Meet Our
TEAM
John Christian
Executive Director
Meet John Christian, the visionary CEO of Kontagious, a social entrepreneur with over three decades of experience leading innovative community transformation across India and the USA. Founder of the renowned Unwind Center in Chennai, India, John also pioneered viable organic farming and dairy practices, demonstrating their success on his own farm. Early in his career, John established a successful business in San Jose, California. This entrepreneurial foundation preceded his impactful work in community transformation.
John's passion lies in people-centered work, focusing on developing leaders through influence, motivation, and personal growth. He is gifted at building grassroots movements where hope and vision drive change, fostering community through engaging relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds. His contagious love and remarkable passion for impacting lives are truly unique. We are energized by his leadership style and his drive to be a "Kindness freak." Come and join the ride with us!
Carol Christian
Director,Community Development
Meet Carol Christian, an American born New Jersey Desi, with deep Indian roots, who made history as the first infant to fly solo between continents. Her unique background profoundly shapes her approach to mentoring young people, emphasizing the modeling of positive culture and behavior. Through her caring and loving lifestyle, Carol authentically shares her experiences and principles, offering practical strategies for "becoming leaders of character and compassion." Her warm smile and genuine compassion naturally foster community wherever she goes.
Bob Thomas
Board Member
Born in Dallas, Texas, Bob found his roots in Southern California. As a boy, sports were his passion. He attended college on a wrestling scholarship where he achieved All-American status and became a national champion in 1978. During this time Bob’s passions changed. He began to notice those around him who were disconnected and alone. He found these needs to be so compelling, he enrolled in seminary where he received his Master of Divinity degree from Talbot Seminary in 1982. Since then Bob has found himself working with youth, college students, and adults helping them develop meaningful connections with each other and with their purpose for life. He has spoken publicly to groups of thousands and often meets with individual business leaders to coach them in their growth. Bob adds a refreshing perspective to connect leaders of top companies in the Bay Area with our new Indian immigrants. Bob is Kontagious with his simple lifestyle and passion for the new immigrant finding a place in our community.
Ken Raasch
Board Member
Ken brings 30 years of art, entertainment, consumer branding, retail, and licensing experience to Kontagious. He is the founder and Chairman of Immersive Artistry, an Immersive entertainment company focused on engaging family entertainment. He also serves as the CEO and Chairman of Creative Brands Group, Inc., a Silicon Valley brand management, and licensing agency. Under his leadership, the art company he founded with artist, Thomas Kinkade, Media Arts Group, Inc. went public on NASDAQ in 1994 and transitioned to the NYSE in 1998. Ken is the Founder of Mercy Ventures, a nonprofit foundation, and is on the Board of Directors for Acts of Mercy. Ken Raasch began connecting with India years ago, first through his own visit, followed by bringing his children and wife to share the wonder of this land. He loves India, the food, the people, the sites... and so it was an easy decision for Mr. Raasch to become a member of the Kontagious board. His Kontagious love for the Indian people and artistic creativity, provide Ken with a distinct perspective on beauty in the Indian culture.
Cathy Smith
Board Member
Cathy Smith, has a sense for adventure, as cross cultural communication and commerce is part and parcel of being the CEO/President of ELREPCO. They represent some of the best companies in the areas of Semiconductor, Storage and Power Solutions, to clients like Alphabet/Google, Facebook, Cisco, HP, and many others. In the midst of leading this fast paced company, Cathy has shaped her highly successful business towards excellence in technology, integrity, and community. Her passion for people and relationships is reflected in her participation with a variety of foundations helping people in the Bay Area like YoungLife and the San jose Family Shelter to name a few. It is hard to keep up with Cathy and her Kontagious passion for running, golf, fun, and health.
Samuel Chacko
Board Member
Samuel Chacko is an Indian American born and raised in UAE. As a kid he has experienced living in a culture different from his own all through his childhood. He learned at a very young age to adapt to various cultures and find commonalities between them to stay engaged in meaningful relationships that last. Samuel values the work of Kontagious and its principles to build communities by integrating people into cultures that may not be their own. He is always thrilled to have Indian people find paths to integrate and thrive in America. Samuel and his wife Reeba and their three boys have lived in the Bay Area for an over a decade. He is currently a Senior Engineering Manager at Apple Inc.
Virendra Vase
Board Member
Virendra was born and raised in India. He graduated from Pune University with a BS, in Electrical Engineering. He earned his MS in Computer Engineering at Clemson University, which led the way to the Bay Area where he worked for large companies like Yahoo, Experian and Salesforce, as well as a handful of successful startups in the Bay Area. Most recently Virendra was the COO of Life 360. His leadership experience around technology lends itself to product development and scaling businesses/ventures. We are excited Virendra is a part of the Kontagious Board, providing us with his insight into the Indian mindset and their business edge. He is married to his wife Kim and enjoys the lives of his three children and very large extended family (he is the youngest of 10). Virendra is known for his Kontagious love for fun and tech, you will never miss out on his sense of humor. We appreciate the talents he brings to our board as we go through the growing pains of being a startup here in Silicon Valley.
Volunteer Leaders.
Maxine Chicoine-Bagoye
Lead Communications
Born in California to French Canadian parents, their language-French, and their culture extremely Quebecois, birthed Maxine’s desire for travel in different cultures. Maxine was able to hone her cross cultural communication skills while living and working in Japan, creating a successful ESL business in Yokohama, Japan. She has an innate love for science and technology as a graduate from UC Santa Cruz in Chemistry. Her work experience includes startups and instrumentation companies, establishing user groups, marketing and creatively communicating with her customers. Keeping in line with ‘the lab’ Maxine has a Kontagious love for coffee, she roasts it herself and brews it the Eritrean way. She is passionate about everyone, and every culture being welcome in her neighborhood and home. Maxine sees Kontagious as a ‘kindness company’, building community across the hearts of many.