Leadership

Board Science Chair

Paul J. Zak, PhD

Director, Center for Neuroeconomic Studies · Claremont Graduate University · Wharton School

Paul J. Zak is an American neuroeconomist, author, and entrepreneur best known for pioneering research on the neurochemical oxytocin. A Distinguished University Professor at Claremont Graduate University, he is the founding director of its Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and among the top 0.3% of most-cited scientists worldwide. Zak earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania after completing undergraduate studies in mathematics and economics at San Diego State University, followed by post-doctoral training in neuroimaging at Harvard. Credited with coining the term “neuroeconomics,” his discovery that oxytocin fosters trust led him to call it the “moral molecule.” Zak's bestselling books include The Moral Molecule, Trust Factor, and Immersion. In 2017, he founded Immersion Neuroscience, a software company that measures emotional engagement in real time. A TED speaker and frequent media guest, his work has shaped leadership, marketing, and cultural understanding, earning him the nickname “Dr. Love.”

Board Growth Chair

Amrita Subramanian, PhD

Organizational Development & Research Methodology

Amrita Subramanian is a leadership scholar-practitioner with 22+ years of executive experience across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. A Wharton-affiliated educator, she teaches in Penn's Organizational Dynamics program as lead faculty for the Leadership Coaching Certificate. An author, speaker, and advisor, she helps boards and executive teams thrive amid turbulence by creating psychologically safe environments for dialogue and courageous action. Her courses on Organizational Paradoxes and Post-Disruptive Growth examine patterns of chaos, adaptable networks, relational equity, and decision-making in complex conditions. Amrita previously held leadership roles across industries, directing operations, banking services, strategy, and regional talent management. She is president and founder of a global firm advancing post-disruptive growth and was nominated for distinguished teaching in Penn's Liberal and Professional Studies. Clients include Fortune 500 enterprises. Beyond work, she travels and writes, collecting spices, stories, and connections; she also loves astronomy and mythology, inspired by Carl Sagan and Joseph Campbell.

Board Member

John Kolligian, PhD, MBA

Executive Director, University Health Services, Princeton University

John Kolligian, PhD, MBA, serves as executive director of University Health Services at Princeton University, where he has led the institution's integrated health system since 2009. In this role, he oversees the university's student health priorities and campus mental health strategy, advancing models of care that connect psychological well-being, physical health, and student development within high-performance academic environments.

His scholarly and professional interests include the rise of severe personality disorders in the young, the developmental challenges of late adolescence and emerging adulthood, and systems psychodynamics, particularly the often unspoken and irrational forces that shape organizational life. Before assuming Princeton's top health leadership role, John directed Counseling and Psychological Services units at both Princeton and Georgetown Universities and spent nine years at Columbia University as a senior psychologist and director of psychology training. Earlier in his career, he served as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, where he directed an inpatient service for treatment-resistant adolescents within the Yale Psychiatric Institute. John holds a PhD in Clinical and Developmental Psychology from Yale University, an MBA from Columbia University, a master's degree in education and child study from Tufts University, and a bachelor's degree from Stanford University.

Board Member

Jacqueline Varoli Grace, MSOD

University of Pennsylvania

Jacqueline Grace, MSOD, brings decades of private and public sector executive leadership, organizational consulting, and leadership coaching experience. She integrates neuroscience, trauma research, and relationship science to advance trust, decency, dignity, and resilience. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Jacqueline has held senior roles across nonprofit, corporate, and international organizations, and is recognized for her ability to mobilize systems change while keeping relational decency at the center. Her mission is to empower leaders, families, and communities to build stronger bonds and healthier societies.

Scientific Advisor and Systems Analyst

Stephen C. Rose, PhD, MS

PhD, Bioengineering · Postgraduate Training, Harvard · M.S. Operations Research

Stephen Rose brings more than 30 years of work at the intersection of wellness, science, and human development to the Global Transformation Initiative. With a PhD in Bioengineering, postgraduate training at Harvard, and an M.S. in Operations Research, his journey has ranged from designing cooperative food distribution systems to 3D organ models of fibrosis, studies of senescent cells, and investigations into how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) accelerate biological aging. Also a published author and former Marine, he combines rigor, resilience, and service. At GTI, Stephen integrates scientific evidence with relational systems analysis, advancing trust, dignity, and decency as measurable foundations for healthier, more connected organizations and communities.

Learning and Curriculum Advisor

Isabelle Malone, BA

Psychological Sciences, Colgate University (summa cum laude) · Minor in Global Public and Environmental Health

Isabelle Malone, BA, is a Curriculum Advisor for GTI. A summa cum laude graduate of Colgate University in Psychological Sciences with a minor in Global Public and Environmental Health, she brings passion for mental health equity and expertise in holistic, community-based approaches to public health and education.

Development Manager

Geetika Chandwani, MA

M.A. Diplomacy & International Relations (International Security & Global Negotiations) · B.Arch.

Ms. Geetika Chandwani is a Development Manager at the Global Transformation Initiative (GTI), where she supports partnerships, grant development, and funding strategy for the organization’s initiatives. Her work focuses on strengthening GTI’s external engagement through research, donor mapping, and proposal development.

Geetika brings experience spanning nonprofit organizations, international institutions, and the private sector. Prior to joining GTI, she worked with Religions for Peace International, where she contributed to development and program support across peace-building, climate equity, and public health initiatives.

Geetika holds a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations with specializations in International Security and Global Negotiations. Her academic and policy interests span global governance, conflict, and climate-related security issues. She has a background in architecture, with professional experience and extensive cross-cultural exposure across India, Japan, and the United States, which shaped her design thinking and cultural sensitivity.

Geetika has contributed written analysis on emerging global challenges, with publications in the Inter Press Service (IPS), including The Opioid Addiction Crisis & U.S. National Security and COP26: Combined Exclusive Maritime Zone for Africa to Combat Illegal, Unreported & Unregulated Fishing.

She is fluent in English, Hindi, Sindhi, and Japanese.