Synergos Cultivate the Soul: Stories of Purpose-Driven Philanthropy

Victor is a social service worker and impact investor. He co-founded Tianren Culture, a next-generation social platform that serves as a catalyst and enabler of social innovation with the mission to foster positive global values and lifestyles. Tianren Culture's core philosophy is “One with Nature” and its strategic focus is to promote "One Wisdom, One Health" by encouraging and enabling contemplative practices and healthy lifestyles, especially those with roots in cultures and philosophies which believe that the health and wellness of human beings are interconnected with the health of the broader environment and ecosystem. Based in Hong Kong, Tianren Culture works with foundations, NGOs and business partners to put in place social service initiatives to help improve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and wellness. On the physical side, the One Health initiative has focused on food system transformation, promoting flexitarian diets, natural, non-factory farmed foods and innovation based on plant-based, fermentation and cell-based technologies. On the mental/emotional side, One Wisdom encourages and enables contemplative practices such as breathwork and meditation through communication and support of research and education. He is also a board director of Good Food Fund and on the advisory board of Global Wellness Institute.

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Listen to hear Rodney speak about the role that he plays to support Love, with a capital “L” in today’s world. How, at Fetzer, they are creating space and communities to explore how one can demonstrate love in one’s philanthropy.

Meet Rodney

I come from a people where community is essential and life saving. Community has saved me from loneliness, from being afraid that I wasn’t loved by God and supported me in seeing the possibility of being at a special place like Fetzer.

Creating transformative communities has always been a pivotal part of my work. In earlier parts of my career, I co-founded the Expansion Church and acted as spiritual director, where I focused on building a deep sense of community with all who attended in their personal and collective journey of intersection of radical spirituality. As the ED of Resource Generation,an organization of 18-35 year olds with access to wealth, I worked to support young people who often felt disconnected from their peers and their families in building up a community of people they could trust and feel deep alignment with.

In my role as VP of Ally Development, I get deep joy from the ways we are creating and building community inside and outside of Fetzer. Within Fetzer, the Ally Development team is in deep community doing deep learning together, laughing a whole lot and being daring enough to take a bold stance that philanthropy at its best is centered in Love, Spirit, and the Sacred Mystery. Beyond Fetzer, we develop transformative relationships with leaders in the philanthropic community. In Ally Development, we know that transformative relationships and community are what leads to the openness, vulnerability, and genuine care that is required to have the real conversations about what we want for our future.

I hold a Master of Divinity from the Union Theological Seminary and I bring 20 years' experience as a leader in philanthropy and movement spaces and as a community organizer focused on political campaigns and issues of democracy and social justice. I am from Dallas, TX, and currently live in New York, NY.

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Scott Kriens, chairman and former CEO of Juniper Networks, has been in the
technology industry for more than 35 years. In 1996, he co-founded Juniper
Networks, growing the company to $4 billion in global sales and more than 10,000
employees in 100+ countries.

In 2010, Scott and his wife Joanie launched 1440 Foundation, a grant making
organization committed to the cultivation of truly real and connected
relationships, with self and others, as a basis for living well. The work of the
Foundation led Scott and Joanie to launch 1440 Multiversity, a 21st century
learning destination in the California redwoods of Santa Cruz County.
At his core, Scott is a learner and a builder, committed to finding new ways to tie
the world around us to that which is real and powerful within us – whether for
the purpose of building teams as a leader in the tech industry or simply as an
advocate for the path to living lives of true resonance. Moving beyond having
more or suffering less, 1440 helps people and groups interested in finding their
own unique connection to meaning.

“I think the growing call in the world today for connection, meaning, and making a
difference, all indicate that there is an unmet need in many of us. The true mark
of 1440’s success will be that we can offer a welcoming and inspiring place to
serve the loud need for quiet time, and invite each person to find their own
answers to the questions that matter most.”

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Sudnya is an Indian American artist who has made San Francisco Bay Area her home since 1996. She has pursued her passion for storytelling through visual art, public installations, a novel publication, and now FREMONT, her first feature film.

As a champion of the world’s displaced sisterhood, Sudnya has made it her life’s mission to tell stories - arrestingly beautiful and awe inspiring stories - that have the power to move and change our subconscious narratives of fear around those who don’t look and sound like us. Towards that end, she has built a community that trusts her and has joined forces in this endeavor of storytelling to effect a powerful and much needed social awakening.

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Listen to hear how David Less and the Abrahamic Reunion are shifting consciousness by bringing people together in the Holy Land so they can change the narrative and move from separation to unity.

David is a founding member of theAbrahamic Reunion, a bottom-up grassroots organization designed to overcome the problem of segregation and separation in Israel and Palestine by bringing together groups of people from the four major religions to spend time together, work together, study together, and create an atmosphere of trust and understanding.

David has been teaching meditation and inner practice for55 years and is recognized globally as a teacher of harmonious living, health, meditation and personal transformation. He is theSpiritual Director & Founder ofRising Tide International, a Universal Spiritual Center in Sarasota, Florida.

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Listen to hear Ajay’s reflections on love and service, about the importance of being instead of doing, about our inter-connectedness and the power of living the example.

