PD Dr. Tobias Koellner

Social Anthropologist and Sociologist, Witten Institute for Family Business (WIFU), Germany

PD Dr Tobias Koellner is social Anthropologist and sociologist. He complements the research at the WIFU with his anthropological perspective on business families and family firms. Since 2020, he heads a research group that examines the social, cultural and religious embeddedness of family firms and business families in cross-cultural perspective. From 2006 to 2009, he worked as a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle and completed his dissertation on the relation between businesspeople and Orthodox Christianity in contemporary Russia at the University of Leipzig. Subsequently, he conducted another research project funded by the German Research Foundation that formed the basis for his habilitation, which he completed in 2019.

He is the author of numerous books and edited volumes such as Family Firms and Business Families in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Bringing Anthropology Back In (Palgrave Macmillan) and Sociology of the Business Family: Foundations, Recent Developments and Future Perspectives (Springer). Articles by him have been published by Journal of Change Management; Systems Research and Behavioral Science; Europe-Asia Studies; Journal of Religion, State and Society; Qualitative Social Research and Anthropology Today, among others.

Vijaya Belavadi

Co-Founder & COO – Hype Luxury

Armed with a Master’s degree in Information Technology from the University of Mysore, I’ve embarked on a remarkable journey as a prominent female global leader. My career has seen me hold influential positions at both Accenture and HP, where I’ve shouldered extensive responsibilities for global infrastructure, catering to Fortune 100 companies across 12 different countries.

As a co-founder of Hype Luxury, I’ve been an integral part of this venture from its inception, playing a pivotal role in nurturing it into a globally recognized luxury mobility brand. Thanks to my efforts, the brand has expanded its footprint, now serving 23 cities across India, the UAE, and the UK.

Beyond my corporate achievements, I’ve assumed the role of National President, presiding over WICCI (Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industries). In this capacity, my commitment lies in empowering rural women and fostering entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on the exclusive luxury tourism sector.

With a career spanning over 25 years, I’ve amassed a diverse array of global leadership experiences, including entrepreneurship, which has laid the foundation for my extraordinary journey of success.

Raaghav Belavadi

Founder & CEO – Hype Luxury

A Mechanical Engineering graduate from N.I.E, Mysore, and an Oxford University trained, Raaghav shifted from his global role as group head at Accenture to establish India’s leading Luxury Mobility Startup, Hype Luxury. Today, valued over 1000 Crores, it stands as the most esteemed Luxury Mobility startup in India.

Scheduled for a travel to Outer space through Virgin Galactic in 2026, Raghav Belavadi is set to become the first Indian to participate in the Space tourism program, showcasing his pioneering spirit.

Globally, Hype Luxury boasts an impressive fleet comprising over 21,000 Private Jets, 2800 Luxury Yachts, and 34,000 Luxury Cars, culminating in a total asset value surpassing $650 Billion.

As the founder and CEO of Hype Luxury Mobility, Raaghav has steered the company to success as a completely bootstrapped and profitable venture, without relying on any VC support. This achievement stands as a testament to the viability and effectiveness of successful family business models in the country.

Leela Kirloskar

Embodied Leadership Coach & Facilitator, Author, Affiliate at Aberkyn Wisdom Tree Leadership Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Leela is an embodied leadership coach and facilitator with over 30 years of highly diverse global experience. She is based in Bangalore, India. For the past 18 years she has served a multitude of leading Indian and global clients across diverse sectors and industries. She is associated with several premium global leadership networks, including Aberkyn, a McKinsey company. Her field is leadership presence, communications mastery, somatic coaching, embodied leadership facilitation, systemic family constellation therapy and trauma-informed coaching and consulting.

Leela works with senior clients and top teams, including CEOs, CXOs, founders and core leadership to work through their challenges, explore limiting mindsets and behaviours and do their personal healing to emerge with a powerful ability to connect, inspire and lead. She enjoys supporting individual and collective leadership transformation journeys, building high performance cultures and developing embodied communications expertise. She is a deeply intuitive listener and observer who helps to bring clarity and depth to individuals and groups, holds compassionate spaces that inspire courage and gently nudges clients to tune in to their own power, purpose and joy.

