NAPERVILLE, IL . May 30, 2026.— Author and inventor Poonam Gupta-Krishnan launched her debut book, VARNA: Know Your Why, and introduced the Varna-CQ™ Leadership Alignment Framework to an invitation-only audience at the Naperville Public Library on May 30, 2026. The response was immediate and unambiguous: every copy of the book available for purchase was claimed before the event closed, with requests continuing after. In a separate signal of the framework’s resonance, approximately 90% of guests enrolled in the complimentary Varna-CQ™ Leadership Alignment Assessment offered at the event.
The event, held in recognition of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, was hosted by Bharathi Theertha — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — under the leadership of founder Dr. Prakasam Tata, Environmental Scientist and Global Sustainability Leader, whose organizational journey is documented as a case study in Chapter One of the book. Dr. Chaudhary Jampala, Psychiatrist, served as Master of Ceremonies.
Padma Shri Dr. S.V. Rama Rao — eminent artist and educationist whose work is held in the collections of MoMA (New York), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), and Harvard University; Mr. Kriti Das Thokchom, Deputy Consul General of India in Chicago; Pam McElvane, CEO of Diversity MBA Media; James Clark, civic leader and former Superintendent of Joliet High Schools; and Sherman L. Jenkins, President of SLJ Communications and Chairman of the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Attendees included senior executives from technology and healthcare corporations, University of Illinois faculty, CIOs, and community leaders.
“Poonam Gupta has not only written a book, but offered a civilizational contribution. This work carries the fragrance of our eternal heritage and the promise of a more aligned, humane, and prosperous world.”— Padma Bhushan Prof. Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad — Foreword, Varna: Know Your Why
“Culture is the soil in which leadership grows. When the soil is depleted — by misalignment, unclear values, or burnout — no amount of strategy or resources will make leaders thrive. Varna: Know Your Why replenishes that soil.”— Dorri McWhorter, President & CEO, The Executives’ Club of Chicago — Foreword
“Varna-CQ was born from a question I carried for many years: why do capable, talented people still feel misplaced, exhausted, or unseen? Success is not only about skill — it is also about alignment.”— Poonam Gupta-Krishnan, Author & Inventor
About the Framework ;Varna-CQ™ is a patent-pending leadership alignment and cognitive assessment system that identifies individuals’ natural makeup, thinking and decision-making style, job-fit alignment, and pathways for growth. Gallup’s 2025 research estimates the cost of global workforce disengagement at $10 trillion annually — the organizational challenge Varna-CQ™ is built to address. Unlike conventional personality tools, Varna-CQ™ draws from the living science of Sanatan Dharma and bridges ancient human insight with modern behavioral science.
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