ART WITH IMPACT - Key Persons
Abbie Kopf is a writer, editor and nonprofit consultant who has worked for some of the nation's finest arts, social justice and education organizations. She is exceptionally passionate about cause-based communications, because a strong voice applied to a great cause can move mountains and change lives. You can catch her at www.abbiekopf.com.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Adam Rosenberg is a student currently Majoring in Media Studies at Pomona College in Claremont California. He loves film and theater, especially when they create a platform for discourse about contemporary issues. Adam is interested in helping promote awareness of mental health and providing support for those struggling with mental illness.
Aisha (she/her) is an expert in Marketing Strategy and Communications with 10 years of experience in the the food and beverage industry. She has led big national brands at companies like Mars Canada Inc and Steam Whistle Brewing and brings a breadth of marketing experience to the Canadian Board of Directors. As a professional marketer and general lover of the written word, she believes in the power of storytelling to inspire, transform and create change.
Aisha is passionate about wellness and believes strongly that mental health is the foundation for physical and spiritual health and thus overall happiness. She is incredibly proud to be a part of the work that Art with Impact does to promote mental wellness by creating space for young people to learn and connect through art and media.
Alanna completed her BA Honours in English, Sociology, and Psychology at the University of Guelph. During this time she volunteered at The Homewood Health Centre for mental health and addiction; assisting in the facilitation of recreation therapy. Upon graduation, she realized that to better understand herself and the culture she lived in, she needed to experience other cultures around the world. As a result, she has spent much of the last decade traveling and living abroad.
Having recently returned to Toronto, she is committed to a career helping others and is currently finishing the last 8 months of her Paramedic training. Her passion to volunteer in the mental health field is motivated by personal experiences in her own life, as well as many of those closest to her. She believes that mental health is something that we all share, and therefore should take an active role in supporting, understanding, and communicating. For this reason, she is really excited to be part of the Art With Impact Team.
Alex (they/them) is a Midwest USA native. They grew up studying theatre and completed the High School Repertory program at the Theatre of Western Springs. They attended Columbia College Chicago as a film directing student, but graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Television. Alex worked for 8 years in several capacities with non-profit New Millennium Theatre Company. There, they produced live theatre for non-traditional audiences and participants.
As someone who used theatre and television as recreational therapy as much as an escape, Alex has always appreciated the ability of art and media to express emotion and speak to the heart. They are thrilled to be in the Workshop Manager position at Art With Impact to help young people engage in conversations about what makes us human, how to nurture their best self, and what keeps us all connected.
A recent transplant to San Francisco from New York City, Ali began her career working in progressive theater at the Lincoln Center Studios, @45Below, the Culture Project and with Fractured Atlas. She made the move to film by producing the award-winning documentary Back to Bosnia, which premiered at the Amnesty International Film Festival. From there, she co-founded Alternate Plan Productions, a company dedicated to creating theater and films which seek to unearth the truth of an experience. Alternate Plan Productions received two grants from the Jerome Foundation, to create and perform new works at SiTi Company, an IFP grant for finishing funds, and a Visa / MSN awards grant for Back to Bosnia.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Amanda Lipp, 26, is a filmmaker and consultant in the fields of mental health care, non-profit development, and social entrepreneurship. Since age 19, she has given over 150 speeches across the U.S., and produced over 20 short films promoting health causes and individuals' stories. Amanda's passion working in mental health and education began with experiencing psychosis in college, after which she began working in mental health field. She currently serves as a Technical Assistance Specialist for the Center for Applied Research Solutions (CARS), supporting grantees of state and federal funding with social marketing, curricula, and multimedia. Amanda also owns a private consulting firm, Lipp & Associates, producing films, and designing mental health resources and trainings for nonprofits around the nation. Projects have included a narrative video series on psychosis with Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, a documentary-narrative series with OnTrackNY, comic-education booklets on education-vocation rehabilitation with Felton Institute of San Francisco, and national training for President Obama's Now Is The Time (NITT) federal grantees. Amanda is a civil servant and passionate leader at heart; she currently serves as a board member for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and board advisor for Strong 365 and Art With Impact (AWI). In her free time, Amanda enjoys drawing and scuba diving.
Amy (she/they) is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist, based in Tkaronto in the Dish with One Spoon Territory. As a descendant of indentured labourers, she recognizes the importance of nuanced, inclusive mental health dialogue that takes intersectionality, histories of migration, and intergenerational trauma into account. She is passionate in her learning about arts-based healing, social movements, and race and power relations.
She is thrilled to be facilitating mental health workshops for young adults with an organization that shares similar passions and values. When not plotting against the kyriarchy, you can catch her climbing rocks, making family-sized bags of chips disappear, and convincing stray cats to love her.
Andrea LaMarre is a writer, speaker, researcher, and filmmaker-in-training based in Guelph, Ontario. She has spent the past 4 years working on a PhD at the University of Guelph, studying eating disorder recovery from the perspectives of people in recovery and their supporters. Andrea has an MSc. in Family Relations and Human Development and a BA in Sociology. She approaches her work from a social justice lens, thinking through issues like barriers to access to treatment for mental health concerns and ways of working at a systems level to increase funding and political will to help more people. She is experienced in digital storytelling facilitation, and has been working with the ReVision Centre for Art and Social Justice, and previously Project ReVision, for the past 11 years, helping participants in workshops on wide ranging topics including disability and difference, mental health, and more make short, first-person films about their experiences. Andrea frequently writes for blogs and publications about mental health, eating disorders, and stigma, and speaks at community forums and conferences nationally and internationally. She firmly believes that art has the power to make social and individual change.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Andrea is former Executive Director of the Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH), a research partnership of Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard University. CMCH's flagship research study, VIA, designed by Michael Rich,...