Ajaywas born into a working-class immigrant family from India. A deep spiritual calling led him to become a monk in his late teens, where he spent almost a decade in service, spiritual practice, and deep reflection on how to realize a healthy, conscious, and balanced society. He transitioned out of monastic life to apply his commitment to service and belief in the power of catalyzing change agents to lead a number of mission-driven organizations at the forefront of consciousness and social change. Along with serving as a guide and coach,Ajayis the founder of The Bhakti Society, a nonprofit he founded to support people in their spiritual journeys through sharing the teachings of Bhakti. His passion lies in supporting others in unlocking their full spiritual potential.Connect to learn about theSynergos Global Philanthropists CircleandAjay’s Blog.

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Listen to hear how Sister Jayanti and the Brahma Kumaris are spreading love and peace in creative ways and with great global reach. She shares how inner transformation can be a tool of positive change, including on issues like climate change.

Sister Jayanti is the Additional Administrative Head of The Brahma Kumaris, the world’s largest spiritual organisation to be led by women. She is a spiritual teacher, much sought after international public speaker, author and a visionary leader guided by spiritual values and principles.

Sister Jayanti embodies a unique blend of Eastern wisdom and Western education and culture; imparting the deepest spiritual truths with the utmost clarity. Her prominent speaking themes include leadership, environment & climate change, women's empowerment; health & well-being, racial harmony, interreligious friendships & global peace. In these critical times in which humanity is facing up to the challenges of change, her message invites each of us to embody a positive vision of a brighter world. Her spiritual knowledge, inner peace and radiant love have inspired millions across the globe to empower themselves to make changes to their lives.

The Brahma Kumaris is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) of the United Nations, accredited with General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Sister Jayanti has been the organisation's representative to the UN in Geneva since 1982. She has championed the co-operative role of spiritual organisations in creating a just and peaceful world; and has brought spiritual principles to the discussion tables of politicians, economists, business leaders, scientists and nearly every stakeholder of our times. She spends a proportion of her year at the International Headquarters of The Brahma Kumaris at Mt Abu, Rajasthan, India. She is otherwise based in London at the National Coordinating Office, Global Co-operation House, UK.

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Listen to hear how Farahnaz, based on her field experience from Bosnia to Afghanistan, is transforming her passion to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Insaan Group’s catalytic capital approach, now scaling through Impact Footprint.

Dr. Farahnaz Karim is founder and CEO of Insaan Group. Insaan works with philanthropists and impact investors to invest in solutions to poverty, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and India. Farahnaz’s philanthropic work is the result of her field experience working with the UN, the World Bank, and non-profits.

In addition to her passion for building a more equitable world, she has pursued a passion for building a more peaceful world through an academic path in International Relations (IR). 

She has recently completed a DPhil in Politics at the University of Exeter and holds a Master in Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard University.

She loves going to the field to due diligence or report on Insaan’s impact investments, and finds balance and joy through activities such as Pilates and Indian classical dance.

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Listen to hear how Richard is forging a new way of family philanthropy. After 25 years in The Russell Family Foundation and co-Founding the Clementine Fund, Richard shares key learnings. He also shares examples of how they empower their partner communities, activate their values in every area of the business and practice trust-based philanthropy.

Richard Russell is a co-founder of the Clementine Fund – a foundation that exists to foster peace, justice, and well-being and to innovate within the world of philanthropy in the process. Richard serves as the Fund’s Executive Director, leading the board and staff, directing grantmaking and operations, and cultivating community relationships. In his work at the Fund, Richard is passionate about integrity and communication.

Alongside a career in communications consulting, Richard helped launch and govern The Russell Family Foundation (TRFF), a philanthropic organization founded with his siblings and parents Jane & George Russell. While with TRFF, Richard served multiple terms as Board President and helped the foundation advance its’ aims in environmental sustainability – including the dedication of the investment assets toward mission (now “impact”), enhancement of their community engagement strategy, and the production of a group of short films documenting important parts of the organization’s story over its’ first 20 years.

Separate from his work in philanthropy, Richard founded Studio Kumau (since 1984!), a consulting, design and production studio for collaborative, creative clients. Over the years this work included writing, leadership coaching, graphic facilitation, early work on “corporate culture”, as well as media production for proprietary programs. A writer and an artist himself, Richard has created and produced original music and lyrics, visual artwork and films throughout his lifetime. Richard also co-founded Pu’u O Kumau Ranch, an agricultural enterprise with a focus on regenerative farming and re-localizing the food supply.

Richard lives in Hawaii with his wife Jileen, where he enjoys writing and playing music with friends.

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Listen to hear Bob share his personal story growing up and how this has influenced his view and work in the world. How, through the Fetzer Insitute, they are building a global movement grounded in love, human flourishing and our shared sacred story.

Bob Boisture has served as President and CEO of the Fetzer Institute since 2013, and during this time, helped the Institute adopt its current mission statement “helping build the spiritual foundation for a loving world.” This mission reflects the Institute’s view that humanity will never summon the will, courage, and hope to meet the challenges we face until a critical mass of us truly open our hearts in love to each other and the natural world. Trained as a lawyer, Bob spent most of his career in Washington, working with a broad range of nonprofits and foundations, including the Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, and the YMCA. His work involved strengthening nonprofit governance and helping to design and lead major national advocacy campaigns involving environmental and health issues and the right of nonprofit organizations to participate in the legislative process. Bob is married to artist Mary Margaret Pipkin, and they have three grown sons, two daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren. They spend as much time as they can on their farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

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