BIO

Mahavisnupriya Dasi was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a Native Hawaiian mother and an Italian American Naval Officer father. She attended Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, a distinguished institution where, along with academics, Hawaiian language, native culture, and the arts were taught. Later, she attended the University of Michigan before transferring to the University of Hawaii, where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Child Psychology (double major).

During her university studies, she participated in a 2.5-year state-funded research project, focusing on early identification of at-risk children. This initiative, later known as Healthy Start, became the national model for early intervention programs in the U.S. Recognizing her contributions, the University of Hawaii awarded her a Master’s in Social Work (MSW).

After graduation, she worked at PATCH (People Attentive to Children), a home visiting program supporting families with newborns. In 1985, she founded Makua Aloha Nurturing Association (MANA), a non-profit organization providing home evaluations and parental training in Hawaii.

Professional Contributions to Child Protection and Trauma Intervention
In 1992, Mahavisnupriya Dasi was hired by the U.S. Navy’s Fleet & Family Services Center at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, where she developed the Navy’s first Child Abuse Prevention Program. Building on her work, she was later tasked with designing the Sexual Assault Victim Intervention (SAVI) Program, aimed at addressing high rates of pre-service trauma among new military recruits. This program was later adopted across all U.S. Naval bases and higher education institutions nationwide.

From 1997 to 2010, alongside her work for the Navy, she played a key role in ISKCON’s Child Protection Office, collaborating with Dhira Govinda Dasa in establishing protocols for reviewing and adjudicating abuse cases within ISKCON communities. She trained ISKCON leaders on the dynamics of child abuse and served on case review panels, helping determine necessary actions for reported cases.

In 1999, she was appointed Head of the Victim Services Division at Kings Bay Naval Base, where she oversaw intervention programs for domestic violence, child sexual assault, rape, and trauma counseling. She retired from the federal government after 25 years of service but continued to work with ISKCON’s Child Protection Office under Tamohara Dasa.

Advocacy, Training & Education in ISKCON and Beyond
Mahavisnupriya Dasi has conducted extensive training for ISKCON schools and communities, educating children on how to recognize and report abuse using the Good Touch/Bad Touch curriculum. Between 2006 and 2012, she worked with Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii, training faculty and supporting survivors of past abuse.

For over 17 years, she has provided counseling services to ISKCON members upon request. Her contributions to the development of abuse prevention programs have shaped policies and intervention strategies within both ISKCON and broader institutional frameworks.