Our Team

Parveen Jain, PhD, the founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Arihanta Institute and a resident of the Silicon Valley, enjoys life after an exciting corporate career of over thirty years as a founder and chief executive of multiple technology companies, including a senior executive role at McAfee, the cyber security company. Parveen has always cherished philanthropy and has held leadership roles in various non-profit organizations. He has been a long-time trustee of the International Mahavira Jain Mission, where he has been deeply involved with the growth of Siddhachalam, the first Jain tīrtha outside of India, from its founding. He led the team to build the Jain Temple in the San Francisco Bay Area, has served as chairman and president of Jain Center of Northern California, and continues to be an active advisor. Previously, he was a founding director of the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, served as a trustee of the American Foundation for the Blind and was a founding team member of the South Asian Heart Center. Currently, besides other non-profits, Parveen serves as a founding director of Stanford Center for Asian Health Research and Education (Stanford-CARE). In addition, he enjoys mentoring bright entrepreneurs and serves on the boards of several technology companies. Besides the philanthropic and mentoring activities, Parveen joyously spends time with his grandkids, self-studies, and writing. He is the author of “An Introduction to Jain Philosophy” – one of the best-selling Jain philosophy books on Amazon. Parveen is most passionate about furthering the initiatives inspired by Ācārya Sushil Kumar in the service of Jain tradition: promoting the message of nonviolence, creating Jain educational platforms, and applying Jain principles to everyday life among the growing global Jain community, for current and future generations.

Kamlesh Mehta, a Board Member and Chief Marketing Officer of Arihanta Institute, has been working in Silicon Valley (USA) as an entrepreneur and senior executive for over twenty-five years, developing software and hardware products for the networking and cybersecurity industries. Kamlesh is involved in a variety of global community services around the world. He is passionate about meeting and inspiring young people around the globe. Currently, besides Arihanta Institute, he serves as President of Jain International Trade Organization (JITO USA), Chairman of JITO USA San Francisco Chapter, and Member of the JITO International Wing Committee. Additionally, he serves on two committees of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA), including the Upliftment Committee, dedicated to underprivileged ones in India, and the Youth Exchange (JYEP) Committee, dedicated to global Jain Youth Leaders. Kamlesh has served the Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC), Milpitas, California, in several key positions, including Board Chairman, President, and V.P. Public Relations. His passion is to continue seeking opportunities that enable him to serve the Jain communities around the world in every way possible.

Pramod Patel, the co-founder, Board member and Chief of Academic Compliance Officer of Arihanta Institute, is a second-generation person born to immigrants from India and raised in San Francisco, California. He received ten years of elementary and high school education in Vadodara, Gujarat. He was one of youngest officer for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. His family has been following the Jain dharma practices for five generations now. He is a current board member of the Jain Center of Northern California. He has been very active with the mumukshu group (followers of Shrimad Rajchandra) for the last 30 years, conducts regular bhakti, and lectures. His hobbies include playing golf and reading philosophy.

