A call to action for branding Jainism in North America

By Mayur J Shah (JAINA LRP Committee)

Franklin Township, NJ: The Jain Leadership Forum (JLF) 2025, held at the Jain Center of New Jersey from March 14-16, chartered a clear vision for the future of Jainism in North America. Organized by JAINA’s Long Range Planning Committee (LRP), and led by Dr Dipak Jain, former Dean of the Kellogg School of Management, the event brought together over 150 Jain leaders from JAINA, Young Jains of America (YJA), Young Jain Professionals (YJP), the Jain Center of New Jersey (JCNJ) and many other Jain Centers across the United States and Canada.

The weekend was filled with networking, leadership development, interactive dialogue, and stimulating debate, all aimed at advancing Jainism from Success to Significance.

Dr Manoj Jain, Chair of the JAINA LRP Committee, opened the forum by framing its purpose and mission with a thought-provoking question: “While we as individuals have achieved great success, what have we done as a community? Could we have done more?” He emphasized that the 4E’s — Energize, Expand, Evolve, and Engage — will be key in helping the Jain community reach new heights.

Dr Manoj Jain, Chair of the JAINA LRP Committee.

The meeting began with warm welcomes from Jigar Shah (JLF 2025 LRP organizing team and past JCNJ president) and Mihir Shah (current JCNJ president). Mihir Shah set the tone for the gathering, emphasizing that “this forum is a unique opportunity for dialogue, collaboration, and strategic thinking”.

Yogendra Jain and Chintan Shah reflected on the incredible journey of LRP since its inception in 2005. Yogendra Jain emphasized the importance of strengthening Jainism’s branding and equipping the community with tools like the Jain Elevator Pitch and AAA (Ahimsa, Anekantvad, & Aparigraha) —providing all Jains with a clear, concise, and unified way to define Jainism and the Jain Way of Life.

Dr Dipak Jain on core Jain principle

Dr Dipak Jain, former Dean, Kellogg School of Management.

Dr Dipak Jain delivered an inspiring and powerful keynote address on the Branding of Jainism in North America. He shared how the core Jain principles of ahimsa (non-violence), anekantvad (multiplicity of viewpoints), and aparigraha (simplicity/non-possessiveness) shaped his successful career and helped him overcome life’s challenges. He urged each attendee — and the broader Jain community — to become champions of Jainism in both their personal and professional lives. With a compelling call to action, he declared, “The time has come for us Jains to be role models of leadership!”

JAINA, YJA, YJP, and JCNJ (Jain Centers) – at the heart of effort

JAINA President Bindesh Shah.

Bindesh Shah, JAINA President, emphasized JAINA's vital role in supporting Jain Centers across North America and encouraged attendees to get involved in its many committees. Several JAINA executive committee members were also present to reinforce this message.

YJA co-chairs, Mahima Shah and Harshita Jain, shared how they are expanding key initiatives such as spiritual retreats, YJA Reflect, YJA Talks, and mentoring programs — scaling their efforts to match the organization's rapid growth while strengthening its infrastructure.

YJP’s new team is ready to innovate & grow; the YJA team is primed to reach new heights!

Meanwhile, YJP co-chairs, Apurva Talsania and Mannan Mehta, provided updates on various initiatives, including the YJP track at the JAINA convention, the MyUnify platform, sports events, and more, showcasing YJP’s ongoing commitment to engagement and innovation. Building on these efforts, Prem Jain (past JAINA President, LRP Committee) encouraged attendees to shift their perspective, challenging them to ask not, "What can JAINA do for me?" but rather, "What can I do for JAINA?"

Jain leadership SUPER-skills

Bela Shah, well-being, emotional intelligence, and leadership coach, guided attendees on how to lead with connection and apply their skills in alignment with Jain principles. She engaged the audience in exploring their identities through four Jain leadership super-skills: self-awareness (satya), emotional agility (aparigraha), self-compassion (ahimsa), and mindful listening (anekantvada). Emphasizing the deep connection between our inner and outer worlds, she highlighted how the way we nurture our inner selves profoundly shapes how we show up in the world.

Jain principles, applied in the real world

Ajay Bhutoria and Chirag Shah with emcee Khushali Shah on how they apply Jainism everyday.

In a thought-provoking discussion moderated by Khushali Shah — who also served as the emcee for the entire JLF 2025 forum — Ajay Bhutoria and Chirag Shah explored the powerful real-world applications of Jain principles. Ajay shared how Jainism has influenced his career in domestic politics, from fundraising for political campaigns to shaping policy around key issues. Likewise, Chirag Shah provided insight into how Jain values have guided his work in fundraising and his various roles within the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Professor Siddhartha Dalal engaged attendees in an enlightening discussion on the intersection of modern technology and religion, illustrating how Jain principles can seamlessly integrate into professional careers. He showcased his pioneering work with artificial intelligence, highlighting its connection to Jain values in a way that is both innovative and thought-provoking.

Jain projects are the stairways to the future of Jainism.

Jain Projects as change drivers

Launched in 2024, the Jain Projects initiative provides a structured platform to bring innovative ideas to life and advance the Jain cause across North America. Viral Shah, LRP Projects Lead, highlighted the progress of 2024 initiatives while setting the stage for over 30 new projects presented by Jain centers, YJA, YJP, and other organizations. These projects span a diverse range of initiatives, including the Swadhyay Club, Engaging Students in Credit-Earning Courses (Arihanta Institute), Jain Prayer Boxes for Students, Increasing JAINA Directors/Committees Engagement, YJP Shark Tank, Branding and Sharing the Essence of Jainism and the Jain Way of Life, Seva as a Jain Brand (YJA), and many more.

A powerful donation

Attendees brainstormed on how to better brand Jainism.

Sensing a desire to have even more interactive discussions, the script for the final day was rewritten at the last minute. Grouped in roundtables, attendees were assembled to brainstorm and share thoughts on topics such as how to better brand Jainism. One of the key missions to come out of JLF 2025 was to prevent the “drop-off and loss of engagement” of young Jains when they transition out of pathshalas and YJA and, more broadly, enter the ‘real world’ and begin their college and professional lives. To that end, Prem Jain, Manoj Jain, and Mohini Jain surprised everyone with an announcement of a generous spontaneous $30k donation to YJA to put forth a proposal to help address the concern of drop-off and loss of engagement of Jain youths.

Planting the seeds

JLF 2025 planted the seeds of connection, collaboration, and congruence on what Jains and Jain organizations need to focus on, both in the near and long term. These discussions laid the foundation for continuing the journey of moving Jainism from Success to Significance.

JAINA’s LRP committee and the Jain Leadership Forums provide a much-needed platform for Jains to think strategically and act collectively towards a strong, unified vision of the future of Jainism. For more information, to get involved in future forums and our projects, visit www.jainleadership.org.

(All photos and graphics courtesy: Jain Leadership Forum)