Board of Directors
David Lynch, Chairman
David Lynch, founder and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, is an award-winning director, writer and producer. His work includes Eraserhead, Elephant Man, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, Straight Story, Mulholland Drive and INLAND EMPIRE.
Bob Roth, Chief Executive Officer
Bob Roth is one of the most experienced and sought-after meditation leaders in America. Over the past 45 years, Bob has taught Transcendental Meditation® to many thousands of people, and is the author of the 2018 New York Times bestseller, “Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation.” As CEO of the David Lynch Foundation Bob has helped bring meditation to more than a million students in underserved schools in 35 countries, to military veterans and their families who suffer from post-traumatic stress, and to women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. Bob also directs the Center for Health & Wellness, which is bringing meditation to companies, government organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Bob is the host of the SiriusXM radio show, “Success Without Stress” and has spoken about meditation to industry leaders at such gatherings as Google Zeitgeist, Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen Brain Conference, Wisdom2.0, and Summit.
Steven Chanin, Executive Chairman
Steven Chanin is a retired finance executive with wide-ranging experience in a variety of industries, including information technology, multi-media, film production, and philanthropic investment. As the President and CEO of Chanin Consulting Services he developed trust operations systems for securities lending, trading, and tracking for such clients as Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase Manhattan, and First Interstate. As Director of Finance for the Ford Foundation, he participated in the management of a $3 billion investment portfolio. Subsequently he trained options traders and developed new and successful options strategies which lead to the creation of a private options based hedge fund. He served on the faculty of Syracuse University's School of Management, where he taught MBA courses in finance and portfolio theory. Steven is currently President of the Chanin Family Foundation, which focuses on supporting scientific research in health and medicine, working with such institutions as the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NYC and Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology in Israel. He grew up in New York City where his family was responsible for the architecture and construction of a number of landmark buildings and Broadway theaters. An avid skier, tennis player, and golfer, Steven has been a TM teacher for over 25 years.
Mark Axelowitz
Mark is Managing Director at UBS Private Wealth Management and has been providing investment advice to ultra - high net-worth individuals, family offices and foundations since 1987. He is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), a designation earned through the Wharton School of Business. He was selected as one of the “Top Ten Outstanding Brokers of the Year” by Registered Rep magazine and as one of Barron’s “Top Advisors of America.” Mark is an officer on the board of the Boys & Girls Harbor, he has co-chaired the Harbor Investment Conference since 2006 and is also a dedicated member of the Robin Hood Foundation. Mark is a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild, is married with three children and resides in Manhattan and Bridgehampton, NY.
Jill Black
Jill Black Zalben joined Black Equities Group in 2004. She is involved with the operations and management of her family's real estate portfolio. Jill is also a Director of the Stanley and Joyce Black Family Foundation. She is on the board of several philanthropic organizations such as Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, The David Lynch Foundation, Temple of the Arts, University Kidney Research Organization, and UCLA Luskin School of Public Policy. Jill is a supporter of Tel Aviv University, Jaffe Foundation and other organizations in Israel. Her involvement with The People Concern, Union Rescue Mission, Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation and ADL has helped break the cycle of chronic homelessness, poverty, and social inequities. Jill believes that the most impactful way to give back is to become a mentor. A young person needs the support and encouragement of a mentor to gain personal growth, development, as well as social and economic opportunities.
Jill participates in Southern California Grantmakers and Council on Foundations. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Public Communications from The American University in Washington, D.C.
Jill has two children: Zach and Torie Zalben. She shares her life with her significant other, Marvin Caesar.
Nancy Chemtob
Nancy Chemtob is a leading matrimonial and family law attorney. Her practice is grounded in an awareness that her representation often has abiding ramifications on her clients’—and their children’s—lives.
Chemtob, a founding and managing partner at Chemtob Moss Forman & Beyda, is highly adept at negotiation, and she works to arrive at advantageous out-of-court settlements wherever possible.
And that’s in addition to her exceptional courtroom skills: Chemtob is a formidable trial attorney who has made or altered New York State family law in multiple cases. Chemtob, a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School, has shared her expertise in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and The Atlantic.”
Larry Comp
Prior to learning TM, Larry was a stressed out, struggling college student with a bad
temper and learning disability. After learning TM at Kent State, in 1974, his life began to
turn around…and just kept getting better. Along the way, he completed his graduate
degree and became a successful corporate executive, entrepreneur, author, speaker,
adjunct professor, board member, CEO coach, mentor, and community leader. He and
his wife, Terry, co-founded the local chapter of a 24/7 nonprofit that continues to help
homeless children and their families to get back on the feet. He later co-founded the TM
Business Group which grew to over 1,000 TM-practicing business leaders. During the
latter part of 2023, Larry and Terry sold their High Performance & Total Compensation
consulting practice to IMA Financial Group. Larry was invited to stay on as an EVP with
IMA to guide the transition, while incorporating his prior company’s products & services
into IMA’s product portfolio. Larry and Terry reside in Valencia, California with their little
pup, Enzo. Their sons, Colin and Conner live in Northern San Diego and are also TM
practitioners.
