Living and working in Paris, France as an executive coach and leadership development consultant for more than 20 years has enabled Hedy Caplan to develop the skills and sensitivity that lead to effectiveness in working with diverse populations, ages, national and corporate cultures. The key to performance resides in our ability to focus attention, appeal to intrinsic motivations and develop the confidence to make decisions and follow through. To this, Hedy brings years of Mindfulness practice, and she assists her clients in developing greater awareness, confidence, emotional stability, and clarity that facilitate commitment to objectives and outcomes aligned with what brings meaning, joy and the sense of good work done well. In addition to individual and team coaching, Hedy has developed a process for transferring her skills to co-development peer groups, bringing emotional intelligence, self-mastery and openness to differences into the space where collaborative dialogues and peer-development dynamics can be developed. Hedy's approach is informed by her training in psychosynthesis, which promotes the integration of body, mind and emotions. She became a coach under the guidance of Sir John Whitmore and his team of Olympic coaches.

“Magic unfolds when rational thinking and gut intuition can exist in unison”, and Varun Venugopal Gupta is a man on the journey to harness both. Based in Goa, India, he helps businesses worldwide achieve stellar results by simply tuning in - businesses grow when entrepreneurs grow from the inside. Varun's work draws upon his experience as an improv-theatre actor and his understanding of human dynamics and complex business processes. An engineer by education, he believes that most complex problems come down to just 1-2 key variables. In addition to his work with leaders, Varun is curator of the Global Shapers Community in Goa, a World Economic Forum initiative; a Starting-bloc fellow; and until recently, was a partner at MaynardLeigh Associates, a UK based behavioural consulting firm pioneering the use of theatre, psychological insight, and frameworks for organisational change. Varun's clients have included HSBC, Coca-Cola India, EY, and Genpact.

     Varun lives an off-the-grid life in Goa, practicing Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art form, growing (some) and cooking (most) of his own food. He loves spending time outdoors (sailing, swimming, trekking, cycling) and spiritually engages via movement, minimalism and meditation. He is currently working on a book and dabbles in theatre and facilitation whenever he finds the time.

Jim Schaffer is a mindfulness trainer and consultant who has had a decades-long career in the corporate world, primarily in advertising and market research. He has been conducting workshops and speaking on mindfulness in business since 1990. Jim helps organizations and leaders develop the ability to see things clearly, focus on getting results, and maintain high morale & deep resilience, regardless of what is going on around them. He has been a featured speaker at the Boston Whole Health Expo and the Babson College International Symposium on Business and Spirituality. Jim lives with his wife in the Boston area.