Shweta Shah

Head – Wealth Structuring & Estate Planning, Nuvama Private Wealth Mumbai, India

Shweta Shah is the Head of Wealth Structuring & Estate Planning at Nuvama Private Wealth, previously known as Edelweiss Wealth Management. 

With over 18 years of experience, Shweta specializes in Wealth Structuring, Estate and Succession Planning, and M&A tax advisory. 

Her extensive expertise encompasses private trust formation, asset protection, stake sale advisory, acquisition & divestment advisory, corporate restructuring, cross-border deals, and capital raising transactions.

Before joining Nuvama Private Wealth, Shweta served as a Senior Manager at EY Mumbai for almost 9 years. 

At EY, she assisted clients on wealth structuring and taxation advisory, including estate and succession planning, private trust advisory, asset protection, corporate restructuring, stake sale advisory, acquisition and divestment advisory, and M&A taxation advisory. 

Her client segment included promoters of unlisted as well as listed companies, C-suite professionals, investors, and private equity professionals. 

She gained rich experience in advisory across diverse environments encompassing both the Consulting and Private Wealth industries.

A BCom in 2004 from the University of Mumbai, R.A. Podar College and a Chartered Accountant (CA) specializing in Tax Law/Taxation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 2006 have been obtained by her.

Shweta’s profound knowledge and extensive experience in wealth structuring and M&A tax advisory have established her as a leading expert in her field. 

Her strategic insights and advisory skills have greatly benefited numerous clients across diverse industries, ensuring effective wealth and succession planning, and facilitating complex transactions and corporate restructurings.

Shruti Khanijow

Partner (Disputes Avoidance and Resolution) at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

Specialist Mediator at Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC)

Steering Committee Member, Young International Arbitration & Mediation Centre (YIAMC), IAMC Hyderabad

Shruti Khanijow is a Partner (Disputes Avoidance and Resolution) at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, a leading full-service law firm in India. With over a decade of experience, Shruti is a distinguished commercial disputes lawyer, specializing in complex international and Indian arbitrations and mediations.

Her extensive expertise includes representing private parties and state entities in institutional arbitrations under ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, and SIAC rules, as well as ad hoc arbitrations seated in India, the MENA region, London, Paris, Singapore, and Geneva. Shruti’s practice spans a variety of sectors, with a particular focus on high-stakes matters involving PE/shareholder disputes, infrastructure, energy, engineering, and construction disputes. She is also known for her work advising third-party funders in cross-border arbitrations and insolvency financing.

In addition to her role at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, Shruti recently assisted the expert committee formed by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) on insolvency mediation and creditor-led out-of-court insolvency resolution policy frameworks, proposing key legislative amendments.

Shruti is empanelled as a Specialist Mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Centre and serves as a Steering Committee Member of the Young International Arbitration & Mediation Centre in India. Her previous experience includes working as a law clerk to the Chief Justice of India, representing clients before the Indian Supreme Court, various High Courts, and tribunals, and serving as a Partner at the arbitration boutique MRP Advisory in Dubai.

Her past roles also include Senior Associate at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Principal Associate at Khaitan & Co, and Senior Project Fellow at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. Shruti has advised clients on shareholders and corporate governance issues, environmental law, and ESG risks in India.

Shruti holds an LLM in International Law from the University of Cambridge, UK, as a KC Mahindra Scholar, and a B.A L.L.B (Hons) from Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur.

In 2017, she taught legal issues’ management to high-tech startups in Armenia and Russia on a Hughes Hall, Cambridge University scholarship and continues to engage with fintech startups across Europe, MENA, and India on governance issues.

