Founders
Marissa Ghavami
(she / they)Chief Executive Officer
Marissa Ghavami is an artist, advocate and creator based in New York City. Marissa founded …
Marissa Ghavami
Marissa Ghavami is an artist, advocate and creator based in New York City. Marissa founded Healing TREE in 2014 and currently serves as the nonprofit’s Chief Executive Officer. Healing TREE was established in direct response to a vast need that Marissa and her co-founders Debbie Ghavami, her mother, and Bruce Hardy, Ph.D., her former therapist, saw during Marissa’s own healing journey. After experiencing various forms of abuse and suffering from severe trauma during her late adolescence, in what is referred to as a “one-on-one cult”, Marissa was fortunate to receive trauma-focused treatment modalities and heal from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES). She then set out to create an organization that addresses the gaps she found preventing countless others from healing from various manifestations of trauma, the ramifications of which she learned greatly impact society as a whole.
As an advocate, in addition to founding Healing TREE and developing and overseeing all of its programming and operations, Marissa is a national public speaker. She has given educational and inspirational speaking engagements including post show talk-backs, workshops, trainings, breakout speeches, keynotes and Continuing Education Units (to doctors, nurses, psychologists, therapists and social workers), on abuse, trauma and healing. She has presented these engagements at college campuses, medical clinics, residential treatment facilities, domestic violence shelters, theatres and conferences across the country. She led the weekly Healing TREE Live events during physical distancing and has also led a virtual event for The Mighty, a popular mental health community with a Facebook following of nearly 1.5 million. She is also a healing trauma-focused coach and consultant, providing individual coaching, as well as consulting for arts professionals and organizations.
As an artist, she has worked as an actor, singer, voice over artist and model across theatre, film, television, radio, print and commercials since she was a child. Film and television highlights include starring in the recently released feature film The Gift of Christmas alongside Academy Award Nominee Bruce Davison and Dee Wallace (E.T.), as well as roles in Paramount’s theatrically released feature film Not Fade Away, directed by David Chase and starring James Gandolfini, and on CBS’s Without A Trace. Marissa first gained national attention singing on NBC’s legendary It’s Showtime at the Apollo and was there discovered by Suzanne de Passe (Motown, The Jackson 5). More recently she has sung at NYC hot spots Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater (in Dana Levinson’s piece for the Musical Theatre Factory’s Women & Trans Round Table), Birdland Theatre (alongside Tony Nominees Ariana DeBose and Kevin Chamberlin) and 54 Below (alongside Christina Bianco). She recently sang backup for Barry Manilow in The Carousel of Hope Ball. She also recently sang in The Rigano Songbook’s “Screen To Screen” which won Ken Davenport’s Rave Theater Festival Social Distancing Fest. She also lent her voice to the Ghostlight Concert benefitting The Actors Fund for COVID-19 Relief and St. Jude Hospital. She was seen on stage as the lead in the Off-Broadway staged reading of They Told Me To Use It at the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival directed by Ren Dara Santiago. She has done voice over work for such widely known brands as Audible (narrating Dr. Jamie Marich’s Trauma and the 12 Steps: An Inclusive Guide to Enhancing Recovery), McDonald’s, Ford and JCPenney. Additionally, she has done commercial and print work for Belvedere, PepsiCo’s AMP Energy Drink, Girl Scout Cookies and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Marissa trained as an actor at the William Esper Studio under the renowned, late Bill Esper, has studied Advanced On Camera with Bob Krakower and takes ongoing acting classes with Karl Bury. She trained as a singer with the acclaimed Seth Riggs, Liz Caplan and, ongoing currently with Mike Ruckles.
As a creator, Marissa co-wrote (with award winning playwright David Caudle) and was the lead producer on Silk, a short film for Healing TREE, which was directed by John Magaro (The Many Saints of Newark, The Umbrella Academy, Carol, The Big Short) and stars Crista Marie Jackson (The Greatest Showman), Fran Kranz (The Cabin in the Woods, Much Ado About Nothing), Garcia (Tales of the City) and Louisa Krause (Billions). A short narrative nod to the classic film Gaslight, Silk is currently screening (virtually) at colleges with accompanying workshops on the most insidious forms of abuse and trauma and will hit the festival circuit in the near future. Mass, a feature film which she co-produced, had its premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was Entertainment Weekly’s Top Pick. Mass was written and directed by Fran Kranz and stars award-winning actors Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter film series, The Patriot), Reed Birney (Tony-winning actor of The Humans, House of Cards), Martha Plimpton (Emmy and Tony nominee, Raising Hope, Running on Empty) and Ann Dowd (Emmy winner, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Manchurian Candidate, Garden State). She co-produced and made her directorial debut co-directing the PSA Locked Inside Us for Healing TREE. She is the lead producer and attached as the co-director of a short Untitled Healing Trauma Documentary which is in development and which has Charles Baker (“Skinny Pete” of Breaking Bad and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie) attached to voice over.
Marissa was a Director’s Pick for a 2020 (postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19) Queer Writer Fellowship at the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. She is a Key in the Ring of Keys Organization. She is a 2015/2016 ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty) Fellow and participant in the 2015 Artist As Citizen Conference at Juilliard. She is the winner of the “Way To Go Woman Award” in the Overcoming Barriers category for Today’s Woman magazine. Additionally, she is featured in Nancy Miller’s book, One Hundred Fascinating Louisville Women, and was given a mayoral proclamation of “Marissa Ghavami Day” in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Marissa is Iranian-American, queer, a meditation enthusiast, an avid reader, a yoga and fitness devotee, a vegan, a partner to actor, author and entrepreneur Nathan Todaro and a cat mom to her two rescue Bengal mixes, Sebastian and Viola.
Debbie Ghavami
(she / her)Co-Founder
As a co-founder of Healing TREE and the mother to the Founder, whose experience with …
Debbie Ghavami
As a co-founder of Healing TREE and the mother to the Founder, whose experience with trauma and subsequent healing was the catalyst for this organization, Debbie knows firsthand the nightmare and devastation trauma can cause. Having witnessed the destruction her daughter was left to heal from, Debbie was not only determined to get her daughter the proper help she needed in order to fully heal but was also determined to make a difference. Debbie’s constant plea became, “Help me to help my daughter!”
Debbie heavily immersed herself in researching and talking with experts across the United States in order to understand how to heal from such trauma and to identify the best treatment for her daughter’s healing. Many of these contacts have contributed to the wealth of knowledge that can be found on Healing TREE’s website.
Prior to the family’s devastation, ensuing healing and her interest in advocacy, Debbie’s professional career has included being a Buyer and Manager for an upscale woman’s shoe and clothing store, a Cosmetic Manager, and a Director of Event Planning at a four star restaurant. Currently, Debbie holds a Kentucky Real Estate license, on occasion assists her restaurateur husband, Majid, during special events at his restaurant, and started working part time in cosmetics again.
Debbie is so grateful and proud of her daughter’s fortitude, in not only healing, but in starting Healing TREE. Today mother and daughter continue to work together to help all those whose plea is, “Help me to help………!”
Bruce Hardy, PH.D.
Co-founderDr. Bruce Hardy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, approved as a Marriage and …
Bruce Hardy, PH.D.
Dr. Bruce Hardy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, approved as a Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor and certified as a Sexual Addiction Therapist and Multiple Addictions Therapist. He has been practicing since 1986. Prior to his work in the mental health field, Dr. Hardy worked as a police officer, EMS responder and pastor. He also holds a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology. Since 2000, he has been the Director and Owner of Hardy Associates, LLC where he specializes in treating people who have experienced trauma. He treats people with a history of physical, emotional, verbal, and religious abuse, people who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and dissociative disorders and people with sexual compulsive disorders and addictions. He also offers Marriage and Family Therapy. He is certified in EMDR therapy and holds a certificate from the International Institute For Trauma and Addiction as well as the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Board of Directors
MJ Kinman
(she / her)President
MJ has enjoyed a multi-faceted career in the non-profit sector, Corporate America, and as a …
MJ Kinman
MJ has enjoyed a multi-faceted career in the non-profit sector, Corporate America, and as a successful textile artist. “Multi-faceted” is an apt word, given that she is now known for the giant diamond portraits she creates with fabric and paint.
For the past 25 years, MJ has guided programs and projects in the not-for- profit and private sectors. She led Louisville’s earliest self-sufficiency programs and served as one of the first Administrators of the innovative Neighborhood Place program, a collaboration of state and local agencies. MJ also guided development efforts that raised nearly $1 million for local organizations, as well as National Public Radio’s popular program, “This I Believe”.
After making the leap from the non-profit arena to the corporate world, MJ served as a technology project manager leading teams at a Louisville Fortune 100 company. Her teams implemented online systems, developed benefit programs, and participated in Merger & Acquisition efforts.
