BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As President/CEO, Jim is responsible to the Board for the strategic development and staff of the company and university. As CAO, he oversees all curriculum development and faculty affairs. He has had a lifetime of social and political activism beginning in the 1960s with the anti-war, anti-nuclear, citizen diplomacy and environmental movements. He founded Ubiquity University having served as President and Chief Academic Officer of Wisdom University, based in California, from 2005 – 2012. He led the transition as Wisdom University first established Ubiquity in 2012 and then was acquired by Ubiquity in 2013. He has spent his entire professional life in executive leadership, including as co-founder and president of the Gorbachev Foundation/USA (1992 – 1995) and State of the World Forum (1995 – 2004) with Mikhail Gorbachev serving as convening chairman. Jim received his B.A in History from the University of Santa Clara, an MA in History of Religion from Harvard University, and a PhD in Philosophical Theology from the University of Cambridge. He has written numerous books, including The Plutonium Culture, The Darkness of God: Theology after Hiroshima, The Russian Threat, Citizen Diplomats, Civilization and the Transformation of Power, and America as Empire. Jim teaches a range of courses at Ubiquity in philosophy, history and global affairs, including the core courses The Great Books and Wisdom and Civilization.
Jim served on the Wisdom University Board from 2005 – 2012 and is the founding Chairperson of the Board for Ubiquity as well as CFO. He spent 30 years (1972-2002) developing economic, professional and cultural relations between the United States and the countries within the former Soviet bloc. He was a telecommunications executive during the 1990’s, co-founding the Russian long-distance company Rustel in 1992, serving as its President from 1992-1997. From 1989-1992, Hickman was CEO of AJ Ventures, Inc., a US company that established commercial enterprises in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia. In 1993, as Vice President of the State of the World Forum, he worked with President Gorbachev and Jim Garrison on the Foundation’s international programs. He co-founded, with Jim Garrison, Mosaic Networks in 2003 as a business-consulting firm focused on international telecommunications projects. Jim received his M.A. in Psychology from Sonoma State College and teaches a course on Neuroscience and Personal Practice at the Wisdom School of Graduate Studies.
Stephanie was a Board member of Wisdom University and is a founding Board member of Ubiquity University. She is the Founding President and President Emerita of the internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. She was the founding President of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, and an international president of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, one of the world's largest professional educational associations. Dr. Pace-Marshall is recognized globally as an educational pioneer and innovator. Author of over 40 journal articles, editor of Scientific Literacy for the 21st Century, and contributor to the National Research Council's book: Learning and Understanding, Dr. Pace-Marshall's book The Power to Transform: Leadership that brings Learning and Schooling to Life is path breaking and offers a generative new paradigm for all levels of education. Stephanie earned a BA from Queens College (N.Y.), an MA from the University of Chicago and a PhD from Loyola University of Chicago. She holds Four Honorary Doctorates.
Aftab Omer, PhD, teaches in the Transformative Leadership graduate program at Meridian University. He is a sociologist, psychologist, and the president of Meridian. Raised in Pakistan, India, Hawaii, and Turkey, he was educated at the universities of M.I.T, Harvard, and Brandeis. His publications have addressed the topics of transformative learning, cultural leadership, generative entrepreneurship and complexity capability. His work includes assisting organizations in tapping the creative potentials of conflict, diversity, and complexity. Formerly the president of the Council for Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychologies, he is a Fellow of the International Futures Forum and the World Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Steve is a founding Board member of Ubiquity. He co-founded pH Science Holdings, Inc., a research and product development company focused on acid pollution and its impact on human, animal, and planetary health, of which he serves as CEO. He has been a board member on several high-growth, early-stage companies with successful exits via merger. He regularly advises companies on mergers, acquisitions, equity placements, and corporate restructuring. Steve co-founded Wax, Loyd & Company (WLC), a successful investment banking firm originating and managing mergers, acquisitions, and assisting high growth companies. While serving as the Managing Partner at WLC, he also served as a professor of advanced entrepreneurial finance courses in the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. Steve directed Harbor Development Company for ten years which renovated eleven city blocks in downtown Seattle. The project won the Urban Land Institute Grand Award for Mixed Use Projects. Steve holds a Juris Doctor degree from Willamette University College of Law and holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Washington.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Shelly comes to Ubiquity with 30 years of experience in association management including eight years as Principal of Alcorn Associates Management Consulting. In addition to focusing on strategic and operational issues for Ubiquity, she is a frequent keynote speaker focusing on critical issues faced by organizations and society at large including how to be more human in an increasingly machine-driven world and what impacts the rise of artificial intelligence and automation will have on the educational system and the workplace of the future. Shelly was formerly the Executive Director of the California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC) and the Automotive Service Councils of California (ASCCA). She also served as Vice-President of Education and Development for the California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE). She has published numerous articles in trade journals and has co-authored a number of works including: “42 Rules for Engaging Members Through Gamification: Unlock the Secrets of Motivation, Community, and Fun,” “Associations, Generation Y and Millennials: What You Need to Know About Your Next Generation Members,” and “The Association Role in the New Education Paradigm.” She holds the CAE (Certified Association Executive) designation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and is currently pursuing her MA through Ubiquity University.
