Mothers, FAMSA, and One81
Stephanie Veillon - Creative + Tech Consultant
Stephanie is a creative director, web designer, and instructional designer with over 15 years of experience supporting clients in the mindfulness, personal growth, well-being, learning, and psychology fields. She leverages technology, design, marketing, and best online practices to tell client stories and enhance student experience.