About Us .

Pietential was founded in 2019 and is based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and we're on a mission to bring our Life Balance Realization System to the world! The Pietential platform empowers people and organizations to better understand and realize their potential. We have 3 bottom lines: Helping to heal this troubled world through making a positive impact on society; being an ethical profitable company that serves the stakeholders around the world who believe in and support our mission as well as the interest of our shareholders; and creating "Wellbeing for All". Pietential is committed to being a democratizing force for good for people and communities, regardless of their financial situation. So, we keep the Pietential platform free for individual Users around the world and license it to organizations who are committed to the wellbeing of the people they lead and serve.

The Pie Story

Our Vision

Our Vision

Our Vision is that of a more
balanced, more equitable world,
where every person and every
organization has the opportunity to
understand and realize their full
potential.

Our Mission

Our Vision

Pietential is on a Mission to bring its
Life Balance Realization System to
the world. Every day we wake up
and share this opportunity for
personal, organizational,
community, and global growth.

Our Values

Our Vision

Pietential is a democratizing force
for personal, organizational,
community and global well-being.

What Pietential Do

Pietential empowers people to Visualize their current state of being, Analyze ideas and actions towards improvement, Realize their human and/or organizational potential, and Actualize changes by monitoring progress towards the life and organizational balance they envision.

Executive Team

Pietential's Origin Story

John Starling

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John Starling

Chief Executive Officer

John Starling has dedicated his life to helping people define and achieve what's important to them and is the creator of "Pietential".
Since 1999 he's owned and operated several management consulting firms and has been a trusted business advisor and coach to nearly 400 companies (from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies) and countless individuals.
He is currently in private practice as a professional coach (Starling Growth Advisory) and leads CEO peer advisory groups for Learner Leader Cohorts.
In 2010 he founded a first of its kind MMA (Mentoring & Martial Arts) school for low-income, at-risk youth in Baltimore.
In 2016 he founded a girls' soccer club for elementary-aged school girls in South Korea who had no opportunity to play organized sports in their schools due to institutional and cultural gender discrimination.
A creative at his core, John is an Americana singer-songwriter and the author of a children's book about being okay with being yourself, "Flight of the Platypus"—a story of self-discovery.

Hank Mitchell

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Hank Mitchell

Chief Technology Officer

For over two decades, Henry "Hank" Mitchell has been the quiet, creative force behind the web apps of countless client companies. He has developed a number of digital marketing apps through his company Silvercrayon Labs, including Leadsaber, Skiptalk, and Mailstripe email systems.
Hank is a Baltimore native and a graduate of New York University with a degree in Music Composition who loves playing bluegrass and attending bluegrass festivals. He is also the founder of a nonprofit that supports families dealing with breast cancer, "The Red Devils."
As Pietential's Chief Technology Officer, Hank is responsible for the ongoing development of the Pietential product platform. He is also the technical liaison for Pietential's application development strategic partners when Pietential is integrated with client HR databases.

Dr. Amy Athey

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Dr. Amy Athey

Chief Clinical Officer

Dr. Athey is a licensed clinical and performance psychologist and national leader in crisis intervention, developing nontraditional mental health and wellness programs for organizations, and sport and performance psychology. Over 20 years, she has consulted with NCAA Champions, Olympians, professional athletes, C-Level executives, and US Special Forces as well as served as a leader in scaling wellness and performance services.
She has served as Chief Wellness Officer at the University of Arizona, and was the sport psychology consultant for the 2012 Rose Bowl Championship Football Team at the University of Oregon. Dr. Athey currently serves on the Human Performance Team for the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group. In private industry, she advises and consults in strengthening teams, leadership, wellness, and high performance. She served as Co-Founder and Co-Science Lead of Confidently, a tech startup that democratizes coaching and wellness services and is currently the Chief Clinical Officer of Pietential.
As a subject matter expert in sleep, wellness and performance, she is co-editor of Sleep and Sport, a text to be released by Elsevier in 2023. She is also co-author of Leading Beyond Crisis: Five Pillars of Transformative Resilient Leadership, just released in 2023 by the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Athey earned a doctorate degree from Loyola University in Maryland and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Roanoke College, where she was an All-American basketball player and inducted in the Roanoke College Athletics Hall of Fame.

