Board of Directors

Mamta Dadlani, Ph.D., Board President

Mamta Dadlani, Ph.D., serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for Beats, Rhymes and Life, Inc (BRL).  Mamta’s professional work is focused on creating a balance between clinical practice, training, and research through a lens of critical social inquiry and social justice. With regard to practice, Mamta works as an Outreach Clinician, Clinical Supervisor, and Program Development Specialist at Community Services Institute in Springfield, MA., where her focus is providing high-quality, community-informed services to families living in poverty or involved with the Department of Child and Family Services. Mamta’s teaching and training efforts exist both inside and outside of formal environments. At Smith School for Social Work, Mamta is an Adjunct Professor who serves as a lecturer and thesis advisor; Mamta also consults with mental health clinics throughout Western Massachusetts to assess and address their training needs with regards to issues of diversity and social justice within their agencies and with the populations they serve. Finally, Mamta’s personal research program focuses on identifying how change happens through therapeutic relationships and on multiracial identity processes. Additionally, she serves as a Methodological and Statistics Consultant, most recently to the Social Justice Education Program at UMass-Amherst and to the Connections Afterschool Programs at Holyoke Public Schools.

Mamta earned her Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, but she always clarifies that she is a social worker at heart! She currently lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts and travels to the Bay Area frequently to visit family and friends. When she’s not working, she is often stargazing, singing, sketching, or searching for live, local music.

 

Shareen Punian, MBA, Board Member

Shareen Punian has had a career as an investment professional.  She worked at Charles Schwab as an Analyst. She then led a team of analysts that was responsible for evaluating investments nationwide. Ms. Punian also managed a fund of real estate securities. She then worked as a consultant evaluating investments and advising investors on investment decisions. Most recently, Ms. Punian has been involved in social impact investing and working with and learning from social entrepreneurs worldwide.  She is a board member of Cause Brigade. Ms. Punian graduated with a degree in International Relations and Economics from UC Davis. She also has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, with an emphasis in both Finance and Marketing.

Joshua Hollander, Board Member

Joshua Hollander is the Director of 3D Production at Pixar Animation Studios, overseeing all aspects of stereoscopic production at the acclaimed film company.  In his 14-year career at the studio he has served in a number of different departments and roles, mostly focusing on strategic thinking, building departments, and establishing/improving processes.

Prior to joining Pixar, Josh spent a number of years in the music business in his home town of New York City, DJing and producing underground hip hop.  While he never really reached the “big time”, he was a regular at the underground hip hop spots and once in a while at the swankier clubs.  In the studio, his resume includes some notable collaborations, and he also spent some time on the business side of things, working in publicity at Jive Records and in distribution at the original purveyor of underground hip hop – Fat Beats.

Hollander was raised on the upper west side of Manhattan and received a degree in Cultural Anthropology from NYU.  While he acknowledges that this may not have been the most practical focus, it did teach him the core skills of critical thinking, researching, and writing, and it reinforced his belief that understanding people within their own cultural frameworks helps build connection.

Throughout his life Joshua has been a committed advocate for animal rights, environmental protection, and social justice.  He has volunteered at the Oakland Animal Shelter and the Jane Goodall Institute (he calls Dr Goodall “his Elvis”).  He recently served on the Board of Directors of Youth Movement Records, where he also mentored youth and taught DJ classes, and he is now excited to join the Board at Beats Rhymes and Life, Inc.

Sherri Taylor Psy. D, Board Member

Jake Piccoli, Board Member