Founded in 1967 by Dr. Narinder S. Kapany and his wife, Mrs. Satinder Kaur Kapany, the Sikh Foundation is a non-profit, non-political charitable organization (EIN: 23-7035676) dedicated to promoting the heritage and future of Sikhism. For over five decades, we have championed Sikh art, thought, and values across academic, artistic, and community spaces.
Our Mission
Our mission is rooted in a deep love for Sikh heritage and a profound respect for the diverse communities we serve. We strive to share the stories, art, and wisdom of Sikhism across generations and cultures by creating inclusive and engaging programs guided by Sikh ideals.
We work to:
- Ensure the spirit of Sikhism continues to illuminate hearts and minds globally.
- Safeguard Sikh stories, art, and wisdom through exhibitions, scholarship, and community programs.
- Pass on the essence of Sikh heritage to the growing Sikh diaspora in the West, especially the youth.
- Provide intergenerational spaces where elders share insights and youth connect with their roots.
- Foster Sikh culture through critical and creative thinking—the same spirit that gave rise to the Sikh faith.
- Uphold Sikh values of equality, resilience, and seva (selfless service).
- Offer hands-on, welcoming experiences for people of all backgrounds.
- Contribute a Sikh perspective to shared human concerns and build bridges across communities.
Founders – Mrs. Satinder Kaur and Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany
Mrs. Satinder Kaur and Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany founded the Sikh Foundation in 1967, uniting their dedication to Sikh heritage with a vision for global cultural exchange. Mrs. Kapany, a pioneering philanthropist, visionary art collector, and accomplished painter, led the donation of over 100 Sikh artworks to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, establishing the Satinder Kaur Kapany Gallery of Sikh Art, the first permanent gallery of its kind in the Americas. Drawing inspiration from Baramah compositions in the Guru Granth Sahib, her paintings reflected her deep connection to Sikh spirituality and heritage. Her warmth, artistry, and vision continue to inspire the Sikh Foundation’s mission today.
Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany, celebrated worldwide as the “Father of Fiber Optics,” championed the belief that “on the threshold of the twenty-first century, it is the destiny of the Sikh people to be a thriving and contributing international community.” He urged Sikhs to draw inspiration from the Gurus’ teachings and sacrifices, equipping future generations to be both good Sikhs and engaged members of society, while sharing their heritage without chauvinism. “The wisdom, philosophy, and arts of the Sikh faith belong to the world,” he said, “and it is time now to bring them into the light.”
Together, they assembled the world-renowned Kapany Collection of Sikh art and built a lasting legacy of innovation, service, and cultural preservation. Today, their children, Raj and Kiki Kapany, serve on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, carrying forward their parents’ vision and ensuring it continues to inspire future generations.
Board of Trustees
Dilmohan Singh Chadha – President
A Bay-Area entrepreneur with more than three decades in international stone supply, Mr. Chadha is President & CEO of Integrated Resources Group, operating large showrooms in Brisbane and Dublin, California. Drawing on earlier experience in commercial lending at Wells Fargo, he now channels his business acumen into strategic growth and philanthropic outreach for the Foundation.
Kiran (“Kiki”) Kaur Kapany – Trustee
Kiki Kapany is a founder and Producer/Director at Kikim Media, producing award-winning documentaries on science, technology, history, and social issues for PBS, NOVA, and other major platforms. Her work includes Wired for Connection (coming soon), Weathering the Future (NOVA), Secrets in Our DNA (NOVA), Look Who’s Driving (NOVA), The Ornament of the World (PBS), and the Emmy-nominated In Defense of Food (PBS). A UC Berkeley graduate and licensed attorney, she combines creative vision with legal expertise to bring impactful stories to life.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kiki-kapany-8340511
Raj Kapany – Trustee
An investor with Sand Hill Angels and a veteran of the fiber-optics industry, Mr. Kapany holds board or advisory seats on seven tech companies. He leverages deep experience in photonics and growth finance to mentor Sikh-origin founders and to guide the Foundation’s technology partnerships.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/raj-kapany-51102425
Pritinder Singh Arora – Treasurer
Mr. Arora is a lifelong entrepreneur whose ventures span retail and real-estate development. Passionate about language preservation, he led community fundraising to keep Punjabi-language instruction thriving at UC Berkeley and continues to steward the Foundation’s finances with the same hands-on dedication.
Sonia Dhami – Trustee
Sonia Dhami is a curator and cultural advocate who has organized landmark Sikh art exhibitions including I Will Meet You Yet Again (UCLA Fowler Museum) and Nānaka Ivẽ Jānīẽ (Loyola Marymount University), and co-ed ited Sikh Art from the Kapany Collection (Smithsonian). As President of Art & Tolerance Inc., she promotes inclusivity through the arts and advances Sikh cultural representation globally.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sonia-dhami-bb49a26
Dr. Ratinder Paul Singh Ahuja – Trustee
A four-time tech founder with multiple successful exits, Dr. Ahuja now serves as CTO & VP for Security and Networking Engineering at Pure Storage, where he spearheads AI-driven data-protection initiatives. His expertise in cybersecurity and startup scale-up brings a cutting-edge perspective to the Foundation’s digital strategy.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ratinderahuja
Prof. Mark Juergensmeyer – Trustee
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Global Studies & Sociology at UC Santa Barbara, Prof. Juergensmeyer is a world authority on religion and conflict whose 30 books include the seminal Terror in the Mind of God. As interim Kundan Kaur Kapany Chair in Sikh Studies, he links the Foundation to cutting-edge academic research and public scholarship.
Dr. Kanwaljeet S. (“Sunny”) Anand – Trustee
A Rhodes Scholar and world-recognized pioneer in neonatal pain research, Dr. Anand is Professor of Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Peri-operative & Pain Medicine at Stanford. He directs the Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab and advises NIH, FDA, and WHO panels. His advocacy for children’s health and cross-faith community work align powerfully with the Foundation’s service ethos.
Inderjit N. Kaur – Trustee
An ethnomusicologist in the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Dr. Kaur holds dual Ph.D.s (Ethnomusicology and Agricultural Economics, UC Berkeley). Her work on Sikh kīrtan and South-Asian soundscapes bridges sensory ethnography, affect theory, and diaspora studies, with a monograph currently in preparation.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/inderjit-n-kaur-06402514
Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh – Trustee
Crawford Family Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at Colby College, Prof. Singh pioneered feminist readings of Sikh scripture and produced the first English verse translation of the Guru Granth Sahib. Her numerous books include The Feminine Principle in the Sikh Vision of the Transcendent and The First Sikh.
Rajbir Singh Judge – Trustee
Dr. Rajbir Singh Judge is Associate Professor of History at California State University, Long Beach, specializing in the intellectual and cultural history of South Asia with a focus on Punjab and the Sikh tradition. He is the author of Prophetic Maharaja: Loss, Sovereignty, and the Sikh Tradition in Colonial South Asia and is currently writing his second book, A Critique of Contextual Reason, as a member of the Institute for Advanced Study.
Simran Jeet Singh – Trustee
Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is Assistant Professor of Interreligious Histories at Union Theological Seminary and author of the national bestseller The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life. He also serves as Senior Advisor for the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program and is an award-winning writer of books for adults and children, including Fauja Singh Keeps Going and A Vaisakhi to Remember.
Mallika Kaur – Trustee
Lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Law and co-founder of the Sikh Family Center, Kaur is a lawyer-author focused on gender justice and minority rights. Her book Faith, Gender, and Activism in the Punjab Conflict (2019) combines legal insight with oral history to foreground grassroots human-rights defenders.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/mallika-kaur-a4bb578