Concurrently with her 25-year tenure in the non-profit and business worlds, she developed her unique style of art quilts that look like faceted diamonds. In 2014, the call to the creative life became so deafening that she walked away from the lucrative corporate gig to pursue her artistic career on a full-time basis. Since then, her gems have been exhibited in galleries, museums, and national juried competitions. The Women’s Jewelry Association featured an exhibit of her work at their 2017 annual Awards for Excellence Gala in New York City. Her work has been featured in Quilting Arts Magazine and Quilting Arts TV, a program distributed nationally by PBS affiliates. She teaches around the country, is developing a line of fabric for quiltmakers, and has three books in the works with C&T Publishing. Since receiving the green light from curators at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, MJ has started working on a new series of gem art quilts inspired by the National Gem Collection including the Hope Diamond, the Blue Heart Diamond, the Janet Annenberg Hooker Emerald, and others.
Her gems are also part of numerous residential and corporate collections. Most notably, Maker’s Mark Distillery recently commissioned a major work for their permanent art collection. (If you visit Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY, you’ll see MJ’s work “Maker’s Flame” in the Star Hill Provisions restaurant.)
MJ returns to our Board of Directors after having served as Board President in 2016. During her tenure as President, MJ helped navigate the team through our rebranding effort, developed our organizational policies and procedures, helped us plan and host our first annual gala, and implemented our Customer Relationship Management software to track donations and improve our fundraising capacity.
MJ holds a master’s degree in Social Work Administration from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). She lives in Louisville with her husband Joe and their three pups, Lexie, Xena and Sherlock.
Peng Wang
(he / him)Treasurer
Peng was born and grew up in China and came to the States for his …
Peng Wang
Peng was born and grew up in China and came to the States for his graduate study in accounting at University of California, Irvine in 2018. Peng is a licensed CPA in California, having worked in banking and public accounting for years. He mainly serviced industries of financial services and nonprofits. During a year of his career, he worked exclusively with nonprofits of all sizes and provided services of audit, review, and complication. He helped his nonprofit clients build better reporting frameworks and provide education to meet their short and long-term goals. Peng believes it is important to use his analytical skills and accounting knowledge to give back to the community and help organizations that make a positive impact.
Navya Malapanagudi
(she / her)Secretary
Navya Malapanagudi is a senior at Monroe Township Highschool who aspires to be a Neuro …
Navya Malapanagudi
Navya Malapanagudi is a senior at Monroe Township Highschool who aspires to be a Neuro or Cardiothoracic Surgeon in the future. She is an intelligent, passionate and persevering premedical student, as she is working towards not only helping the underprivileged, but is also soon hosting her own medical program for students that are interested in becoming a doctor themselves.
In the medical field, she has experience working as a medical scribe and an optometric technician, which has given her insight on the structure and function of the human brain, nerves and the body as a whole. Working as an intern for the healthcare company, Lyftly, she has contributed to the redesigning of the app, with the intention of making it more efficient and user friendly. She has also participated in medical programs to learn all aspects of the medical field and the opportunities that it has to offer.
She is also the president of a crisis prevention advocacy club, in which she and many other members fight against modern day dilemmas, such as world hunger and poverty. Minoring in business, Navya aspires to hold her own surgery business in the future. Therefore, she has held an executive board position for the Monroe FBLA organization for the last two years, which has given her various leadership and communication skills.
Navya wants to learn, spread knowledge and help others around her by providing the education and support for their personal growth and development.
Andrew Aebersold
(he / him)VP of Marketing / Communications
Andrew brings over 25 years of professional experience in advertising and technology. Starting at the …
Andrew Aebersold
Andrew brings over 25 years of professional experience in advertising and technology. Starting at the age of 10 he taught himself computer programming, and he went on to get degrees in business administration and a bachelor of arts from Indiana University. Prior to founding Mediaura 16 years ago, Andrew launched two successful digital departments for other agencies. His vast knowledge of technology and experience in advertising steers the Mediaura ship in the right direction, creatively helping clients by using technology to enhance traditional advertising techniques.
The proprietary software solution known as ADBuilder (aka Pro Builder PDF) platform was created by Andrew and subsequently licensed to Community Health Systems. This system managed all marketing materials for hundreds of hospitals, assisting in multiple mergers and acquisitions to ensure all messaging was branded correctly and delivered in the appropriate format to the proper publications. This system was licensed to other brands, including LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and Einstein Brother’s Bagels.
Andrew innovated and patented a unique digital menu board software system that streamlined in-store messaging for over 1,000 displays in KFC restaurants nationwide, reducing operating costs and increasing revenue by showing the right message to consumers at the right time of day. This system was also licensed to other companies, such as Long John Silver’s and Back Yard Burgers.
Andrew also built an online ad approval software package to streamline ad approvals from hundreds of local agencies creating and advertising on behalf of franchisees for KFC. The corporate office wanted to reduce liability by having all appropriate parties sign off on correct materials in a digital format. This system aggregated content, assigned it to the appropriate people for approval, tracked revisions and feedback, and organized it all in an easy to use online portal. This system is still in use today for all advertising nationally and reduces the total time required to seek approval and has improved branding consistency.
Andrew developed an online coupon software platform and licensed it to KFC and Long John Silver’s to help with distributing offers to the appropriate geographically targeted areas. This portal has served millions of users annually and allows the brands to track their consumers, create additional touch points, improve lead generation, and ultimately increase revenue by driving sales with a system controlled and operated by Mediaura. This system is still in use today by Long John Silver’s.
In addition to these larger software projects, Andrew has personally developed and overseen hundreds of websites on a variety of platforms over the years. He was an original developer for the Joomla CMS and has developed custom plugins and software on the WordPress platform as well. Integrating various platforms and utilizing them in the most efficient and effective way is a hallmark of Andrew’s technical methodology. Being a developer first and an advertiser second, he has the vision to create a solid foundation that can be fine-tuned to maximize results.
Jenna Leung
(she / her)VP of Arts Programming
Jenna is a production sound mixer and filmmaker. She is also heavily involved in community …
Jenna Leung
Jenna is a production sound mixer and filmmaker. She is also heavily involved in community work, including public health and arts education initiatives in Newark, NJ and NYC.
In 2014, after her film Folded Hope completed its film festival run, she founded the Folded Hope Project, which were educational workshops she developed around her film. She brought the event’s curriculum to multiple cities in PA and NJ in the following years.
In addition to her work in production, she has experience working in the healthcare field as a first responder. She is currently pursuing her victim advocacy certification with a specialization in aiding victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Jenna is looking to bring her creative background and skill sets to promote and advocate for trauma healing and trauma-informed education.
Allison Lewis
(she / her / we)VP of Social Media
A woman that has her hands in many different pots, Allison Lewis is a creative …
Allison Lewis
A woman that has her hands in many different pots, Allison Lewis is a creative entrepreneur. Working for the University of Kentucky for over 14 years as a Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent, and completing her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Louisville, have served as educational platforms for her advocacy and business sense.
For over 6 years Allison has been an influencer and content creator for Absolutely Alli, a life and style blog. She used this passion to create a business called Absolutely Social, where she helps others cultivate digital lifestyles, by monetizing social media channels for businesses and individuals. Absolutely Social provides digital courses, live events, private consultations, coaching and social media management.
If that is not enough Allison is also the owner of YayMaker Louisville. YayMaker creates fun events with you in mind, bringing the Yay to the party. Allison curates artistic events to include Paint Nite, Plant Nite, Candle Nite, Mosaic Nite, and many more.
Allison truly believes that exploring one’s creativity helps heal.
Stephanie Mangan
(she / her)VP of Clinical Programming
Stephanie has 10+ years of experience as a mental health therapist in the state of …
Stephanie Mangan
Stephanie has 10+ years of experience as a mental health therapist in the state of Kentucky as Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Stephanie is also a Board approved Clinical Supervisor for the licensing board.
Stephanie has worked in a variety of settings as a mental health therapist over the past decade and enjoys providing services to individuals who have a variety of needs to obtain overall wellness. These include, but are not limited to, substance abuse, mood disorders, attachment disorders, bereavement, adjustment disorders, chronic mental illness, personality disorders, depression & anxiety, PTSD, trauma, foster care and adoptive children and their caregivers and ADHD. Stephanie focuses on the resolution and healing of the impact life circumstances present. Stephanie believes life was never meant to be a struggle and overcoming and healing those struggles can be the beginning of a new life.
Stephanie has certifications and training in interventions and treatment approaches that include, but are not limited to, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Parent/Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Ego-State Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Dissociative Disorders, Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Crisis Intervention, Trauma Systems Therapy and Nurturing Parenting.