Mohanakrishnan

MA, M.Phil, PhD Managing Trustee

Mohanakrishnan Raman (Mohan) is an Industrial & Organizational Psychologist (IOP) with Ph. D qualification. He has 25 years of wide-ranging experience in research, teaching, consulting, institution building projects and enjoys deep corporate exposure. He is passionate to contribute to higher education in Family Business, Management, Social Sciences and Organization Development Subjects.
He is currently holding positions as
• Managing Director – Stepup Strategic Consulting Services Pvt Ltd (India)
• Managing Trustee – Foundation for Research, Education and Development (FRED)

He was a Professor and Head of HRD and OD department from SDM – IMD, Mysore from 2003 until 2008. He started an Educational Trust called Foundation for Research, Education and Development (FRED), to offer courses on Social & Behavioural Sciences including OD, OB and Leadership. He had worked in Telecom, IT and Banking sectors. His corporate consulting areas are Family Business, OD Consulting, Innovation, Coaching and Organization Strategy. Training and Development being his forte, he has enormous interest in OD, and behavioural science- based training and interventions. He had done Competency Mapping through the Development Centre process for more than 1500 managers in a large private bank, as a part of a major change management project in India. His strategy and OD consulting assignments include organizations in Construction, FMCG, Manufacturing, Education, Banking and IT sectors. He has been an invited speaker in various forums like CII, NIPM, IFTDO, ATDO, ISODC and IODA.

He has done more than 250 development workshops for various clients. He also has designed and offered open programs in the areas of Talent Management, Performance & Career Management Systems & Process and Personal Transformation Clinic to say a few. He was instrumental and offered leadership in organizing Global Organization Development Summit (GODS) in the year 2006, and as a result he was instrumental in Founding Asia OD Network (AODN), along with other notable OD leaders. He was also a Founder President of AODN for three years from 2007 to 2009. He had spearheaded and offered his leadership to the GODS in China in 2007 and 2008 in Thailand. Under his leadership GODS was organized again in 2009 and 2016 in India.

He has written a book on “Family Business – Methods and Essentials of Building Business Families”. He has published a paper in the well reputed European journal “Challenging Organizations and Society” 2014, Volume 3, Issue 2, titled “The Caste System in India – its Power in Organizations and Politics”. He also contributed articles / chapters in edited books.

He had served as the Vice President – Conferences and Events (2016-19) for International Organization Development Association (IODA). He served as an Executive Board Member of IODA since 2007 to help the conference organizing teams in IODA across the world.

He was consultant with Integrated Consulting Group (ICG) Austria and involved in
“Innovation Boot Camp” creating an innovation culture at the various ministerial departments of the countries of Finland and Estonia. He was invited to give a motivational and directional speech in the area of “Smart Specialization” (Innovation project) for the Government of Slovenia.

He was a visiting professor at the School of Psychology in Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW), Switzerland for the last few years from 2015. He is recognized as an Erasmus Professor to teach in Slovenia by the Education Ministry of Education, Slovenia. He has guided, coached and mentored many European Business Consultants and Executives. He has also delivered keynote speeches and workshops in China. His specialization in coaching is cross-national consonance.

His other interests are Travel, Wildlife and Environment Conservation. He was a Dean – Academics & OD for a large Educational institution in Mysore, India from 2016-2018. He is a Charter Member of TiE Mysore Chapter

Dr Mohanakrishnan Raman
+91 94483 66589
[email protected]

Bhavani Mohanakishnan

M.Com, M.Phil, PhD

Dr. Bhavani M has M. Com, M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Commerce. She is a Post Doc Research Fellow of the Witten Institute for Family Businesses (WIFU), Witten, Germany. The Focus of her research is on the internal working of the business family and analyses the role of women in the family business – a cross-cultural and comparative perspective of India and Germany. She is also a Research Associate of the Foundation for Research, Education, and Development (FRED).

She has 15 years of teaching and ten years of research experience. Her research areas are Human Resource Development and Entrepreneurship. She submitted her research report on “Problems and Challenges of Women Entrepreneurs in Mysore District” with funding from the University Grant Commission (UGC). She presented her research paper at the International Family Business Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA) conference in 2022, Spain. She has presented and received the Best Paper Award for the article entitled “An empirical study on Traits of Women Entrepreneurs.” at the international conference organized by Jain (Deemed -to-be-University), India.