Bijal Vakil, a Board Member and General Counsel at Arihanta Institute, is a founding partner of Allen & Overy’s Silicon Valley and San Francisco Offices and serves as the global co-head of the firm’s Technology practice where he successfully represents technology companies across their life cycle from early stage start-ups to leading businesses. Clients turn to Bijal as a trusted business partner and legal counsel for both his courtroom experience and his practical strategic advice to protect their highly sensitive, deeply technical IP. He has an impressive track record litigating complex patent cases in district courts, the International Trade Commission, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and before the Federal Circuit. The knowledge and insight he brings to the most challenging technology and intellectual property matters globally make him a valued partner for companies ranging from those on the Fortune 100 list to Silicon Valley startups. Bijal’s practice covers a wide range of technologies, including computer software, semiconductors, drones, e-commerce, social media, payments, autonomous vehicles, consumer electronics, telecommunications, video games, medical devices and innovative uses of blockchain technology in cryptocurrency. His experience includes serving as lead counsel in hundreds of contentious patent matters, leading U.S. and cross-border deals, strategizing on complex technology transactions, and forming technology alliances in ground-breaking new industries. The legal community recognizes Bijal’s unique skill set. He was selected to serve in various court committees in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, including: Co-Chair of the Lawyer’s Representative Committee; Chair of two Magistrate Judge Selection Committees; Member of Magistrate Judge Reappointment Committee; and Mediator, Court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. Bijal strongly believes in keeping the door open for others. To that end, he served on the Executive Committee of the National Asian Pacific Bar Association (along with various other positions), Committees for the National South Asian Bar Association, the NAPABA Law Foundation Board, as President of the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley (along with various other roles) and as President of the Asian Law Alliance (along with various other roles). Legal and business organizations have recognized Bijal with awards, including from the National Asian Pacific Bar Association and the Silicon Valley Business Journal. At his previous firm, he served as the Managing Partner of their Silicon Valley office for over a decade, Chair of the U.S. Diversity Committee, and the founder of the Taiwan practice.

Mohini Jain, a Board Member at Arihanta Institute, is a philanthropist with a passion for education and a leader in the Jain community. She established the Jain Chair at the University of California, Davis, in the department of religious studies in 2016. She has made several challenge and lead grants that helped save multiple educational and community programs at the high school and university level during the 2008 financial crisis. She has been a resident of Davis, California, for the last 45 years. She began her career as a research associate in biology at the University of California, Davis, and then taught high school science for 20 years. She holds Masters of Science degrees in both botany and molecular biology. Mohini Jain has served on the board of the school of education at UC Davis as well as on the UC Davis Foundation Board for six years. She has made numerous annual grants to support students at UC Davis and has been a very active member of the broader Davis community. She has served on the Board of Advisors of the Yolo Community Foundation, Davis School Foundation, India Association of Davis, and the Rotary Club of Davis, and was president of the Jain Center of Sacramento. Jainism and Jain values are the core of her being. She strongly feels that in spite of the enormous contribution Jains have made to society, the universal appeal of Jainism is often under-recognized. This is the gap she believes that the Arihanta Institute will bridge, and will bring Jainism into the forefront of modern ideas and solutions for harmonious living.

Prem Jain, a Board Member at Arihanta Institute, is SVP/GM of Networking Solutions Group at AMD. Prem Jain was CEO and Co-Founder of Pensando Systems, a cloud and enterprise data center startup founded in 2017 by four former executives from Cisco Systems and sold to AMD in May 2022 for $2B dollars. Prior to founding Pensando Systems, Jain spent 23 years as part of a team of engineers who were financed by Cisco Systems to create innovative new start-ups. Known as the heart, soul and brains of Cisco, the team were given wide latitude and formed several successful businesses that the company bankrolled and then bought back for significantly more money when they hit financial mileposts. The team and their startups were responsible for every breakout product that Cisco created in the past two decades. Until 2016, Jain served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Insieme BU at Cisco (business run rate per year of 2B+). Insieme BU developed Software Defined Networking (SDN/ACI) products as well as next generation data center switches. Insieme Networks was acquired by Cisco in Dec 2013. Prem holds a B.E. degree with honors from BITS Pilani (1968-1973) India and a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Sciences from U.C. Davis (1975-1977) Received JAINA Ratna award in 2021 Received UC Davis CAAA Distinguished Achievement Award 2021 Received UC Davis Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal 2021 Established in 2018 the Prem Chand Jain Family Presidential Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering at UCD Keynote speaker at UCD 2017 Graduate Studies Commencement Ceremony Board Advisor to University of California Davis (UCD) Chancellor’s office Received BITS PILANI Distinguished Alumnus Award 2012 President of JAINA 2013-2015 Founding Chairman of JITO USA and chairman of JITO USA San Francisco Chapter (2018-now)