Stephanie also has a passion to provide mental health services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals and is certified and trained in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies.
Jessica Mastro
(she / her)VP of Production
Jessica Mastro is a story teller. She explores the human experience through a wide array …
Jessica Mastro
Jessica Mastro is a story teller. She explores the human experience through a wide array of lenses, ranging from absurdist to realist. She experiments with many different mediums, including: film, screenwriting, playwriting, photography, songwriting and painting. She often uses her own life experience as inspiration, touching on feminist issues, childhood trauma, and romantic relationships. Jessica’s primary goal is to use art to create a more empathetic world.
Michelle Smoke
(she / her)Board of Directors
Michelle is a Akwesasne Mohawk woman from the Territory of Akwesasne. Her Mohawk name is …
Michelle Smoke
Michelle is a Akwesasne Mohawk woman from the Territory of Akwesasne. Her Mohawk name is Kawennake which translates to “on the words”. She attended the Clarkson School, which was a bridging program at Clarkson University, she graduated from Clarkson with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and minor in Business. She then attended St. Lawrence University and graduated with a Master’s of Education in Counseling and Human Development, Certificate of Advanced Studies in Counseling and Human Development and completed her Second Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling at St. Lawrence University. She currently holds a limited permit as a mental health therapist and is currently working on hours to obtain full licensure.
Prior to working as a therapist, Michelle has 15 years of work experience across a variety of settings including education, where she worked in early childhood and provided programming for grades Pre-K-12. She worked in the social services field as a youth worker in an urban and rural setting and as a preventive/foster care caseworker. She also worked in the criminal justice field advocating for indigenous people and victims of crimes, facilitating restorative justice circles, and providing support for preventive programming. She was also a family specialist supporting families at risk for foster care placement/ truancy issues. During these work experiences she learned more about implementing trauma informed care and strived to make more of an impact on her community.
Michelle’s approach emphasizes the integration of culture and the therapeutic approach. Services include individual, couples, family and group therapy across the lifespan. Michelle is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Restorative Justice Facilitation and Crisis Intervention. She continues to seek ongoing updates to her skills and knowledge base. Michelle is invested in an approach emphasizing a more integrative, dynamic, and holistic approach to mental health. She is particularly concerned with the impact of intergenerational trauma, domestic violence, grief and loss and improving interventions to support trauma recovery for better emotional, physical and relationship health. It is her hope to help improve the integration of culture into a therapeutic approach. Michelle is passionate about helping others become more resilient.
Staff
Marissa Ghavami
(she / they)Chief Executive Officer
Marissa Ghavami is an artist, advocate and creator based in New York City. Marissa founded …
Marissa Ghavami
Marissa Ghavami is an artist, advocate and creator based in New York City. Marissa founded Healing TREE in 2014 and currently serves as the nonprofit’s Chief Executive Officer. Healing TREE was established in direct response to a vast need that Marissa and her co-founders Debbie Ghavami, her mother, and Bruce Hardy, Ph.D., her former therapist, saw during Marissa’s own healing journey. After experiencing various forms of abuse and suffering from severe trauma during her late adolescence, in what is referred to as a “one-on-one cult”, Marissa was fortunate to receive trauma-focused treatment modalities and heal from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES). She then set out to create an organization that addresses the gaps she found preventing countless others from healing from various manifestations of trauma, the ramifications of which she learned greatly impact society as a whole.
As an advocate, in addition to founding Healing TREE and developing and overseeing all of its programming and operations, Marissa is a national public speaker. She has given educational and inspirational speaking engagements including post show talk-backs, workshops, trainings, breakout speeches, keynotes and Continuing Education Units (to doctors, nurses, psychologists, therapists and social workers), on abuse, trauma and healing. She has presented these engagements at college campuses, medical clinics, residential treatment facilities, domestic violence shelters, theatres and conferences across the country. She led the weekly Healing TREE Live events during physical distancing and has also led a virtual event for The Mighty, a popular mental health community with a Facebook following of nearly 1.5 million. She is also a healing trauma-focused coach and consultant, providing individual coaching, as well as consulting for arts professionals and organizations.
As an artist, she has worked as an actor, singer, voice over artist and model across theatre, film, television, radio, print and commercials since she was a child. Film and television highlights include starring in the recently released feature film The Gift of Christmas alongside Academy Award Nominee Bruce Davison and Dee Wallace (E.T.), as well as roles in Paramount’s theatrically released feature film Not Fade Away, directed by David Chase and starring James Gandolfini, and on CBS’s Without A Trace. Marissa first gained national attention singing on NBC’s legendary It’s Showtime at the Apollo and was there discovered by Suzanne de Passe (Motown, The Jackson 5). More recently she has sung at NYC hot spots Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater (in Dana Levinson’s piece for the Musical Theatre Factory’s Women & Trans Round Table), Birdland Theatre (alongside Tony Nominees Ariana DeBose and Kevin Chamberlin) and 54 Below (alongside Christina Bianco). She recently sang backup for Barry Manilow in The Carousel of Hope Ball. She also recently sang in The Rigano Songbook’s “Screen To Screen” which won Ken Davenport’s Rave Theater Festival Social Distancing Fest. She also lent her voice to the Ghostlight Concert benefitting The Actors Fund for COVID-19 Relief and St. Jude Hospital. She was seen on stage as the lead in the Off-Broadway staged reading of They Told Me To Use It at the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival directed by Ren Dara Santiago. She has done voice over work for such widely known brands as Audible (narrating Dr. Jamie Marich’s Trauma and the 12 Steps: An Inclusive Guide to Enhancing Recovery), McDonald’s, Ford and JCPenney. Additionally, she has done commercial and print work for Belvedere, PepsiCo’s AMP Energy Drink, Girl Scout Cookies and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Marissa trained as an actor at the William Esper Studio under the renowned, late Bill Esper, has studied Advanced On Camera with Bob Krakower and takes ongoing acting classes with Karl Bury. She trained as a singer with the acclaimed Seth Riggs, Liz Caplan and, ongoing currently with Mike Ruckles.
As a creator, Marissa co-wrote (with award winning playwright David Caudle) and was the lead producer on Silk, a short film for Healing TREE, which was directed by John Magaro (The Many Saints of Newark, The Umbrella Academy, Carol, The Big Short) and stars Crista Marie Jackson (The Greatest Showman), Fran Kranz (The Cabin in the Woods, Much Ado About Nothing), Garcia (Tales of the City) and Louisa Krause (Billions). A short narrative nod to the classic film Gaslight, Silk is currently screening (virtually) at colleges with accompanying workshops on the most insidious forms of abuse and trauma and will hit the festival circuit in the near future. Mass, a feature film which she co-produced, had its premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was Entertainment Weekly’s Top Pick. Mass was written and directed by Fran Kranz and stars award-winning actors Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter film series, The Patriot), Reed Birney (Tony-winning actor of The Humans, House of Cards), Martha Plimpton (Emmy and Tony nominee, Raising Hope, Running on Empty) and Ann Dowd (Emmy winner, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Manchurian Candidate, Garden State). She co-produced and made her directorial debut co-directing the PSA Locked Inside Us for Healing TREE. She is the lead producer and attached as the co-director of a short Untitled Healing Trauma Documentary which is in development and which has Charles Baker (“Skinny Pete” of Breaking Bad and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie) attached to voice over.
Marissa was a Director’s Pick for a 2020 (postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19) Queer Writer Fellowship at the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. She is a Key in the Ring of Keys Organization. She is a 2015/2016 ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty) Fellow and participant in the 2015 Artist As Citizen Conference at Juilliard. She is the winner of the “Way To Go Woman Award” in the Overcoming Barriers category for Today’s Woman magazine. Additionally, she is featured in Nancy Miller’s book, One Hundred Fascinating Louisville Women, and was given a mayoral proclamation of “Marissa Ghavami Day” in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Marissa is Iranian-American, queer, a meditation enthusiast, an avid reader, a yoga and fitness devotee, a vegan, a partner to actor, author and entrepreneur Nathan Todaro and a cat mom to her two rescue Bengal mixes, Sebastian and Viola.
Additional Support Team Members
Chiratidzo Sangarwe
(she / her)Development and Programming Coordinator
Chiratidzo is a fundraiser and donor relations professional from Canada with over 5 years of …
Chiratidzo Sangarwe
Chiratidzo is a fundraiser and donor relations professional from Canada with over 5 years of experience in this field. She is intelligent, passionate and hardworking and has always had a passion for speaking to people and forming new relationships. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in Criminology where she was a part of her University’s Womyns Centre that focused on tackling issues of racism, sexism and able-ism, it is there that she gained the awareness and passion to fight for those most vulnerable whose voices constantly got lost in the noise. She initially had the intention of becoming a police officer, but soon realized she was more drawn to non-profit work. She is currently also working part-time as a Partnerships Development Manager and works to create more funding to provide resources for individuals in her city.