Andrew (he/him) is a jack-of-all trades digital strategist with a background in community management, graphic design, and content creation, and a laser focus on building lasting relationships with audiences. At Art With Impact, Andrew is responsible for managing communication and outreach with AWI's vibrant community of students, artists, campus staff and mental health professionals.
By way of a cappella, Andrew has his feet firmly planted in the art world. He discovered the power of art to connect, bridge, and enliven communities after The Princeton Review rated his alma mater the "#1 Most Unhappy Students in the United States," prompting him to form his university's first co-ed a cappella group (take that, Princeton Review!). A decade later he founded and now directs the NYC-based performing arts group Valence and works pro bono with arts organizations to help them build audiences and promote their art on the web.
Professionally, Andrew is a veteran in the altruistic space having worked various roles with the "One for One" social enterprise TOMS, government behemoth USAID, neonatal and maternal health organization The Birthing Project, and over 100 additional nonprofits through his online marketing consultancy.
Ari Bird is a California-born visual artist who has a passion for combining mental health/healing with the arts. After receiving a BFA at UC Santa Cruz in 2010, Bird moved to San Francisco, interning at Kala Art Institute from 2012-2014 and acting as a volunteer artist at Creativity Explored. After doing social work/counseling for 2 years, Bird transitioned to working with artists with disabilities and promoting arts/wellness education. In her art practice, Bird combines a variety of materials to create large paintings/collages, tiny objects, parcels, and publications.
Arianna is a Mental Health Professional and Theatre Artist from Los Angeles. She is dedicated to changing how we have conversations around mental illness, using creativity and the arts to build stronger communities....
Aron Vellekoop León (Fuerteventura, Spain 1987) designed the imagery for our Sanctuary Space program for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years. Aron is a Dutch/Spanish illustrator and visual artist, currently living and working...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Arthur G. Ward (he/him) is a Los Angeles-based college student majoring in history with interests in science, medicine, public health, and public policy. His passions run deep and include education, advocacy, diversity, inclusion, and visibility. Through firsthand experience, Arthur is familiar with the impact art can have on mental health; as a medium dedicated to destigmatizing the negative connotations associated with mental illness, art has helped Arthur publicly discuss his survivorship story. Thanks to the dedicated work of Art With Impact and the countless artists who devote their platforms to expressing some of the most challenging yet essential topics in mental health, Arthur, and many others like him, are exposed to stories and experiences that provide the foundations necessary to promote healing, acceptance, and understanding. Arthur is thrilled to join the AWI family to continue the work of promoting advocacy through art.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Asha Rudrabhatla (she/her) studies Psychology at Colorado College with a minor in Spanish. She's passionate about social justice, mental health advocacy, and sharing art with her community. She has a particular interest in...
Job Titles:
- Artist and Digital Media Instructor
Known in schools as Ms. B., Beli Sullivan is a freelance teaching artist and digital media instructor currently working with Oakland's Attitudinal Healing Connection's ArtEsteem program as an Artist In Residence within the...
Beth Killian (she/her) is a Rhode Island based songwriter, youth worker, mentor and advocate. Having recently completed an MSW program at Smith College, Beth is committed to creating and supporting spaces where therapeutic art, music, theater, and dance can be accessible to all humans.
Beth presently works at a teen-center as a group instructor and clinician, encouraging youth and young adults to craft their stories and practice radical vulnerability. In her free time, she is pursuing the folk-rockstar dream of singing in a three-part-harmony acoustic band, and taking care of a pretty rad and overly-energetic pit-mix pup.
She is pumped to be working with AWI as a Movies for Mental Health College facilitator, and is excited to continually encourage honest conversations that organically bring out the wisdom of all participants. As someone who relied on art, music, and creative expression to help her understand her own mental health journey, Beth couldn't be happier to have found an organization that values the connection between art and mind/body wellness.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Brent (he/him) is a mental health therapist. For eight years, Brent was Clinical Director of Utah Health and Human Rights: a nonprofit agency that provides holistic mental health services to refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers who have survived torture. Before that, Brent advocated for youth in Utah's Juvenile Justice Services, working in particular with juveniles who had offended sexually. He specializes in treating survivors of a various kinds of trauma: sexual, physical, institutional, intergenerational, and religious, in his practice that offers a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals. Brent is a practitioner through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and believes that holistic healing happens as we focus on science-based mindfulness. Brent is a passionate amateur photographer who loves reading and writing poetry, watching independent and international films, collecting bow ties, and traveling to France as often as possible with his husband of 24 years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Homegrown out of the hills of Eastern Kentucky, Brian left the bluegrass state in 2004 to pursue a career in film and television. He attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where he wrote, directed and produced a number of award-winning student films. After graduating in 2006, Brian went on to write for TV programs airing on NBC, USA, MTV, TLC, and VH1. In 2010, Brian created an original web series inspired by the country music and people who shaped his upbringing. Entitled "Big Country Blues" the series garnered numerous accolades including "Best Drama" at both the ITVfest and IFQ Film & New Media Festivals, "Official Honoree" at the 2011 Webby Awards, Top Prize at the 2011 Telly Awards, previewed at the Cannes Film Festival and was recently listed as one Complex Magazine's "25 Best Web Series Right Now. He currently produces on the hit MTV show "Ridiculousness" starring Rob Dyrdek, while simultaneously writing, directing and producing original and branded content. Though he is far from his old Kentucky home, Brian continues to draw on his unique southern roots to inform his storytelling and ignite his passion to work and create.
