Santosh Maknikar

• Santosh was born in Latur, India and moved to the United States in 2005. He has been practicing since the age of 5 and from his love of yoga he created Yoga for People so that everyone on the planet can experience the healing benefits of yoga. Santosh has worked in Information Technology for several companies in India and the U.S. He co-founded the annual Great Salt Lake Yoga Festival, is on the advisory board for Dayan Wardhini School and Makni Gram Vikas nonprofit organization. He currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah and working in the area of Information Technology.

Randy Gordon

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  What began as a three-day yoga retreat a few years ago has led to a world beyond Randy's best dreams. With daily practice, the relief that Randy has experienced from debilitating conditions such as gout and chronic joint pain have been life changing. Randy says that his practice has brought additional benefits of a calm mind and a strong spiritual connection. Randy lives and works in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from the University of Utah with a major in Spanish, and participated in springboard diving and water polo. When not at work, Randy enjoys traveling, dance, swimming and snowboarding. Randy is delighted to be taking part at Yoga For People.

Christine Wright

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  Christine's love of yoga began in 1990 when she started taking classes at her local recreation center in Orem, Utah. At that time it was physical exercise she was after, but soon realized that the practice of yoga brought a deep connection to mind and body and to the world around her. Through the years and after practicing with teachers around the world, she knows that yoga is a healing tool for every human being in any situation. Christine acquired her yoga teaching certificate in Bali in 2010.
  In her working life, Christine worked for many years in the software industry prior to launching her own Bay Area business, "Wright Stuff Events and Marketing". Christine works with several nonprofits, for-profits and political campaigns, providing event design and management, public relations, guest relations, web content and event documentation. Christine is an avid volunteer and has traveled to Nepal, India, Tibet, Indonesia and Haiti to lend a helping hand.

Amanda Jones

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  "Yoga is always there for me, to assist my body and mind in feeling their best. I want everyone to have that support, regardless of finance or fitness level." Amanda Chamberlain has been doing yoga for several years, but only recently found a true connection through Yoga For People. She discovered that while practicing donation-based yoga - void of egos and financial obligation - she was not only free to enjoy the physical benefits, but also, to feel a fostered spiritual connection as part of a greater good.
  Professionally, Amanda has been a journalist in the local scene for 7 years, holding positions in print, radio and television. She currently reports feature stories and produces segments for KUTV 2News, while also making radio appearances and emceeing public events. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys adventure and simple living with her husband, Chris, and running an "authentic living" blog.

Bonnie Rimmasch

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  Bonnie has been involoved for many years in various civic activities, charities and fundraising in her community. She has also worked in Legal and Restaturant Management. Bonnie is an artist and spends her time in her art studio working with glass, metal, wood to create jewelery and many other objects of beauty. The practice of yoga has enriched Bonnie's life beyond her initial expectations. She is always excited about sharing the wonderful world of yoga that she has recently discovered and is happy to be on the board of YFP.

Advisory Board

Dr.Dinesh Patel

Managing Director- vSpring Capital

Dr. Patel co-founded vSpring Capital (now Signal Peak Ventures) in 2000 and has been a founding managing director since its formation.
From 1985 – 1999 Dr. Patel served as Co-Founder, Chairman of The Board of Directors and President & CEO of TheraTech, Inc., a biotechnology company. From 1999 to 2004 he was the Founder, Chairman, President & CEO of Ashni Naturaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Patel served as co-chair of Governor Huntsman’s transition. He is the Chairman of the USTAR Governing Authority board. Born and raised in Zambia, Africa, Dr. Patel received his bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy at Gujarat University located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India his master’s degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and his Ph.D. in Physical Pharmacy from the University of Michigan.

Hemant Thatte, Phd

Harvard Medical School

Dr. Hemant Thatte is currently a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery Research at the VA Boston Healthcare System. He has received numerous fellowships and awards, and since 2003 has been annually listed in Marquis International Who's Who in Healthcare and Medicine. His work is primarily focused on translational research in cardiac surgery. Dr. Thatte is very pleased to bring his knowledge and skills to the Advisory Board of Yoga for People and help it grow to be a world-wide organization to bring the healing practice of yoga to people who otherwise would not have access to it.

Derrik Hull

CEO/President, Candeo

Derrick Hull holds a Master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Harvard University. Derrick's passion is developing brain-science-based systems. Derrick's work in psychology and neuroscience has lead to innovative research programs at Harvard Medical School's Laboratories of Neuroscience, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. A dedicated researcher, Derrick has published professional articles on a wide variety of topics. He is a past Editor of Current Issues in Education, and has written several entries on neuroscience for the highly esteemed Greenwood Dictionary of Education.

Pepper Provenzano

Founder, TreeLink

Pepper Provenzano is the founder of two nonprofit organizations, TreeLink (1996) and TreeUtah (1988) and the iTreeBank program. Pepper co-founded the Utah Urban Forest Council (1991) and the National Alliance for Community Trees (1993). He is a former journalist with 20 years of experience packaging international news.