Ella Jane New
(she / her)Producer
Ella is a writer, director & producer. After getting her MFA at University of London, …
Ella Jane New
Ella is a writer, director & producer. After getting her MFA at University of London, Ella worked as a development coordinator at Darren Aronofsky’s, Protozoa Pictures covering scripts. Ella is a recipient of the Creative Minds Program at Sundance, where she developed her script Car Battery; and a Women Makes Movies Fellow, for her documentary feature The Global Village Project. Ella has written, directed & produced short films, Earth Beneath My Feet and Sofie, winning Best Short at San Francisco Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival.
Ella is currently directing Falling In Love With My Dellamort, with Tony winning cast James Monroe Iglehart, Lena Hall and Jackie Hoffman. Her theatre directing credits include Six Corners by Steppenwolf/Emmy winner Keith Huff; Jack Feldstein’s Three Months With Pook at SOHO Playhouse; Dellamort at The Slipper Room, and Chasing The River by Jean Dobie Geibel at Chain Theatre. Born in Barbados and raised in Uganda, Kenya, England and New York City, Ella’s international background has a great influence in her writing. Ella is currently based in NYC.
Laura Impellizzeri
(she / her)Bookkeeper
Laura is an accountant with over 14 years of experience in public accounting. When she …
Laura Impellizzeri
Laura is an accountant with over 14 years of experience in public accounting. When she was young, she knew she wanted to be in a career that helped people and thought that would lead to a career in either teaching or nursing. However, after working for many restaurants and loving the business aspect, she began going to school for business. In 2007, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville for Accounting. The first 10 years of her accounting career were working for a fast-paced CPA firm. This experience created the strong foundation that Laura brings to each client she works with today. Through dedication and hard work, she has started her own business and has owned Impellizzeri Accounting Services since 2017. Her passion to help others has surfaced through her accounting work. She is now dedicated in providing a service to clients that feel stuck in their financial situation by compassionately listening to their story. She then helps each client by co-creating a solution to fit their needs. Impellizzeri Accounting Services is now in its 4th year and continues to grow by offering compassionate services to individuals, companies, small business owners, estates, and non-profits.
Volunteers
Mediaura
Digital AgencyFounded in 2003, Mediaura has built a solid reputation in the community through our integrity, …
Mediaura
Founded in 2003, Mediaura has built a solid reputation in the community through our integrity, expertise, and client satisfaction. We are a company that strives to achieve the best possible results for a fair price. Mediaura takes pride in all the work we do, and our staff is available to explain and educate along the way.
Privately-owned, the company has experienced consistent annual growth over the past 14 years. We service clients that are local, regional, national, and international; as well as companies that are both from the for-profit and non-profit sectors.
Our company began as the “Interactive Partner” for several traditional advertising firms, most notably Creative Alliance (now known as Scoppechio). Mediaura team members were at the forefront of the digital media revolution, and that has given us not only the edge when implementing new technologies, but combined with our experience with traditional advertising agencies, we can thoroughly assess and speak to our client’s needs. We are a company that knows how to be innovative and push boundaries, while also remaining accessible enough to an audience that may prefer more traditional methods. This allows our clients to maintain their core base demographic while increasing their market reach.
Deborah Chai
(she / her)Producer’s Assistant
Deborah Chai is a recent graduate from Queens, New York, having pursued a BA in …
Deborah Chai
Deborah Chai is a recent graduate from Queens, New York, having pursued a BA in Digital Media Production with minors in Business and History at SUNY New Paltz. She graduated summa cum laude in 2018. Her interests lie in production, writing fiction, reading, television shows, podcasts and any sort of traveling
Caitlyn Dweiri
(she / her)Social Media Design Assistant
Caitlyn is a Graphic Designer. Since she was a child she’s always had an eye …
Caitlyn Dweiri
Caitlyn is a Graphic Designer. Since she was a child she’s always had an eye for design, art and fashion. She began to take art seriously in college and started to create acrylic paintings. Her favorite thing to do is attend art festivals, markets and events to sell her work. She took this creative path and turned it into a career by becoming a Graphic Designer with the help of Santa Fe College in Gainesville Florida. She worked with many local shops there, providing her services and making connections. She has a strong passion for nature, and architectural photography. Growing up with technology she’s learned how to understand new programs and applications quickly. That being said, she has found herself working in marketing for multiple companies. From managing their social media platforms to creating flyers for print. Branding and marketing has become some of her major strengths. Everything surrounding us is essentially graphic design. She always keeps an eye out for cool fonts on buildings or crazy symbols on storefront signs. We live in a world where creation is an important asset and she’s so happy to be a part of it.
Lina Lansky
(she / her)Production Committee
Lina Lansky is a passionate and self-taught filmmaker from NYC who works in all facets …
Lina Lansky
Lina Lansky is a passionate and self-taught filmmaker from NYC who works in all facets of the industry as a First Assistant Director, Production Manager, and Producer. Her wide range of experience includes feature films, shorts, music videos, documentaries, & commercially branded content. Some of her most recent work includes the documentary, American Trial: The Eric Garner Story, Grace Vanderwall (American Idol winner) music video, Lucky Chops (ICM Partners / Works Entertainment) music video, the feature film Dreamkatcher, with Henry Thomas & Lin Shaye, and award winning short film, Mr. Sam.
Maria Mayo
(she / her)Producer’s Assistant
Maria’s passion in film began while working in the Entertainment Industry in California. She received …
Maria Mayo
Maria’s passion in film began while working in the Entertainment Industry in California. She received her B.A. from the University of Southern California and recently completed the Graduate Documentary Certificate Program at The New School where she completed her first short, La Lupita which premiered at 2019 Doc NYC Festival. Her interest lie in astrology, mindfulness, and amplifying the work of people of color and women across the industry.
Ellie Trikeriotis
(she / her)Approved Care Network Coordinator
Ellie is currently a junior at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, pursuing a …
Ellie Trikeriotis
Ellie is currently a junior at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, pursuing a double major in Psychology & French and a minor in Arabic. She holds a place on the college’s Honor’s list, is a member of their DIII rowing team, and is passionate in advocating for immigrants and refugees, animals, and the environment.
Ellie says her calling is to become a clinical psychologist who studies, who works with, and who helps people heal. She wants to help survivors of trauma to reclaim themselves and to find their peace within their mind, body, and soul. Her dream is to have a private practice where she works amongst other professionals who hold the same values as her- of the importance of a holistic approach and of helping people feel seen and heard through connection. Ellie is currently a crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.
When Ellie is not in school, she loves to run, to paint, to read, to meditate, and to learn about skincare.
Sophia Trikeriotis
(she / her)Administrative Assistant
She graduated in 2019 from Case Western Reserve University magna cum laude with a B.A. …
Sophia Trikeriotis
She graduated in 2019 from Case Western Reserve University magna cum laude with a B.A. in biology and sociology. During college, she was a member of the varsity cross-country and track team, mentored local middle school students, and volunteered with patients undergoing transplant operations. She currently conducts neuroscience research for the VA Maryland Healthcare System and is in the process of applying to medical school.
Her aspirations include becoming a psychiatrist and working in a private practice with her sister. She is an advocate for treating the brain and its health like any other organ- holistically. She understands that there is a large gap in psychiatric work as doctors tend to prescribe medications without directly observing the ways in which trauma affects the chemical levels in and the structure of the brain. Therefore, she wants to fill this gap as well as to work as a psychotherapist first, a psychiatrist second. She strongly believes that mental health treatment is not a one-size fits all, so she seeks to implement my innovativeness and creativity into her future work with patients.
Gabriela Wilson
(she / her)Producer’s Assistant
Gabriela is currently a Junior at Fordham University in New York City, pursuing a double …
Gabriela Wilson
Gabriela is currently a Junior at Fordham University in New York City, pursuing a double major in Communications and Culture and Film and Television. She is the recipient of Fordham University’s Dean’s Scholarship and holds a place on the university’s Dean’s List. She also serves on the E-Board for Fordham’s chapter of the New York Film and Television Student Alliance, an organization dedicated to enriching media students’ educations by fostering connections with working professionals in New York.
Throughout her time at college, Gabriela has explored her passion for the world of production by interning with local and international companies such as Smartypants Pictures (producers of the Emmy-Award nominated series The Secret Life of Muslims) and UniFrance.
When she is not in school, Gabriela enjoys volunteering for RefugeeNet, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting political refuges in her hometown of San Diego.
