Nia AI Inc.

Joseph Okleberry is a facilitator and the founder of Nia, a startup that catalyzes the world’s collective wisdom to awaken and enrich the human spirit. A former Wall Street analyst and Head of Exploration at Naspers, Joseph left finance after realizing outward success didn’t deliver the inner fulfillment he sought. Over the last decade he has invested over 10,000 hours across contemplative study, embodied practice, and applied science—drawing deeply on yogic philosophy, Buddhist insight, and the science of well‑being.

Joseph’s practice is anchored in Michael Singer’s Temple of the Universe (Florida), where surrender‑based teachings helped open his heart. On this spiritual path, he completed an intensive Yoga Teacher Training at Sattva Yoga Academy in Rishikesh, India; studied at Kopan and Tushita; and undertook extended silent retreats at the Buddhist Retreat Centre, Dharmagiri, and Bodhi Khaya. He has also done substantial men’s work (including The Mankind Project) and has benefited from 10+ years of therapy and 10+ years of business coaching.

Joseph holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania, where he learned under Martin Seligman. His capstone—“Be the Change: How Living With Virtue Contributes to the Collective Good”—integrates ancient wisdom with modern science and reviews evidence that when one person practices virtues like kindness, hope, and self‑regulation, those behaviors can ripple through homes, workplaces, communities, and even online—often extending up to three degrees of separation. This scholarship underpins his commitment to Living With an Open Heart.

At Nia, Joseph facilitates Circles, community experiences that combine evidence‑based tools, psychological safety, group sharing and support, and reflective and contemplative practice—to help people move wisdom from the head to the heart.

Joseph splits his time between Cape Town (February–November) and The Temple of the Universe in Florida (November–February). Earlier in his career, he co‑founded Trefis, served on several technology boards, and led investments and research covering companies such as Google, Amazon, Netflix, and LinkedIn.