Your Peers
CAROL E. BECK
Where are you based?
Atlanta, GA, USA.
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
In my role as a CBCT(Cognitively-Based Compassion Training) facilitator, I am always looking for ways to deepen my own practice so so I can better support the flourishing of myself and others.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Such a profound question! My impulse answer is to say, "for the pandemic to resolve and life to become more normal," but on a more manageable scale, I would say strengthening my intrinsic motivation for self care.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I have been a serious practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for 21 years.
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Carol Beck is Associate Director for Operations and Communications at Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics. In this role, she supports research initiatives, facilitates partner programs, and spearheads outreach, marketing, and communications as well as overseeing general program operations.
With an MFA in filmmaking, Beck had a diverse career prior to joining Emory in 2014 working at different times as an academic and independent filmmaker, and as a self-employed media professional working on five continents.
A certified Senior CBCT® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training) instructor, she has studied and practiced various types of meditation, especially within the Tibetan tradition, and has facilitated the meditation practice of others for nearly two decades. Beck has taught CBCT® to parents of autistic children, to university students, medical professionals, and the public. Most recently she co-facilitated the training of the first cohort of certified CBCT teachers in India. She enjoys cooking, hiking, traveling, and hosting friends and family when she’s not doting on her partner, John, or her two cats, Ozu and Pushkin.
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TONY BURY
Where are you based?
Bath, United Kingdom
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I feel that each of these areas needs to be addressed for my life to be meaningful as I enter the final quarter.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Having a very strong mind, I would like to have a closer connection with my heart
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I am a semi-practicing Roman Catholic. From time to time I have engaged in meditation, but not on a regular basis.
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Some may say I am an African as I was born in Zimbabwe, yet my parents could not be more British. They were my early mentors and I miss their wisdom greatly, as I get older. Having lived in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as a teenager and a young adult, after finishing my education in the U.K I found myself with a mystic twist of destiny back in the Middle East; Qatar to be precise. Over the next 40 years, I started, developed, grew and exited companies. These days we are called “serial entrepreneurs”, however, in those days we were called unemployables!
Most of these ventures were SME start-ups within in the energy sector and although the majority succeeded, I am grateful for the failures I had on the way. However, today, my passions are centered on philanthropy and rugby. What’s the connection? In rugby, I learned about impact, the sense of team and community. All are applicable to philanthropy and impact investment.
Within the philanthropic space, entrepreneurship in education and education in entrepreneurship, keep me busy. This is a coin that I have tossed for a number of years, and I frequently win regardless of how it lands. Entrepreneurs need angel investment and mentoring to strengthen their soft and hard capital. I don’t have wings or a halo, however, my scars, wounds and triumphs have given me lessons which I gladly share to accelerate another’s growth and prosperity. Mentoring is a passion, a life calling and a raison d'etre for me. I truly believe that the joy in life is constant learning, good company, humor and unlearning.
In 2008 I decided to systematize this by founding Mowgli Mentoring which sought to effectively support entrepreneurs and leaders to grow more successful and sustainable businesses that would create jobs and achieve sustainable economic development. Mowgli’s purpose is to unlock human potential to accelerate prosperity and we have now built local effective mentoring capability within 17 countries in the UK, Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa regions, strengthening entrepreneurial leadership and organizational resilience so as to drive the much needed economic and social development the world needs.
Sometimes you leave school and you wish never to go back… that wasn’t the case for me and so in 2010 I became a Governor of Prior Park Schools in Bath, UK, where I spent most of my time between the ages of 7 to 18. Played an instrumental role in development of their growth and sustainability strategy resulting in the sale of one school and the establishment of another overseas, on the rock of Gibraltar.
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PHILIPPE CATTIER
Where are you based?
Croatia
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I really enjoyed last year's forum, the quality of the speakers was outstanding, and would love to continue to hear some more. I think the present world situation is "closing" people's minds and it's up to us individuals to find a way to "flourish" in order to influence (not sure it is the right word here) those who surround us.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Learn not to listen to my "personal mind".
