Strengthening resilience and empathy in schools and communities
About Us
Our Values
Empathy
Deepening care and compassion for ourselves and one another
Equity
Ensuring service to communities exposed to the most stress and trauma
Empowerment
Building capacity to sustain individual and community stress-resilience
Our Journey
2005
Just the Beginning
With our first program at Alameda County Juvenile Hall, we began to chip away at the School-to-Prison Pipeline
2010
Meeting the Need
Mental health professionals at the West Bank of Palestine are trained in DMind upon the UN's request
2016
Building Capacity
Norton publishes Niroga's Transformative Life Skills Curriculum used by teachers and youth workers
2022
Scaling Impact
Niroga launches InPower mobile app for Apple and Android to make DMind accessible anytime, anywhere
Our Founder & Executive Director
Bidyut K. Bose (BK), PhD
BK fondly remembers lakeside walks with his father at a young age. “I was a restless boy with boundless energy, and my father encouraged me to inhale as I walked four steps and exhale as I walked eight steps. It is a time-tested breath regulation pattern, and I realized that it instantly helped me become calmer and more focused.”
The poignancy of these experiences informed BK through his career as a scientist in Silicon Valley where he learned about the impacts of stress on physical and mental health, education and public safety. “I discovered that one in two students drop out of school in our inner cities, many of whom end up in juvenile detention facilities and jails, while three out of four who are released go right back in. That is when I decided to dedicate myself to building stress-resilient communities and dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline.”
Our Team
Judy Dunlap
Co-Founder
After decades of practicing mindfulness, Judy's deep commitment to service led her to co-found Niroga with BK
Rosalind Lwin
Associate Executive Director
Rosalind applies her design background to develop trainings and resources that emphasize creativity and community
Jen Corley
Marketing/Development Director
With prior experience in academia and tech marketing, Jen brings an appreciation for lifelong learning and storytelling to her role at Niroga
Sonja Poloczek
Grants Specialist
As a Psychologist who has been practicing mindfulness for years, Sonja is enthusiastic about expanding the reach of DMind.
Daniel Duarte
Dynamic Mindfulness Specialist
Daniel's experience as an educator and personal mindfulness journey inspires him to make DMind accessible to all
Yolanda Frausto
Office Manager
Yolanda's core value of kindness is felt in her care for Dynamic Mindfulness, the Niroga community, plants, and cats
Our Board Members
Fred Schnider [Board Chair] is a criminal defense lawyer specializing in state and federal appeals. After witnessing the transformative potential of Niroga's program in Juvenile Hall, Fred has advocated for Dynamic Mindfulness as a cost-effective and empowering tool to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.
Bidyut Bose [Founder and Executive Director] The former computer scientist and technology executive founded Niroga to provide solutions to the root causes of inequity. BK is the lead author of the Dynamic Mindfulness (DMind) curriculum and conducts DMind trainings nationally and internationally.
Rosalind Lwin [Associate Executive Director] is dedicated to building capacity and increasing impact through Dynamic Mindfulness products and programs. Her primary projects, including Niroga's InPower app, are informed by her commitment to introspection, inclusivity, and innovation.
Hon. Charles Ervin serves as Presiding Judge in the Superior Court of California, Sierra County. He is the President of the California Association of Youth Courts and serves as a liaison judge from the Collaborative Justice Court Advisory Committee to the Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee.
Joe Farasat is a parent, and an influential leader who brings over 30 years of experience in financial services, consulting, and capital raising. His values of compassion, authenticity, and integrity have guided his long-standing work with social impact enterprises in the United States and beyond.
Moksha Smith is a senior criminal defense attorney with a degree in cognitive neuroscience. She has been a prosecutor advocating for the rights of victims in domestic violence and sexual assault cases. Her quest for justice on both sides has forged her deep understanding of the criminal justice system.
Conrad Tiu has served as an educational leader in diverse learning settings within the Los Angeles Unified School District, for over 30 years. His work incoporates strategies for social justice and equity in education. After learning trauma-informed mindfulness, he shares DMind daily with his students.
Our Advisory Board
Nik Banerjee • Former Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank
Alex Briscoe • Principal, Public Works Alliance
John Burbank • Founder & Chief Investment Officer, Passport Capital, LLC
Woody Carter • Former Executive Director, Bay Area Black United Fund
Adele Diamond • Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, University of British Columbia
Judy Dunlap • Co-Founder, Niroga Institute
Gihani Fernando • Head of Strategic Planning & Operations, The Bridgespan Group
Raj Gandhi • Pediatric surgeon and mindfulness trainer
Deb Levine • Consultant; formerly founder and ED of YTH (Youth+Tech+Health)
Janet Pozmantier • Consultant; former Founding Director, Center for School Behavioral Health, Mental Health America of Greater Houston
Shane Safir • Consultant; formerly with Stuart Foundation
Curtiss Sarikey • Chief of Staff to Superintendent, Oakland Unified School District
Dan Siegel • Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA, and acclaimed author
Bill Somerville • Founder, Philanthropic Ventures Foundation
John Spinale • Serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist investing in human potential technology
Lynda Tredway • Senior Associate, Institute for Educational Leadership, Washington, DC
Our Community
Together, let's develop millions of mindful children for a more connected and compassionate world