Kathleen Bollerud

Dr. Kathleen Bollerud is a retired psychologist who specialized in executive coaching and leadership development. She was an executive coach for Duke Corporate Education (Fuqua School of Business), a leading provider of executive education programs worldwide.

Kathy received her doctorate in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from Harvard University where she was a teaching fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Medical School. She is a recipient of the Cleveland International Fellowship from Stockholm, Sweden and the Newcombe Fellowship for advancing scholarship in ethics. A community activist, she has volunteered with Monadnock United (a citizen action group), United Way, Monadnock Music, and the American Red Cross. She is a trustee and past Chairman of Historic Harrisville, a National Historic Landmark site.

In 2013 the women of Chakouri and Kathy developed the vision of Himalayan Naari, a sustainable woolen craft business to generate income and improve the women’s quality of life. There are currently 60 knitters and dyers improving their families' lives through Himalayan Naari.

Betsy DiPrima

Betsy holds a MA Ed. from Antioch NE University. As an educator, she has worked in many different educational settings through the years, from rural New Hampshire schools to inner city schools in West Chicago. She has been a classroom teacher, reading instructor, and special ed teacher. The most important thing she learned as a teacher was the importance of finding ways to make connections with students through respectful and thoughtful means.

When Betsy came to Chakouri HIC Principal Devbala Bisht asked her to share her knowledge and understanding of methods of education with teachers and to look at ways to integrate these into their daily teaching. She then also reorganized the school library, making it more accessible to students to borrow books and helped to develop a school-wide reading program, which included creating classroom libraries for grades K – 6.

Betsy lives in Hancock, NH, where she spends lots of time with family, teaches yoga classes, gardens, reads, knits, spins and weaves, and thinks about ways to continue supporting HIC educators and contributing to the education of these wonderful students.

Sunil Harpalani

Sunil is a financial planner and certified public accountant, based in Boston. Born and raised in Pune, India, he immigrated to the US in 1989 and received his MBA and CPA.. He has professional experience in a variety of accounting and finance managerial roles, and currently runs an RIA (Registered Investment Advisory Firm), primarily working with immigrant professionals in the U.S.

Sunil enjoys international travel, and makes annual trips to India to stay connected with his cultural roots. Sunil has volunteered for local organizations in the Boston area, and is the Treasurer of the HEF. Sunil believes providing access to good quality education and role models, is key for the development of children in underserved and remote communities.

Monica Lehner

Monica Lehner, HEF Board President, received her BA from Wheaton College in 1984 and received her MA from the School for International Training in International/Intercultural Management in 1990. She subsequently worked in the US, Kenya, and Italy in the non-profit education sector in a variety of capacities. She has extensive board governance experience.

As a community activist, she played an instrumental role in conserving ~1,000 acres in Greenfield, NH. She completed her term as President of the Board of the Monadnock Conservancy but continues to work in land and community conservation in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. She currently serves on the board of MacDowell, a residency program for artists from around the world. She served as a mentor for Voices of Our Future, an on-line training program in digital journalism giving a voice to women from communities around the world. She worked as a mentor with under-privileged students from Beacon Academy in Boston, Massachusetts.

Vaibhav Pai

Vaibhav Pai is a research scientist in the Boston area trying to explore, see, understand, and connect with the parts of India that he never knew while growing up there. As a hiker in the mountains, there is a special place in his heart for mountain folks, mountain culture, their heartiness and resourcefulness. He is passionate and interested in creating well-rounded holistic educational opportunities for children with little to no resources in rural mountain areas for them to become well-rounded human beings, by developing relationships and helping local folks working on the ground for their community.

Pai works as a research scientist in the biology department at Tufts university and has been involved in the research and education (particularly underrepresented sections of society) field for 20 years. Born and raised in India he came to the United States in 2003 and received a Doctorate degree in biological sciences. He currently lives in Cambridge MA and spends lots of time with family and friends, hiking and being outdoors, and at work (which really is more of a hobby and joy than work).

Manvee Vaid

Manvee is a social entrepreneur and founder of TerraKlay, working with artisan communities in rural India for over a decade bringing extensive understanding of indigenous arts and crafts to wider audiences through online platforms and channels. Recently she welcomed Sobremesa, another global artisan home-goods wholesale company, into her brand portfolio. She is committed to creating opportunities to support artisans who craft cottage industry products and build their businesses through various marketing and business development strategies. Active with the Chicago Fair Trade organization, Manvee initiated a knitting collaboration between Naari artisans and Chicago knitters. She is the energetic force behind the new natural wool and hand-dyeing project Lofty Peaks Yarn.

Manvee lives in Chicago with her family.

Jeff Williams

Jeff Williams has traveled to volunteer at the Himalayan Public School multiple times in the last twelve years. He brings the school, and HEF, a wealth of experience in education, having spent thirty-five years in public schools, working with young people ages 10 to 24. Jeff oversees the scholarship program for students at HIC.

Jeff worked in the school district in Wellesley, Massachusetts for thirty years as a social worker and as the Department Head of Middle School Special Education. In that capacity, Jeff developed parent education programs, bereavement programs for youth and their parents and conducted teacher training. He has taught about mental health issues in public schools to guidance counselors and school psychologists. For the past ten years Jeff has worked as a therapist in several Boston Public schools.

Jeff was trained as a Clinical Social Worker at Boston College. He has worked in psychiatric hospital and community mental health settings, as well as conducting a therapy practice for a number of years. Jeff has served on the board of the Boston Living Center, a community service agency for individuals with AIDS.. Working with and advocating for young people has always been at the heart of his career.