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Chicago entrepreneur launches leadership framework with debut book
Diplomats, Padma awardees and business leaders attended the launch, with most guests enrolling in the leadership assessment.
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Chicago Bureau - Tue, 02, Jun 2026
- 14:35 EDT
- 84
Poonam Gupta-Krishnan / Handout
Indian American author and entrepreneur Poonam Gupta-Krishnan launched her debut book, VARNA: Know Your Why, and unveiled the Varna-CQ Leadership Alignment Framework at the Naperville Public Library on May 30.
The invitation-only event, organized during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, drew diplomats, Padma awardees, corporate executives, academics and community leaders.
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The program was hosted by Bharathi Theertha, a nonprofit organization focused on education, environment and health, under the leadership of founder Prakasam Tata. Psychiatrist Dr. Chaudhary Jampala served as master of ceremonies.
The book's foreword was contributed by Padma Bhushan awardee Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, scholar, author and former Rajya Sabha member, and Dorri McWhorter, president and CEO of The Executives’ Club of Chicago.
Prasad, who attended as chief guest, delivered the keynote address, discussing the cultural and philosophical foundations of the framework and drawing on the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic traditions.
In the foreword, Prasad described the work as “a civilizational contribution.”
“Poonam Guptaa has not only written a book, but offered a civilizational contribution. This work carries the fragrance of our eternal heritage and the promise of a more aligned, humane, and prosperous world,” he wrote.
McWhorter emphasized the importance of alignment in leadership.
“Culture is the soil in which leadership grows. When the soil is depleted– by misalignment, unclear values, or burnout – no amount of strategy or resources will make leaders thrive. Varna: Know Your Why replenishes that soil,” she wrote.
According to Gupta-Krishnan, the Varna-CQ framework was developed to address questions of leadership effectiveness, career fit and personal fulfillment.
“Varna-CQ was born from a question I carried for many years: why do capable, talented people still feel misplaced, exhausted, or unseen? Success is not only about skill — it is also about alignment,” she said.
The patent-pending framework is designed to assess individuals’ natural strengths, thinking and decision-making styles, job-fit alignment and potential pathways for growth. Organizers said it combines concepts drawn from Sanatan Dharma with modern behavioral science.
Organizers said all copies of the book available for sale were claimed before the event concluded, while approximately 90 percent of attendees enrolled in a complimentary Varna-CQ Leadership Alignment Assessment.
Other attendees at the event included Padma Shri awardee S.V. Rama Rao, Deputy Consul General of India in Chicago Kriti Das Thokchom, Diversity MBA Media CEO Pam McElvane, former Joliet High Schools Superintendent James Clark, and Sherman L. Jenkins, president of SLJ Communications and chairman of the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Gupta-Krishnan is the founder and CEO of IYKA Enterprises, a woman-owned technology company.
She was named a Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Woman in STEM in 2023 and serves as Honorary CTO of Diversity MBA Media. She has received more than 35 national and international awards.
Bharathi Theertha said the event was part of its mission to advance human potential and community well-being through education, environmental stewardship and health initiatives.
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