Board

While visiting Nepal in 2003, Sonnia witnessed the numerous challenges that Nepalese women faced due to gender, caste, disability, and poverty. She was convinced that higher education could offer an alternative--a way for women to become confident, independent, productive citizens. This insight, along with a strong desire to honor her husband’s memory and the conviction that one person can make a difference led Sonnia to launch the Bo M. Karlsson Scholarship Fund in 2004. Sonnia is passionate about girls and women issues and spends a lot of her time working with local and international grassroots efforts to bring in positive changes to our global community. Sonnia lives with her family in the Seattle area.

Shannan Chapman has been in the technology industry for over 17 years. She earned her BS in Computer Science and her MBA from the University of North Carolina. Her desire to make an impact in education was born out of her own personal experience coupled with her passion for working with diverse teams across the globe. The work that BMKF does, supporting women in Nepal through scholarships for higher education is something Shannan has a strong passion for. A mom to five and grandmother to four, she currently lives in the Pacific Northwest where she works for Cisco and enjoys a good book and the great outdoors. She looks forward to traveling to Nepal and meeting the amazing young women in the program.

With 15 years of experience working in the non-profit sector, and a Master’s degree in Social Work from NYU, Amanda Wager brings to the board both perspective and passion. Since her first steps in Kathmandu in 2013, that passion has been focused on the people of Nepal through water sanitation and hygiene with the Living Earth Institute, and now on the empowerment of women through education with BMKF. While she enjoys the active life she has built in Seattle, she looks forward to working with the foundation to enrich the country she considers her "home away from home."

Thomas (Chris) Landschulz is serving a second term as the Treasurer of the board. Chris earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1994 and completed an MBA at the University of Washington in 2009. Chris has a background in insurance claims, litigation management, and for the last 12 years has worked for local real estate developer Polygon Northwest, where he became a partner in the firm and served as the VP of Finance. Chris and his wife, Shelly, live in Seattle with their three children. Chris has been involved with the Foundation since 2007 and has a passion for social and environmental causes.

Growing up in an energy deficient economy in Nepal, Grishma developed a passion for working in the field of renewable energy. The possibility of being able to design standalone renewable energy systems was her motivation for pursuing an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and in 2008, she was awarded a Bo M. Karlsson Foundation Scholarship. She also holds a graduate degree in Energy and Environmental Management from the University of Flensburg, Germany.

Since graduating in 2011, Grishma has been working in the Energy and Environment. In previous roles, she worked as a Project Officer in Nepal, a Renewable Energy Engineer in India, a Hydro Energy Consultant in Scotland and most recently as a Research Intern in Indonesia. Currently, Grishma is looking forward to pursuing her doctorate degree in Economics, specializing in energy and environment issues in emerging and developing economies. Grishma is honored and excited to join the board and give back to the organization that enabled her to pursue her passion.

We are extremely pleased to welcome Bindu Shrestha to the Bo M. Karlsson Foundation Board.

Born and raised in Nepal, Bindu was the first Nepalese woman to receive a scholarship from the Bo M Karlsson Foundation. Because of this support, she was able to complete her Nursing studies in 2007 and went on to work at one of the most prestigious hospitals in Nepal.

Bindu recently moved to Seattle with her husband Prem, a BMKF advisor and outdoor enthusiast, and they are both enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She loves reading, travel, hiking, camping, cooking and baking. She also enjoys yoga and listening to music.

Bindu is thankful to be part of the organization that gave her the opportunity to pursue a career in Nursing, a long held dream of hers. She is excited to get started and help impact the lives of women just like her because she knows what it’s like to walk in their shoes:

"I know how it feels when you almost give up on your dream because of the financial problems but then an angel comes into your life and makes it happen. Sonnia Karlsson was that angel and I'll always be thankful to her for everything she did for me and my education."