She got her Life membership in Indian Council for Business Education (ICBE), Annual membership of the International Family Business Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA). She is also a Guest Editor of 3D… IBA Journal of Management and Leadership, July-Dec 2021 Volume 13 – Issue 1, on the theme “Women in Focus: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Advantages.” She is also a chief editor of an edited Book on “Crisis in the Indian Banking Sector-Issues and Concerns” She has published research articles in various national and international journals.

Mr. Prasad Kumar

Founder of Human Endeavour Associates Family Business Advisor, Bangalore, India

Prasad Kumar is the Founder of Human Endeavour Associates, a niche consultancy firm specializing in strategic advisory for owner led companies, family businesses and corporate development.

He has worked in senior executive roles – in corporates, with many leading companies, partnering in their growth and transformation.

His experience with Family Business Advisory spans three decades.

Most of his engagements are long term partnerships, integrating the cultural and structural dimensions for Growth, Governance and Institution Building.

He is engaged in coaching of Board members, top management and senior leaders across industries and is an active Life Coach to family business leaders.

His last positions were Business Chairman and member of the GMR Group Holding Board, Chairman of RAXA (Homeland Security).

He founded Parampara Family Business Institute and was its Vice Chairman and Managing Director. Post retirement, he is now Advisor and Academic Council member.

He has been member of:
– The Economic Times Advisory Panel on Family Business
– The Economic Times Advisory Panel on Corporate Board Governance

A postgraduate in Management and accredited in Applied Behavioral Sciences, Prasad has been a Certified Professional of the International Association of Facilitators and a Life Member of the Association.
He teaches specialized modules in Family Business, Leadership and Succession at IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, Indian School of Business (ISB), SP Jain Institute and other leading business schools.

He has also been Executive-in-Residence at the Kellogg School of Management, NW University, Chicago, USA.

Mr. Shakir Haq

Chief Executive Officer NKP Empire Ventures Pvt Ltd, Bangalore, India

Steadfast in my business principles and strategy, I am a big proponent of learning from constant experimentation. My understanding & knowledge of restaurant business management and strategic acumen is nurtured by My education at IIM Bangalore, A fuel to our constant pursuit of growth and innovation. One of my proudest claims is driving the organization through the covid crisis and ensuring its
emergence as a profitable, EBIDTA positive Business. As an organization we are now focused on our Vision to be a global Food & Beverage Brand & I intend to reach these heights and more with the support Of the Board at NKP & My dedicated team. I am also grateful for my learning & experience that was inculcated by my Late Father who was a leader in his own right & gave seed to our current vision at NKP.

Mr. CK Ranganathan

Chairman & Managing Director, M/s. CavinKare Pvt Ltd. Chennai, India

Mr. CK Ranganathan was born in Cuddalore to parents with primary interest in education. He took up his Bachelors in Chemistry and after a short stint in the family business, he set up “Chik India”. The Company began its journey as Chik India and was renamed CavinKare Pvt. Ltd (CKPL) in 1998 with a starting investment of Rs. 15,000/- The Company manufactures and markets many products under the brand of Chik, Spinz, Fairever, Meera, Nyle, Raaga Professional, Karthika, Biker’s, Indica, Cavin’s, Ruchi, Chinnis, Maa and Garden etc both in domestic and international markets.

The Company has pioneered the concept of ‘Unisex Salons’ in India with country’s most popular organized beauty salon brands – Green Trends and Limelite under its salon division, which has a clear-cut focus on providing personal styling and beauty solutions to everyone in the family.

Mr. Ranganathan is the current President of TiE – Chennai Chapter. He was the past Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industries, Southern Region and Past President of All India Management Association and Madras Management Association.

CK Ranganathan is one of the founder-members of the Ability Foundation – an NGO working towards the rehabilitation of the disabled. He instituted CAVINKARE ABILITY AWARDS to celebrate annually the exemplary spirit of rare breed of individuals who have risen above their physical limitations to display that attitude is everything.

