Formerly at Harvard Business School, Google, and writer for Forbes
Tarun Galagali
I'm passionate about building technology, political movements, and writing books that empower people to live their best lives.
I'm passionate about building technology, political movements, and writing books that empower people to live their best lives.
I'm the child of immigrants who came to California from India in 1996. I grew up in Cupertino, studied English and Economics at Dartmouth, and spent the early part of my career learning how organizations work from the inside — at Bridgewater Associates, Google, and on the political team of Congressman Ro Khanna.
Across those experiences, I kept noticing the same pattern: talented people struggling not because they lacked skill, but because they couldn't access their best thinking under pressure. That observation became the foundation for everything I'm building now.
Today, I run Mandala, an AI-powered leadership development platform. I write about leadership and neuroscience for Forbes. And I'm co-authoring a book with Dr. Michael Platt, the head of neuroscience at Wharton, about why nervous system regulation is the most overlooked skill in leadership.
A SOC-2 Type II compliant AI leadership coach that lives in Slack.
Mandala combines management training, neuroscience-based tools, and an AI coach — Manny — that your team can use every day. We've trained over 2,000 leaders across Google, Microsoft, Grow Therapy, Flatiron Health, UC Berkeley, and Ohio State.
A Boston College study found that managers in our program see 54% improvement in team effectiveness and an estimated 19% reduction in turnover.
I write about leadership, neuroscience, mental health, and the future of work.
As a Forbes contributor, I explore what it actually takes to lead well in a world that never stops — the science of performance under pressure, the leadership practices that scale, and what most people get wrong about productivity.
I'm also co-authoring PAUSE: Leading with Parasympathetic Intelligence with Dr. Michael Platt, who directs the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative. The book is forthcoming from Basic Books (Hachette) in 2027.
Read on ForbesI believe technology should serve people — not the other way around.
For six years, I served as Senior Political Advisor to Congressman Ro Khanna, helping elect and re-elect him to represent California's 17th district. I built grassroots organizing infrastructure in Silicon Valley and worked on policy around mental health and the economy — including a plan published in the San Francisco Chronicle that was partially adopted by my hometown school district.
Today, I'm focused on building sensible AI policy — ensuring that the communities most affected by these technologies have a meaningful voice in how they're governed. I'm also a musician — making music is how I practice what I preach, my own version of a long pause.
Listen to Immigrant Song
I run a one-hour workshop — available both virtually and in person — that teaches participants how to use nervous system regulation to make better decisions, lead through uncertainty, and access their best thinking under pressure.
I've delivered it for VPs and Directors at Fortune 500 companies and billion-dollar startups, and for high school students in the Middle East. The content scales across audiences because the science is universal — everyone has a nervous system, and almost nobody has been taught how to use it.
If you're interested in bringing The Power of Pause to your organization, team, or school, I'd love to hear from you.
How nervous system regulation drives better decisions, stronger teams, and resilient organizations.
Building emotional intelligence and focus through the science of pause — practical tools for young people.
Tailored sessions for offsites, conferences, classrooms, and leadership development programs worldwide.
Most leadership development teaches skills — communication, strategy, finance. But Dr. Michael Platt's research at Wharton has revealed that the most critical skill is one nobody teaches: the ability to regulate your nervous system under pressure so you can actually use everything you've learned.
We call it Parasympathetic Intelligence. Unlike IQ, which is largely fixed, or EQ, which develops slowly, Parasympathetic Intelligence can be trained quickly through practice. The book introduces a four-step framework called BEAM, tested with over 2,000 leaders, that helps people shift from reactivity to wisdom in real time.
Basic Books (Hachette) · Estimated 2027
Co-authored with Dr. Michael Platt, Head of Neuroscience, Wharton
Whether you're interested in Mandala for your team, want to book The Power of Pause workshop, have a question about the book, or want to collaborate on AI policy — I'd love to hear from you.
Pick a time that works, or connect with me on LinkedIn. I do my best to respond to every message.