Barbara Vacarr
Barbara Vacarr, PhD, served Kripalu as CEO from 2016–2021. She is a psychologist, an adult educator, and the former president and CEO of Goddard College in Vermont. Her distinguished careers in higher education and mental health have given her the skills and wisdom to advance Kripalu’s mission, offering the gold standard for yoga education and serving as a global vehicle for social impact. Committed to learning what creates meaningful change in the world, Barbara has spent almost 30 years developing programs that support human growth and development and organizational transformation. She is a proud Platinum member of the Women President's Organization, the premier peer advisory organization connecting women presidents and CEOs of privately held, multi-million dollar companies.
During her tenure at Goddard, Barbara acted as a change agent to build sustainability and regain the school’s historic leadership role in higher education. Prior to that, she served as the founding director of the PhD in Adult Learning program at Lesley University, where she developed and led degree programs in adult education, human development and mental-health counseling, and organizational leadership. As an ambassador of progressive education with audiences around the world, Barbara was named one of 50 “Influencers in Aging in America” in 2015, by PBS’s Next Avenue. She is a sought-after speaker and writer on topics including mindfulness, compassion, conscious leadership, and activism. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to missions that have meaning and resonance, and a dedication to organizations doing bold, good work.
Barbara holds a PhD in psychology and human development. She is the founder and senior leader of the Intergenerational Women's Mentoring Collective, served as an interviewer for the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, and is a project leader for the Cambodian Youth and Missing History Project.
Barbara and her husband of 40 years are grandparents of five. She most enjoys spending time with her family.
Resources
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An Update from Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health Announces CEO Leadership Transition
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THIS IS YOGA | Self-Care for the Activist
We invite you to explore the third in a series of readings from Kripalu in which we will share how yoga’s ancient wisdom provides guidance on mindful action in a world in turmoil.
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THIS IS YOGA | Living Yoga, Off the Mat
We invite you to explore the second in a series of readings from Kripalu in which we will share how yoga’s ancient wisdom provides guidance on mindful action in a world in turmoil.
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THIS IS YOGA | The Value of Discomfort
We invite you to explore the first in a series of readings from Kripalu in which we will share how yoga’s ancient wisdom provides guidance on mindful action in a world in turmoil.
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Accountability and Action: Kripalu and Black Lives Matter
We, at Kripalu, stand in solidarity with Black communities and the Black Lives Matter protests. But that is not enough.
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The Antidote for a Conflicted World
What do we do when confronted with the realities that disrupt our vision of and hope for humanity? In these moments, the antidote is at the core of Kripalu.
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Let the Revolution Begin
We are living in a pivotal moment—one in which women are voicing their experiences in ways that have the potential to shift the prevailing paradigm once and for all. That's what Women's Week at Kripalu is all about.
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Kripalu’s Dharma: Working Toward a Compassionate, Connected, Awakened World
Creating a Kripalu where all feel they belong is a Strategic Priority directing current organizational initiatives, writes Kripalu CEO Barbara Vacarr, PhD.
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A Word from the Kripalu CEO: Why Compassion Is Needed Now More than Ever
Hatred of "the other" emerges from self-judgment that disconnects us from parts of our own humanity, writes Kripalu CEO Barbara Vacarr, PhD.
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What Empowers Me
We asked a few of the women who make Kripalu such a great place to visit—and to work—to share what keeps them going.
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How Yoga Supports Women's Empowerment
Kripalu CEO Barbara Vacarr sat down with four Women’s Week presenters to discuss what "the revolution within" means to each of them, and why gathering together is so important.
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