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Meditation (I think 4-5 years now) and regularly reading/audiobooks about spirituality.
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I was born in Brussels in 1962. I did my primary school in Switzerland and then secondary and college in the USA.
My professional career started in the Swiss banking industry, where I worked for 9 years. In 1995 a different call took me to the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) where I did, on and off missions over a period of 12 years in Afghanistan, Croatia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Thailand, Liberia. In between 2 missions I worked in Buenos Aires for 2 years in the produce industry. Between 2009 and 2017 I worked for the Education 4 Peace foundation where I was able to develop my passion for the digital world. I presently support the E4P foundation and others with the digital expertise I have developed.
Having fallen in love during my Croatian mission, I have been a resident of that country since 2000. I am married and have a daughter (13 years). With my wife, we are exploiting a small blueberry plantation, a big vegetable garden and we live in peace and quiet.
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MELISSA DURDA
Where are you based?
Prague, Czech Republic
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I am curious to understand the concept of "human flourishing" more, particularly from a scientific perspective. I am energized at the idea that as we focus on flourishing we are setting our intent to create something positive. So often we hear about intractable problems in the world, like climate change. This makes me, at times, feel worried and powerless. I want to use my skills, talents, abilities to create a flourishing world. I look forward to gaining more knowledge and skills to do so.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
For the past 4 years, I have been on a deep dive journey of self-understanding and healing. At this moment, I need a community to share where I am on my path, the learnings I have gathered so far and to gain what I can from them their wisdom and different life experiences. I feel a desire to be connected to people who are also on this journey and approach life with curiosity and can understand where I am at this point in a life transition.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I have a daily ritual of meditation, stretching and journaling. I have been doing this more regularly during this time of Covid, so for the past 18 months. Prior to that I practiced yoga and meditated around 2-3 times a week.
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Melissa Durda is a philanthropy consultant leading a number of mindfulness and spirituality-related projects. At Krueger & Lee, a Swiss-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing programs and publications on spirituality to help answer some of the fundamental questions of life, she is active in organizing the Spirituality & Science Forum and the Spiritual Book Salon.
At Synergos, a global nonprofit organization that brings people together to help solve complex issues around the world by advancing bridging leadership, Melissa oversees the Spiritual Civilization and Funders of Mindfulness & Spirituality programs for members of the Global Philanthropists Circle, where members seek to increase awareness of what drives people to work towards the greater good in order to accelerate positive change. She is the Executive Producer of the Cultivate the Soul: Stories of Purpose-Driven Philanthropy podcast series. Melissa is a certified holistic life coach and the founder of Durda Holistic Life Coaching and Global Artisan Life.
Melissa has a MSc. in European Political Economy: Transition from the London School of Economics and a BA in International Relations from the University of Virginia.
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HENRI VAN EEGHEN
Where are you based?
New York, USA
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I am intrinsically interested in the development of us as humans in a holistic fashion
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Comradeship, learning and diving deep
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Yes, I meditate regularly, read, mentor and read literature
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Henri van Eeghen is co-Director of Synergos, a global organization helping solve complex issues around the world by advancing bridging leadership, which builds trust and collective action. You can find an introduction on bridging leadership by Henri here.
Henri’s roots are in Tanzania, where his family has lived for more than 15 years. Henri has worked on three continents in a wide range of capacities. Most recently, he has been with Mercy Corps, a US-based international development organization with offices in 45 locations, where his portfolio includes both private sector partnerships and new financial models. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer of Cordaid, the Netherlands’ largest NGO, and helped to transform it into a social enterprise with a greater focus on transparency and financial sustainability.
He has also been CEO of the Van Eeghen Group, the oldest family-run business in the The Netherlands, which is an international producer and distributor of food ingredients. Henri has also worked in the printing, communications and paper industries.
The family business has two philanthropic foundations, and Henri has been an active member of Synergos’ Global Philanthropists Circle for the last eight years, where he and his wife Carolien have played a role in the GPC’s affinity groups on the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Impact Investing, Food Systems and Spiritual Civilization.