Rick has extensive experience in marketing and oversees Ubiquity’s marketing efforts with a team of millennials. Rick also has over 25 years of experience in producing award winning educational videos and films. He has produced over 250 online courses and has worked with dozens of Fortune 100 corporate clients as well as with State and Federal government agencies. In addition to marketing, Rick oversees all Ubiquity course production and delivery.
Claire is Faculty Liaison at the Wisdom School of Graduate Studies, where she has played a number of roles over the past 12 years. With Jane Goodall, she co-founded the Whole Child Initiative, and in 2000 was Coordinator of the State of the World Forum Intl. Roundtables on the Irreducible Needs of Children in New York. During the 1980's, she worked as Director of a number of programs, including the Esalen Institute Soviet-American Exchange; the Oxford Research Group, UK; and the Medical Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons, as National Organizer. She also trained and worked as a primary school teacher in the UK. She holds a BA in Philosophy & Comparative Religion from the University of Leeds; Art & Design Certificate from the Cambridge College of Art & Technology, Cambridge; Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Goldsmith’s College, London; and Research Fellowship, University of Bradford School of Peace Studies.
Rajinda has over 10 years of project management, program development and marketing experience in the international development, education and startup space. After graduating from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School in 2003, and receiving his Masters Degree from Johns Hopkins’ School for International Studies (SAIS) in 2006, Raji went on to direct country programs for Relief International, an American organization specializing in humanitarian relief and development. He immersed himself in this work during Sri Lanka’s post-Tsunami era and continued to contribute during the climax and aftermath of Sri Lanka’s civil war. Raji then went on to pursue an MBA at the National University of Singapore, following which he took on a role as CEO at Knowledge City (a Sri Lankan organization specializing in IT and English education) before moving on to start his own company in the fintech space in Singapore. As part of Ubiquity’s core team, Raji works closely with the marketing team and is also primarily responsible for strategizing and developing Ubiquity’s presence in Asia.
Monica is a lawyer and is finishing her masters in financial management. She works to design and improve Ubiquity’s finance and legal processes. Before joining our team, she worked over nine years in multinational law firms and AIESEC, the world largest youth run organization, where she served as the global CFO. She co-leads the AIESCEC/Ubiquity partnership development.
Peter is founder of the Center for Human Emergence (Netherlands), and a founding partner of Engage! in the Netherlands. He has worked in and across different sectors. As well as co-founding and leading the organisations above, his experience includes facilitating integral change processes in multinational corporations, and government ministries, and in multistakeholder initiatives with global players. He has been involved in environmental activism and spent many years in the not-for-profit sector including leading international youth training programs for the Council of Europe. He is a recognised expert in the field of evolutionary systems dynamics and Spiral Dynamics Integral in particular. He has had his first book published in English and Dutch (Evolutionary Leadership). He has a Ph.D. from Ubiquity’s Wisdom School with his Volution Theory, M.Sc. from the University of Edinburgh in Human Ecology and a B.A. in French and German from Exeter University.
Bob co-leads the team coordinating the Ubiquity Tech Stack, i.e. the back-end systems and infrastructure. Additionally, Bob oversees all of the Wisdom School’s and Ubiquity’s learning journeys and international courses, some 100 courses in 25 countries. He serves as Secretary to the Board and is part of the Financial Management Team and Marketing Team. Prior to coming to Ubiquity, Bob founded and ran Global Seminars, designing and leading educational travel groups for global high school and university students; co-founded the Information Bank, which consulted with global TV news companies based in US, Russia and Japan; and worked in International Affairs Budgeting at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President (Jimmy Carter). He received his BA from Grinnell College, an M.P.A. from Princeton University, then went on to a one year program in Advanced Study in Political Philosophy at Oxford University.
David is the Managing Director of Skillsbook, an acquisition of Ubiquity University. Skillsbook is the backbone of Ubiquity’s Global Credential system. The Skillsbook company is based in Australia and its software has been used to assess the skills of over 250,000 Australians. The system is deployed in education, corporate, public and cross border settings. David is a seasoned entrepreneur. He is a consultant and service provider to the Australian Commonwealth and State Governments on industry workforce development and vocational competency and qualification systems. David is a leading expert on vocational competency assessment and digital portfolios. He holds a Masters Degree in Social Research, graduate specialisations in industrial relations, adult learning and business.
Stacy has worked for over 10 years as Registrar, keeping course files and degree transcripts, interacting with students, managing student accommodations and logistics, as well as supporting the Dean and Dean of Students in all admissions-related issues, and the preparation of student communications. She has 20+ years experience in an office environment managing multiple tasks, prioritizing and problem solving. Her administrative experience includes the use of customized software programs, inventory control, excellent customer service, payables, receivables, and processing titles.
Jack Policar comes from a sales and marketing background. Wearing a number of hats on the Engagement team, he brings his wildly creative, strategic team organization and partnership development skills to the table. Having worked for numerous startups of varying sizes and different industries, Jack brings a wide variety of perspectives into the Engagement strategy. As the resident millennial, Jack connects different teams to the millennial users that have helped shaped the way Ubiquity engages with its market.
