Norman Oberstein, Chairman of the Board
Norman Oberstein, Chairman of the Board of the Lenz Foundation. is a 1962 Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Iowa and a 1965 Order of the Coif graduate of the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California (Berkeley), where he participated as a member of the Board of Editors for the California Law Review. Mr. Oberstein was a senior partner in the litigation department and a managing member of the Beverly Hills law firm of Kaplan, Livingston, Goodwin, Berkowitz & Selvin. In January of 1982, Mr. Oberstein formed his own firm, and in April of 2006, merged his practice with Gipson Hoffman & Pancione, where he is Of Counsel to the firm. Mr. Oberstein’s legal career has been devoted to the litigation of complex business disputes in a wide array of general business, entertainment, intellectual property, and trust and estate matters. At the request of Dr. Lenz, he and the late Norman Marcus formed The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism in 1998.
Liz Lewinson, Chief Executive Officer
Liz Lewinson is Chief Executive Officer of the Lenz Foundation. She leads the grant category titled "Women in Buddhism” and is chairperson of the Advisory Committee. She studied American Buddhism with Rama – Dr. Frederick Lenz for 17 years and was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1992. A long time practitioner and teacher of meditation and mindfulness, she is the author of the award-winning biography, American Buddhist Rebel: Rama - Dr. Frederick Lenz and narrates the audiobook. She has published other books of Buddhist teachings including Women, Meditation, and Power. She was a senior vice president for marketing and public relations at several television studios before embarking on a career in Wall Street technology and project/program management for complex, mission-critical initiatives.
Rob Francais, CPA Board Member, Wealth Manager and Financial Advisor
Rob Francais is CEO of Aspiriant, the foundation’s accounting and wealth advisor firm and one of the leading financial services companies in the United States. Aspiriant has eleven offices across the USA serving 1,700 families with $12.5 billion in assets under management. As CEO, Rob successfully led and completed the acquisition of Deloitte’s national investment practice. As a Board member of the Lenz Foundation, he provides operational oversight and advice on philanthropic matters.
Jeffrey Richardson, Advisory Technology Officer
Jeffrey Richardson is an American Buddhist and IT architect. Jeff is a technology advisor to the Lenz Foundation and was a direct student of Rama - Dr Frederick Lenz for many years. Jeff published the catalog of audio teachings of Dr Lenz online and co-produced the short film, "Signs of a Rebel Buddha," which explores Dr Lenz's approach to Buddhism. The film has won numerous awards, including the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Druk International Film Festival in Bhutan. As a consulting IT architect, Jeff leads software development and digital transformation projects.
Barbara Smith, Director of Administration
Barbara brings more than 20 years of business and IT experience to the Lenz Foundation, serving as both a program manager, technologist and entrepreneur. Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersection of technology, strategy, and operations, guiding complex initiatives from vision through execution. Barb holds a B.S. in Management from the University of San Francisco and is a PMI-certified Project Manager, a certified Agile Scrum Master, and a certified Life Coach. In addition to her professional work, Barb has spent decades in Buddhist practice and sharing meditation with others. She has been a dedicated practitioner since 1982 and was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1992. She brings the values of mindfulness, integrity, and service to both her organizational leadership and community involvement.
The Lenz Foundation Advisory Committee
- Liz Lewinson, Chairperson
- Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology; Director, Master of Arts in Yoga Studies; Fulbright Nehru Fellow, New Delhi, Aug 15 – Dec 15, 2019; Theological Studies; Loyola Marymount University
- Acharya Fleet Maull, Prison Dharma Network
- Ben Moore, Publisher, Lion’s Roar
- Jeffrey Richardson, Sr. Consulting Information Technology Architect, IBM
- Judith Simmer-Brown, Ph.D., Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies, Naropa University
Venus Gravagna, M.A., lead technology architect for three decades, currently focusing on compassionate AI encompassing Buddhist philosophies and practices
Lisa Erickson, Healing Practitioner focused on Women’s Energetics, Author, and Teacher (Choge) with Tara Mandala Buddhist Community