In 2012, Mandar Apte influenced Shell’s CEO to start Shell’s GameChanger social innovation program, which would invest in innovative solutions to sustainability challenges (SDG’s) and create both social impact and business returns. Through the portfolio of investments that he made through this impact investment fund, Mandar showcased how global brands, like Shell, can and must play a greater role (beyond just philanthropy) to enable and scale social impact.
While at Shell, in 2012, Mandar also won the League of Intrapreneurs award for his efforts to design and facilitate an innovation learning program to over 2000 colleagues at Shell using meditation techniques.
For nearly two decades, Mandar has volunteered his time for the Art of Living Foundation and the International Association for Human Values to teach leadership development programs using meditation techniques to thousands of people across the world. Mandar is the Founder & Executive Director of Cities4Peace – a not-for-profit consultancy that actively promotes peace in cities worldwide. The flagship program was held in Los Angeles, where so far over 250 community members including LAPD officers, former gang members and victims/survivors of violence have been trained by Mandar as Ambassadors of Peace. Similar programs are now being offered in many other cities and communities worldwide.
3:59--Mandar shares his vision of what Big Self means to him
7:10--Mandar reads Dr. MLK Jr.'s autobiography and finds a deep source of inspiration from learning about his trip in 1959 to India
13:02--Mandar's background at Shell as a Petroleum engineer
21:35--Chad makes an observation that Mandar broke out of his golden handcuffs and stepped into his Big Self when he decided to become a change agent for peace
29:42--How breathing is directly related to your experience of a particular emotion, and thus how breath work is a huge source of healing for people imprisoned in their negative emotions
39:35--We have to hold the space for conversations and free ourselves from judgment
48:27--How putting ourselves amongst diverse groups of people helps us to generate innovative ideas and actions