He also instituted an annual CHINNIKRISHNAN INNOVATION AWARDS to encourage small entrepreneurs in memory of his father Shri. R Chinnikrishnan, the man who pioneered the sachet revolution.

Mr. Kabilan Devarajan

Chief Execution Officer URC Construction Private Ltd, Chennai, India

An entrepreneur of the third generation who has initially hired as a management trainee in the family construction business. He acquired knowledge on every facet of construction operations, including procurement, stores, finance, execution, and planning. This quickly led
to his promotion to GM-Operations.

Through his unwavering dedication and perseverance in less than five years after joining, he was promoted to CEO of the organization. In a company with over 2,000 executives and close to 12,500 employees, the transition from the elders was seamless.

After completing his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, he pursued his MBA from The University of Toledo, Ohio,USA. The financial knowledge he gained through his Master’s made him a thorough Techno commercial Expert. Furthermore, he received the “Best Alumni award” from PSG College of Technology in 2013.

As an ardent business person, he has changed the organization into a complete “System Driven” with generous support and guidance from Padma Bhushan Dr. A. Ramakrishna – Ex L&T – Deputy Managing Director.

He is a part of a team that boosted the turnover from Rs. 500 Cr to Rs. 2000 Cr in a decade with his tireless efforts. He established many Strategic Regional Offices in and outside the country with an addition of more Sector operations to expand and spread the Mantra of the
organization, “Expertise in Quality”.

Through his tremendous efforts, the organization has been strengthened with internal design teams that include architects, structural engineers, and MEP, enabling the company to take on projects in the EPC mode. By making these changes, the company has advanced from being a traditional contractor who accepts work at item rate to an EPC Construction Company.

To enhance the organization’s overall performance, he resolutely devoted himself to making it a world-class organization via his global practice approaches. He was also acknowledged for his diligent nature in the prompt completion of projects.

As a philomath, he always loves to Learn and Explore New areas with Dedication and Devotion. His Esteemed nature has made him attached to every individual of the organization with an altruistic attitude.

Dr. Ken Nisikawa

Professor at Konan University, Japan

Dr. Ken Nisikawa, brings over two decades of experience as a professor at Konan University, Japan. Throughout his academic career. He has cultivated a passion for fostering human transformation within various contexts. Dr. Ken has designed and delivered courses in Management, Organization Development, and self-awareness workshops for students across graduate and undergraduate programs, along with specialized programs for senior learners.

His research interests are inherently interdisciplinary, with a particular focus on how group dynamics, organizational structures, and social communities influence personal growth. Dr. Ken actively participates in international conferences, finding immense value in exchanging knowledge and exploring the universality of human development across cultures. Recently, his research focus has shifted towards leader and follower development through a relational lens. This perspective transcends the traditional leader-follower binary and delves deeper into the complexities of leadership dynamics, encompassing both top-level managers and frontline personnel.

Heung Wah Wong

Emeritus Associate Professor of Global Creative Industries program, Hong Kong

WONG is Emeritus Associate Professor of Global Creative Industries program at The University of Hong Kong. He is currently professor of Japanese Studies at Tenri University, Nara, Japan. Wong obtained his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from Oxford University in 1996. His research interest lies in the globalization of Japanese popular culture, anthropology of business, and cultural policies in East Asia. He conducts research in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Mainland China. He is the author of Japanese Bosses, Chinese Workers: Power and Control in a Hong Kong Megastore (Hawaii University Press and Curzon Press 1999). He is also the coauthor of Japanese Adult Videos in Taiwan (Routledge 2014), The Japanese Adult Videos Industry (Routledge 2017), Tradition and Transformation in a Chinese Family Business (Routledge 2020), Censorship in Japan (Routledge 2021), and various journal articles and chapters.

Professor Maksim Belitski

Director of Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship, Henley, Business School, UK

Professor Maksim Belitski is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Henley Business School and the Director of Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship.

He is an expert in entrepreneurship and innovation research at micro-, meso- and macro-levels.
His research interests lie in the area of entrepreneurship, self-employment, market entry, firm innovation and regional economics, with a particular focus on entrepreneurial ecosystems and the knowledge spillover of innovation.