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Amy Newman Smith

Director of Marketing Communications

Amy Newman Smith is a versatile professional with a genuine passion for making a positive impact in various fields. Raised in different parts of the world due to her family's military background, she eventually settled in Cleveland, USA, with her husband and children.
Throughout her career, Amy has contributed to the success of organizations like the Jewish Review of Books, where she held roles in writing, editing, and project management. She believes in the power of collaboration and continuous learning.
Sustainability and low-waste living are close to Amy's heart. She humbly shares ideas and tips through a blog she authors, hoping to inspire others to adopt eco-friendly practices in their daily lives. It's not about being an expert, but rather being someone who cares and wants to inspire others.
Currently, Amy serves as the Communications Director at Pietential, where she enjoys exploring ways to enhance communications and make a positive impact.

Raymond Ghelardi

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Raymond Ghelardi

Chief Clinical Officer

With over 25 years of experience, Mr. Ghelardi has a diverse background relating to financial reporting and transaction-based valuation requirements and has conducted detailed financial analysis of industries in myriad sectors for various purposes including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, financial reporting, and tax planning.
Over the span of his storied career he has served as Managing Director of GBQ Consulting, Ceteris, and Trenwith Valuation,the valuation arm of BDO, as well as chairman of Valuation Counselors, through to its acquisition by CBIZ, a publicly traded company.
Dedicated to his community, Mr. Gehlardi volunteers his time to various programs that support underprivileged and at-risk children.

Pooja Semwal

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Pooja Semwal

VP of Operations

Pooja Semwal is trained as a professional social worker and is a recipient of a prestigious Indian educational honor, a gold medal in Bachelor of Social Work.
With two master's degrees, one in Social Work and the other in Rural Development, she particularly likes solving people-oriented issues and helping individuals find workable and sustainable solutions. She was a frontline worker with many organizations in her academic field and did multiple research projects, including ‘A Study of Psycho-Social and Economic Problems of Men Affected by Domestic Violence.’ Pooja also worked full-time as a fundraiser trainer for MSF (Doctors Without Borders).
In 2018, after years of experiencing different ailments, she was finally diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Lupus. This changed her approach, but not her impact.
Pooja joined Pietential to continue to make a difference through her initiative, writing, research, advocacy, and management skills. As VP of Operations at Pietential, she oversees a wide range of strategic initiatives and keeps the team and processes streamlined and organized.

Pratheepa

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Pratheepa

Director of Marketing

Pratheepa is an engineer by degree and a writer by passion. She also served in management in the public banking sector. And she is a proud working mother balancing her two passions, family and writing.
She is a versatile content writer with several years of experience in different writing genres. Having worked with various clients, she has an eye for detail and people. Pratheepa is also a published co-author of three anthologies: 'An Unheard Soul,' 'Light Through the Crevices,' and 'A Little More of Life.'
At Pietential, she has finally found a place to strike a balance in her life as a lifelong learner, writer, creator of awareness, and a family person! Pratheepa is the Director of Marketing at Pietential and is responsible for bringing the company's mission to the market.

Prerit Bathri

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Prerit Bathri

Head of NGO Partnership

Prerit Bathri is a Ph.D. scholar specializing in Social Work at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, India. For the past 12 years, he has regularly contributed to social work through education and fieldwork.
Prerit enjoys traveling to various geographical locations to explore their social conditions by establishing contact with the local residents. Among others, his favorite place to visit is the forest region, which grants him a perspective on the lifestyle and struggles of the communities settled there.
As a researcher, the social worker writes on social issues to identify with their respective movements. In his free time, he expresses his artistic sentiments through landscape photography.
Prerit is drawn to Pietential for its dedication to social service and community development. He resonates with the purpose of Pietential and aims to strike balance and justice among social beings, alongside helping individuals discover their untapped potential.
Prerit is Pietential's lead in working with NGOs across India in an effort to bring the company's Life Balance Realization System to organizations that care for their population's well-being.

Oroosa Anwar

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Oroosa Anwar

Creative Lead

Oroosa Anwar holds a postgraduate degree in English Literature and loves spinning words to create new realities. Apart from being a Content Writer, Oroosa is an orator, poetry performer, and food connoisseur. She takes delight in exploring the human mind through works of art, literature, and philosophy—something that has helped her adopt multiple outlooks on life.
Ms. Anwar holds several years of expertise in personal branding and content creation, and curates marketing material for individuals and businesses.
Oroosa is an ardent scholar and fights for gender equality, social justice, and her literary interests through research projects.
Pietential is where she seeks to amalgamate her literary and marketing sensibilities to create an exponential impact. For her, words are where all the magic happens, so she gives them her all.
Apart from writing and researching, Oroosa seeks pleasure in reading comics, savoring dank memes, and cooking something up in the kitchen!