Britt Martinez-Hewitt (she/they) is a queer artist and community organizer born and raised in Miami & currently based in Los Angeles. She focuses on healing justice for survivors, popular education for tenants, pleasure activism, ancestral circular economies, and mutual aid efforts beyond borders. Britt believes that embodied art practices guide people towards unlocking their own power, fueling collective dreaming, and pushing us towards freedom. In her free time, she has a radio show on Dublab and celebrates poetry.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Calvin J Walker (he/him) is an award-winning filmmaker based in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Calvin has been active in the independent film world since 2012. During that time, he's written for producers from various parts of the world. He's directed a multitude of projects within the webseries and short film space. Calvin's casting agency WM Casting Group is becoming one of the go to agencies for production companies looking to cast diverse talent. Calvin has been married to his beautiful wife, Rayanna, since 2008. They have three amazing children.
Carl McQueen is a Saint Louis, Mo based data scientist for a major financial institution. He has an Information Systems degree from Calvin College in Michigan and a passion for problem solving inside big data. He specializes in taking complex technical problems and transforming them into relatable and visually engaging stories. On the side Carl is very passionate about staying involved with respite foster care, data science for small non profits and local community service.
Carly D. Weckstein (she/her) is a director, sex educator and intimacy choreographer living and creating in Los Angeles. She is the Artistic Director & Founder of The Illyrian Players (est. 2011), a nurturing and empowering home for theatre artists. Carly is inspired to explore the intersections of theatre, community, healing, sexuality, and art as activation. She regularly teaches theater and sex ed classes, including Healing Through Performance (for actors & non-actors) and Sexual Empowerment 101. Carly is a passionate advocate for artists and actors, championing communication and consent as an essential part of the creative process. She is deeply aligned with the healing power of theatre and performance, and the ability of art to allow people to access a deeper, more embodied level of empathy than they can access through intellect alone. As both a director and a teacher, Carly operates under the pedagogy of holding spaces for artists and students to safely confront heavy or delicate subject matter, and believes that creating these spaces leads to a deeper level of vulnerability, honest communication, and growth for both individuals and communities. She is thrilled to join the AWI team as an OBOM facilitator.
Caroline Rhoads has two favorite quotes: "Until further notice, celebrate everything" and "comedy equals truth plus spontaneity." She has resided in the city of brotherly love (Philly) for over 8 years and has fallen in love with the improvisation community. She's a proud "card carrying" ensemble member and teacher of Comedy Sportz Philadelphia (Philly's longest running comedy show). When she isn't teaching adults and kids how to say "yes and" she enjoys music, antiquing, dancing, and the occasional Netflix marathon. Her favorite food is ice cream, but could be swayed to say wings if really pressured.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Founder
Cary (she/her) is the founder and executive director of Art With Impact and a firm believer that art is the answer (and it doesn't even matter what the question is). She considers mental health to be the foundation of all social justice and, through Art With Impact, works to create learning environments that explore this rich subject through the power of art and creativity. Since its founding, Art With Impact has gone from being a little dream in Cary's head to an actual, impactful arts-based mental health resource serving thousands of students each year at colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada and housing the most diverse library of short film s about mental health issues in the world. In previous professional incarnations, Cary was the Executive Director of the Center for Arts Management and Technology, a research center at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU); and a research advisor for students' capstone projects in CMU's Masters in Arts Management program. She has also worked as a consultant to nonprofit arts organizations to create programs and strategies that engage art enthusiasts in meaningful ways. With clients like The Andy Warhol Museum and EthnoGraphic Media she developed a wide-range of strategic communication programs from Internet-based donor cultivation and acquisition to grassroots film engagement campaigns.
Cat (she/her) is a Filipino-American storyteller and mental health advocate from the arts and movie-making industries. She is based in Tongva territory, commonly known as Los Angeles. She holds a BFA in Film...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Catherine Steblaj (she/her) is a fourth-year student at McGill University and is completing a Joint Honours in Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies. Having first found Art with Impact...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Catherine is passionate about art and education - and the intersection between the two. She completed a theatre degree at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC) and then pursued acting in New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto. While Catherine has pursued many artistic endeavors over the years, she also completed an Undergraduate and Masters' degree in history, as well as a Bachelor of Education at OISE, University of Toronto (U of T). Catherine currently works as a guidance counsellor at The University of Toronto Schools, a private high school in Toronto. She also runs her own life coaching business, specifically working with youth and artists, is a film director and heads up a film production company in Toronto. Catherine's focus is working with youth to use creativity as a means of making connections to their own mental health and building resiliency. Learn more at www.catherinewachter.ca
Job Titles:
- Black Mental Health Matters and Movies for Mental Health Facilitator
Christine Guais (she/her) designed the Movies for Mental Health posters for the 2017-18 academic year. She is a Paris-based art director. Illustrator. Graphic designer. Musician. Proactive dreamer. (c) Sablerouge.com
Job Titles:
- Summer Outreach Coordinator
Christopher is a senior at Claremont McKenna College, hoping to pursue a career in policy work following the completion of his undergraduate studies. As evidenced by his dual majors-Philosophy & Public Affairs, and Spanish-Christopher has an affinity for pursuing unique, unconventional pathways to align his professional endeavors with his personal interests and passions. In the arts, Christopher immensely enjoys studio arts such as sketching and painting, and has worked as a studio and performance musician, and theatre actor. In the realm of public service and policy, Christopher spent a semester in Washington, D.C. working for the Center for American Progress.