At Synergos he has helped transform the organization to become more agile and has now moved into a co-leadership role with two other directors. A full bio can be found at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-van-eeghen-027624/
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SCHERTO R. GILL
Where are you based?
UK
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
My work focuses on healing which is defined as well-being and holistic flourishing, and I lead a similar UNESCO programme for youth.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Inner resilience, spiritual strength and relational support
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
30 mins mediation, an hour walk in the park, and playing music each day, for some years.
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Scherto R. Gill (PhD) is the Executive Secretary and Senior Fellow of the Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace (GHFP) Research Institute (https://ghfp.org/).
She is responsible for its office leadership and provides direction and clarity to the GHFP’s strategic research and policy development. She works closely with the GHFP’s Trustees and CEO in advancing the GHFP’s mission, carries out the board’s decisions, and supervises the GHFP’s programmes and activities.
Scherto is an Associate Professor at University of Sussex, a Director of the UNESCO Programme on Collective Healing and Transformative Education, and a Chair of the G20 Interfaith Forum Education Working Group. Her writings contribute to topics including positive peace, deep dialogue, ecology of well-being, holistic flourishing, relational governance and educational transformation. Her most recent books include: Happiness, Flourishing and the Good Life: A Transformative Vision for Human Well-Being (Routledge); Beyond the Tyranny of Testing: Relational Evaluation in Education (Oxford University Press); Ethical Education: Towards an Ecology of Human Development (Cambridge University Press), Understanding Peace Holistically: From the Spiritual to the Political (Peter Lang), and Human-Centred Education (Routledge).
She teaches on both Masters’ and Doctoral programmes and offers a wide range of seminars and lectures.
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MAYRA HERNANDEZ GONZALEZ
Where are you based?
New York City and Mexico City.
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
My ongoing commitment to nourish and accelerate conscious living.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
A nurturing community of diverse but like-minded individuals.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
The most relevant of my regular spiritual practice is that I have been working with high-frequency healing crystals since 2005.
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Mayra Hernández González is a visionary and global citizen whose mission is to improve the lives of all beings and preserve the health of the planet by advancing conscious living.
Mayra served for almost a decade as the head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Banorte, the first Mexican bank to join the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. She was instrumental in creating Mujer Banorte, which opened financial services and new opportunities for 340,000 Mexican women. Earlier in her career, Mayra led her own strategic consulting and graphic design firm, working with clients such as Mission Foods and Gruma Corporation.
Many moons ago, Mayra felt called to put her strong background in business toward a new path - to ground spirituality with practicality - and she began to explore. In 2015, Mayra founded Instituto Xilonen, a social enterprise based in New York that matches high-frequency Crystals with individuals and institutions who seek to amplify their ability to live life and influence the world from a place of higher consciousness.
Mayra has continued her involvement in the sustainable solutions industry with the development of new ideas and products. Other projects are also in the works, all rooted in creating experiential opportunities for individuals seeking spiritual discovery, exploration, and growth.
Mayra currently serves as a board member of the Synergos Institute, among other commitments. Since 2012, she has been a member of the Aspen Institute’s First Movers Fellowship Program, whose mission is to build the courage and conviction of business leaders to think long-term and act in the best interests of society.
Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Mayra holds a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Universidad Iberoamericana and a Certificate in Administrative Science from Harvard University. Mayra travels constantly, but what she values most is spending time with family, loved ones, and her dear Yorkie, Getty.
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REV. GENA JEFFERSON
Where are you based?
