Retreat Speaker Info
Harish Naidu was able to physical meet Swami for the first time in 1968 due to Swami’s Grace and the grace of love of his parents who took him to Swami at that early age. Harish was also greatly influenced by his parents service to Swami and their own transformation. Harish moved to the US in 1986, obtained his Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the State University of NY, Buffalo. He has worked in the software industry since 1988 and in the recent past has been involved in developing and delivering products and services to help improve teachers and student experiences for K-12 education in the US.
Harish has been active in the technology startup community as a consultant and advisor and is currently the CTO of Accolade, a company that combines compassion with technology to provide a personal healthcare concierge service to consumers. Harish has had the opportunity to serve Swami in the USA Sathya Sai organization as center devotional coordinator, center president, regional YA adviser, regional president, National Service Coordinator, National Vice President and is currently serving as the National President, USA. He is married with two children
Ajay Yekkirala was fortunate to complete high school and B.Sc. in Biosciences at Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL), respectively. With Swami's blessings, he was part of the SSSIHL Brass Band as a percussionist and guitarist and has performed several times in Swami's Divine presence. He holds a PhD in Pharmacology from University of Minnesota and is a research fellow in Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Ajay is also co-founder and CSO of Blue Therapeutics, a startup focused on developing non-addictive painkillers. He previously served as the Region 1 male YA rep and is the current president of Sri Sathya Sai Center of Norwood in MA.
Aravind Balasubramanya hails from a family that has been devoted to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for over six decades. His father was a photographer of Bhagawan in the late sixties and early seventies in Brindavan and many of the old black and white photographs we see of Swami have have been through his lens.
Inspired by his parents, especially his mother, to spend his life with his Swami, Aravind joined Sri Sathya Sai Vidyapeeth in Calicut, Kerala for his primary education. He joined Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School in Prashanti Nilayam for high-schooling. With a desire to stay close to the physical proximity of the avatar, Arvind studied Bachelors in Science with Chemistry major from the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning for which he secured a gold medal. He continued to complete his Masters in Science (Chemistry) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA).
It was in the Institute that he got several opportunities to speak in the Divine Presence, act in many presentations and plays and also pursue photography which he picked up from his father. He was careful in recording almost every day that he spent in the physical proximity of his Lord via his many personal diaries and photographs.
Blessed by Baba to join Radiosai Global Harmony, which has been majorly responsible in spreading the message and life of Bhagawan to all parts of the globe. In RadionSai he had done a host of activities, including the Thursday Live satsangs, producing documentaries on Swami and his message and, of course, writing articles.
He was Swami’s ‘official’ photographer for nearly 5 years and travelled along with Him during His trips to Hadshi, Mumbai, Delhi and Simla. Photography is not just his hobby - it’s his passion and he has worshipped Swami through it. After Bhagawan’s Mahasamadhi in April 2011, Aravind started to write blogs based on what he had recorded in his personal diaries and experiences of several students. He was a regular speaker in the Ashram at Puttaparthi, addressing seekers on various life topics. He has addressed gatherings in USA, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Nepal, also travelling around India. Till recently, he was the content editor in RadioSai and was instrumental in preparing many documentaries and video/talk shows. He counsels and mentors youth from across the world in their personal and professional issues, from a spiritual perspective.
He has authored a few books which have been widely read and his blogs, with over 3 million views, have inspired many. His hobbies include photography, theater, badminton and cricket and he endeavors to excel in all he takes up.
Books by Aravind Balasubramanya
1. Memoirs Of A Sai Student 2014
2. Capturing Divinity (Sai Student Memoirs Book 2) 2015
3. Living with God 2015
4. Stories and Inspirations 2017
5. Sri Sathya Sai Bhagavatham : Part 1 2021
Presently, he freelances in creating content for various clients worldwide.