Bhupendra Mookim is an entrepreneur and business owner with over 40 years of experience in the gemstone industry. He currently serves as the CEO of SPB Gems, a family-owned business that traces its history back 18 generations. Bhupendra’s passion for jewelry, Jainism, and philanthropy are among the many values he learned from his parents. Bhupendra is also a Trustee for Siddhachalam Jain Tirth, where he has been involved in long-term strategic planning to build the organization for future generations. Additionally, he serves as Co-Treasurer for Veerayatan International, where he is responsible for fundraising in the U.S. He is committed to sharing the teachings of Jainism, aligning with the mission of Arihanta Institute. In a tumultuous global context, Bhupendra believes that Jain philosophy has much to offer through its focus on non-violence, social welfare, environmental conservation, and other moral virtues.

Parveen Jain, PhD, the founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Arihanta Institute and a resident of the Silicon Valley, enjoys life after an exciting corporate career of over thirty years as a founder and chief executive of multiple technology companies, including a senior executive role at McAfee, the cyber security company. Parveen has always cherished philanthropy and has held leadership roles in various non-profit organizations. He has been a long-time trustee of the International Mahavira Jain Mission, where he has been deeply involved with the growth of Siddhachalam, the first Jain tīrtha outside of India, from its founding. He led the team to build the Jain Temple in the San Francisco Bay Area, has served as chairman and president of Jain Center of Northern California, and continues to be an active advisor. Previously, he was a founding director of the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, served as a trustee of the American Foundation for the Blind and was a founding team member of the South Asian Heart Center. Currently, besides other non-profits, Parveen serves as a founding director of Stanford Center for Asian Health Research and Education (Stanford-CARE). In addition, he enjoys mentoring bright entrepreneurs and serves on the boards of several technology companies. Besides the philanthropic and mentoring activities, Parveen joyously spends time with his grandkids, self-studies, and writing. He is the author of “An Introduction to Jain Philosophy” – one of the best-selling Jain philosophy books on Amazon. Parveen is most passionate about furthering the initiatives inspired by Ācārya Sushil Kumar in the service of Jain tradition: promoting the message of nonviolence, creating Jain educational platforms, and applying Jain principles to everyday life among the growing global Jain community, for current and future generations.

Christopher Jain Miller, the co-founder and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Arihanta Institute, completed his PhD in the study of Religion at the University of California, Davis. He is a Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich's Asien-Orient-Institut and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology where he co-developed and co-runs a remotely available Masters Degree Program focusing on Engaged Jain Studies. His current research focuses on Engaged Jainism and Modern Yoga, and he is the author of a number of articles and book chapters concerned with Jainism and the practice of modern yoga. Christopher is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2024), as well as co-editor of the volumes Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Approaches to the Study of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY 2025) and Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington 2020).

Pramod Patel, the co-founder, Board member and Chief of Academic Compliance Officer of Arihanta Institute, is a second-generation person born to immigrants from India and raised in San Francisco, California. He received ten years of elementary and high school education in Vadodara, Gujarat. He was one of youngest officer for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. His family has been following the Jain dharma practices for five generations now. He is a current board member of the Jain Center of Northern California. He has been very active with the mumukshu group (followers of Shrimad Rajchandra) for the last 30 years, conducts regular bhakti, and lectures. His hobbies include playing golf and reading philosophy.

Kamlesh Mehta, a Board Member and Chief Marketing Officer of Arihanta Institute, has been working in Silicon Valley (USA) as an entrepreneur and senior executive for over twenty-five years, developing software and hardware products for the networking and cybersecurity industries. Kamlesh is involved in a variety of global community services around the world. He is passionate about meeting and inspiring young people around the globe. Currently, besides Arihanta Institute, he serves as President of Jain International Trade Organization (JITO USA), Chairman of JITO USA San Francisco Chapter, and Member of the JITO International Wing Committee. Additionally, he serves on two committees of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA), including the Upliftment Committee, dedicated to underprivileged ones in India, and the Youth Exchange (JYEP) Committee, dedicated to global Jain Youth Leaders. Kamlesh has served the Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC), Milpitas, California, in several key positions, including Board Chairman, President, and V.P. Public Relations. His passion is to continue seeking opportunities that enable him to serve the Jain communities around the world in every way possible.

