Simran is a professor of history at the historic Union Theological Seminary and national bestselling author of The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform
Your Life. He is Senior Advisor for the Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program and also hosts Wisdom & Practice, a new podcast by The Aspen Institute and PRX.
Simran has spoken to audiences at various venues, including the mainstage at SXSW in Austin, Texas, Stanford University’s commencement ceremonies, and Fortune 500 companies around the globe. He is an Atlantic Fellow with the Atlantic Philanthropies, a Soros Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, and a Senior Fellow for the Sikh Coalition.
Simran earned graduate degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University, and an undergraduate degree from Trinity University. He writes regularly for various outlets, including TIME Magazine, Harvard Business Review, and Religion News Service.
Simran authored the award-winning children’s book Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon (Kokila, Penguin Random House), and his next children’s book—a celebration of migration, home, and new beginnings—comes out this spring.
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Simran now lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys running, writing, and chasing his kids.