Kripalu Adds Five New Board Members Ahead of Official Opening on August 19th
Stockbridge, MA. July 26, 2021 - Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, North America’s leading yoga retreat center, today announced the expansion of its Board of Trustees, with 5 new members: Nariah Broadus; Bruce Dixon; Karen DeTemple; Darius Naigamwalla, and Priti Tanna. This conscious growth follows the recent appointment of CEO, Robert Mulhall, and speaks to the organization’s ongoing commitment to intentional evolution with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion at Kripalu, and within the wellness industry as a whole.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to warmly welcome these new trustees to the Kripalu family,” said Marcia Feuer, Chairperson. “These individuals each bring valuable experience and skills as well as alignment with our mission. I am confident that the wisdom and guidance of these visionary leaders will offer decades of learning and success as we move forward in this new era for Kripalu.”
“As we prepare to open the doors of our retreat center on August 19th, and embark on a new, more equitable era of our organization, Kripalu is in a unique position to set the standard for our future,” said Robert Mulhall, CEO of Kripalu. “This standard must, and does, include a pledge to look inward and prioritize equality, diversity, and inclusiveness in every area of the organization; from access to programming, to diversified leadership, to the implementation of resources for each and every community we serve.”
In addition to these new board appointments, Kripalu’s staff and leadership are working diligently to implement a new strategic plan, with a commitment to improving diversity and providing dedicated programming and support for all members of the Kripalu community. In 2020, Kripalu committed to a goal that 25% of online programs would be led by BIPOC presenters. To date, the result has been more than 30% and this commitment continues through 2021. Kripalu is regularly offering programs focused on racial justice, white awakening, and societal transformation. The organization is also providing a collection of free resources and tools to support under-resourced communities and communities on the frontlines of change including free programming and Sliding Scale Tuition for many of Kripalu’s programs to encourage justice and equity around the organization’s offerings.
Kripalu will also continue to provide programming and resources to the Berkshires community. During the pandemic, Kripalu offered reduced pricing for locals for online programs, and the organization looks forward to reinstating “Berkshire Day”, which offers heavily reduced rates for Berkshires residents. Additionally, Kripalu has served and will continue to serve many local organizations with its RISE™ program, focusing on stress management and resiliency training for individuals in high-stakes environments such as nurses, doctors, educators, veterans, and emergency responders.
Each of Kripalu’s new trustees adds an impactful perspective and skill set to the board:
- Nariah Broadus is a career and leadership coach with over twenty years of experience working in higher education in the areas of fundraising, executive education, and communications. Nariah first visited Kripalu in 2015 and credits the center for her career transition to coaching.
- Bruce Dixon is award-winning innovator, social entrepreneur, adventurer, and storyteller with valuable experience in an array of industries including professional sports, financial services management, leadership development, organizational behavior, career coaching, and social venture leadership. Bruce feels a deep connection to Kripalu’s mission and looks forward to assisting the Kripalu team in offering Kripalu programs to as many people as possible.
- Karen DeTemple brings a wealth of fundraising knowledge to Kripalu, with 30 years of experience growing organizations, building fundraising programs, activating leadership, engaging donors, and managing strategic execution. She is currently the president of Workwonder which launched in June 2020 to help individuals, leaders, and organizations do their best work.
- Darius Naigamwalla brings more than 20 years of experience to Kripalu with a background in providing strategic and operational consulting services to hundreds of different healthcare organizations as well as in the founding, development, and successful exits of a variety of different companies. Darius is currently involved with a number of different business initiatives, all focused on “doing good” in the world, and in complete alignment with Kripalu’s vision to ignite personal and societal transformation.
- Priti Tanna is a media and strategy executive with more than two decades of experience in the areas of organizational design, new business development, and revenue growth within complex media companies like NBC Universal and Warner Media. Priti brings her lifelong interest in yoga and philosophy into her work and has fostered a diverse representation in both content and community through her podcast, The Bali Effect, which inspires change and authenticity.
About Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to serving people and communities in realizing their full potential through the transformative wisdom and practice of yoga. Located in Stockbridge, MA, Kripalu is the largest yoga retreat center in North America. As a field leader in whole-person education for body, mind, heart, and spirit, Kripalu offers onsite and online programs and retreats across a wide range of topics including yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, cooking, outdoor mindfulness, social and environmental justice. Learn more.
To make a donation in support of Kripalu’s ongoing mission-based work in the Berkshires and beyond, please visit It's a Mission for Kripalu. It's a Mission for the World.