Board of Advisors
Jessica Blank
(she / her)Board of Advisors
Jessica Blank is an actor, writer, director, speaker, and coach. With her husband Erik Jensen, …
Jessica Blank
Jessica Blank is an actor, writer, director, speaker, and coach. With her husband Erik Jensen, she is author of THE EXONERATED, a play based on interviews they conducted with over 40 wrongfully convicted death row inmates across the United States. THE EXONERATED won Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Ovation, Fringe First and Herald Angel Awards; it has also received awards from Amnesty International, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Death Penalty Focus, and Court TV, and was listed by the New York Times as “the number 1 play of the year.” It was made into an award-winning movie adapted by Jessica and Erik, starring Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Aidan Quinn and Delroy Lindo, has received hundreds of productions across the United States and internationally, read into the Senate record, and translated into Mandarin, French, Spanish and Japanese. LIVING JUSTICE, their book about the making of THE EXONERATED, was published by Simon and Schuster. Their documentary play AFTERMATH, based on interviews they conducted with Iraqi civilian refugees in Jordan, directed by Jessica, was a New York Times Critics’ Pick, toured internationally for two years and was nominated for two Drama League Awards. Their latest play, HOW TO BE A ROCK CRITIC (based on the writings of Lester Bangs), recently completed sold-out runs at the Kirk Douglas Theater, South Coast Rep, ArtsEmerson, Steppenwolf, and Off-Broadway at the Public Theater, with Erik starring and Jessica directing, and is in development for feature film with Likely Story. They are at work on a new documentary play under commission from the Public Theater, about the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, with original music by the Grammy-Award winning musician Steve Earle.
Jessica is also active as a writer, director and actor for film and television; she and Erik recently completed their first feature, ALMOST HOME, which they directed and adapted from Jessica’s first novel (Hyperion, 2008), and which premieres in fall of 2018. Their second feature, HOW TO BE A ROCK CRITIC, is in development with Likely Story. They wrote the pilot THE NEGOTIATOR for Gaumont TV (Tom Fontana, EP) and have developed for TV with Fox TV Studios, 20th Century TV, Avenue Pictures, Sunswept Entertainment, Virgin Produced, and Radical Media.
As an actor, Jessica appeared regularly as the lead’s loudmouthed big sister in CBS’ MADE IN JERSEY. Additional TV credits include BLUE BLOODS, ELEMENTARY, THE FOLLOWING, THE MENTALIST, HBO’s HIGH MAINTENANCE, BORED TO DEATH, RESCUE ME, LAW AND ORDER: CI, THE BRONX IS BURNING, and several more. Film acting credits include THE NAMESAKE (dir. Mira Nair), YOU’RE NOBODY TILL SOMEBODY KILLS YOU (prod. Spike Lee), SLENDER MAN, and over a dozen indies including CREATIVE CONTROL (Grand Jury Prize, SXSW) and ON THE ROAD WITH JUDAS (Sundance).
As a story consultant and narrative coach, Jessica works with TV showrunners, Sundance-supported filmmakers, Off-Broadway playwrights, published novelists, Broadway actors and series regulars. She also works with thought leaders, changemakers, and progressive candidates to harness the power of story, including national and state level progressive candidates and numerous national and international NGOs. She was a founding mentor for the Writers Guild Initiative’s Veterans’ Writing Project and, has taught writing to vets, wounded veterans’ caregivers, formerly incarcerated individuals, and death row exonerees for eight years. Jessica is a resident teacher at several New York acting schools, a mentor for the Firelight Documentary Lab, and has guest-taught at numerous colleges and universities including Brown, Stanford, Vanderbilt, NYU, The New School, Northwestern, Indiana University, Macalester College, and Hamline University. She is a frequent speaker and panelist on the arts and social justice, and has a thriving private practice in New York and Los Angeles as a story consultant and performance coach for professional writers and actors.
David Grand, Ph.D
Board of AdvisorsDavid Grand, Ph.D is the founder and developer of groundbreaking brain-body based Brainspotting method. Through …
David Grand, Ph.D
David Grand, Ph.D is the founder and developer of groundbreaking brain-body based Brainspotting method. Through his Brainspotting Trainings, Inc he has trained over 8,000 therapists internationally and has developed 22 trainers worldwide. Dr. Grand is the author of the acclaimed book, Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Chance and the Co-author of This is Your Brain on Sports. Dr. Grand is in demand as a lecturer on a variety of topics. He has accomplished breakthroughs in performance and creativity with his Brainspotting Sports Work and Brainspotting Acting and Singing Coaching. Dr. Grand has been widely featured in the media including The NY Times, NBC National News, The Discovery Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Sports Illustrated and Sirius Radio.
Dr. Grand still finds time for a full-time private psychotherapy and performance practice in Manhattan, NY.
Jamie Marich, PH.D.
(she / they)Board of Advisors
Jamie Marich’s friends and colleagues describe her as a renaissance woman. A dancer, musician, performer, …
Jamie Marich, PH.D.
Jamie Marich’s friends and colleagues describe her as a renaissance woman. A dancer, musician, performer, writer, clinical counselor, and registered expressive arts therapist, Marich unites these elements of her experience to achieve an ultimate mission: bringing the art and joy of healing to others. Marich’s career in counseling and human services began while she worked in Bosnia-Hercegovina from 2000-2003. While in Bosnia, Marich served as an English and music teacher, in addition to working freelance for other humanitarian aid projects.
Marich, currently working in private practice after obtaining many years of experience in inpatient mental health, inpatient chemical dependency, and outpatient dual diagnosis treatment, travels the country for several professional continuing education providers, offering instruction on a variety of clinical topics. Jamie is the author of five books: EMDR Made Simple (2011), Trauma and the Twelve Steps (2012), Creative Mindfulness (2013), and Trauma Made Simple (2014), and her latest book, Dancing Mindfulness: A Creative Path to Healing and Transformation, which was released in the Fall of 2015 (SkylightPaths Publishing). Jamie was interviewed as a master clinician in the DVD, Trauma Treatment: Psychotherapy for the 21st Century (2012) alongside icons like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Peter Levine, Dr. Robert Scaer, and Belleruth Naparstek. Jamie had the privilege of offering trauma recovery retreats at the Kripalu School for Yoga & Health in the Fall of 2012, at the Esalen Institute in the Spring of 2013 and Winter of 2014, and at Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida in the Fall of 2015 and 2016. In 2015, Marich launched her own EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Therapy training curriculum and now enjoys training a new generation of EMDR clinicians alongside her collaborative faculty members (and friends) Amber Stiles-Bodnar and Dr. Stephen Dansiger. Marich and Dansiger are working collaboratively on a book EMDR Therapy & Mindfulness for Trauma Focused Care, due out with Springer Publishing later in 2016.
Jamie strives to incorporate music and other forms of creative expression into her practice. As her career developed, Marich’s love for experience-oriented methods of healing and trauma resolution intensified, prompting her to explore the conscious dance scene and various ways of applying these wonderful, “come as you are” practices into the healing process. Having completed several trainings and experiencing other conscious dance practices at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts, Marich was encouraged and inspired to develop her own, unique practice, which now exists in the form of Dancing Mindfulness. To date, Marich has taught conscious dance seminars at various conferences nationally and internationally and has trained more than 170 facilitators in the Dancing Mindfulness practice. She completed her Reiki Master teacher training in the Usui Shiki Ryoho system of Reiki under Master Valerie Spitaler. Marich is a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT) through the International Association of Expressive Arts Therapists and offers a full certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy through her Institute for Creative Mindfulness. Trained in several modalities of recovery and trauma-informed yoga, Marich recently launched the Yoga Unchained method of trauma-informed yoga with Jessica Sowers.
Shannon Moody
(she / her)Board of Advisors
Shannon Moody joined Kentucky Youth Advocates in July 2013. In her role as a Policy …
Shannon Moody
Shannon Moody joined Kentucky Youth Advocates in July 2013. In her role as a Policy Director she conducts policy advocacy and research, coordinates the Kosair Charities’ Face It® Campaign, and staffs the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky. Shannon chairs the Jefferson County Citizen’s Review Panel and is a member of both state and national coalitions focused on child welfare work. Shannon has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Michigan State University, a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and is currently pursuing at PhD at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work. Shannon began her career working with adults with traumatic brain injury or severe autism followed by years of direct service work for adjudicated youth in a psychiatric residential treatment facility, and then mental health case management at a transitional high school
Carlos Hernandez Ocampo
(he / him)Board of Advisors
A U.S. Navy veteran and licensed KY attorney. In law school, he excelled in Trial …
Carlos Hernandez Ocampo
A U.S. Navy veteran and licensed KY attorney. In law school, he excelled in Trial Practice and distinguished himself working with MBA Entrepreneur Track students at the Entrepreneurship Clinic. Before that, he received his Bachelor in Studio Art from the Hite Art Institute with a concentration on painting.