Before joining Henley Business School, he served as 

–  Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Strategies, Indiana University
Bloomington (USA)

– Contract Professor of Econometrics at the University of Bolzano (Italy). 

In the past, he has held positions at Loughborough University, University College London, the University of Leicester, the University of Economics Bratislava (Slovakia), and the Belarusian State University (Belarus).

A PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Leicester and another PhD in Economics from the University of Milan, Italy have been obtained by him. 

He is recognized as a ‘Trusted’ researcher and has been engaged with microfoundations data from the UK Secure Data Service and Office of National Statistics since 2011.

Teaching on undergraduate, postgraduate, executive education, and Levy programmes is also undertaken by him. He serves as the module convenor for Financing for Entrepreneurship, Advances in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, and Food Recombination. Additionally, he holds editorial roles as an editor of the Small Business Economic Journal and as a member of the Editorial Review Board for the Entrepreneurship and Regional Development Journal.

Manisha Kannur (Shirgurkar)

Director- Strategy and Planning – Ace Microsmatic Group, Bangalore, India

Manisha graduated in Mechanical Engineering from M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore in 1996. Immediately after graduation, she started her career in Ace Designers as Engineer- Design.  Ace is India’s largest machine tool company. She belongs to the second generation of this multi-family owned group.

Manisha spent nine years in the design function. She was part of the team which was awarded the prestigious FIE Foundation Award at IMTEX 2004 for the design of CNC lathe with sub spindle.

She then went on to perform management functions working in various change initiatives in the organization like

• Business Excellence Model Deployment
• Balanced score card deployment
• Strategic Business Planning
• Diversification and growth initiatives

She currently holds the position of Director- Strategy and Planning and has recently completed a Certificate Masters Program in Business Strategy from ISB.

Manisha also plays an active role in the Indian Machine Tools Manufacturer’s Association as a member of Udaan, the next gen group of IMTMA. She is the Chairman of Vision Steering Committee involved in the formulation and deployment of the Vision for the Indian Machine Tool Industry.

Anna Motylska – Kuźma
PhD in Economics Head of the Teaching Team of Financial Consulting

PhD in Economics, graduate of the Wroclaw University of Technology (Poland), Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Management and Finance in Wroclaw, an employee of the WSB University in Wroclaw, Head of the Teaching Team of Financial Consulting, currently the Vice-Dean of Faculty of Applied Study, University of Lower Silesia. Author of many articles and publications in the field of financial management and financial decisions, with particular emphasis on financial risk, value management and innovative sources of financing business activities as well the family firms.

Anindita Chakrabarti
Professor of Sociology at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur

Anindita Chakrabarti is a Professor of Sociology at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur. Her research interests are in the areas of sociology of law, sociology of religion, and economic sociology with a focus on the sociology of work, wealth accumulation, inheritance, and entrepreneurship. She has vast experience in teaching and research. She got awarded  Senior Fellow at the Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies (HCAS) at Leipzig University, in June-July 2022.  She was a Visiting Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (February- May 2022) and at Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne, 2022.

Kalpesh Mehta

Founder – CTO, LL Corpus Inc, USA

Kalpesh is an entrepreneur who embarked on his entrepreneurial journey right after completing his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication from the University of Mysore. His dedication to the IT field is evident in his over 20 years of experience in Engineering Solutions. His expertise lies in crafting creative solutions for the Fintech and Healthcare sectors.

Kalpesh’s achievements have been recognized with the prestigious ‘Udyog Ratan’ Award bestowed by the Institute of Economic Studies, New Delhi, India. This award highlights his significant contributions to the Indian economy.

Kalpesh brings strong leadership and business strategy skills to the table. These strengths are crucial for building and steering successful ventures.

Kalpesh is passionate about developing a unique solution that is revolutionizing rehabilitation and wellness. He is focused on building a small footprint IoT-based integrated rehabilitation and wellness equipment and software solution. This innovative solution is designed to assist both ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients recovering from neurological and orthopaedic conditions. It also aims to improve the quality of life for wellness patients.

