Sravana Borkataky-Varma, Ph.D.
Sravana is a historian, educator, and social entrepreneur. As a historian, she studies Indian religions focusing on esoteric rituals and gender, particularly in Hinduism (Śākta Tantra). As an educator, she is currently working as a Lecturer at Harvard University and at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, where she teaches introductory courses on World Religions and higher-level courses on Hinduism, Buddhism, Religion, and Film, and History of Yoga. In the past she has taught at the University of Houston, University of Montana, Rice University, and DaLian Neusoft University, China. In a previous non-academic avatar, Sravana worked in customer service, in the financial and IT industries, in India. As a social entrepreneur, she is the co-founder of a non-profit, Lumen Tree Portal. Sravana invests in building communities with individuals from various faith-backgrounds who believe in kindness, compassion, and fulfillment. Sravana has a PhD. in Religions from Rice University.
Rakhee Das
I Co-Founded Lumen Tree Portal with Sravana to build partnerships and bring humanity – from all walks, religions, and philosophies of life – to understand, respond to, and communicate with one another. I love bringing ideas to life, helping companies innovate, and diving deep into problems and often finding solutions using technology. I believe that we could all benefit if we took the time to understand one another – found our purpose. Access to technology makes this possible and available. I am #Lumen.
Preity Bhagia
I am an entrepreneur, writer and seeker of an authentic life. My search for a spiritual anchor for myself and my family, led me to the passionate founders of Lumen Tree, Sravana and Rakhee. I believe that finding connection in a non-judgmental space is a fundamental human need and love the Lumen Tree objective to provide resources to make this accessible to everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs. I was born and raised in Delhi, worked in Dubai and have now made a home in Houston, where I live with my husband and two children. Besides Lumen Tree, I serve on the Southwest regional board for UNICEF USA and the Save a Mother Houston board.
Christopher Laursen, Ph.D.
I am an interdisciplinary humanities scholar specializing in modern cultural and social history. I teach at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and hold a Ph.D. in History from the University of British Columbia. In my studies and teaching, I focus on how people use science and spirituality to understand extraordinary aspects of the natural world and consciousness. Especially in relation to dreams, visions, hauntings, the uncanny, and transformative experiences. Through Lumen Tree Portal, I work with communities to enhance and apply how the extraordinary and wondrous reshapes individuals’ lives as well as cultures.
Pam Lewis, Ph.D.
Inspired by Sravana’s compassion, inclusive attitudes, and teaching approach, I enthusiastically invited her to bring Lumen Tree into the Compassionate Houston network, a non-profit based on the Charter for Compassion and founded in 2011. I am currently the Board Chair of Compassionate Houston and see in Sravana a like-minded “connector”/partnership builder for shared visions of community. Retired from professional counseling and disability consulting, I began to study Insight Meditation. Compassion practices I learned there led me to formal compassion training and practices. I now teach Compassionate Integrity Training (CIT) as a way to manifest Compassionate Houston’s mission of nurturing the compassionate culture in Houston.
Samhita Shah
I believe that we are all unique and so is our path to spirituality, and love how Lumen Tree aspires to foster communal harmony by recognizing and respecting spiritual and religious diversity. I have always been fascinated by Sravana’s deep knowledge and understanding of spirituality and different faiths, and believe in her ability to guide individuals from all walks of life in their spiritual transformation journey. Born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, I currently live in Houston, Texas, with my husband and two teenage daughters. I am a career Marketer and serve on the Board of Directors for Grant-A-Starr Foundation.
Claire Villarreal, Ph.D.
I’ve been wondering about the nature of reality most of my life and practicing various forms of Buddhism since 1997. I’ve meditated my way around India, Nepal, and Thailand, with pilgrimages to Tibet. I completed a PhD on Tibetan Buddhism and contemplative ways of knowing in 2015 at Rice University (where I Sravana and I became friends and dharma sisters), worked for Dawn Mountain Center for Tibetan Buddhism, and am now a digital nomad and meditation instructor. Things that blow my mind include science, great storytelling, and Spinning.