By working as a member of the Art With Impact team, Christopher enjoys the full satisfaction of his desire to help people by engaging in work within the public sphere, while encouraging the pursuit and development of self-care and artistic expression.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Kerven (he/him) is the Chair of the Filmmaking Department at the New York Film Academy. His career began with the debut of his short film, "Candy Store," which won an Academy Award for Best Dramatic Student Film. In 1982, he directed a series of Afterschool Specials for ABC-TV, including the Emmy Award winning "Starstruck" and the Director's Guild of America nominated "High School Narc." Kerven also directed over 25 short films for Saturday Night Live, including the much celebrated "Synchronized Swimmers." His most recent directorial work, "They Never Found Her," starred Madmen's Elisabeth Moss and Fargo's Peter Storemare. In 1990, Kerven co-authored "Mortal Thoughts," for Columbia Pictures, starring Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel and Demi Moore.
Cleo recently graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. with Honors in English. She is from New Haven, CT but will be staying in the Bay Area to complete her Master's in English at Stanford. Cleo loves running, coffee, and public transportation. She hopes to eventually join the Peace Corps and go to law school.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Courtney Ward-Zbeetnoff (she/her) is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Victoria. She has a special interest in writing creative nonfiction on themes of mental health....
Job Titles:
- Founder of Serene Therapy & Wellness Center
Daksha Arora (she/her) is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist and founder of Serene Therapy & Wellness Center located in Downtown Rockville, MD. Dr. Arora has over 25 years of experience in mental health...
Job Titles:
- Physician
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
Dawn McGuire (she/her) is a physician who is board-certified in Neurology and Psychiatry. She trained at UCSF. She is also a poet, whose most recent collection, The Aphasia Cafe, received the Indy Book Award for Poetry. Dawn's newest book, American Dream with Exit Wound, was finalist for California book award. Dawn's clinical work focuses on neurological and psychiatric complications of HIV/AIDS. She founded a free clinic for AIDS patients in 1990, which she continues to run. Her research interests include neuropsychiatric effects of concussion in military veterans and in high-impact sports.
Deb Cuny, M.Div., is a storyteller activist, trainer, restorative justice practitioner, and consultant at Deb Cuny Consulting. Deb also serves as a spokesperson and advisory member for the #BornPerfect Campaign to End Conversion Therapy. Deb has shared her story in national media outlets including Huffington Post, The Guardian, VICE, New York Magazine's The Cut, The Advocate, and Mashable. Serving many years as a Restorative Justice and Social Emotional Coach and Counselor in the Oakland public school system, Deb has worked diligently to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.
Holding a Master of Divinity with a focus in pastoral counseling and social justice from the Graduate Theological Union, she completed her Clinical Pastoral Education for chaplaincy at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco where she worked with patients struggling with the impact of oppression including homelessness, mental illness, and addiction.
A faith-inspired advocate, Deb is thrilled to work with Art With Impact (AWI) because AWI's mission aligns with her own passion to end stigma and shame, heal systemic injustice, and uplift and value marginalized voices.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Deborah L. Sandoli Greenslit, Psychotherapist/LMHC, RN/Wellness Specialist Deborah is a seasoned, licensed psychotherapist and a registered nurse with advanced degrees in psychology, education and health &wellness and has over thirty five years of...
Deborah is a seasoned, licensed psychotherapist and a registered nurse with advanced degrees in psychology, education and health &wellness and has over thirty five years of experience in the counseling, teaching and health field. She was a former clinician and instructor at U-Mass Medical School and in Behavioral Medicine at U-Mass Medical Center, has worked in other counseling practices and companies and has run her own practice since 1994. She is also a national presenter, consultant, lecturer, workshop facilitator, former marathon coach, college professor and columnist and is completing her book titled: Living with a Loving Heart…lessons learned on suffering and pain.
Deborah has many areas of specialties but has taken particular interest in helping people to strengthen their relationship with themselves and has been running "personal growth" workshops and retreats for over thirty five years. She is nationally known for her work and speaks from the heart. She encourages people to stop judging themselves and to find more compassion and understanding for their life's challenges and to draw from their inner strengths. She strongly believes that "love and connection" is the antidote to much of people's suffering and pain and is the basis of her book.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Certified Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Dave McIntyre is a licensed and board certified Clinical Psychologist. He retired after a combined 30 years of active duty service in the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U. S. Public Health Service. During his time in the U.S. Public Health Service, he worked with the Indian Health Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Division of Homeland Security. In addition, he led behavioral health response teams responding to national and international disasters such as the Indonesian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ivan, the Sandy Hook School Shooting, and suicide cluster responses to Indian reservations.
Following his retirement from uniformed service, Dr. McIntyre continued his consulting psychology practice. Additionally, Dr. McIntyre serves as a Subject Matter Expert in Native American Behavioral Health, Forensic Psychology, Suicidology, Serious Mental Illness, Behavioral Health Program Implementation, and Sports Psychology.
