Edward, founder of The Maitri Project, graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a background in media, photography, fashion, wellness, and production. He has worked with major names like Italian Vogue, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, and Lululemon.
With over 20 years of study and practice in Buddhism and Hatha Raja Yoga, Edward was inspired to start The Maitri Project after teachings on Bodhichitta and a significant meeting with a nun in Nepal. The project has since served over 6,000 monastics, teachers, and students, impacting local communities and schools.
Edward Sczudlo
Sunil Shakya
Sunil Shakya is the chairperson of KGH Hotels and Resorts and a board member of various influential organizations including the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, PATA Nepal Chapter, and the Hotel Association of Nepal.
He was born a member of the Shingha Guthi Mahabihar and is a life member of the International Buddhist Society.
He has been highly engaged in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha and he supports the governing body of the Lumbini Development Trust on several activities.
Lina Lyte Plioplyte is an Emmy, Clio, and Silver Lion-winning filmmaker from Lithuania. Celebrated for her groundbreaking documentaries “Advanced Style” and “Periodical,” Lina’s work, which honors the lives of women and the nuances of menstrual cycles, is currently streaming on Peacock and Amazon Prime, with “Periodical” having been notably acquired by MSNBC.
An Emmy-recognized cinematographer, Lina champions inclusivity and diversity, with a particular focus on empowering women and minorities in filmmaking. She spearheads quarterly Filmmakers’ Accelerators, providing invaluable guidance to emerging filmmakers navigating the dynamic documentary landscape.
A meditator, Lina has completed retreats in the vipassana lineage. She is now a student of Garchen Rinpoche.
Lina Plioplyte
Venerable Charunyani
Venerable Charunyani is a female monastic ordained in 1988 within the Theravada Buddhist lineage. She comped six years of Buddhist studies at Priyatti, four years of study at Mahasi Samana Yiektha Meditation center in Myanmar and four years of study in Mahayana Buddhism at Fo hang Shan Monastery in Taiwan.
In addition to this Charunyani has completed 8 months of retreat and practices everyday at her own Vihara in Kathmandu.
