Kanika Kohli — CEO
Kanika Kohli embodies a growth mindset and lives by the ethos of service, compassion, transformation, and meaningful impact. As a transformational leader, life coach, and institutional architect, she has led and inspired high-impact value across diverse industries and global contexts. She is a pioneer in conversations on Mindful Living through her TED Talk in 2015 and published research work from her Ph.D. thesis on mindfulness in 2025. As a catalyst for mindful living, organic farming, and a vegan lifestyle, her work has positively impacted over 50,000 lives through development, transformational coaching, and community-building for good life. Since 2011, Dr. Kohli has been a senior practitioner and Professionally Certified Coach by globally renowned bodies (ICF-USA, EMCC- Belgium, GALLUP-USA, Richard Bandler’s Society of NLP- USA). She is a passionate student of Yogic Depth Psychology, positive psychology, Holistic Biography, and Vedic Astrology, which serve as powerful lenses in her coaching work. As a Gold Medalist in her post-graduate management education from IMT- Ghaziabad, Dr. Kohli firmly believes in excellence. In her academic roles since 2020, she has contributed to scholarship for human thriving through her publications in high-quality journals, including FT50; service as an award-winning reviewer for conferences and journals; as a member of the Editorial Advisory board at Emerald Publishing journals; and work with young adults as a Life Coach and Mentor. As the Life Coach and Founding Director at Rishihood University in 2025, she was instrumental in setting up India’s first fully endowed school of psychology (MaNaS) rooted in Indic Philosophy. She guides and illuminates insights—functioning not as a prescriptive authority but as a facilitator, allowing learning and growth to unfold organically. Dr. Kanika lives her passion to work with the youth in age groups from 19 to 38 years. That's the time when many face anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty about their direction. It is her mission to handhold them to be mindful in replacing overwhelm with clarity, confusion with meaning, and instability with a strong foundation for growth. Call to connect: If you’re a young adult navigating transitions, or an organization seeking to empower emerging leaders, let's connect. If you’re passionate about mindful leadership, entrepreneurship, legacy building, or creating meaningful shifts, let’s connect and co-create transformative impact.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a transformational leader in education and wellness sectors with a focus on mindful living.
Location: Chandigarh, India
Experience: 20 yrs 8 mos
Skills
- Coaching
- Board Governance
- Research
- Business Development
- Business Strategy
- Management Consulting
- Business Analysis
- Project Management
- Strategy
Career Highlights
- Pioneered conversations on Mindful Living through TED Talk.
- Founded India's first online vegan store, VegaLyfe.
- Instrumental in launching India's first fully endowed school of psychology.
Work Experience
South Asian Journal of Business Studies
Editorial Review Board Member (6 mos)
Journal of Asia Business Studies
Editorial Advisory Board Member (7 mos)
Rishihood University
Program Director MaNaS (3 mos)
Certified Life Coach (6 mos)
Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs
Independent Director (3 yrs)
MAHE Directorate of Research
Research Scholar (3 yrs 6 mos)
Trendsetters Facilities & Technical Services
Chief Executive Officer (3 yrs 3 mos)
VegaLyfe
Founder Director and CEO (3 yrs 10 mos)
KanikaKohli.coach
Certified Professional Coach (15 yrs)
Gallup
Senior Consultant (Partner Group) (3 yrs 7 mos)
Sun Life
Senior Business System Analyst (4 mos)
Business System Analyst (2 yrs 4 mos)
IPE Global Limited
Financial Analyst (7 mos)
Citi
Assistant Manager Services (3 yrs 1 mo)
Education
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD at T A Pai Management Institute, Manipal
MBA at Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad
Capital Structure Decisions at London Business School
Global Strategy at Alliance Manchester Business School
Coach certification at Grow More Avenues
Honors in Network Centered Computing at National Institute of Information Technology