Pegah Easton
Pegah was born in Iran and immigrated to the US as a young teenager during the Iran-Iraq War. She began her professional journey in finance and quickly rose to become a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley and later at Fidelity Investments, providing customized investment strategies tailored to the unique needs and objectives of institutions, corporations, individuals, and retirement funds. After numerous years in finance, Pegah left Fidelity Investments to pursue her passion for filmmaking by attending the NYU film program, where she wrote and directed a few short films. Starting as an intern, she honed her craft and collaborated with numerous talented indie filmmakers, including the renowned Ben Barenholtz, to become a professional producer. Her work in the industry has resulted in several critically acclaimed feature film productions.
Pegah is a dedicated practitioner of TM, which she credits for helping her reduce stress and achieve inner peace and equanimity. She currently resides in New York City with her husband and daughter and has a deep commitment to community involvement and philanthropy. In her downtime, she loves to discover the latest and greatest coffee and ice cream the city has to offer.
Mike Forman
Mike Forman is a Senior Managing Director in the Real Estate group of Blackstone where he currently focuses on investment opportunities in the digital infrastructure and retail sectors.
Since joining Blackstone in 2012, Mr. Forman has been involved in investments across several asset classes, including QTS Data Centers, Digital Realty, COPT, Sunset Studios, ShopCore, and the creation and eventual IPO of Invitation Homes.
Mr. Forman received a dual BA in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Economics from Northwestern University, where he graduated with honors, and completed the Kellogg Financial Economics program.
David Goodman
David Goodman is an executive who has spent 30+ years running divisions of global multi-media organizations, spearheading/overseeing growth, revenue, marketing, content creation, production, product/technology innovation/services, distribution and oversight of some of the worlds most recognizable brands and properties. Most recently he served as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital Development at Sotheby’s where he and his team (advertising, technology, content creation, audience development, exhibition design/creative services, sponsorship, membership) were responsible for numerous initiatives which resulted in record growth in audience (physical/digital), revenue, e-commerce sales, on-line audience, content creation (web, mobile, social, video, print, AR/VR) while incorporating best-in-class technology into client-facing products and processes.
Under his leadership, innovations have included: apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TV and Apple TV (named one of Apple’s “Best New Apps” when launched), the creation of a global and mobile first discovery, registration, bidding and buying platform, a global publishing and content creation/audience platform, the award winning “Treasures From Chatsworth,” a 13-part series and live exhibition, new sales categories and the creation and implementation of sophisticated internal/external advertising, insight and analytics programs and services.
Goodman came to Sotheby’s from The Madison Square Garden Company, where he was the President of Productions and Live Entertainment. Prior to his role at MSG, he spent 13 years at CBS in a number of roles, including President of CBS Live Experiences, President of CBS Interactive Music Group and President of Digital Media and Integrated Marketing for CBS Radio, with responsibilities including content creation, production, marketing, advertising, distribution, revenue, technology and P&L oversight. David has also served as an executive at Warner Bros., President of Warnervision a division of The Warner Music Group, and Saban Entertainment. Additionally, he has created and/or executive produced numerous award winning and critically acclaimed shows, series and specials across every facet of entertainment — live, film, video, television, web, mobile and social — reaching, entertaining and educating hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Goodman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from Indiana University in 1983 and lives in New York City with his wife and family.
Bob Jones
Bob is the CIO and Chairman of System Two Advisors, where he focuses on design and implementation of the investment process. Prior to founding System Two, he founded the Global Quantitative Equity Group at Goldman Sachs Asset Management in 1989, which he ran until his retirement from GS as a partner in 2010. Prior to joining GSAM, Bob was a quantitative analyst at Brignoli Models, Lehman Brothers, and in the Global Investment Research department at Goldman Sachs.