Carlos is a native Spanish speaker born in Cuba, and he has devoted his life to making meaningful connections with the people he meets. His passion for communication and open dialogue has led him to learn several languages to better communicate and understand the cultures he works with. He speaks fluent English, Spanish, Bosnian, and Italian.
Tough And Universal: Law School Graduate Carlos Hernandez Remembers Journey From Cuba To Louisville
Artist Advocates
Emily Althaus
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Emily Althaus is a proud Louisville native, an alumni of duPont Manual High School / YPAS …
Emily Althaus
Emily Althaus is a proud Louisville native, an alumni of duPont Manual High School / YPAS (Youth Performing Arts School), and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts from Western Kentucky University. She recurs on both Orange Is The New Black (NETFLIX) as ‘Maureen Kukudio,’ inmate and love interest to Emmy Award Winner Uzo Aduba’s ‘Crazy Eyes,’ as well as Togetherness (HBO) as ‘Natalie’ opposite Mark Duplass. She has also guest starred on Law & Order: SVU (NBC), Blue Bloods (CBS), Adam Ruins Everything (TRU), You’re The Worst (FX) and The Resident (FOX). On film, Emily will next be seen in the independent feature film The Strange Ones scheduled for theatrical release January 5th, 2018. Her theater background includes significant stage performances in Harvey (Broadway), Assistance (The Wilma Theatre), Three Sisters (Classic Stage Company), as well as The Torchbearers and Stop Possuming, Mommy all at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
In addition to her work with Healing TREE, Emily works alongside organizations focused on prison reform (#CLOSErikers) as well as organizations that aid the formerly incarcerated (#WPA: Women’s Prison Association), giving public speaking engagements and marching. Follow Emily on social media and join her on the next march!
Twitter and Instagram: @emilyalthaus
Natalie Andrews
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Natalie is a teaching artist, musician, actress, and producer and in recent years has become …
Natalie Andrews
Natalie is a teaching artist, musician, actress, and producer and in recent years has become an advocate for creativity as an effective mental health management tool. She owns and operates Songbird Studios, offering voice and piano lessons to learners of all ages. She also serves as Vice President of the Board for The Bridge Initiative, a theatre nonprofit promoting gender parity in leadership roles in the arts. While earning her B.F.A. at the University of Oklahoma she worked for the Office of Recruitment, gaining extensive experience in conducting interviews, database management and team building. She has also been a presenter at the Berklee City Music Summit hosted at Columbia College, where she spoke about her ongoing research collaboration Original Music Programming: Nurturing the Human Artist.
Natalie’s knowledge and personal practice of treatment modalities developed out of necessity when she began her own healing process in 2014 and includes yoga, Somatic Experiencing (SE), theatre and music, movement, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and mindfulness. Having been through the therapist search both for herself and others, Natalie understands how difficult and important it is for vulnerable individuals to find good care. Natalie resides in Phoenix, AZ with her husband Brian, and her two cats, Ophelia and Pierre.
Charles Baker
Artist AdvocateCharles Baker left his mark in Hollywood and the homes of fans across the world …
Charles Baker
Charles Baker left his mark in Hollywood and the homes of fans across the world as ‘Skinny Pete,’ on the hit AMC show Breaking Bad, which has been nominated for 151 awards and has won 48. Before stepping on Hollywood soil, Baker already had 37 credits to his name and now has moved to Los Angeles permanently with his wife and three children to pursue his craft, which he has been studying for over 20 years. Notable film projects for Baker include To The Wonder, a Terrence Malick film, opposite Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints opposite Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster, Wild opposite Reese Witherspoon, and Nicholas Winding Refn’s Neon Demon with Elle Fanning and Keanu Reeves.
IMDB
Jordan Baker
(she / her)Artist Advocate
View Jordan Baker’s resume on IMDB
Jordan Baker
Christina Bianco
(she / her)Artist Advocate
From stage to screen, Christina Bianco’s singular voice and comedic charm have brought audiences around …
Christina Bianco
From stage to screen, Christina Bianco’s singular voice and comedic charm have brought audiences around the world to their feet. Bianco captured international acclaim as a YouTube sensation with her ‘diva’ impression videos, gaining over 25 million views. Dubbed ‘the girl of a thousand voices,’ Christina has performed on major television programs such as The Ellen Degeneres Show and The Today Show, in the US, and The Paul O’Grady Show and This Morning, in the UK.
A Two-Time Drama Desk Award nominee, Christina made her West End debut starring in The Menier Chocolate Factory’s hailed production of Forbidden Broadway at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. New York credits include Forbidden Broadway; Goes To Rehab (Drama Desk Award Nomination), the one-woman, multi-character comedy, Application Pending (Drama Desk Award Nomination), The Marvelous Wonderettes, and Newsical the Musical. Other credits include: Hello Dolly (Minnie Fay/Indianapolis Symphony), Rent (Maureen/Weston Playhouse), Beehive (Riverside Theatre) and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator/Drury Lane Theatre).
Most recently, Christina played the iconic role of Fanny Brice at the Theatre Marigny’s celebrated production of Funny Girl in Paris, earning unanimous rave reviews.
Television credits include the iTV’s The Imitation Game, POP TV sitcom Impress Me, Hallmark’s, Signed, Sealed, Delivered and frequent voice work for RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Christina has performed her critically acclaimed concerts to sold out crowds in NYC and across the U.S. In the UK, she’s enjoyed extended runs headlining at London’s Hippodrome, Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, Live at Zedel’s, The Charing Cross Theatre, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and recently completed her second UK tour, titled, First Impressions. She recently made concert debuts in Switzerland, Spain and South Africa and in Australia, at The Sydney Opera House.
Christina frequently performs with major US and Canadian symphonies and performs her solo symphony show under the direction of Maestro Jack Everly.
Christina is a life long New Yorker and resides in Manhattan with her husband Billy and their loveable schnoodle, Jeff Vader. Her debut live album, Life Of The Party, is available on iTunes and other major music platforms.
WWW.CHRISTINABIANCO.COM @XtinaBianco1
Tonya Canady
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Tonya Canady is an actor, singer, writer, producer, voiceover artist, acting coach and caregiver. Tonya’s recent TV credits in …
Tonya Canady
Tonya Canady is an actor, singer, writer, producer, voiceover artist, acting coach and caregiver. Tonya’s recent TV credits in 2020 include I Know This Much Is True on HBO and The Politician on Netflix. You can watch her past TV appearances on NBC’s New Amsterdam, Bull on CBS, Seven Seconds on Netflix and First Wives Club on BET. Syracuse University and William Esper Studio alumni. www.tonyacanady.com
Jeremy Fury
(he / him)Artist Advocate
Jeremy Fury aka Jeremy Lublin is the singer/ songwriter of Brooklyn based rock ‘n’ roll …
Jeremy Fury
Jeremy Fury aka Jeremy Lublin is the singer/ songwriter of Brooklyn based rock ‘n’ roll band, Jeremy & The Harlequins. The band have released three LP’s, Remember This (2018, Yep Roc Records), Into the Night (2016, Yep Roc Records), and American Dreamer (2015, Harlequin Music). The band has had their music featured in numerous commercials, television shows, and films, such as Edge of Tomorrow: Live. Die. Repeat (Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt), Heavy (Sophie Turner), Shameless, Vampire Diaries, In the Dark, Graceland, and more. The band have also had a number of singles featured on SiriusXM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage.
Prior to starting Jeremy & The Harlequins, Jeremy was the singer of Ohio based band, We Are The Fury (Warner Music Group/ILG). The band released their debut album Venus (2007) with critical praise. Following the the release, the band spent years on tour, opening for such acts as the New York Dolls, Silverchair, Jack’s Mannequin, Head Automatica, and Vans Warped Tour.
Independently, Jeremy has created music for a number of commercials for brands such as Miller High Life, Smirnoff, Royal Caribbean, and Nestle. He is also the co-founder/CEO of Fury Bros. and has designed album covers for artists on Rhino, ORG Music, and Sun Records.
Ava Geyer
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Ava Geyer is a playwright and screenwriter based in NY. She is a current member …
Ava Geyer
Ava Geyer is a playwright and screenwriter based in NY. She is a current member of EST/Youngblood and under commission by La Jolla Playhouse. She was a 2020 recipient of Theater Masters’ Visionary Award and a Shank Resident Playwright at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (’19-’20). Plays include Monster (finalist, Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition), B-Storm (pub. by Samuel French; winner, National MFA Playwrights Festival), Fruit Snacks (“Hopeful Decade” event, Williamsburg, BK), SERE (Wagner New Play Festival, ’18) and Baby Teeth (WNPF ’17). MFA: UC San Diego ’19. BA: Princeton University ’15.