Morgen Newman

Co-founder, Ideapaint

Morgen Newman currently serves as the Co-Founder and VP of International Sales for IdeaPaint, responsible for establishing distribution in more than 20 countries globally. Since joining IdeaPaint full time in early 2007, he contributed substantially to the business plan, strategy and successful launch of the company in June 2008. He has played a critical role in raising IdeaPaint’s second and third round of financing and continues to be heavily involved in company strategy. Morgen holds a B.S. in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from Babson College. He was named to Inc Magazine's 30 Under 30 and BusinessWeek's list of 25, 25 and Under in 2009.

Dr. Venkat Subramaniam

Author & founder of Agile Developer, Inc.

Dr. Venkat Subramaniam is an award-winning author, founder of Agile Developer, Inc., and an adjunct faculty at the University of Houston. He has trained and mentored thousands of software developers in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia, and is a regularly-invited speaker at several international conferences. Venkat helps his clients effectively apply and succeed with agile practices on their software projects. For more information, please visit http://www.agiledeveloper.com

Bucky Flowers

Director, Bloomfire

Bucky is a long time entrepreneur. He has build both online and brick and mortar businesses including a music venue called The Electric Theater, a clothing exchange, a music school, and a creative agency (Comma Creative). He also started a tech-support company that focused on helping the elderly become computer literate. He worked for Overstock.com as Director of User Experience. Currently he works as Director of user experience for Bloomfire & finds ways to help people through his ideas.

Ben Whipple

PhD in Accountancy

Ben Whipple is currently pursuing a PhD in Accountancy at the University of Utah. His research interests include earnings quality, firm disclosure and the transfer of information from companies to market participants. Ben has taught both Intermediate Accounting and Computer Essentials at the collegiate level. Prior to pursuing his PhD, Ben was an auditor for Ernst and Young, where he earned his CPA license. Ben holds a MAcc degree from the University of Utah and an undergraduate business degree from Western Michigan University. Outside of academics and public accounting, Ben has worked for a Fortune 500 medical supply company (corporate tax and internal audit departments) and prepared tax returns. When not working, Ben enjoys rock climbing, skiing, traveling, and yoga.

Patrick Commiskey

Owner, Foursight Partners

Patrick Commiskey became involved with yoga through experience with 12-step programs. His experience is that yoga can help draw you closer to the source, and that at a deep level, you are and are connected to the source. Drawing near to the source results in healing, peace, joy, purpose, compassion and usefulness to others. Patrick is part-owner of Foursight Partners, which provides strategic communications solutions for arts and cause-oriented enterprises. He is currently a student at the University of Michigan preparing for medical school.

Sunny Beck

Senior Analyst, Adobe Systems

Sunny graduated with a degree in Economics at the University of Utah. Before becoming an Analyst at Adobe Systems, he worked for Fidelity Investments and Delta Airlines. He is very passionate about business efficiency and optimization. Such passion led him to co-found DealDrove.com. Sunny is also very involved in his community, providing many hours of service to United Way efforts and the local Food Bank. While not working, Sunny enjoys spending time in Utah's wonderful outdoor recreational areas hiking, camping and snowboarding.

Ashish Sonavane

AVP, Polaris Software Labs

Ashish has 15 years of experience in project management and currently works with Polaris software labs. Before joining Polaris he worked with Deloitte LLP. Ashish holds an MBA in Finance From JBIMS, Mumbai. In his free time, Ashish likes reading, being in the outdoors, swimming, running, hiking and music.

Amy Williams

Co-founder, 3B Yoga

As a professional mountain bike racer Amy was drawn to the practice of yoga as a tool to strengthen her mentally and to nourish a hard working body. She found so much success and love for the discipline that she has taken it on full-time. Amy Williams is currently the co-owner of 3B Yoga located Provo, Utah, where she has taught over 6,000 classes and is the Training Director of Utah's longest running, Yoga Alliance Certified, Teacher Training program. She firmly believes that yoga is for everyone and is an effective medium for promoting health, human connection, and peace. When not caring for her two children or riding bikes with her husband, she spends her time developing ways to share the gift of yoga with everyone. Additionally Amy has earned a Master’s Degree, in Environmental History, from the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland.

Renee Fussner

Founder, Bliss Power Yoga

Renee is the founding instructor of Bliss Power Yoga in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. She travels throughout the country teaching yoga and training yoga teachers. Yoga has been so beneficial to her life that Renee is committed to sharing it with as many people as she can. In addition to teaching yoga Renee runs a business which rents SUPs (Stand Up Paddle Boards), and offer eco adventure tours for adrenaline junkies with a conscious. When Renee isn't leading a yoga class she is probably practicing, on her paddle board, rock climbing, biking, hiking, or generally getting dirty and having fun.

Alan Siegel

Yoga Teacher

Alan has been teaching Hatha yoga from many years. He studied in india and now travels and teaches in different countries. Alan use to lead a music band and travel around the world until he found Yoga. Alan now occasionally plays with some music bands and learns indian classical instruments.