I grew up in China and India, providing me with a unique perspective on poverty and cross-cultural issues. Meeting the Dalai Lama in 1959 taught me that there are many spiritual paths and stimulated my lifelong engagement in daily spiritual practice. My initial struggle to find employment as a woman in the 1960s laid the groundwork for my passion about social justice and my engagement in women’s issues.   In 1985, I began to research the role of services (particularly business and professional services) in economic development, which led to a rich range of consulting opportunities in over 85 countries. The invisibility of the economic importance of services as more than two-thirds of the world’s economic and of very small businesses parallels, for me, the invisibility of women’s supportive and nurturing role in the human family. Since 2005, I have become preoccupied with Buckminster Fuller’s 1980 statement that humanity has past a watershed and there is indeed “enough for us all.” My writing since then has focused on how we transform our worldview from scarcity to abundance, from fear to hope.

First Canadian appointed by the Prime Minister to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). Began the first BA-granting Women’s Studies program at CUNY in 1972. Developed the Riddle Scale, which is used widely to study and address homophobia and other forms of prejudice. Certified management consultant. Awards received for Outstanding Professor, Volunteer of the Year, and Woodstock School Distinguished Alumna of 2007.