Dr. McIntyre has observed firsthand our culture's stigmatization of those seeking mental health services. As a result, he has worked to improve access to mental health services across various populations, including the military, the homeless, Native American communities, incarcerated men, professional athletes, victims of crime, and the seriously mentally ill.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Luba Botcheva PhD (she/her) has more than 20 years of experience in applied research and evaluation with a focus on mental health and wellness. As Research Director at the Center for Dignity, Recovery...
Emilio Ortega Aldrich (he/him) is a writer who contributed to the Our Bodies, Our Minds monologue series. Originally from Riverside, CA, Emilio has written for such television shows as Arrow and Supergirl while also working extensively over the past decade as a writer and visual artist with the Illyrian Players Theatre Co. In his own writing, Emilio enjoys exploring themes of intersectionality and how they apply to race, culture, gender and sexuality. When he's not at home in Koreatown, Emilio is probably somewhere in the Sierra Nevada or the deserts of the Southwest chasing tumbleweeds and cracking jokes with lizards.
Job Titles:
- Advancement Associate, July 2012
Eric is a yoga teacher and the Founder & Chairman of ForWorld Thinking, a nonprofit organization aimed at promoting cultural exchange through international volunteerism and supporting local initiatives in developing countries. He has volunteered in Asia, Australia, and Europe, and understands the sensitivity of working with and within local communities to solve complex social issues. His belief in the power of film as an art form capable of moving people to act drew him to Art With Impact.
Erica Heinz (she/her) designed the Movies for Mental Health poster for the 2014-15 academic year. The color studies she did for the poster continue to inform Art With Impact's brand guidelines to this...
Erin's passion for helping others in the non-profit world drew her to Art With Impact. She found herself connecting with AWI's mission and vision as a way to continue her journey in helping...
Eryn Tonaj's mental health story starts when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 22. Through her journey, she learned the power self-resilience, emotional awareness and family support. These were...
Job Titles:
- Development Assistant, 2011
Esther worked at Art With Impact during our very first days… the winter of 2011 before we lost her to Los Angeles. Thank you, Esther for all your fabulous writing skills, your competence...
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
- Digital Marketing and Design Coordinator at the Award Winning Real - Estate Firm Great Gulf
Faryl Reisman is a Toronto based digital marketing and design coordinator at the award winning real-estate firm Great Gulf. With a BA in film studies from Queens University and a diploma in sound...
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Volunteer Bookkeeper
Freda Chu (she/her) is an accountant based in Toronto, Ontario where she works at an accounting firm called 3A Tax Services Professional Corporation. She is a Hong Kong immigrant and loves living in...
Job Titles:
- Data Analytics Consultant from El Salvador
- Volunteer Data Analyst
Gabriela Bazán is a data analytics consultant from El Salvador but has been living in Chile for the past 6 years. She has a degree in Computer Sciences and a Masters in Public...
Haley Begun (she/they) is based in Thousand Oaks, CA. She is a college student majoring in English and minoring in Psychology with the intent to become a holistic/somatic psychologist and incorporate art and...
Hamed Dar has worked in the health and social service industry for nearly a decade. He started by building youth and recreation programs for city-wide and provincial programs and then transitioned into the...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Hao Zhou (he/they) is a filmmaker and photographer from Nanchuan, China. Across mediums, Hao develops work with experimental tendencies, often centering LGBTQ+ characters and themes. His notable creative experiences include making two feature...
Job Titles:
- Outreach and Community Coordinator
Hawa is a public health professional with experience working with projects in academic and nonprofit settings. She was born in Tanzania and raised in the Middle East. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from...
Job Titles:
- Outreach Coordinator, November 2011 - June 2012
Helena is an educator and social advocate, who has been involved with grassroots work for over 10 years. Her long-term passion for human rights has drawn her to the heart of many conflicts...
Hilary (she/her) is an administration connoisseur with a background in theatre and digital art. Through her work as an actor, Hilary has seen firsthand the capacity artistic storytelling has to help people understand...
Job Titles:
- Advisory Board Member, Outreach Volunteer
My name is Ilana and I am a non-traditional college student who is perusing a B.S in Psychology. I was born in Berkeley, CA and raised in Oakland, CA. I love nature, reggae...
Job Titles:
- Project Director, Annual Auction and Party
Iqvinder is a seasoned veteran in market planning and creative solutions. He has served some of the biggest retailers in the country providing solutions in marketing, creative strategy, project management, and process improvement....
Job Titles:
- Advisory Board Member, Workshop Support Volunteer
My name is Jacqueline and I'm a UCI student with a Psychology and Social Behavior degree. I have a history working with various ages of children, as I have a strong passion for...
Job Titles:
- Movies for Mental Health Facilitator
Jamari is a Buckeye-born and raised social worker, healer, and creative with a passion for working with diverse youth and young adults. He graduated from The University of Chicago with an A.B. in...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
James Kim is a filmmaker and playwright based near Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Dartmouth College. His short film "After Her" won the monthly Art With Impact short film contest in 2014 and...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
JANE V. FARLEY, MFT (46468) Jane is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Child Mental Health Specialist (CMHS), Training Consultant and Expressive Artist with over fifteen years of experience...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- Operations Manager for NAMI Glendale
Jason Romero (he/him) is the Operations Manager for NAMI Glendale, a Los Angeles-based chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, where he works to bring the organization's no-cost programming to all those whose...
Jeff has a background in photography and multi-media production, graduating with honours from Seneca College's Audio Visual & Multi-Media Techniques program many, many years ago. His career has taken him into all sorts...