Rodney Hicks
(he / him)Artist Advocate
Ford’s: KUDZU. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys; RENT (Closing Cast, DVD); Jesus Christ Superstar; RENT (Original Cast …
Rodney Hicks
Ford’s: KUDZU. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys; RENT (Closing Cast, DVD); Jesus Christ Superstar; RENT (Original Cast -OBC Recording). Off-Broadway: Jacques Brel is Alive… (New Cast Recording) ; RENT (Closing Cast/DVD -Benny); Bring in the Morning. Regional: The 5th: Paint Your Wagon; HAIR. La Jolla Playhouse: Come From Away (Outstanding Ensemble); Seattle Repertory Theatre: Come From Away; PCS: The Mountaintop; Dreamgirls; Oklahoma. Seattle Rep/La Jolla: Come from Away. DTC: King Lear. Geva: Lobby Hero. Philadelphia Theatre Company: The Scottsboro Boys (Barrymore Award Leading Actor); Royal George: White Noise. CenterStage: Two Gentlemen of Verona. TV: Leverage; GRIMM; Law & Order: Criminal Intent; NYPD Blue. Film: Bad Decisions; Django. Playwright: NC-17.
Crista Marie Jackson
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Crista Marie is an accomplished aerialist, actress, stunt woman and choreographer. She believes in using her …
Crista Marie Jackson
Crista Marie is an accomplished aerialist, actress, stunt woman and choreographer. She believes in using her art to inspire activism and change. She holds a BFA from Hofstra University. She started her career working with Words of Choice, touring nationally to advocate for women’s rights and is honored to have been able to utilize her skills as an actress, aerialist and choreographer in SILK. She recently finished touring as the Assistant Artistic Director of Alegria by Cirque du Soleil. Her work has been featured in major motion pictures (THE GREATEST SHOWMAN – ENDERS GAME), off-Broadway houses (The Lynn Redgrave, The Pearl, The Sheen Center), television shows (LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER) national and international tours, cruise ships and corporate venues. Her work has been featured in The Metropolitan Opera House, LA Opera, Beyonce’s FORMATION World Tour, TIFF, NYC summer-stage, Broadway Bares, Cirque de la Mer, Radio City Music Hall, KCD Worldwide and the CFDA Awards. www.cristamariejackson.com @crista_marie
Kevin Kilner
(he / him)Artist Advocate
Kevin has most recently appeared on television in The Blacklist, The Good Wife, Happyish, Person of Interest, Madam Secretary, Castle, Blue Bloods, Royal Pains and …
Kevin Kilner
Kevin has most recently appeared on television in The Blacklist, The Good Wife, Happyish, Person of Interest, Madam Secretary, Castle, Blue Bloods, Royal Pains and the hit Netflix series House of Cards with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Kevin co-starred with Nancy Travis on the CBS sitcom Almost Perfect, and was the star of Gene Roddenberry’s EARTH: Final Conflict, as “Boone,” which was syndicated worldwide. He has also been on such shows as Greek, Whit Collar, CSI: NY, Damages, Ugly Betty, Cashmere Mafia, Ghost Whisperer, The Closer, The New Adventures of Old Christine, One Tree Hill, Monk, Crossing Jordan, Judging Amy, Malcolm in the Middle, CSI: Miami, Touched by an Angel, Frasier, and Murder, She Wrote.
His film credits include the upcoming The Unattainable Story (with Irina Björklund) as well as Paranoia (with Liam Hemsworth, Harrison Ford), Julia with Tilda Swinton, Raising Helen (with Joan Cusack, Kate Hudson) A Cinderella Story, (with Hillary Duff, Chad Michael Murray), American Pie II and Home Alone III.
He starred on Broadway in the 50th anniversary production of The Glass Menagerie with Julie Harris, Calista Flockhart and Zeljko Ivanek, directed by Frank Galati for which he won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Off-Broadway credits include Dinner With Friends(2000 Pulitzer Prize), directed by Daniel Sullivan and Lemon Sky, directed by Jonathan Silverstein. Regional theatre credits include Bucks County Playhouse’s Other Desert Cities, Adobe Rose Theatre’s Time Stands Still, Denver Center For the Performing Arts’ The Christians, Baltimore Centerstage’s An Enemy Of The People, NY Stage & Film’s Ninetyand Pasadena Playhouse’s Defiance.
Andy Lucien
Artist AdvocateAndy Lucien is an artist and advocate originally from New York City, New York. He …
Andy Lucien
Andy Lucien is an artist and advocate originally from New York City, New York. He received both his bachelors and masters in theater. He has been featured in several tv shows including The Blacklist and Netflix’s Daredevil and has been a part of various theatrical productions all over the United States working at such venues as Playwrights Horizons, The Rattlestick Theater, Berkley Rep, La Jolla Playhouse and Studio Theater. In addition to this he also took part in the Grahamstown Theater Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa where he participated in a hip hop adaptation of Hamlet. He is a new Artist Advocate with Healing TREE and is very excited to be working with such an amazing organization dedicated to such fulfilling work.
Pooya Mohseni
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Pooya is an Iranian-American actor, writer, filmmaker & Transgender activist. She’s co-producer/star/writer of “Transit “, …
Pooya Mohseni
Pooya is an Iranian-American actor, writer, filmmaker & Transgender activist. She’s co-producer/star/writer of “Transit “, a short film about love between a trans woman and a cis man, coming out in 2021. Her stage performances include “She,He,Me” for National Queer Theater, dir Sivan Battat, “Our Town” in Pride Plays, dir Jenna Worsham, “Hamlet” in Play On Shakespeare festival, dir Ellen McLaughlin, an award winning one woman show “One Woman”, in United Solo at The Theatre Row, dir Joan Kane, “Galatea”, dir Mo Zhou for the WP Pipeline festival, “The Good Muslim” dir William Carden at EST. She has guest starred on the latest season of “Law & Order: SVU “ dir Mariska Hargitay, “Falling Water” on USA, “Madam Secretary” and a recurring guest star on the crime drama “Big Dogs” on Amazon Prime. She is a member of the advisory council for Ackerman Institute’s Gender and Family Project.
Represented by Headline Talent Agency
Laith Nakli
(he / him)Artist Advocate
Laith Nakli is a Syrian actor/writer. He graduated from the prestigious William Esper Studio Professional …
Laith Nakli
Laith Nakli is a Syrian actor/writer. He graduated from the prestigious William Esper Studio Professional Actor Training Program.
Laith made his stage debut in War at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater Company. Other credits include Cry of the Reed –Huntington, Inana – Denver Center, Aftermath – NYTW, Lidless – Page 73, Food & Fadwa – NYTW and Cyrano – Goodspeed.
Laith had the world premiere of his first play, Shesh Yak, at the award-winning Off-Broadway Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in NYC.
Laith is one of the regular characters in the HULU series Ramy.
Film credits: Swallow, 12 Strong, The Wall, The Visitor, Arranged, Sam & Amira…. TV credits include: The Long Road Home, 24-Legacy, Inside Amy Schumer, Blindspot, The Blacklist, Third Watch, The Sopranos, among others.
N’Kenge
(she / her)Artist Advocate
N’Kenge’s an artist who’s destined to make a serious impact on several musical fronts. From …
N’Kenge
N’Kenge’s an artist who’s destined to make a serious impact on several musical fronts. From operatic to spiritual, from pop to musical theater, from jazz to blues; tender or intense, N’Kenge’s performances are consistent in her technical excellence. Her musical repertoire covers 11 languages and her power and control are uncanny.
This Broadway Darling, was recently seen on TV this year as a presenter at the 58th Annual NY Emmy Awards. NY Post called her “Electrifying” in the role of Mary Wells that she originated in Broadway’s Smash Hit Motown: ¬The Musical. N’Kenge made her Broadway debut in Sondheim on Sondheim singing alongside Vanessa Williams, Barbara Cook, Tom Wopat and Norm Lewis. Anyone who has witnessed a performance by singer N’Kenge is not only amazed by the incredible power and range of her voice, they are o en surprised at the sheer range of credits and accolades she has accumulated in a very short time. Th¬ese include the White House where she sang for President Bill Clinton and for the Commander-in-Chief Ball for President Obama, London’s West End at the ¬Theatre Royal in a tribute to the late great Ray Charles, solo engagements in New York at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center, even a worldwide broadcast by NPR from the Library of Congress in Washington, DC highlight the extent to which her star has risen.
N’Kenge’s interest in music began at the tender age of three a er her mother enrolled her daughter for dance and piano classes as a means of channeling her daughter’s unusual energy. Th¬is decision paid off with recitals and a piano scholarship by age six.