New York and New Jersey
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
I am interested in exploring human flourishing because as an African-American/ Caribbean woman, I continue to witness others in my community fighting to survive economically, socially, professionally. etc. We are wanting to thrive but struggling to do so in the face of white supremacy and systemic racism. Besides being an ordained Interfaith Minister and clinical social worker, I am the founder of Just as I Am Youth (JAIA) Empowerment in NYC. It is a personal and spiritual development leadership program for teens and youth adults of all backgrounds with a special ministry to LGBTQIA youth, immigrants, and youth of color. JAIA creates safe spaces for them to learn mindfulness, mental health literacy, and moral/ethical development in order to for them to FLOURISH. Our mission is to co-create with them for a healthier world. Personally, I care about flourishing because my vision to do this work with youth globally is big. I was told that I couldn't be a spiritual (Christian) leader in my community because I am gay. It was a source of strife for me at one time. But I choose to flourish. I chose to learn from various spiritual practices and traditions, and evidence-based behavioral therapies. I remembered that I a human choosing a path of LOVE and wanting to show youth that they too, can choose and trust LOVE. I have chosen to release the fight and struggle and stand in my purpose. It is my intention to share what I've learned, and learn as much as possible from others, to ultimately bring new perspectives back to the youth.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Rest, Resources, Financial and Professional support and guidance as a leader of color.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Over the past 25 years, I've used prayer, spiritual text readings, meditation, and gratitude daily. I attend meditation retreats when I can. My individual meditation has been on and off over 25 years.
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Gena Jefferson is passionate about creating environments where people can feel safe, empowered and free to express their individuality. She is inspired to teach adolescents and young adults to value their mental health and peace of mind.
Gena has Master's Degrees, in Education, Educational Administration and Social Work from varied institutions. She was ordained by the Interfaith Council of New York, and her Spiritual Life Coaching Training and Certificate comes from Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development founded and directed by the Masterful Coach Rev Dr. Iyanla Vanzant.
Gena served as a Certified Facilitator for Motivating The Teen Spirit, a national training and development company founded by Lisa Nichols, world-renowned motivational speaker and author of “No Matter What!” She was spotlighted in the “Dignity of Children Newsletter” for bringing Motivating the Teen Spirit to New York City in April 2009 www.dignityofchildren.org.
Gena presented a workshop “The Spirit of Black Youth- Theorizing a [spiritual] path toward positive youth development” at the University of Akron’s Black Male conference 2012 presenting on JAIA’s model.
At the 2017 Night Of Excellence, Gena was awarded the Lydia Martinez Award from the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault for outstanding service and collaboration in the field of violence prevention. Gena has served as Adjunct Faculty/Lecturer and Field Instructor at Rutgers University, Columbia University and Fordham University Graduate School of Social Work. She is co-owner of “Overture Wellness: Begin with Purpose” a Spiritual Life Coaching Practice. She has been quoted in numerous media outlets and most recently appeared on, “THE COUCH” a CBS Morning News show, and WPIX Channel 11 morning news.
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SUZANNE KOEPPLINGER
Where are you based?
Minneapolis, MN, USA
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
Past experiences with Synergos have created spaciousness to explore deep questions in a safe space, something I rarely find yet long for.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
Peace in my life and in my community. Hope for a more compassionate and interconnected world.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
My teacher for the past 11 years is a Rinzai Zen Priest. My practices are aligned with her teachings - zazen, Tai Ji and cooking as a fine art. I am also part First Nations Abenaki and sit with my elders and participate in Indigenous ceremonies as often as possible.
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Suzanne Koepplinger is the Director of the Catalyst Initiative at the Minneapolis Foundation. Catalyst’s purpose is to honor and foster culturally authentic self-care practices to advance health and well-being. Previously she served ten years as the executive director of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, where she led the first research and community response in the country to address sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls. Suzanne holds a M.A. in the Art of Leadership from Augsburg University and has extensive international experience as a trainer and public speaker. She is happiest when on a remote river or hiking trail.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-koepplinger-0748534/
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DANIEL KROPF
Where are you based?
Netherlands/Belgium
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
This is one of the most important issues for me as well-being - in the sense of purpose and meaning is something I have been dealing with for many years.
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
A willingness of people to explore their inner world and an understanding of themselves which will automatically bring about better relationships between people, in particular adults and children.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
Reiki and different methods of Meditation for over 30 years now.