Bijal Vakil, a Board Member and General Counsel at Arihanta Institute, is a founding partner of Allen & Overy’s Silicon Valley and San Francisco Offices and serves as the global co-head of the firm’s Technology practice where he successfully represents technology companies across their life cycle from early stage start-ups to leading businesses. Clients turn to Bijal as a trusted business partner and legal counsel for both his courtroom experience and his practical strategic advice to protect their highly sensitive, deeply technical IP. He has an impressive track record litigating complex patent cases in district courts, the International Trade Commission, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and before the Federal Circuit. The knowledge and insight he brings to the most challenging technology and intellectual property matters globally make him a valued partner for companies ranging from those on the Fortune 100 list to Silicon Valley startups. Bijal’s practice covers a wide range of technologies, including computer software, semiconductors, drones, e-commerce, social media, payments, autonomous vehicles, consumer electronics, telecommunications, video games, medical devices and innovative uses of blockchain technology in cryptocurrency. His experience includes serving as lead counsel in hundreds of contentious patent matters, leading U.S. and cross-border deals, strategizing on complex technology transactions, and forming technology alliances in ground-breaking new industries. The legal community recognizes Bijal’s unique skill set. He was selected to serve in various court committees in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, including: Co-Chair of the Lawyer’s Representative Committee; Chair of two Magistrate Judge Selection Committees; Member of Magistrate Judge Reappointment Committee; and Mediator, Court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. Bijal strongly believes in keeping the door open for others. To that end, he served on the Executive Committee of the National Asian Pacific Bar Association (along with various other positions), Committees for the National South Asian Bar Association, the NAPABA Law Foundation Board, as President of the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley (along with various other roles) and as President of the Asian Law Alliance (along with various other roles). Legal and business organizations have recognized Bijal with awards, including from the National Asian Pacific Bar Association and the Silicon Valley Business Journal. At his previous firm, he served as the Managing Partner of their Silicon Valley office for over a decade, Chair of the U.S. Diversity Committee, and the founder of the Taiwan practice.

Pramod Khincha has been working as a technologist in the Bay since he moved from Bangalore India. He is passionate about solving problems and helping people grow, He also serves as a board member, advisor to many startups. He is involved actively in mentoring college students and early career employees to make smart choices at work. He is also a passionate tennis coach and general mind and body fitness. He also is actively involved with non profit organizations and has a special interest in climate change and environmental agencies. the Arihanta Institute Business Development Executive,

Kavita Mahendra, Arihanta Institute’s Program Manager, is a Software Engineer working in Silicon Valley for the past 20 years. She is a Bay Area resident and mom of two wonderful boys. Jain philosophy is her guiding principle, and she passionately believes in giving back and making a difference and helps with community service and volunteering as much as possible. Nature and wilderness bring pure joy and inspiration to her and dreams of being a digital nomad someday.

Sunil G Mehta, the Arihanta Institute’s Youth Education Coordinator, is currently working as a Senior Director at Oracle Corporation and was born and raised in the small town of Kadur located in South India. He earned a gold medal during his Bachelor’s of Engineering in Computer Science from University of Mysore. Sunil immigrated to the US in 2000 to further explore his interest in computer science in the hub of tech, the Silicon Valley. He brought along his dedication to the community implanted by his father in India who was a pedestal figure in the Rotary International. In the past, Sunil has served on the JCNC executive committee, optimizing the technical aspect of the temple and is the founder and current chairman of the JCNC PVSA program for youths. This program allows youths to give back to their community through various organizations across the Bay Area, providing services to the vulnerable community while actively practicing the principles of Jainism. Since its inception in 2016, these youth volunteers have collectively put in more than 8000+ hours of community service and have received 50+ awards from The President of the United States. He is a follower of Shrimad Rajchandra’s teachings and is active with mumukshu group at JCNC temple. Besides his volunteering and corporate life, Sunil enjoys hiking, spending time with his family, and eating Rajasthani foods, indulging in his sweet tooth. He is a loving husband and a wonderful father to two daughters. Sunil is passionate about the community and joined Arihanta Institute in hopes to inspire and educate the next generation about the values of Jainism. He is excited to be part of Arihanta Institute and lay a solid foundation for the next generation through this “Gyaan Mandir” of Jainism.