He graduated with a BA in American Civilization from Brown University in 1978, and an MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan in 1980. Bob has written many articles on investing for major publications, including The Financial Analysts Journal, The Journal of Investing, and The Journal of Portfolio Management. He has also contributed chapters to many books, including Modern Investment Management: An Equilibrium Approach. Mr. Jones is on the Investment Advisory Board at the University of Michigan, and is a member and Past President of the Society of Quantitative Analysts (SQA)
Nigol Koulajian
Nigol Koulajian is the founder and CIO of Quest Partners, a NYC-based quantitative hedge fund with $1.4 billion in assets under management. Quest manages assets for some of the world’s largest pensions. Prior to starting Quest, Nigol was the head trader for Carmel Capital, a risk-arbitrage hedge fund and head of asset allocation at Weston Capital, a fund of hedge funds. He started his career with Andersen Consulting. Mr. Koulajian earned an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School and a BS in electrical engineering from Notre Dame. He has been running a personal foundation dedicated to supporting the practices of yoga and meditation since 2002. He was on the board of the Omega Institute for four years.
Dr. Yolanda Lewis-Ragland
Dr. Yolanda Lewis-Ragland is a passionate health advocate, thought-provoking lifestyle interventionist and compassionate physician who is board-certified through both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Her global health training and extensive experience in clinical service has set her apart as the subject expert on self-care strategies and obesity management in both children and adults.
She has collaborated with and performed seminars and trainings for organizations such as Black Entertainment Television (BET), the U.S. Peace Corps, United Way, USAID, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and helped advance public health initiatives of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), to name a few. Likewise, she travels the world yearly with her medical team, educating and serving through medical missions, health fairs, and foreign government trainings, often as the sole pediatric provider.
Dr. Yolanda is an engaging and highly sought-after speaker, author, and health consultant who has been a featured repeat guest on “The Diane Rehm Show” on National Public Radio (NPR), “The Awakening TV Talk Show” and “The Village Talk Radio Show.” She is featured monthly on the “Walking In Victory” Radio Show, and is featured annually on local radio and TV shows in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, encouraging healthy living and offering obesity prevention tips while promoting the Healthy Encores Lifestyle Festival annual health fair as the event’s medical director. Dr. Yolanda also shares information on health, fitness and nutrition as a regular contributor to the internet film magazine “Quiet on The Set” and with the readers of her own nutrition blog, BodyDocPro.com.
Guided by the principle of empowerment through knowledge, Dr. Yolanda motivates her audiences to improve their health and transform their lives by arming individuals with practical nutrition facts guaranteed to decrease stress and the harmful weight issues connected to it, regain focus and improve memory by identifying foods and practices that cause brain fog, and prolong and improve quality of life by providing a practical and affordable blueprint of vitality foods.
Arthur “Bud” Liebler
Mr. Liebler has spent over 40 years in the Public Relations/ Marketing / Communications business, including over 20 years at Chrysler and DaimlerChrysler Corporation where he was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications until 2001. Previous to Chrysler, Bud worked at Ford Motor Company, Ross Roy Advertising and Stratacomm Public Relations. He is a former national chairman of the American Advertising Federation, President of the Michigan Advertising Industry Alliance and Adcraft Club of Detroit, and serves on the boards of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Public Television, Michigan Opera Theatre and Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Mark S. Nestor, M.D., Ph.D.
Mark S. Nestor, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.D. is a board certified Dermatologist and for the past 30 years serves
as Director of the Center for Clinical and Cosmetic ResearchTM and the Center for Cosmetic
Enhancement®, Aventura, Florida. He received his MD and PhD in Immunopathology from UCLA School
of Medicine, and completed his Dermatology Residency at NYU. He is currently a Voluntary Professor in
the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery and the Department of Surgery, Division of
Plastic Surgery at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. He is the President of the American
Cutaneous Oncology Society, a past President of the American Society for Photodynamic Therapy, the
International Society for Cosmetic and Laser Surgeons, and Florida Society of Dermatology and
Dermatologic Surgery. As Director for CCCR he has conducted more than 150 FDA and non-FDA clinical
trials. Dr. Nestor is recognized as a world expert in clinical therapeutics, drug delivery systems and
research in many areas of clinical Dermatology and aesthetics including acne, psoriasis, and skin cancer,
light therapies including low level laser therapy, cutaneous laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, and
Superficial Radiation Therapy. His aesthetic expertise includes lasers, RF and other devices, fillers and he
recently developed new clinical postulates for botulinum toxins. He has authored over 140 articles and
book chapters, has delivered over 1100 major presentations around the world and is viewed as an
internationally acclaimed lecturer and instructor of clinical and aesthetic Dermatology. Dr. Nestor also
serves as a consultant to numerous pharmaceutical and device companies assisting them in the
development of new medications, devices and cosmeceuticals. He has been practicing Transcendental
Meditation for 50 years and credits TM for enhancing all aspects of his professional and personal life. He
recently published a landmark study on the benefits of TM for health care workers during the height of
the COVID crisis.