Job Titles:
- Special Event Intern, Winter 2012
Jen is a recent graduate of UC Santa Cruz with a double major in Psychology and Philosophy, and a heavy concentration in indoor and beach volleyball. She currently provides technical support at Demandforce,...
Job Titles:
- Outreach and Marketing Volunteer
After earning a BA in Early Childhood Psychology and Education from Tulane University and attending UC Berkeley's School of Public Health, Jennifer Pliner worked in tech sales for 12 years. She has recently...
Jennifer spent her formative years in rural South Carolina and had the opportunity to work amongst film in college. As a student forming her opinions of the world, she became interested in this...
Always active in social issues, as well as the Bay Area's art and film communities, Jennifer has been involved with many small start-ups and co-ops and understands the need to create cohesion between...
Jesse Jimenez is currently going into his sophomore year at NYU, where he majors in Applied Psychology and Global Public Health. He previously lived in Mission Viejo, California with his parents, three siblings,...
Joanna works in accounting at Farallon Capital Management, LLC, a San Francisco based private equity firm. Joanna brings to AWI her experience combining creativity with economic savvy to fuel community development and awareness...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Jonathan Elliott (he/him) is a Tuscarora filmmaker from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. Since attending York University's Film Production program, he has worked as a director and cinematographer on a variety of...
Job Titles:
- Software Engineer
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Joseph Kumph (he/him) is an entrepreneur and software engineer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Josh Thompson-Persaud is a fourth year student at Western University taking an Honours Specialization in Creative Writing and English Language and Literature alongside the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities...
Joanna Mattson, RN (Josie) (she/her) has been a registered nurse for 13 years, working in both the acute hospital setting and in community health. For the last 5 years she has worked with people...
In 2019-20, Jules Cowan (he/they) designed the Movies for Mental Health and Our Bodies, Our Minds posters for the 2019-20 academic year. Those posters hung on walls at over 80 college and university...
Job Titles:
- Programs Intern, Winter and Spring 2011
Kareem worked with Art With Impact in winter and spring, 2011. Thank you, Kareem for all the incredible camerawork, outreach, editing, good humor and fun! Kareem experienced his early artistic endeavors as a...
Kari lee Cartwright (she/they) wrote the Jesse, Rona, Jill series of monologues for the 2021-2022 Our Bodies, Our Minds. Kari lee is a Korean American Actor, Writer, and Director based in Los Angeles....
Job Titles:
- Bookkeeper Extraordinaire, 2015 - 2016
Katherine's passion is empowering mental health non-profits to thrive with greater abundance and efficiency: "helping great people do great things." She brings 15 years of financial and organizational expertise from a variety of...
Katherine (she/her) is passionate about mental health and believes in the transformative power of film and media. She brings her personal experience with mental health along with professional expertise in social psychology and...
Drawn to the creative and eclectic, Katie powered her way through a B.S. in Computer Science by taking art history classes at UCSB. After a few bouts with engineering companies and living abroad,...
Katty Huertas (she/her) illustrated and designed the key art for Art With Impact's 2021 Voices With Impact program. She is a multidisciplinary artist born in Colombia and based in Washington DC. She holds...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Senior Analyst at the Anti - Racism Secretariat
Keith Chau (he/him) currently works as a Senior Analyst at the Anti-Racism Secretariat at the Department of Canadian Heritage. Keith is a dedicated public servant who has held progressive positions advising the government...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Kimberly Diggles (she/her) is a licensed therapist and mental health expert living in Long Beach and working throughout California. Dr. Diggles has over 15 years of experience and specializes in facilitating healing among...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Kirsten (she/her) is a Juilliard-trained actor with a PhD in depth psychology working in private practice in Santa Monica, CA. Prior to becoming a psychotherapist, she balanced careers in stage, television, and film...
Kitkat Pecson (she/her) is a Filipino American artist creating colorful art in NYC. She created the 2021-2022 Art With Impact "Movies for Mental Health" and "Wellness In Words" workshop designs.
Laura brings over twenty-five years of experience in non-profit program management and fund development and her wry sense of humor to the Art With Impact team. Her experience ranges from serving as the...
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Laurie was born and raised in Tampa, Florida receiving her Bachelor's degree in Economics from University of South Florida and her MBA in Marketing from Florida Institute of Technology. She worked in Digital...
Job Titles:
- Community Outreach Specialist
- Organizer
Laurie McFarlane is an organizer, relationship builder and fundraiser with a passion for arts programming and social services. She is responsible for helping AWI with communication, outreach and fundraising efforts to support inspiring...
Job Titles:
- 2016 Summer Intern, Advisory Board Member
Lila Tyler, a recent graduate of UC Davis, is excited to have the opportunity to work with such an inspiring company that combines both her major (Psychology) and minor (Film Studies). Growing up with anxiety and hearing about similar challenges others faced, Lila took an interest in the mental health field, and continued exploring this when she joined the Mind Spa at UC Davis, an organization that provides students with relaxation resources and peer guidance. She has always loved watching movies, but became increasingly interested in film when she started studying it in Davis, particularly during her study abroad program, where she attended the Locarno film festival in Switzerland.
Lila has always enjoyed creativity as a way of taking care of her mental health and expressing herself, through art forms like choreographing, collaging, and writing. She feels grateful for all the things she has learned about herself, human nature, and the world through studying film and getting involved in mental health awareness and outreach. She loves animals, the outdoors, traveling, and hopes to make her own short films someday.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Lisa has 25 years of experience in the behavioral health field, earning her bachelor's degree in Sociology at the University of California Santa Cruz and her master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch...