Kalpesh’s profile reflects a blend of technical expertise, business acumen, and a desire to make a positive impact. His current project holds promise for significantly improving the lives of patients and wellness enthusiasts.

Dr. Heila Sha (Saheira Haliel)

Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) at Aston University

Dr. Heila Sha (Saheira Haliel) is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) at Aston University. Her research expertise includes migration, cross-border trade, ethnic minority/migrant entrepreneurship, kinship, gender, marriage, family business, and socio-economic transformations in China.  Saheira completed her Ph.D at Max-Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany in July 2015. Her Ph.D research focused on inter-generational transformations of family life, care, and gender relations in response to socio-economic transformations in Northwest China. In April 2016, she joined University of Sussex (UK) as a postdoctoral Research Fellow, where her research explored transnational lives, mobilities and networks by applying multi-sited methodologies that bridge scales to connect globally diverse localities within transnational trading networks and commodity markets in the context of global trade liberalization. After Sussex, Saheira was a Research Fellow at Coventry University, where she worked with Migration for Development and Equality ( MIDEQ) hub,  with a particular focus on migration intermediaries and inequalities.

Heung Wah Wong

Emeritus Associate Professor of Global Creative Industries program, Hong Kong

WONG is Emeritus Associate Professor of Global Creative Industries program at The University of Hong Kong. He is currently professor of Japanese Studies at Tenri University, Nara, Japan. Wong obtained his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from Oxford University in 1996. His research interest lies in the globalization of Japanese popular culture, anthropology of business, and cultural policies in East Asia. He conducts research in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Mainland China. He is the author of Japanese Bosses, Chinese Workers: Power and Control in a Hong Kong Megastore (Hawaii University Press and Curzon Press 1999). He is also the coauthor of Japanese Adult Videos in Taiwan (Routledge 2014), The Japanese Adult Videos Industry (Routledge 2017), Tradition and Transformation in a Chinese Family Business (Routledge 2020), Censorship in Japan (Routledge 2021), and various journal articles and chapters.

Prof. Dr Heiko Kleve

Academic Director – WIFU Foundation, Germany

Prof. Dr Heiko Kleve has led the WIFU Foundation’s Department of Organisation and Development of Business Families since July 2017. Since October 2020, Dr Kleve has steered the academic activities of the WIFU as academic director. He has also been a consultant, mediator, coach and supervisor for individuals, groups, teams and organisations/businesses for around 20 years.

After training as a data processing technician and working briefly in the field, Dr Kleve (born in 1969) studied social work and social education at the Alice Salomon University in Berlin from 1992 to 1996 and social sciences (sociology, political science and social philosophy) at the Humboldt University of Berlin from 1997 to 1999. In 1998, he gained a doctorate in sociology at the Free University of Berlin, achieving summa cum laude. He worked as a freelance social education worker in the psychosocial counselling of families, children and young people (sociopedagogic family counselling and care) and in sociopsychiatric outreach work with individuals from 1997 to 2002.

He was appointed as the chair of Theory and History of Social Work at the Alice Salomon University in 2002. He taught and researched at the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences as a professor of sociological and social psychological foundations of social work from 2005 to 2017. There, he was the dean of the Social and Educational Sciences Department from 2013 to 2017, as well as the director of a social work course specialising in families and the academic director of further training in systemic case management, systemic coaching and systemic structures.

Dr Kleve possesses additional certifications as a systemic consultant (DGSF), supervisor and coach (DGSv), systemic and teaching supervisor (SG), conflict mediator and case manager (DGCC).

Main areas of work, research and interest
• System theory for business families and family businesses
• Socialisation, education and growing up in business families
• Family governance/strategy
• Consulting, coaching, mediation and organisational development, especially in business families
• Theoretically analysing and practically dealing with ambivalent and paradoxical situations
• Systemic methods of researching business families/family businesses, particularly systemic structures as an analytical and research method
• Theory and practice in applied social sciences, especially social work as a postmodern discipline and profession