Joanna Plafsky
Joanna Plafsky is an established international film producer and distributor. She was Co-Founder of Nu Image Films (now Millennium Films), which went on to become a highly successful film production and distribution company. Joanna began her career as Founder and President of Radiance Films International, an international sales and film distribution company. She sold hundreds of films throughout the world and had a strong presence at the Cannes, Milan, and other international film festivals. More recently, Joanna co-produced the documentary Saving the Disposable Ones with David Lynch Foundation Television. She was also Executive Producer of the award-winning documentary My Reincarnation. A graduate from the University of California at Berkeley, Joanna earned a Master’s Degree in Film from Boston University. Joanna’s passion is producing films that uplift the human spirit and make the world a better place to live.
Jack Rovner
Jack Rovner is co-president of Vector Management since 2002. Rovner is an entertainment industry pioneer, boasting wide-ranging experience in artist development, touring, branding, marketing, and production. Vector is a full-service, multi-platform artist management company with offices in New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles. Respected throughout the industry as an innovative artist, lifestyle and brand management company, Vector plays a crucial role in the careers of such superstars as, to name a few: Kesha, The Strokes, the cast of the Impractical Jokers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Michael McDonald, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Manchester Orchestra and more. A veteran executive, known for his innovative advances in the development of the human brand, Rovner’s personal leadership in the music industry developed as head of marketing at Columbia Records, EVP at Arista Records, and then onto President of RCA Records. The Grammy award winner has also worked on acclaimed films and TV projects including 2020’s Impractical Jokers: The Movie, 2006’s remarkable documentary, Herbie Hancock: Possibilities, and MTV’s highly rated series, Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life.
Sunali Sharma
Sunali’s journey weaves through the diverse landscapes of India, the US, and Belgium, where
she spent her formative years. Born in New Delhi, she began her education in a boarding school
nestled in the Himalayan foothills, where she was first introduced to the teachings of Zen and
mindfulness. While at New York University, Sunali immersed herself in the vibrant energy of
New York City. She began collaborating with her father in their 80-year-old family textile
manufacturing business, operating across multiple countries. Rooted in her family’s values,
Sunali passionately dedicated herself to initiatives aimed at enhancing access to basic
education and healthcare for women and children in rural Indian villages.
Fueled by her love for art, Sunali is also a painter and an avid collector, acquiring pieces from her global travels. Recognized as a philanthropist, investor, and art collector, Sunali’s deepest passion lies in her daily twenty-minute Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice, which holds a central place in her routine. Complemented by breathwork, sound bath healing, and a holistic lifestyle philosophy centered on inner healing, TM serves as her anchor.
Alongside her husband Vikrant, Sunali is a devoted mother to their daughter Anya. She firmly believes that the practice of TM fosters equanimity and a resilient mindset, empowering individuals to conquer any challenge.
Orin Snyder
Orin Snyder is a Partner and Member of the Executive Committee at Gibson Dunn and is one of the nation's leading trial lawyers and litigators. The prestigious Chambers USA named Mr. Snyder one of the nation's six best trial lawyers in the category of "Litigation: Business Trial Lawyers." Another commentator called him "the deadliest lawyer in tech." A former Federal Prosecutor, Orin is a Member of Gibson Dunn's Executive Committee, a senior litigation partner in the New York office Co-Chair of the Media, Entertainment and Technology Group.
Dr. Hassan Tetteh
Hassan A. Tetteh, MD, MBA, FACS, FACHE, is a US Navy Captain and Associate Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and adjunct faculty at Howard University College of Medicine and University of Maryland Medical Center. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow from 2012–13, assigned to the US Congress, Congressional Budget Office, (CBO). Currently, Tetteh is a Thoracic Surgeon for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He leads a Specialized Thoracic Adapted Recovery (STAR) Team, in Washington, DC, and his research in thoracic transplantation aims to expand heart and lung recovery and save lives.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Tetteh received his BS from State University of New York (SUNY) at Plattsburgh, his MD from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, his MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, MBA from Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, and MS in National Security Strategy with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence from the National War College. He completed his thoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota and advanced cardiac surgery fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Tetteh has finished twenty-one marathons, is founder and principal of Tetteh Consulting Group, and a best-selling author of four books including Gifts of the Heart, Star Patrol, The Art of Human Care, and Success Principles. Tetteh is board certified in thoracic surgery, general surgery, clinical informatics, and healthcare management, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association. He’s an alumnus of the Harvard Medical School Writers’ Workshop and Yale Writers’ Conference and lives near Washington, D.C. with his wife, son, and daughter.