Shobha Vora is a resident of Silicon Valley and runs Arihanta Institute’s outreach programs. Her lifelong dream is to engage with the first and future generations of Jains to keep them interested in Ahimsa and Jainism and considers herself to be fortunate to have had the opportunities to fulfill her dream. She was President of Jain Center of Northern California in 2010-2011, and its BOD Chair in 2012, 2013 and 2020. Currently, she is a Vice President of the JAINA executive committee and serves as JAINA’s liaison for YJA (Young Jains of America). Previously, she served in JAINA in various capacities: as secretary, a member of Jivdaya and women’s committees, Chair of the 2015 Convention Marketing, PR and Souvenir operations, and Co-Chair of 2021 Convention Souvenir committee and a member of the fundraising committee. In addition, for several years, she has served as a volunteer in California state ombudsman for nursing homes, is a Board Member of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, and a Board member of the city of San José and Pune sister city coalition. She has been able to accomplish all this with full support from her family. In addition to community service, her passion is travelling.

Taina Rodriguez-Berardi (she/her/hers) is a scholar-practitioner of Yoga’s history, philosophy, traditions, and Sanskrit texts. She earned an MA in Yoga Studies from Loyola Marymount University where her research focused on the historical origins, culture, and customs of transnational yoga systems at their intersection with social justice movements and advocacy communities. Taina has also worked for more than 18-years as a marketing and communications executive in the tech, higher-education, and non-profit sectors, leading large international teams to drive corporate strategy and develop community-first approaches to marketing, public relations, and social media implementation. After earning her Master of Business Administration at San Diego State University, she melds her passion for Dharma Studies with her experience developing business strategy and brand marketing campaigns to mentor and consult with conscious businesses and social entrepreneurs who aspire to bring compassion and wellness to the masses.

Umesh Sagar, the Director of Technology at Arihanta institute, is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is an entrepreneur with over 18 years of experience in IT. With expertise in Website Development and Cloud Technologies. He is the founder and CEO of Infozic software services. In the past, Umesh has worked for many companies. He also owed successful restaurants like “Thali” and “Chaat Junction” in the Bay Area. Umesh has served Jain Center of Northern California(JCNC) in many key positions, including Board Chair of Finance Department, Vice-President of Cultural and Facilities. He has been a devout volunteer in providing seva to the jain community and homeless in the Bay Area through many non profit like Arham Yuva Seva Group, PVSA parent, various homeless shelter in Bay Area and at JCNC. His passion is to serve the community by giving back.

Opal Shah, a Marketing Consultant at Arihanta Institute, brings seven years of expertise in crafting digital marketing strategies. Although currently based in Toronto, she hails from a Jain family in Solapur, Maharashtra, India, and is eager to merge her cultural heritage with her professional endeavors. She is passionate about arts and innovative design. She tries to approach today’s modern challenges from a creative perspective which resonates with her work at Arihanta Institute.