Job Titles:
- New Works Project Intern, 2011
Lisa Pan recently graduated from University of San Diego School of Law with a concentration in International Law. Her experience with nonprofit organizations focuses on international justice and human rights issues. She is...
Liz Eldridge (she/her) wrote monologues for the Our Bodies, Our Minds workshop. Liz is a writer, actor, musician, and stand-up born in Los Angeles, and raised by her mother and a series of...
Lori has intimate experience with mental illness and is passionate about stigma reduction. Her message is simple. Everyone has mental health and the focus needs to be more on preventative action to stay...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Mariana Osuna Perez, (1981, Mexico) has always been inclined to tell stories. She started working as a radio host at a very young age, eventually moving to T.V and film while in university....
Job Titles:
- Marketing Coordinator Intern
Matthew interned at Art With Impact during the summer of 2011. Thank you, Matt for your hard work, mad biking skills and unfailingly positive attitude! Matthew is, like most folks here in San...
Job Titles:
- Designer
- Volunteer Visual Designer
May Chan (she/her) is a designer, teacher, and advocate from Brooklyn, New York. After teaching in France, she returned home to embrace her passion for the arts and now has eight years of...
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Special Projects Advisor
Maya is equal parts artist, therapist, and activist, and is so thrilled to get to satisfy all of them while working with Art With Impact. She grew up a third culture kid, being...
Meagan Brown (she/her) is a Montreal-based documentary filmmaker and assistant editor. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Meagan has worked on a wide variety of productions, from a documentary about women in the prison...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice President and Managing Director at the Gochnauer Foundation
Meg is the Vice President and Managing Director at the Gochnauer Foundation, a family run foundation that primarily supports organizations and programs that promote spiritual, medical, cultural, and educational growth or provide essential...
Job Titles:
- President of the Board of Directors
As a fundraising professional, Megan (she/her) brings practical experience in strategic fundraising, event planning, sponsorship, donor relations, grant writing and direct marketing. Before transitioning into fundraising, Megan worked as a Journalist with Global...
Megan Rose (she/her) designed Art With Impact's website, the Movies for Mental Health Posters in academic year 2015-16, the Voices With Impact and Our Bodies, Our Minds posters in for 2018-19, and the...
Megan Young is a senior at the University of Cal State, San Marcos working towards a baccalaureate in Psychology with an emphasis on mental and physical health. She is a part of multiple...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Michael Charlton is pursuing a major in Liberal Arts which entails minors in Environmental Analysis & Policy, Business Administration and Africana Studies at The University of Cincinnati. Before attending UC, Michael pushed pause...
Job Titles:
- Outreach and Marketing Volunteer, and Workshop Support Volunteer
Morgan is a practicing social worker and aspiring journalist who is passionate about activism and systemic oppression. She is a lover of live music, dancing and artistic expression. Morgan decided to partner with...
Natalie is the driving force behind Art With Impact Canada and is responsible for facilitation, programming, outreach, fundraising and partner relationships for our programs north of the border. She also engages students and...
Job Titles:
- Director, Black Mental Health Matters Movies for Mental Health Facilitator
Natalie Patterson (she/her) is a highly acclaimed African American poet and teaching artist. Over the last 15 years, she has traveled the country teaching and performing at universities, colleges, and high schools. Natalie...
My name is Neha and I am a BAS student at the University of Guelph. My minors, Psychology and Neuroscience, involve using both arts and science to better understand issues in society. I...
Nichole is a graduate from The Ohio State University where she majored in Public Affairs with an emphasis on Education Policy, as well as a double minor in African American Studies and Women's, Gender,...
Nic (he/him) comes to Art With Impact as a social impact professional, having worked at education nonprofits across California. Most recently, Nic led fundraising for LA Promise Fund, an organization serving Black and...
Nicole Medina (she/her) created the illustrations for the 2022 Voices With Impact program focusing on grief and resilience and substance use disorder. Nicole is a Latina illustrator based in Philadelphia, PA who has...
Nikita is a recent graduate from Queen's University with a major in sociology, who attended one of Art With Impact's M4MH events last year while in school. Currently working as a legal assistant in...
Nolan Golden is a queer, charismatic college student based in sunny California. They have a well-rounded background in leadership and community activism, and have been a mental health and LGBTQ advocate for over...
Olivia Buntaine (she/her) is an award-winning poet, theatremaker, and general rabble-rouser whose work focuses on themes of liberation after violence. Through plays, poetry, and creative non-fiction, Olivia works most often in the universes...
Olivia DePaul (she/her) is a mental health advocate currently pursuing her clinical doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis. While earning her BA in Psychological Science, Olivia became involved with...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Olivia left sunny San Diego to join the fog in San Francisco to pursue a degree in Communication Studies at SF State. She spends her time avoiding homework in bookstores, convincing her friends...
Job Titles:
- Movies for Mental Health Facilitator
Paula is passionate about mental health and is delighted to be furthering Art With Impact's mission through strategic grant writing. With over 16 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Paula brings a...