Gautam Bhat

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Gautam Bhat

Growth Hacking Consultant

Gautam is a teacher by day and Growth Hacker by night. He is driven by his passion for technology, marketing, game theory, mathematics, and creative content creation. While he isn't working, one can find him motorbiking across India, learning about different cultures, and meeting people.
Presently, Gautam is spending his days educating children as a volunteer in the Himalayas and building their aptitude for competitive exams while experiencing everything the mountains have to offer.
Having earned his degree from one of India's top ten engineering colleges, he has also managed to be in the top 0.1% of India in the Mathematical Olympiads. In addition, Gautam's interest in Game Theory led him to participate in the Indian Innovation Design Contest, where the Government of India awarded his team the Quarter Finalist Bronze Certificate for their technical project on Robotics.
At Pietential, the Growth Hacker has found the opportunity to work with a diverse and talented team, where he actively contributes to each member's growth.

Zainab Fatma

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Zainab Fatma

PR Lead

Zainab Fatma is a Post-graduate in English Literature. She is an avid reader with a great interest in research. She has been a content writer for several years and has worked in various genres.
Ms. Fatma has also published a research article on gender equality in one of Gutenberg's journals, studying the impact of gendered spaces on female students of Aligarh Muslim University, India. She has won national and international awards in debating and research writing, and has been recognized for her passion for composing poetry.
She is the Public Relations Lead at Pietential. Employing her people skills, she is responsible for communicating the valuable vision of Pietential to the World.

Farhat Nesim

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Farhat Nesim

Research Lead

Farhat Nesim has completed her Master’s in Psychology from Aligarh Muslim University, India. She has a keen interest in talking to people and getting to know them, their behavior, and approach to life.
As a member of the Psychological Society, and later as the co-editor of the Psychology department's journal, Farhat has assisted in organizing offline and online mental health events.
With hands-on experience in counseling, she aspires to help people with their mental health issues and struggles. She believes that everybody is unique in terms of their experiences and environment; hence, one approach cannot benefit or suit them all.
According to Farhat, everyone deserves to be treated with a unique strategy complementing their needs. In her role as a Research Lead with Pietential, Farhat intends to investigate diverse approaches that could benefit individuals and organizations.

Isha

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Isha

Research Associate

Isha is a result-oriented commerce graduate aspiring to explore, learn, and grow in the field of research and writing. She is also curious and conscious regarding self-care and personal growth.
Owing to her interests, Isha works as a freelancer specializing in academic writing focused on research projects, case studies, and articles. She sees herself as a continuous learner who evolves by engaging with people and their unique experiences. This trait, she believes, can help her become an asset to Pietential's mission.
Isha is a Research Associate at Pietential, responsible for data building and compiling relevant statistics to assist the Awareness Team.

Khushi

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Khushi Singhal

Graphic Designer

Khushi Singhal is a student of design and animation. She's a designer with a keen interest in graphics and art.
Drawing on her design experience, she is eager to help people build their brand and visual identity. She believes that every enterprise has its own unique emotion.
While illustrating and graphic design are her two passions, she also enjoys reading, playing guitar, and exploring the world. She is insanely curious about different cultures, so you'll also find her nose buried in a book or travel blog.
Khushi is a graphic designer at Pietential, where she works on the development of design from beginning to end, including the setting up of illustrations and the creation of a brand identity.

Jonathan Hanna

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Jonathan Hanna

Product Development Lead

Jonathan Hanna is a student and observer of human and non-human nature, dedicated to impacting wider audiences positively. He draws on more than 30 years of studying consciousness in Eastern and Western traditions, expanding his understanding of the living book of wisdom called Life. Having experienced the philosophies of Indian ashrams, Jonathan seeks to incorporate his learning into his career.
He resonates with the philosophy behind Pietential's embrace of Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, aligning him with the company's purpose.
Jonathan is a husband, and father to a young daughter, seeking to do as little harm as possible to the Earth and all sentient beings. This philosophy of compassion is foundational to his service work.
Jonathan is the Product Development Lead at Pietential and is directly responsible for the ongoing improvement of the company's product and how it intersects and empowers people and organizations worldwide.