Leadership
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GOVERNANCE & STEWARDSHIP​
Shakti Regeneration Institute is governed by a multidisciplinary board spanning global finance, economics, governance, and community systems, providing rigorous oversight and long-term institutional resilience.​
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The Board provides fiduciary oversight, strategic guidance, and accountability as the Institute develops scalable models for education, regeneration, and systems transformation across regions.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS​
Board members contribute expertise across governance, finance, economics, and community systems, ensuring rigorous oversight and long-term institutional resilience.
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Chair: Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri
Founder and systems architect advancing bio-cultural governance across finance, culture, and planetary systems transformation.
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Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri leads the Institute’s global strategy, partnerships, and systems integration across philanthropy, finance, policy, and culture. Her work brings together Indigenous knowledge systems, scientific research, and financial innovation into deployable frameworks for planetary resilience.​
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Mentored by David Bowie and Iman, she is an internationally recognized filmmaker and movement-builder whose work has received honors from the United Nations, Cannes Lions, Tribeca, and Rotary International. A Princeton-trained anthropologist and convener at the Science Summit alongside the United Nations General Assembly, she translates complex systems into scalable models for institutions and investors.
Gerald Nebeker
Board Member · Governance & Institutional Strategy
Architect of high-growth 501(c)3 organizations including RISE Inc, scaling over $1B annually and employing thousands.
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Dr. Nebeker brings three decades of expertise and two doctoral degrees in nonprofit governance, compliance, revenue architecture and institutional scaling. He has founded, and advised over 50 organizations across behavioral health, disability services, and international development.
His work focuses on building financially sustainable, governance-driven systems capable of operating at significant scale, strengthening the Institute’s institutional architecture.
Sherif Nahas
Board Member · Investment Strategy & Institutional Capital
Director of Private Equity & Real Assets at the Ford Foundation, overseeing institutional capital across global impact investments.
Sherif Nahas brings deep expertise in capital allocation, portfolio strategy, and investment across private equity and real assets. His experience spans global investment portfolios aligned with long-term social and environmental outcomes.
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His presence strengthens the Institute’s ability to align philanthropic and investment capital with scalable, impact-driven models.
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Swati Bhatt
Board Member · Economic Systems & Policy
Economist at Princeton University and former Federal Reserve Bank of New York researcher.
Dr. Bhatt specializes in digital markets, industrial organization, and global economic systems. Her work explores how technological transformation reshapes economic behavior and market structures.
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She contributes analytical rigor and economic systems insight to the Institute’s work at the intersection of finance, governance, and innovation.
Julie Francella
Board Member · Indigenous Systems & Social Infrastructure
Ojibway member of Batchewana First Nation and trauma-informed systems leader supporting mental health and Indigenous communities.​
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Julie Francella integrates Indigenous knowledge systems with trauma-informed clinical practice, supporting long-term community resilience and healing. Her work spans Indigenous youth services, mental health systems, and community-led care.​
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She ensures that the Institute’s strategies remain grounded in lived experience, cultural integrity, and community-based systems of support.
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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri
Executive Director (Global)
Founder and systems architect advancing bio-cultural governance across finance, culture, and planetary systems transformation.
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Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri leads the Institute’s global strategy, partnerships, and systems integration across philanthropy, finance, policy, and culture. Her work brings together Indigenous knowledge systems, scientific research, and financial innovation into deployable frameworks for planetary resilience.​
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Mentored by David Bowie and Iman, she is an internationally recognized filmmaker and movement-builder whose work has received honors from the United Nations, Cannes Lions, Tribeca, and Rotary International. A Princeton-trained anthropologist and convener at the Science Summit alongside the United Nations General Assembly, she translates complex systems into scalable models for institutions and investors.
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Ajay Pal-Chaudhuri
Co-Founder & Chairman Emeritus · Financial Stewardship
Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ACA, retired) and former Chief Financial Officer of British Oxygen Company, with four decades of financial leadership and institution-building.
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Ajay Pal-Chaudhuri co-founded SEEschool and has spent over three decades building education, vocational training, and community empowerment systems in West Bengal, India. His work combines grassroots service with financial discipline, supporting long-term community resilience.
Trained in the United Kingdom as a Chartered Accountant, he built a distinguished career in finance, including serving as CFO of British Oxygen. His leadership established the foundation upon which the Institute continues to grow, contributing both fiduciary values and a multi-generational vision of community-centered impact.
GK Reid
Chief Operating Officer & Producer
Creative strategist and multimedia producer driving global partnerships, communications, and execution across cultural platforms.
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GK Reid leads U.S. operations and global communications, translating the Institute’s work into high-impact partnerships, campaigns, and convenings. His work has generated over 2 billion impressions across nonprofit and social impact initiatives, spanning film, design, media, and public engagement.
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He plays a central role in execution across the Institute’s initiatives, connecting storytelling, systems thinking, and real-world implementation.
PROGRAM & INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Krishna Palchaudhuri
Director, Education & Community Systems (India)
Senior educator leading on-the-ground implementation across education, health, and community systems.
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Krishna Palchaudhuri oversees SEEschool and community programs serving over 300 students and families annually. She leads education, vocational training, and community health initiatives, ensuring continuity between mission and measurable impact.