However, when N’Kenge discovered that she possessed a singing voice this startlingly mature youngster began devoting herself to its full time development. Her supportive mother taught her many popular songs including the Whitney Houston catalogue of classic ballads in its entirety, and she fondly remembers attending her great grandmothers church in the south whom she credits for her ability to sing Gospel as the result of listening and learning from those amazing southern church singers.
Via a family connection Motown Records offoered N’Kenge a recording contract while still in her teens and encouraged her to move to California. But her mother, Annette Ho man, born in Georgia and a strong believer in the power of education decided that her daughter’s future would be better served at school, at home in New York. So N’Kenge continued her studies at the H.S. School of Performing Arts, Manhattan School of Music and the Julliard School winning kudos for her voice and beauty.
At 17 she won the Lena Horne Singing Competition Scholarship, the ASCAP Leiber and Stoller Award and the Leontyne Price Vocal Competition. N’Kenge was crowned Miss Manhattan in the Miss America Pageant which led to appearances on television. Th¬ese include Good Morning America which led to a chance to perform the National Anthem for “¬e Mets” at Shea Stadium. She spent her summers performing at Music Festivals in Europe, Israel, and the Czech Republic and it is therefore no surprise that she can sing fluently in eleven different languages!
Columbia Artist’s recognized her notable vocal talents and through their auspices has given over 100 solo concerts throughout the United States. While still completing her schooling N’Kenge recorded her first solo CD “Red Souvenir” and continues to present her own program for students with lesser opportunity in schools throughout the country. Th¬is young and energetic singer was recently nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress for her portrayal of the leading roles in both the Elton John/Tim Rice Musical “Aida” and in Marion Caffey’s “3 Mo Diva’s” by the Helen Hayes Awards and the Arizoni ¬eater Awards. N’Kenge is a frequent soloist in pop programs with the Indianapolis Symphony, Baltimore Pops Symphony, New York Pops Orchestra among others.
N’Kenge starred in the Michael Jackson Tribute Show World Tour and has already cast in the highly anticipated Broadway Bound Show Akhenaten: Th¬e Musical as Queen Ti. ¬is season N’Kenge will be seen as a soloist with many symphonies this year such as Cleveland Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony and more.
For more details on N’Kenge 2015-2016 tour schedule and recordings, visit her at www.nkengemusic.com
Andrew Pirozzi
Artist AdvocateAndrew Pirozzi became an Artist Advocate for Healing TREE after meeting Healing TREE Founder Marissa …
Andrew Pirozzi
Andrew Pirozzi became an Artist Advocate for Healing TREE after meeting Healing TREE Founder Marissa and recognizing how important the work is that she dedicates herself to. Andrew’s been working in both the theater and film and television for his entire career. Some credits include: Movin’ Out, Dirty Dancing, Follies, Silence the Musical and most recently OBC Sven, in Disney’s Frozen on Broadway. TV and Film credits include Films such as I Know Where Lizzie Is, A Million Ways To Die In the West and Rock of Ages. He has danced with artists like Taylor Swift, Seth McFarlane, Neil Patrick Harris and James Corden. Andrew’s work choreographing and collaborating with multiple YouTube artists and live production events can be found at his website: www.andrewpirozzi.com. As an artist and teacher Andrew believes in the power of healing and encourages everyone to recognize the things that make us human. Breathe deeply, feel, and never let fear take over your courage. All the love, all the power. IG: afpirozzi
David and Paul Rigano (The Rigano Songbook)
(he / him ; he / him)Artist Advocate
David and Paul Rigano (The Rigano Songbook) are thrilled to be Artist Advocates with Healing …
David and Paul Rigano (The Rigano Songbook)
David and Paul Rigano (The Rigano Songbook) are thrilled to be Artist Advocates with Healing TREE. They learned of Healing TREE by collaborating with Founder Marissa Ghavami, featuring her in their web concert series Broadway On Deck and their award winning viral music video “Screen to Screen.” Paul’s musical arrangements could be heard during Healing TREE’s virtual UnGala and David’s apartment can be seen in Healing TREE’s short film Silk. Their musicals include The Holy Cows of Credence South Dakota, You Heard it Here, Facing East, We Were Wild, and Awaken: a Sleeping Beauty musical. They created the hit cabaret series The Ides of March Extravaganza and “I Ought to Behave” and Other Naughty Songs. Paul is the Music Assistant on the Broadway revivals of West Side Story and The Music Man. David co-directed the hit Off-Broadway musical satire Me the People: Fire and Fury Edition. To hear more from them check out RiganoSongbook.com and follow @RiganoSongbook on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Tyrone L Robinson
(he / him)Artist Advocate
Tyrone is a passionate artist who loves collaboration and utilizing the arts to lead social …
Tyrone L Robinson
Tyrone is a passionate artist who loves collaboration and utilizing the arts to lead social change.
Most recently he performed on Broadway in Disney’s Frozen and prior to that was in The Book of Mormon and Disney’s The Lion King. He acts to show the fullness of African-American male humanity through his work.
Tyrone will appear on the new HBO series Lovecraft Country.
Also an award-winning writer and director, Tyrone’s short film Un{H}armed is currently streaming on RoleCall Watch and will soon be available on Roku.
Tyrone was selected from a nationwide search to be a part of Chris Rock’s Comedy Central Network Writer’s Program during which time he worked with the writing teams at The Daily Show starring Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report.
Tyrone’s awards include The ASCAP Frederick Loewe Award, Evelyn Russell Layton Award, Joseph Jefferson Award (Chicago), and an Off-Broadway Alliance Award nomination for his musical Show Way.
ACTING WEBSITE
https://www.tyronelrobinson.
WRITING/DIRECTING WEBSITE
http://gurmanagency.com/
UN{H}ARMED SHORT FILM
https://vimeo.com/291879578
Ren Dara Santiago
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Ren Dara Santiago is a Fila-Rican playwright from Harlem. She is the TOW Foundation 2020 playwright-in-residence …
Ren Dara Santiago
Ren Dara Santiago is a Fila-Rican playwright from Harlem. She is the TOW Foundation 2020 playwright-in-residence at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, who produced the World Premiere of The Siblings Play. The Gods Play was presented as part of the Bushwick Starr Reading Series in March 2020. Something in the Balete Tree, a 2019 Finalist in the National Playwrights Conference, was written with the support of The Lark’s Playwrights Week 2020, Gingold Theatrical Group, Clubbed Thumb, and SPACE on Ryder Farm. The Siblings Play was development with support from The Cherry Lane Theatre (Mentor Project), LAByrinth Theater, MCC Theater, and Ojai Playwrights Conference. She is a teaching artist for NTI at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, The Young Women’s Leadership School, and the Playwriting Lab at MCC Youth Company. She is a member of Rising Phoenix Rep, founding member & former Artistic Producer of Middle Voice at Rattlestick, and an eternal member of The Baldwin Project by Lucy Thurber. Ren is the recipient of the 2019 MCC Alumni Award and inaugural Rising Phoenix Rep’s Cornelia Street American Playwriting Award.
Samantha Scaffidi
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Samantha Scaffidi is a Manhattan based actress, independent film producer, and filmmaker. With a Bachelor’s …
Samantha Scaffidi
Samantha Scaffidi is a Manhattan based actress, independent film producer, and filmmaker. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Salve Regina University and a Certificate in Acting from the William Esper Studio, Samantha is deft in both the production and creative sides of the craft. Samantha has worked with top commercial clients such as Google, Deeplocal, Dior, and Netflix. She was a freelance producer for the Emmy Awarding winning interactive media company Skin Deep, working on “The And 2.0” and “Senior Orientation”. Her main passion as a producer is creating narrative content. In this realm she has produced a feature film, six short films, as well as a music video. As an actress she has worked on over 40 productions. In January of 2017, Samantha attended the Women’s March on Washington where she directed her first project, the short film Documentary: This is America: The Women’s March on Washington, solidifying her move into directing.
Lauren Sowa
(she / her)Artist Advocate
Lauren Sowa is an independent filmmaker. In 2016, she co-founded Form & Pressure Films to …
Lauren Sowa
Lauren Sowa is an independent filmmaker. In 2016, she co-founded Form & Pressure Films to tell stories that inspire and provoke thought, while encouraging diversity and equality on set and on screen. Producing credits include: Marisol, directed by Zoé Salicrup Junco which is now on HBO, Shield, written and directed by Danielle Eliska Lyle, Stray, directed by Nora Unkel, and Show & Tell, directed by Sakshi Gurnani, among others. Directing credits include: Midsummer 3.2, In Development, LinkedOut, and To Be in America. As an actor, Lauren has been featured in the films 42 Seconds of Happiness (now available on Amazon Prime), Café Artist, The Rainbow Experiment (Slamdance 2018), and The Devil’s Well. Upcoming: Paris is in Harlem. She received her BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA.