Leadership

Meet the board guiding speed, discipline, and dignity across every initiative.

Founders, operators, storytellers, and strategists—our leadership team pairs lived experience with relentless accountability to move generosity into measurable action.

Board leadership

Strategic minds with sleeves rolled up.

The board guides Foundation strategy, public priorities, partnerships, governance, and long-term growth.

Gurbaksh Chahal

Chairman & Founder — CEO / Founder of AuraOne, philanthropist, and author.

At four years old, Gurbaksh immigrated from India to the United States and endured racism and bullying that shaped his commitment to dignity and opportunity for all.

He left high school at 16 to build his first dot-com company. Since then, he has launched technology ventures, authored international bestsellers, and invested in social impact initiatives worldwide.

Today he is CEO / Founder of AuraOne, an enterprise AI platform focused on evaluation, governance, and responsible AI deployment.

In 2012, he founded The Chahal Foundation to turn generosity into disciplined action across education, child protection, food security, safety & justice, and emergency response.

As chairman, he guides Foundation strategy, public priorities, partnerships, and long-term growth.

"It doesn't matter where we live or what we look like. It doesn't matter whether we are rich or poor. We have the right to live without fear, to access education, to live a better life. These are bonds that link us all."

Rubina Bajwa

Board Member — actor, mother, advocate, and early-childhood education specialist amplifying child protection initiatives.

Born in Vancouver to parents who emigrated from India, Rubina built a celebrated career in the Punjabi film industry, winning Best Debut at the 2018 PTC Awards.

Before acting, she studied early-childhood education and special needs, grounding her passion for creating safe environments for children worldwide—and guiding how she parents with compassion and shared responsibility.

At The Chahal Foundation, Rubina contributes an advocacy and early-childhood perspective to child-protection principles, public awareness, survivor-centered standards, and family dignity.

She combines her creative career with public advocacy intended to increase attention and support for safer environments for children and families.

Troy Baloca

Director of Operations — operator and partnership-builder focused on getting help to families fast, with discipline and dignity.

Troy Baloca serves as Director of Operations at The Chahal Foundation, supporting day-to-day coordination, partner follow-through, logistics, and operational review across Foundation priorities.

He brings experience from food-security operations and community-service organizations, including work with Reaching Out, Inc. in San Jose.

Troy's background also includes corporate partnership and growth roles, including Regional Corporate Sales Director responsibilities with UFC FIT/UFC GYM, and strategic account leadership earlier in his career at various tech startups.