Dr. Mrityunjaya Athreya

Mrityunjay Athreya has been widely recognised as one of the founders and pioneers of the Indian management movement. He identified and chose this mission early, and left the promising options of a career in industry and the civil service, to study Management at Stanford and Harvard. He joined the faculty of the IIM, Kolkata in 1967, on return from the US. He has been a Visiting Professor at the London and Scottish Business Schools, UK. Since 1978, he has been an independent resource person available to industry, central and state governments, apex and local chambers, professional associations and NGO's. One of his distinctive contributions has been to integrate the Indic philosophical heritage into contemporary management. He is the Founder Chairman of the Sringeri Institute of Management, Delhi.

He is also the Founder-President of Sampradaan, the Indian Centre for Philanthropy, a non-profit NGO whose mission is to re-create a caring, sharing and compassionate society, by advocating good giving by corporates and high net worth individuals. He is part of a global movement on integrating spirituality into life and work.

Ms. Irene Fafalios

Irene Fafalios received her 0 to 3 and 3 to 6 AMI diplomas from the Maria Montessori Institute (MMI) in London and AMI Montessori Elementary diploma from Bergamo, Italy.  She was a lecturer and tutor at the MMI for 10 years.  Ms. Fafalios moved to Greece in 1999 where she has set up and run two AMI Associated Courses for the 3 to 6 age group.  She is currently the educational consultant for a non-profit organisation intent on setting up small Montessori schools throughout Athens.

Mrs. Sandra Girlato

Sandra Girlato holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, English and fine art history from the University of Toronto, a Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola College, as well as an AMI diploma at the primary level. Mrs. Girlato worked with children 3 to 6 in a Montessori Casa prepared environment for several years. In 1990 Mrs. Girlato embarked upon the training of trainers programme under the direction of Mrs. Renilde Montessori and succeeded Mrs. Montessori as the Director of Training at the Foundation for Montessori Education, Toronto, in 1996. Mrs. Girlato is a member of the AMI pedagogical committee, as well as a consultant, lecturer and adjunct professor for Loyola College in Baltimore.

Mr. David Kahn

David Kahn is Executive Director of the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association, and was the founding Program Director of the Hershey Montessori Farm School, an Erdkinder prototype in Huntsburg, Ohio. He is now establishing an International Centre for Adolescent Studies dedicated not only to the development of the Montessori third plane, but to the integration of the Montessori adolescent preparation with that of early childhood as well as the elementary years. Mr. Kahn has produced extensive media works, both print and video, and is sought internationally as a speaker and consultant in the Montessori work with the Adolescent.

Ms. Baiba Krumins Grazzini

Baiba Krumins Grazzini is Director of Training at the International Centre for Montessori Studies foundation. She has been involved with Bergamo’s AMI Elementary Training Course since 1975 and first became an AMI Elementary Trainer in 1988. In 1992 she joined Mr. Camillo Grazzini as Director of Training. Ms. Krumins Grazzini holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in economics from the University of London. As the late Camillo Grazzini’s closest collaborator, she has co-researched papers and projects with respect to Montessori history, planes of education, cosmic education, the elementary materials, geometry, and many other aspects of the Bergamo elementary course.

Dr. Krishna Kumar

Krishna Kumar is the Director of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). In his distinguished career, he has also been Professor of Education at the University of Delhi and Head of the Central Institute of Education (1988-91), besides having been a UGC National Lecturer and a Jawaharlal Nehru Fellow. His literary contribution include Raj, Samaj aur Shiksha; Vichaar ka Dar; School ki Hindi; Learning from Conflict ; What is Worth Teaching ; The Child’s Language and the Teacher; The Social Character of Learning ; and Prejudice and Pride: School Histories of freedom Struggle in India and Pakistan. A columnist and a short story writer in Hindi, Prof. Kumar also writes for children.

Ms. Lynne Lawrence

Lynne Lawrence is Director of Training and Schools at the Maria Montessori Training Organisation London (MMTO), the International Training Centre in Britain of the Association Montessori Internationale. The MMTO also runs 3 Children’s Houses and an Elementary school and Ms. Lawrence oversees the running of these schools in addition to running the training courses. Ms. Lawrence took the AMI training course in London in 1974 training under Mrs. Hilla Patell and worked with Ms. Muriel Dwyer on the ‘Help the Children’ project in Kenya between 1978 and 1985. Since 1990, Ms. Lawrence has been Director of Training of the 3 - 6 AMI Course in London. She is an AMI Board Member and General Secretary (ad interim) of AMI.

Ms. Judi Orion

Judith A. Orion, M.A., Director of Training for Assistants to Infancy and Primary levels, holds the AMI Primary (3-6) diploma and received her Assistants to Infancy (0-3) diploma at the first AMI training for that level, given in Rome. Ms. Orion has conducted Primary and Infancy Montessori classes and is a trainer, examiner and consultant at both levels. She conducts teacher training internationally and is a national and international seminar presenter at Montessori conferences. Ms. Orion is an adjunct faculty member of Loyola College in Maryland. She was the Director of Training for the first 0-6 AMI Diploma course held in Japan. She currently is a member of the AMI Board, AMI Training Group, AMI Scientific Pedagogical Committee, is chair of the AMI Human Resources Committee and sits on the AMI Executive Committee.

Smt. Jaya Row

Jaya Row is the founder of Vedanta Vision and Founder- Managing Trustee of Vedanta Trust. Vedanta Vision is dedicated to the promotion of Vedanta, Indian philosophy - the oldest management school in the world. Vedanta is a science of living that empowers each individual to achieve success, happiness, growth and fulfilment. Smt. Row has spent nearly thirty years in the study and research of Vedanta. She has a first class academic record in Microbiology and has had a distinguished management career which she renounced to devote herself full time to the interpretation and representation of Vedanta for the modern generation. She incorporates a unique blend of scholarly knowledge with real-world pragmatism. She is a skilful orator and challenges people to look beyond the mundane and secular and reach for the permanent and more meaningful aspects of life.