Biren Shah leads special projects at Arihanta Institute. Biren is an accomplished leader in the fields of finance, securities laws, SEC and Euronext reporting, Investor Relations and served in various roles at Fortune 100 companies including Qualcomm, Walmart and AssaAbloy; finance leadership roles at two successful startups; expat in Taiwan, lead the IPO of a technology unicorn leading to its listing on Euronext stock market. Biren successfully led multiple rounds of fundraising from venture capital firms, private equity firms and high net worth investors. Biren also led the go-private transaction of a publicly listed company which was taken private by the USA and Norway based private equity funds. At present Biren is serving as a Vice President Reporting and Compliance at Meltwater B.V., an Amsterdam headquartered data analytics company with operations in 23 countries and over 27000 enterprise customers. Biren is very passionate about community services. Biren had served as President as well as on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee and various Board Committees of the Jain Center of Northern California, Milpitas CA. Currently, he is on the Board of Directors of Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA). Biren is a Co-chair of 2025 JAINA Chicago Convention Fundraising Committee and Co-chair of JAINA Finance Council. Biren is long time resident of Silicon Valley, CA. Biren enjoys travelling, hiking in the wilderness and exploring newer places and countries.

Leddy Stroud is the Director of Business Development at Arihanta Institute and a resident of Los Angeles. He earned his degree in Religious Studies from Vanderbilt University and spent two years studying Indian languages, philosophy, and history in India as a Boren and Critical Language Scholar. Since completing his studies, Leddy has worked in marketing and leadership roles at LA start-ups. Outside of his professional life, Leddy volunteers with the International Rescue Committee and Wags & Walks animal rescue.

Sunny Jain, an Advisory Board Member of Arihanta Institute, is the founder and current chair of the Global Jain Network, a virtual Jain community with a reach of over 13 thousand Jains globally. He is also on the leadership team of The Jain Vegan Initiative and the JAINA Eco-Vegan Committee and previously served on the YJP Executive Board from 2018 to 2019. In his personal life, Sunny enjoys writing, blogging, and philosophy, and attests his spiritual growth and development through the practice of Jainism.

Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, an Arihanta Institute Advisor, was until recently the President of Claremont School of Theology, began his tenure at CST on July 1st, 2013 as the school’s 7th president. Before coming to CST, he was Dean and Professor of Hebrew Bible of the Theological School at Drew University from 2011 to 2013. He earned his Ph.D. in Old Testament studies at Emory University. Dr. Kuan’s research and teaching interests include ancient Israelite and Near Eastern history, Asian and Asian American hermeneutics, the Book of Job, as well as approaches to biblical instruction for the churches. Dr. Kuan previously served on the faculties of the Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California from 1991 to 2010. He also served as Old Testament Editor for the multi-volume New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible from 2006 to 2009. He was a member of the Council of the Society of Biblical Literature from 2007 to 2012. He served on the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools from 2015–2020 and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the In Trust Center for Theological Schools. Dr. Kuan began his career serving as an associate pastor from 1980 to 1983 in Malaysia. In 2002, he became an ordained elder and full member of the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. He was the chair of his annual conference Commission on Religion and Race from 2006 to 2010. He is a five-time delegate to the General and Jurisdictional Conferences, in 2004 and 2012. 2016, 2019, and 2020 He served as a director of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry from 2004 to 2012, and as the Vice President of the board and chair of the Division of Higher Education from 2008 to 2012. He currently serves on the University Senate of The United Methodist Church and chairs the Commission on Theological Education. As a theological educator, Rev. Kuan is a strong proponent of religious pluralism and passionately committed to justice issues in the global and local contexts. As a biblical scholar, Dr. Kuan has long been a visible advocate for LGBT equality in churches and society. Beginning in the early 1990s, he has been teaching against the misuse of biblical texts towards lesbian and gay Christians. He served as an expert witness both in the investigation of the Sacramento 68, a group of United Methodist clergy, who co-officiated the holy union of a lesbian couple, and in the church trial of a lesbian clergy in Seattle. He has marched and spoken out publicly in rallies and press conferences, as an Asian Pacific Islander clergy in support of LGBT equality and marriage. He was honored by Asian & Pacific Islander Family Pride for “loving and supporting LGBT members despite sometimes strong social criticism and disapproval” in 2009. In 2004, the Reconciling Ministries of the California-Nevada Annual Conference named him the winner of the Turtle Award for “sticking his neck out” for the LGBTQ community. In 2011, the Conference Commission on Religion and Race of the California-Nevada Annual Conference presented him with the Melvin G. Talbert Award for Racial Justice. Education PhD, Emory University MTS, Perkins School of Theology BTh, Trinity Theological College in Singapore

