Pietential, LLC is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “The birthplace of America” and was founded by John Starling and Henry Hank Mitchell in 2019, and we're on a mission to bring our 'Life Balance Realization System' to the world, empowering people and organizations to understand and realize their full potential. And, as a company with a double bottom line we are committed to being a democratizing force for people and communities around the world that can't afford professional coaching.
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.
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.
Pietential is a democratizing force
for personal, organizational,
community and global well-being.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.