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Daniel Kropf’s life has been affected by the areas of "Healthcare” and “Intercultural Understanding” from very early years. Daniel’s family was saved during the holocaust in Assisi by the Friars and Sisters of the convent of Saint Quirico. There is actually a film and book that tells this very story called “The Assisi Underground”.
After the holocaust, Daniel’s father went on to build 2 major businesses, one called Don Baxter and the other Eurospital. Sadly, Daniel’s father passed away suddenly when Daniel was only 13. His mother then took over the businesses and the detailed story is now documented in a book that celebrates the 70th Anniversary of Eurospital.
His parents’ experience has informed his life story, creating an underlying desire of wanting to ensure that he would support intercultural understanding and human functioning, trying to make sure that every individual would be given the opportunity to fulfill his or her own unique potential.
As a healthcare entrepreneur, Daniel has always pursued a deeper understanding of human functioning through diverse approaches encompassing tools and methodologies from the Western and Eastern cultures. He has established, chaired or directed several healthcare businesses ranging from biofeedback and cognitive behavioral therapy to tools for genetic diagnostics, cell therapy, glycol-protein mapping, fingerprinting and sequencing to medical devices.
In 2004 Daniel co-founded the Universal Education Foundation – now called the Learning for Well-being Foundation (L4WB-F) and is currently the Executive Chair. L4WB-F is the convener of the Learning for Well-being Community www.learningforwellbeing.org in Europe. L4WB-F is also the steward of the ACT2gether Initiative supporting the partnership between generations for a fair and sustainable world.
Daniel is the founder of Education for Life, dedicated to supporting the values, attitudes and behaviors of caring, responsibility and respect within the educational system in Israel. He is also a Board member of the Evens Foundation (www.evensfoundation.be), on the board of EPTO (European Peer Trainers Organization - www.epto.org) and the board of EIESP (European Institute for Education and Social Policy - (www.eiesp.org). He has two young children and spends his time between Brussels, Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
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CHRISTIAN KRÜGER
Where are you based?
Switzerland.
What made you want to participate? Any particular experiences that made you want to explore "human flourishing"?
Most spiritual traditions teach us that we will find wisdom in silence. And yet we think too much, talk too much and do too much. I would like to explore how human beings can flourish in ways that are close to what the wisdom traditions preached. I'm also interested to know if today's research findings bring us closer to that wisdom or take us farther away from it. Does today's definition of "flourishing" include this kind of spiritual wisdom?
What do you think you most need at this moment to flourish?
To sit in silence. I respect and follow Sri Ramana Maharshi's teachings that the truth reveals itself when the ego has dissolved. I regard this to be the ultimate flourishing. I would like to abide in that state.
Do you have a regular spiritual/religious practice? If so, please describe briefly including how long you have been practicing.
I have been doing my daily meditation for over 50 years.
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Christian Krüger(or Krueger) is Chairman of Krüger Holding AG.. Krüger Company provides solutions for cooling, heating, dehumidifying, and water damage restoration. Christian has led the family company since the age of 24 and is the third generation of his family to do so.
Two major experiences helped shape Christian's life view. One, as a student, he became involved with the international think tank Club of Rome, which produced The Limits to Growth, the best-selling book that raised awareness worldwide about the need for sustainable growth. This experience helped him to see the global impact that bold thinking and smart action can bring. Two, for 15 years since the age of 21, he spent one month every year in the remote mountains of South India with an Indian Swami who taught him how to give with love and sit in silence.
Christian is a firm believer that change occurs first with the changes in one's inner self, and this spiritual approach has been at the core of his philanthropy. Christian founded the Krüger Foundation and Krüger Foundation for Child Aid in India, and through these foundations, has worked to help disadvantaged children, refugees, and various spiritual institutions in India and other places in the world. In recent years, Christian and his wife Julianne have been organizing convenings on spirituality to help others connect to their true selves. He has also dedicated more than 40 years to finding alternative energy solutions by funding various research projects.