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With over two decades of leadership, she anchors the Institute’s work in long-term community relationships and intergenerational transformation.
ADVISORY BOARD
THE REGENERATION GENERATION
GLOBAL ALLIANCE
Strategic Advisors Across Culture, Capital, and Bio-Cultural Systems
Members of the Global Alliance actively contribute to strategy, partnerships, storytelling, and systems design supporting The Regeneration Generation film and the broader work of Shakti Regeneration Institute.
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Culture, Film & Narrative Systems​​
Tom DeSanto
Strategic Advisor · Film, Media & Global Franchises
Executive Producer, The Regeneration Generation
​Writer and producer behind global franchises including X-Men and Transformers, generating billions in worldwide revenue and shaping mass audience storytelling.
Tom DeSanto brings expertise in large-scale narrative development, audience engagement, and cinematic world-building. His work explores the intersection of technology, identity, and social transformation through global media platforms.
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His involvement strengthens the Institute’s ability to translate complex systems into compelling stories that resonate across cultures and drive global awareness.
Barnet Bain
Strategic Advisor · Film, Narrative & Consciousness
Executive Producer, The Regeneration Generation
Producer of Academy Award–winning films, whose work explores storytelling as a vehicle for human transformation and expanded consciousness.
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A respected teacher of creativity and leadership at Columbia University and the Esalen Institute, Barnet Bain brings a unique approach to narrative design, integrating emotional, psychological, and philosophical dimensions. His work bridges inner transformation with broader cultural and societal change.
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His presence deepens the Institute’s storytelling framework, aligning narrative with the emotional and cognitive shifts required for systems transformation.
Eugene Brave Rock
Strategic Advisor · Culture, Storytelling & Indigenous Leadership
Internationally recognized Indigenous actor in Wonder Woman with Gal Gadot, and Dark Winds, he is founder of the OKI Language Project, advancing language revitalization and cultural representation.
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Eugene Brave Rock brings expertise in Indigenous storytelling, cultural integrity, and representation across film and public platforms. His work centers the importance of language, identity, and narrative sovereignty.
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His involvement ensures that Indigenous perspectives are authentically integrated into global storytelling and cultural systems.
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Craig Hatkoff
Board of Advisors · Culture, Innovation & Institutional Platforms
Co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival and Disruptive Innovation Awards, operating at the intersection of culture, capital, and institutional influence.
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Craig Hatkoff brings experience in building platforms that connect storytelling, innovation, and global audiences. His work has shaped how cultural narratives influence economic and institutional systems.
His presence strengthens the Institute’s positioning at the intersection of media, innovation, and large-scale systems change.
Txukukaytxi Rosa'ne Puyanawa
Board of Advisors · Indigenous Communications & Youth Leadership, Executive Producer, The Regeneration Generation
Indigenous youth leader, artist, and communicator representing emerging generations of cultural and ecological stewardship.
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Txukukaytxi Rosa’ne Puyanawa brings expertise in global communication, cultural expression, and youth engagement. Her work bridges ancestral knowledge with contemporary platforms through music, storytelling, and advocacy.
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Her involvement strengthens the Institute’s ability to connect across generations and ensure Indigenous voices shape future systems.
Puwe Puyanawa
Board of Advisors · Forest Stewardship & Cultural Leadership Executive Producer, The Regeneration Generation
Spiritual and community leader of the Puyanawa people, with over three decades dedicated to protecting Amazon ecosystems and revitalizing cultural traditions.
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Puwe Puyanawa brings lived experience in ecological stewardship, cultural governance, and community resilience. His leadership integrates ancestral knowledge systems with ongoing environmental protection efforts.
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His presence grounds the Institute’s work in real-world bio-cultural systems and long-term ecological relationships.
Supporters
Iman Bowie
"Not only does award winning photographer Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri create magnificent images… Indrani also grasps the meaning of giving-back! Indrani and her father, Ajay Pal-Chaudhuri started SEEschool in West Bengal, which provides free quality education and vocational training for women and children.... Indrani embodies talent and social conscience."
- Iman in the foreword to ICONS: The Celebrity Exposures of Markus and Indrani (Perseus Press, 2021)
Deepak Chopra
Deepak's Chopra Foundation has supported SEEschool by donating many books to our Library, and linking to our foundation on its website in 2010. The Chopra Foundation is dedicated to improving health and well-being, cultivating spiritual knowledge, expanding consciousness, and promoting world peace to all members of the human family - missions which SEEschool wholeheartedly shares.
Suhel Seth
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Columnist, Financial Times, Hindustan Times, The Telegraph, and Indian Express; Founder and managing partner of Counselage India; Chairman, Marketing Committees of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
"Shakti Empowerment Foundation, run by Indrani’s father at this advanced age is so beautiful, it’s an example of how we should all be. It is not just a duty, it’s a moral obligation to make sure that everyone is supported... The work that Indrani and her dad are doing, the work that the NGO is doing, with so much compassion, this must inspire us all."
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- Suhel Seth during #United4India Clubhouse, 2021
Shakti Empowerment Education Teachers and musicians lead students in traditional cultural performance, 2020.
Shakti Empowerment Education Staff
15 teachers
5 teaching assistants
3 administrators
5 children’s helpers
5 kitchen staff
1 medical doctor at our Free Clinic
1 information technology specialist