Our Approach
About
Inner Peace Society (IPS) was incorporated in 2013 as a USA 501(c)3 organization to ease suffering through small hands-on projects. In India, we are working in rural villages of "untouchables", to provide health programs, better education resources and jobs. In the USA, we work in prisons teaching mindfulness and meditation to inmates and partnering with organizations that help inmates transition back into society. Our vision is to give individuals the tools and resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty and hopelessness. We are passionately dedicated to helping others help themselves.
Our Story
Board Members of Inner Peace Society
Nima Janet Taylor
Co-Founder
Nima Janet Taylor has always had a passion for helping others, traveling and learning about other cultures. She has a Bachelors degree in International Relations and Masters of Business Administration. While spending 25 years as a corporate executive, she focused her free time pursuing these passions through a variety of charity organizations and traveling throughout the world. In 2007, she realized a lifelong dream to work as a spiritual leader and spent three years ordained as a Buddhist nun. After visiting India in 2011 with her daughter, Erica, they met Manish Kumar. All three lives were forever changed when the three of them decided to create a charity to help the poor harness the power of their minds to lift themselves out of poverty.
Erica Taylor
Co-Founder
Erica Taylor loves traveling and meeting new people, having lived in Mexico, Europe, and eventually traveling to India where after just one month, she decided to sell everything she owned to become a true global traveler. She runs a PR and Social Media company which makes it easy for her to work anywhere in the world, as long as she has wifi and a computer. When she arrived in India for the first time in 2011, she instantly fell in love–with the people, the country, and the culture. She was particularly touched by the young children on the streets and country roads in and around Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Their aspirations and challenges led to her to join with Nima and Manish to create Inner Peace Society.
Manish Kumar
Co-Founder
Mr. Manish Kumar was born and raised in Gaya in a farmer family just a few kilometres from the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment approximately 2,500 years ago. He graduated in Pali Language and literature, Sociology and Dr. Ambedkar thoughts in 2012 from Nagpur University. Earlier, he has attended a year long training course in “Buddhism and Social work” at Nagarajuna Training Institute in Nagpur and got the vision to leverage the universal principles of loving-kindness, ethical behaviour, compassion and generosity, in order to solve the current problems of discrimination against locals in and around Bodh Gaya and decided to work for global change through education and Community development opportunities for underprivileged youth all over the world leveraging these powerful universal principles that the Buddha taught. He has also completed his Masters Degree in Buddhist Studies from Mahachula University, one of the foremost Buddhist university from Thailand and currently engaged in some independent research work regarding the revival of Buddhism in India.
Barrie Evans
Managing Director
Barrie Evans was born in Alberta Canada. He lived in several Canadian Provinces, 5 years in Kingston Jamaica, and currently, resides in the United States. At 19 years of age and for the next ten years, he served as a missionary across many of the States. He continued serving as a Minister in the church until 38 years of age. For the last 2 years, he has been studying and practicing Buddhism with the Temple Buddhist Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Barrie’s passion has been centered around helping people enjoy the quality of their lives. A life changing experience that redirected his path in life was had while installing water filtration systems in small villages in Guatemala. Barrie currently has the honor of serving as a Managing Director in the Inner Peace Society as they serve the people of India.
Maria Ortiz
Managing Director
Maria C. Ortiz was born in Hartford, Connecticut and throughout her life has felt a strong desire to help the poor. She is a graduate of William Jewell College where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and was able to travel abroad with medical mission teams to Ecuador and Guatemala. Within her community, she has provided care as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner to those who have been victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Maria has furthered her education in hopes that she can provide greater care to those in need. In 2015 she graduated from the University of Kansas with her Masters as an advanced practice nurse. India has been in her heart for many years so when the opportunity presented itself she joined Inner Peace Society as Managing Director in hopes of providing a platform for global awareness.
Barbara Bodinson
Board Member
Barbara Bodinson was born in Kansas City, MO. USA. Graduated from the University of Missouri in Kansas City with a BA in Education. Career with the US Federal Government in real estate provided an opportunity to live and travel throughout us during a 34-year career. Currently retired and living in Kansas City, MO. Her passion was ignited by helping the poor in developing countries which inspired her to join the board of inner peace society.