Paul is a seasoned entrepreneur who has built four companies over several decades. He was an Associate Professor of Urban Planning at University of Michigan where he led social systems design at the Environmental Simulation Lab funded by the Ford Foundation and National Science Foundation. He served as VP of Set-Theoretic Information Systems developing information retrieval software for major corporations such as General Motors. He led the largest evaluation research project done by the Canadian Government as of the early 1980s on Canadian energy conservation efforts. He was the co-founder and EVP for American Lives, Inc., a values and lifestyles market research company, which led to the forming of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), an industry association representing what is now a $300 billion sector in the U.S. economy. He has been a cutting edge researcher of the Cultural Creatives, a term he coined, and has led studies worldwide on this emerging values based sociological phenomenon.
Matt Robertson is on a life-long quest to help bring innovation into higher education. He believes it is time for a change in perspective and a shift in awareness. As the unofficial “De-light” Officer, he brings a background in student recruiting and the management of admissions systems to the Ubiquity community, in addition to his enthusiasm for awakening the best of human nature. He is a San Francisco Bay Area native, certified Mindfulness Instructor, hoop shooter, rhyme activist, and trail hiker of the human journey. Never hesitate to reach out to Matt with any questions you have about Ubiquity, or if you want to collab on a hip-hop track!
Banafsheh oversees the brand, website, communication and interactive design and copy editing for Ubiquity University. Also as part of the marketing team, she leads key marketing strategies. The Founder of Dance of Oneness®, Banafsheh is a Persian sacred dancer, choreographer, transformational teacher and artist entrepreneur. Awarded for her pioneering work, she is one of the few bearers of authentic Persian dance in the world, an innovator of Sufi dance previously only performed by men, and one of the few dance artists who has mastered a fusion of the art of dance with spiritual embodiment. She served as Artistic Director for her dance company, NAMAH for several years, staging performances across North America and Europe. Her modality, Dance of Oneness® brings together the 3 dimensions of art, wisdom teachings and healing. It is based in Sufi teachings and ritual, flamenco, Persian dance, the Gurdjieff Work, Tai chi and Chinese Medicine. Banafsheh performs and teaches internationally, initiating people into the wisdom of their body and inspiring them to create beauty in everyday life. With an MFA in Dance and an MA in Chinese Medicine, she is dedicated to individual and collective healing through conscious movement. Her film In the Fire of Grace with Andrew Harvey traces Rumi’s journey of the soul in dance.
Federico is a co-founder of Energia Vectorial an electric mobility startup focused on infrastructure and leasing of EVs; and Impact Hub Medellin a social innovation lab focused on supporting entrepreneurs and social innovator in creating solutions to impact the world, both startups located in Medellin, Colombia.
He has a bachelor degree in Marketing Management, M.A. in Marketing and Sales Management and Currently finishing his M.Sc. in Sustainable Development.
Gyorgyi serves as the Dean of Doctoral Studies & Director of Research at Ubiquity University. She was a Co-Founder and Academic Dean of the ‘Ervin Laszlo Center for Advanced Study’ (ELCAS). She served as the Director of Research and Development of the Center’s Exploratoria Program. She was co-creator of the WorldShift International Foundation, and the WorldShift 2012 organizations, and currently serves as Member of the Advisory Board of the Memnosyne Foundation. She collaborated with Ervin Laszlo in preparing some of the meetings of the World Cultural Forum in China and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Club of Budapest France. She lectures worldwide and has published two books; papers in The Scientific and Medical Network’s Review, The Shift Network, and World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research. Gyorgyi Szabo holds a Ph.D. in Sociology - Summa Cum Laude awarded by the Sorbonne, University of Paris; a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Trinity St David, University of Wales, and a Bachelor’s degree with Honors from Birkbeck College, University of London. She is also a trained Reiki and Reconnective Healing practitioner. She has lived in the United States of America, England, Italy, Spain and France. She currently lives in Budapest, Hungary. Her holistic approach to metaphysics and interest in conscious evolution serves as foundation for her work in facilitating cooperative evolution toward a peaceful and sustainable world.
Loren is the Managing Director of Ubiquity Financial Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. He also serves as Managing Director for LogixSolutions, Inc. LogixSolutions has focused on business systems solutions, financial modeling, analysis for litigation support services, and monitoring the performance of residential and commercial real estate. In the previous decade, Mr. Volk was a National Director for the Consulting Group of Deloitte & Touche LLP in Atlanta, GA. In this position at Deloitte, Loren was responsible for consulting engagements focused on due diligence, asset performance monitoring, asset valuation, due diligence and evaluation of impairment and reserve issues. Loren has also served as CFO and directed accounting, treasury, and data processing, functions for a financial institution and for a high tech company in San Jose California. Loren occasionally serves as an adjunct instructor in accounting and business systems at Kennesaw State University. He holds an MBA and a CPA certificate and has significant public accounting experience in addition to his real estate consulting specialty.