News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Community News India Times (June 13, 2026 - June 19, 2026) June 19, 2026 9 A uthor and inventor Poonam Gupta-Krishnan launched her debut book, VARNA: KnowYour Why, and introduced the Varna- CQ™ Leadership Alignment Framework to an invitation-only audience at the Naperville Public Library on May 30, 2026. The response was immediate and unam- biguous: every copy of the book available for purchase was claimed before the event closed, with requests continuing after. In a separate signal of the framework’s resonance, approximately 90% of guests enrolled in the complimentary Varna- CQ™ Leadership Alignment Assessment offered at the event. The event, held in recognition of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, was hosted by Bharathi Theer- tha — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — under the leadership of founder Dr. PrakasamTata, Environmental Scientist and Global Sus- tainability Leader, whose organizational journey is documented as a case study in Chapter One of the book. Dr. Chaudhary Jampala, Psychiatrist, served as Master of Ceremonies. The foreword to VARNA: KnowYourWhy was contributed by two distinguished voices: Padma Bhushan Prof. Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad — scholar, author, Sahitya Akademi Awardee, former Rajya Sabha Member, and former Chairman of the A.P. Hindi Academy — and Dorri McWhorter, President & CEO of The Executives’ Club of Chicago. Chief Guest Padma Bhushan Prof. Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad delivered the keynote address on the cultural and philo- sophical roots of alignment, drawing from the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedic wisdom tradition that underlies the Varna-CQ™ framework. He called the work the follow- ing morning to personally commend the author’s clarity and the timeliness of the framework, and indicated his intent to introduce the work to audiences in India. Padma Shri Dr. S.V. Rama Rao — emi- nent artist and educationist whose work is held in the collections of MoMA (New York), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), and Harvard University; Mr. Kriti Das Thokchom, Deputy Consul Gen- eral of India in Chicago; PamMcElvane, CEO of Diversity MBA Media; James Clark, civic leader and former Superintendent of Joliet High Schools; and Sherman L. Jenkins, President of SLJ Communica- tions and Chairman of the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Attendees included senior executives from technology and health- care corporations, University of Illinois faculty, CIOs, and community leaders. “Poonam Gupta has not only written a book, but offered a civilizational contribu- tion. This work carries the fragrance of our eternal heritage and the promise of a more aligned, humane, and prosperous world.”— Padma Bhushan Prof. Yarlagad- da Lakshmi Prasad — Foreword, Varna: KnowYourWhy “Culture is the soil in which leadership grows. When the soil is depleted — by misalignment, unclear values, or burnout — no amount of strategy or resources will make leaders thrive. Varna: KnowYour Why replenishes that soil.”—Dorri Mc- Whorter, President & CEO, The Executives’ Club of Chicago — Foreword “Varna-CQ was born from a ques- tion I carried for many years: why do capable, talented people still feel mis- placed, exhausted, or unseen? Success is not only about skill — it is also about alignment.”— Poonam Gupta-Krishnan, Author & Inventor About the Framework ;Varna-CQ™ is a patent-pending leadership alignment and cognitive assessment system that identifies individuals’ natural makeup, thinking and decision-making style, job- fit alignment, and pathways for growth. Gallup’s 2025 research estimates the cost of global workforce disengagement at $10 trillion annually — the organizational challenge Varna-CQ™ is built to ad- dress. Unlike conventional personality tools, Varna-CQ™ draws from the living science of Sanatan Dharma and bridges ancient human insight with modern behavioral science. About Poonam Gupta-Krishnan is the Founder and CEO of IYKA Enterprises, a 25-year-old nationally certified, woman- owned technology company. She is a 2023 Crain’s Chicago Business NotableWomen in STEM honoree, a University of Chicago Leadership Circle Fellow, Honorary CTO of Diversity MBA Media, and a member of Chicago United’s Business Leadership Council. She has been featured by the Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, Comcast Newsmakers, TV Asia, Zee News, and Diversity MBA Magazine, and has received 35+ national and international awards. About Bharathi Theertha is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to Education, Envi- ronment, and Health, led by founder Dr. PrakasamTata. The organization hosted the May 30 event as part of its mission to advance human potential and community well-being. T he University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy announced the appointment of Sonal Ramesh Shah as a Senior Practitioner Fel- low at the University’s Center for Effective Government. A Houston native, Shah is a nationally recognized economist, public policy ex- pert, nonprofit leader, and former profes- sor at Georgetown University. Throughout her distinguished career, she has worked at the forefront of government innova- tion, civic engagement, technology policy, and social impact initiatives. In her role as Senior Practitioner Fel- low, Shah will contribute research, policy analysis, and strategic leadership focused on strengthening the intersection of technology, data, governance, and public policy to improve government effective- ness and civic outcomes. Shah is also a proud alumna of the University of Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Her appointment reflects the university’s continued commitment to engaging ac- complished leaders whose careers bridge academic scholarship and public service. Most recently, Shah served as Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Tribune, the nonprofit news organization focused on politics and public policy in Texas, from January 2023 through December 2025. During the 2020 presidential election cycle, she also served as National Policy Director for Pete Buttigieg. From 2009 to 2011, Shah served in the Obama administration as Director of theWhite House Office of Social In- novation and Civic Participation, where she led national initiatives designed to strengthen partnerships among govern- ment agencies, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic institutions, and the private sector. Earlier, she served on President Barack Obama’s presidential transition team and led Global Development Initia- tives for Google.org. Shah was also the founding executive director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation, where she helped establish one of the nation’s leading cen- ters focused on public sector innovation, civic technology, and social impact. Through her fellowship at the Cen- ter for Effective Government, Shah will collaborate with scholars, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to explore innovative approaches to governance, public sector transformation, and civic engagement in an increasingly technolo- gy-driven society. Additional information regarding Shah’s research and initiatives is available through the Center for Effective Govern- ment portal. By Bhailal M. Patel By Bhailal M. Patel Chicago Author Poonam Gupta-Krishnan Launches Groundbreaking Varna-CQ™ Leadership Framework Sonal Shah Appointed Senior Practitioner Fellow At University Of Chicago’s Center For Effective Government Poonam Gupta-Krishnan is the Founder and CEO of IYKA Enterprises, a 25-year-old nationally certified, woman-owned technology company. Sonal Ramesh Shah PHOTOS:COURTESY ORGANIZERS PHOTO:HTTPS://EFFECTIVEGOV.UCHICAGO.EDU/