Pooja Shah is a junior in Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, CA. An avid musician, Pooja has been playing the violin and piano for over 10 years. When she is not...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Rachel Fusco, MA has spent the last decade building and managing programs that promote tangible social change for teens and college students. Rachel is passionate about intergroup dialogues, team-building, diversity and inclusion, racial...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Randy Kelly (he/him) is an award-winning film and television director, editor and cameraman based in the Ottawa/Gatineau area in Canada. For over 22 years, Randy has worked on dramatic TV series, lifestyle series,...
Job Titles:
- Movies for Mental Health Facilitator
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Reem Abumeri (she/her) is a college student double majoring in history and social studies with the intent to become a middle and high school teacher. On Reem's downtime she is an aspiring songwriter, producing...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Richard D'Angelo, A New York based filmmaker and educator, founded RDA Productions, a full service production services company, in 2001. A lifelong film devotee, he received his BFA in Film Production from LIU...
Rosie Choo Pidcock (she/her) is an actor and filmmaker living on Unceded Musqueam Territory. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia, and a Diploma in Acting from Vancouver...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Rudi Lion is a psychotherapist specializing in individual, couples and family therapy with a private practice in Santa Barbara, CA. She loves working with couples of all configurations. Learning to speak our truth...
Ryan (he/him) believes in the power of artists to speak directly with their audiences and to create emotional journeys that involve the viewer in a way that is deeply personal, yet universally understood....
Samantha (Sam) Wechsler is a non-profit consultant specializing in group facilitation, executive coaching, leadership and personal development, fundraising, and board development. She also develops and leads workshops on building healthy organizational cultures. Sam...
Sarah Wasko (she/they) designed the illustrations for the 2020-21 Movies for Mental Health and Poetry for Mental Health programs. She is a Georgia-born illustrator and designer who works with clients who believe in...
Shaadman Shaan (he/him) is a university student pursuing a degree in Geology. He has been an active member of his community raising awareness on poverty and homelessness, giving back to the underprivileged. Having...
Shawn (he/him) is an Associate Clinical Social Worker and Expressive Arts Therapist in training. He graduated with his Bachelor of Social Work at George Mason University and Advanced Standing Master of Social Work...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Digital Media Technology Executive
Sherry is a digital media technology executive, a film arts enthusiast and arts education advocate. While completing her master's degree in Arts Education from San Francisco State's Creative Arts School, she joined the...
Sirin Thada (she/her) created the illustrations for the 2021-22 academic year Our Bodies, Our Minds workshops as well as the artwork for the January 2022 Our Stories, Our Voices festival. Sirin is an...
Job Titles:
- Board Member of the Ninth Street Media Consortium
- Facilitator and Strategic Partnerships Consultant, 2013 - 2016
Skye is a Community Facilitator and Digital Media Consultant harnessing media arts to facilitate collaborative community programs within diverse communities. Focusing on participatory culture, Skye engages various stakeholders on interpersonal, strategic and organizational levels.
With a life-long focus in communication arts and education, Skye has lectured at San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco, in addition to a decade's worth of experience in youth arts education at world-renown institutions such as the San Francisco Fine Arts Museums and the Museum of the Moving Image.
Working professionally in film/video production, Skye has freelanced as an independent producer/director and spearheaded various video-based web projects; most recently completing the dance documentary WHO IS PACO GOMES, which has gone on to screen at various film festivals such as the Napa Sonoma Film Festival and the San Francisco International Women's Film Festival.
Serving on numerous boards, Skye is a Board Member of the Ninth Street Media Consortium, the San Francisco Green Film Festival, the San Francisco Dance Film Festival (also, co-founder) and formerly the Bay Area Women in Film and Media. Due to her organizational experience, Skye has a deep understanding of effective governance and fiscal oversight.
Skye has a B.A. from UC Berkeley's Film Studies program and a M.A. from San Francisco State University's Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts program.
Job Titles:
- Outreach and Marketing Volunteer, Workshop Support Volunteer
Stephanie Landes is a recent college graduate that is in her first year working. She has loved art as long as she can remember. She is interested in entering the field of art therapy because she believes...
Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Toronto, Tanya Turton is a Black Femme artist, entrepreneur and educator. With a focus on wellness, Tanya has committed her practice to using art as a medium for...
Job Titles:
- Director
- Producer
- Advisory Board
Thea Loo (she/her) is an emerging film producer and director who holds a BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University. She began her producing career through an administration internship at the Vancouver...
Tiana Marie (they/them) is a non-binary artist located in the Pacific Northwest. In 2020, they self-published their first book, Let The Crimson Flow, a menstrual memoir. They have written monologues for the Our...
Job Titles:
- President of the Board of Directors
Vandana specializes in creating and implementing scalable models for social impact and organizational growth. In her current engagement with Sutter Health-Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Innovation Center, Vandana leads strategy, program deployment, operations and...
Job Titles:
- Registered Clinical Counsellor
Vermonte Wong is a registered clinical counsellor for young adults and youth, as well as LGBTQ+ population, who is passionate about helping to break the stigma of mental health.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Born in Nigeria, Victor Frank Okoye (a.k.a Victor O'Frank) is one of Nigeria's most promising upcoming film directors. Coming from a science background and a trained medical doctor, Victor has defied all odds...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
Victoria Anderson-Gardner (they/them) is a queer Ojibwe filmmaker from Eagle Lake First Nation in Ontario. They are currently based out of Toronto, Ontario where they recently completed their thesis film for a Bachelor...
Yasaman Nassab (she/her) is a passionate community college student who is double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. She is working towards completing her bachelor's degree to become a Licensed Social Worker, Clinical Psychologist,...