The Vervaeke Foundation draws together passionate, dedicated individuals from a diverse variety of professions and backgrounds.
For 28 years, cognitive scientist Dr. John Vervaeke has given his life to pioneering the scientific study of wisdom and transformation. His discoveries blend ancient and modern ways of knowing—bringing together philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, information processing, linguistics, and studies of religion.
His Awakening From the Meaning Crisis series has earned him global notoriety and his academic work has gained the respect of the scholarly and scientific community. His lectures and discussions have been viewed by millions.
This cognitive explanation of meaning-making has attracted leaders in many disciplines to the work. His teachings have served as a clarion call, around which practices are being honed and communities are being built that are having a proven ability to bring transformation and meaning to many.
A meaningful movement is rapidly growing—we are here to steward and scale it responsibly.
The Team
Christopher Mastropietro
Executive Director
Christopher is a writer, instructor, and former public policy advisor. An experienced manager and team lead, he worked for a decade in the Ontario Public Service and Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
He is a co-author of several publications related to philosophy, dialogue, and the Meaning Crisis, including Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis (Open Book Publishers, 2017) and the forthcoming Awakening from the Meaning Crisis (Story Grid, 2024).
Taylor Barratt
Director of Practice and Education
Through his leadership of Authentic Relating Toronto and certification as an Integral Facilitator, Taylor has been helping people come into right relationship with themselves, others, and the world since 2013.
He also heads up the AwakenToMeaning.com practice platform and designs courses and practices that are in service of helping develop and enhance wisdom.
Ethan Kobayashi-Hsieh
Director of Community Development and Partnerships
Ethan works in the intersection between actor training and 4E cognitive science. Ethan has been actively developing a performance practice called The Integrative Approach and Methodology of Active Transformation (TIAMAT) through practice-as-research. His work aims for a consilient integration between the natural and social sciences.
With an MA in Professional Practice: Theatre and Drama Facilitation at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Ethan has designed and delivered transformational community-building programs, retreats, and workshops in Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, France, Czechia, and Singapore.
Eric Foster
Director of Media Production
Eric is a seasoned media and operations leader who rapidly scaled Dr. Jordan Peterson’s business operations and media strategy, facilitating the tripling of his audience in 2.5 years.
He is the former president of a 100m tech company and founder and CEO of a media agency that produces many of the top podcasts in the world.
The Board
Ryan Barton
Chair
An experienced business founder, organizational leader, and transformational coach, Ryan works at the intersection of the inner and outer journey.
He brings strategy, scaling competence, and nonprofit leadership to organizations focused on awakening and growth in wisdom.
John Vervaeke
Board Member
John Vervaeke, Ph.D., is an award-winning lecturer, Director of Cognitive Science at the University of Toronto, and tenured professor.
He is the author of the widely acclaimed Awakening from the Meaning Crisis and After Socrates series.
Anderson Todd
Board Member
Anderson has taught in the Cognitive Science program, Interdisciplinary Courses on Jungian Theory program, and Buddhist Psychology & Mental Health program at the University of Toronto.
He also works internationally as a registered psychotherapist to individuals, a cognitive consultant to organizations, and an enrichment education specialist to private schools.
Chloé Valdary
Board Member
After a year as a Bartley Fellow at The Wall Street Journal, Chloé Valdary developed the Theory of Enchantment (ToE), an innovative framework for compassionate anti-racism that combines social-emotional learning (SEL), character development, and interpersonal growth as tools for leadership development in the boardroom and beyond.
Tim Bishop
Board Member
Tim is a serial entrepreneur, devoted seeker of wisdom, and builder of high-performance cultures, teams, and leaders. He has founded leadership consulting and technology companies focused on translating mission into action.