Arpit Mehta, an Advisory Council Member for Arihanta Institute, is a PhD candidate and Subject Matter Expert in Bioinformatics at Oncology Informatics unit, Philips Inc. He is also pursuing his PhD in computer science at Florida International University. He has over 17 publications in the field of Genomics, notably in Cancer and Covid-19 research. His research interest expands to application of Artificial intelligence in Genomics and Microbiome research. Arpit is currently on the Advisory board of Young Jain Professionals (YJP) and has served on executive board of Young Jains of America(YJA), YJP and Jain Education Research Foundation (JERF). He has been a member of Jain Center of South Florida for over a decade. During JAINA and YJA conventions, Arpit has given sessions on “Jainism and Science” and is highly motivated to understand concepts of Jainism in modern perspective. His hobbies include Hiking, Cricket, Meditation and Traveling.

Narendra Parson, MD, an Arihanta Council Member for Arihanta Institute, is a long-time resident of Southern California. He received his medical degree in Kolkata, India. He held multiple post-doctoral trainings in New Delhi, India; Oxford, England; and Columbia, New York. He was an assistant professor at University of California, Los Angeles. He ran his private practice in anesthesiology for many years before retiring in 2018. Narendra has published an Advisory Board Member for his field including those on pulmonary gas exchange, effect of high altitude and hypoxia, and effect of nitroprusside on gas exchange. Narendra has always been involved in philanthropy and was a long-time volunteer and contributor at Siddhachalam, the first tīrtha (pilgrimage) outside of India and based in New Jersey, where he held the vice chairman position as well. Currently, he is a member of the JAINA Academic Liaison Committee and volunteers at medical camps and food camps for the needy. Narendra is very passionate about Jain art and literature and has given lectures on Jain art and principles at University of California, Santa Barbara. He has also delivered lectures on Jain principles as applied to the medical profession and the health benefits of vegetarianism.

Raj, an Arihanta Institute Advisor, works in Global Health & Sustainability at Novartis whilst also pursuing a Masters in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick. During his time at Warwick, he helped setup one of the fastest-growing, multi-disciplinary, student-run conferences in the UK. Raj is passionate about entrepreneurship and is an advisor at Kaiku, an AI-driven scouting platform for early-stage venture funds. As a Swiss citizen with a multi-cultural background, Raj is committed to promoting Jain values in the western world.

Rita Sherma, PhD, an Arihanta Council Member for Arihanta Institute, is founding Director and Associate Professor at the GTU Center for Dharma Studies; Core Doctoral Faculty; and Co-Chair of Sustainability 360 at GTU, Berkeley, CA. She holds an MA in Religion, and a PhD in Theology & Ethics from Claremont Graduate University, CA. She is the founding Vice President of DANAM (Dharma Academy of North America)—an eminent scholarly society for research on Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist multidisciplinary research & interreligious studies. Dr. Sherma has published eight books including Religion & Sustainability: Interreligious Resources, Interdisciplinary Responses; and Contemplative Studies & Jainism (forthcoming, with Dr. Cogen), and numerous academic articles. She is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Dharma Studies, and an Associate Editor of the Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. She serves on the Editorial Board of Reading Religion Journal (an AAR publication), serves as Advisor to the Parliament of the World’s Religions Climate Action-sponsored Faith for the Earth online & print project, as well as on the Advisory Board of the Yale University Forum for Religion and Ecology.

Professor Jagdish Sheth is a renowned scholar and internationally recognized thought leader. He has published more than 300 research papers and more than 30 books on various disciplines and topics. His insights on global competition, strategic thinking, geopolitics, and emerging markets are considered revolutionary.