Dr. Kailash Joshi is a retired IBM executive residing in California. Working with a small team of volunteers, he conceptualized and founded HSCI in 2018. The mission of HSCI has been to address the spiritual care and chaplaincy needs of the Hindu Diaspora. Kailash’s long career has included academics, executive management, and startup mentoring. He also helped establish major community organizations, including TiE and AIF. Kailash holds a BE degree from IISC Bangalore, an MS from Washington State University, a Ph.D. from Cornell University, and an honorary D.Sc. from Garhwal University, India. His greatest satisfaction comes from working with teams that build and grow institutions for greater good and service.

Gaurav Rastogi co-founded HSCI as a school for Karma Yoga. He brings twenty years of executive and entrepreneurial experience from Infosys and AI startups. He teaches Dhyana meditation and yoga as an ERYT500® certified teacher. He founded the Living Deeply Foundation and is a board trustee at the Graduate Theological Union (https://gtu.edu). His three business books (OUP, Penguin) and meditation teachings have reached global audiences. He holds an engineering degree from Delhi Technological University and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. Through Ekrasworks, he combines workplace technology with spiritual techniques. He is passionate about putting the Hindu tradition to work to improve the community’s quality of life (loka samgraha). 

Dr. Punit Mahendru brings psychological expertise from her career as Kaiser Permanente's senior staff psychologist. She chose to integrate traditional therapy with holistic approaches after seeing the need for culturally sensitive mental healthcare. Her private practice helps adults navigate life transitions through an innovative combination of evidence-based therapy and spirituality. She earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University and M.Phil. from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences, Bangalore. Her work bridges Western psychology with traditional healing practices.

Dr. Ashok Chandrasekhar retired from an accomplished executive career and decided to help build a strong chaplaincy program for the Indian community. He brings his Ph.D. in Operations Management to create practical, effective spiritual care systems. At the local temple, he helps families through their grief and loss. Now in retirement, he trains new chaplains and develops programs that truly understand our community's needs, including the development of new models and approaches.

Dr. Zachary Ginder blends Hindu wisdom with modern psychology to help people thrive in today's world. He founded Pine Siskin Consulting to bring genuine wellness into workplaces, especially in healthcare and corporations. As director of the Inland Empire Autism Assessment Center, he helps families navigate developmental challenges. His Doctor of Psychology degree and deep meditation practice allow him to bridge ancient wisdom with contemporary needs.

Dr. Mala Setty's life has been rooted in the Hindu ethos. Her academic interests have been related to Hindu mythology, with emphasis in depth psychology. Her early career was in technology and computer science. She sees symbolic thinking as quite critical to both mythology and engineering. A circuit diagram, a story, a ritual - all encode something of value to us. She believes that the Hindu Tradition, with its value for mutual well-being, has much to offer the spiritual care community. Dr Setty holds an MS degree in computer science from California State University, Fullerton and a PhD degree in mythology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, California.

Sharad Patel brings additional cultural richness to the Indian Diaspora through his upbringing in Tanzania. 
He came to the US in 1970 and had an early successful career in the semiconductor industry. With his background in economics and finance, he created hardware and software solutions for the healthcare industry. Among his several exits was Cardinal Health in 2010.
In recent years, Sharad has dedicated his time and efforts as a "go-to" person for families and individuals seeking spiritual care and guidance on difficult personal issues. 
Sharad holds a MBA degree from Santa Clara University. He is currently enrolled in the Chaplaincy program at the Global Theological Union.

Neeti has served as a functional leader at HSCI since 2021. She completed the Counselor of Hindu Tradition certificate of HSCI and the Interreligious Chaplaincy Certificate at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), as well as four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Kaiser GSAA. A technologist by profession, Neeti integrates her love for Hindu dharma, spiritual care, and nature into all her personal and professional endeavors. She holds an MS degree in computer science.

Sudha Bhat brings her engineering and business expertise to lead HSCI's accreditation initiatives. An ICF-certified life coach with spiritual care education from CIF, CHT, and GTU ICP, she helps strengthen Hindu diaspora support programs. She promotes interfaith dialogue and community service. Her combination of technical knowledge and spiritual training helps HSCI develop professional standards for Hindu chaplaincy.
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Mangala Kumar spent five years (2019-2024) helping HSCI build strong foundations for spiritual care. She draws from 25 years of product management to solve community challenges effectively. After graduating from Bangalore University in engineering, she now helps run Bay Area nonprofits. Through One School at a Time and Sukham, she works to improve education and senior care in our community.

Dr. Mukund Acharya brings forty years of global aerospace experience to community service. He co-founded Sukham to help South Asian seniors age with dignity and cultural understanding. His journey from IIT Bombay to a Stanford Ph.D. taught him to solve complex human challenges. He helps families prepare for life's major transitions while honoring their cultural values.​​

Dr. Naras Bhat started HSCI's  academic program as founding Dean (2018-19) to train the next generation of spiritual caregivers. As a physician, he helps prevent heart disease in the Indian community. At Jiva Health, he combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine. He teaches at Saybrook University, UC Berkeley, and Better Physiology Institute to spread holistic healthcare knowledge.