Current Mindfulness Director Cohort
Alex Tzelnic
Alex Tzelnic (he/him) is a Mindfulness Director and Physical Education teacher at Belmont Day School in Belmont, MA.
Alex grew up in Concord, MA. As an avid athlete, he took an early interest in Zen practice, appreciating the way it stoked his curiosity by engaging both body and mind in asking the big questions. At Skidmore College he studied philosophy, religion, and Asian studies, spending a semester living in a Buddhist Monastery in India and deepening his study of mindfulness.
After college Alex pursued his passion for play by becoming a PE teacher. He also continued to explore his interest in practice by writing about mindfulness for publications like Tricycle Magazine. His thirst for insight and connection eventually led to an MA in Mindfulness Studies at Lesley University.
Alex lives in Cambridge, MA, with his wife and two kids, and is thrilled to engage in this work in such a diverse and dynamic hub. He has felt incredibly fortunate to have been exposed to mindfulness from an early age, and believes that nurturing wonder and presence in the next generation is one of the greatest gifts we can give.
Char
Char is the Mindfulness Director at the Milner Middle School in Hartford, CT. Bio coming soon!
Comeshia Williams
Comeshia Williams (she/her) is the Mindfulness Director and Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Coach at Northaven Elementary School in Memphis, TN.
With 25 years of experience in education, Comeshia has significantly impacted the field through her diverse roles and unwavering dedication. She also serves as a Blended Learning Facilitator with the National Education Association, where she facilitates Social Emotional Learning courses for educators nationwide, promoting emotional intelligence and resilience in classrooms across the country.
Throughout her career, Comeshia has held various roles, including teaching first and fourth grades, mentoring teachers, and serving as a learning coach and master teacher. Her extensive experience and profound expertise have enriched the educational landscape in her school community. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis, a master’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University, and an ED.S. from the University of Memphis, demonstrating her commitment to continual learning and professional development.
Comeshia’s journey is characterized by an unwavering commitment to service and a profound dedication to fostering personal growth. Realizing the transformative power of authentic connections and genuine understanding, she co-founded SAC3, a consulting company dedicated to providing transformative experiences and strategies that enhance self-awareness and personal development. Through SAC3, Comeshia has developed and implemented innovative approaches to mindfulness and self-improvement, helping individuals achieve greater self-awareness and personal fulfillment.
As an author, Comeshia has also contributed to the field of mindfulness education by writing a mindfulness book for children. Her work in this area underscores her commitment to nurturing the next generation’s emotional and psychological well-being, equipping them with the tools they need to navigate life’s challenges mindfully.
Comeshia finds joy in sharing her learning experiences with others, fostering growth and enlightenment within her community. Her work continues to inspire and transform the lives of those she touches, creating a ripple effect of positive change. With her deep commitment to education, mindfulness, and personal development, Comeshia Williams stands as a beacon of inspiration, dedicated to making a lasting impact on individuals and the broader educational community.
Courtney Jolly
Courtney Jolly (she/her) is the Mindfulness Director at Northaven Elementary Community School, part of Memphis Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN.
With 24 years of experience in education, she currently serves as the Instructional Coach. Before this role, she was a Special Education Teacher. Throughout her career, Courtney has been instrumental in fostering relationships with families and community partners. She leads the school’s response to intervention programs, supports extracurricular activities, and serves as the primary contact for math teachers.
Courtney graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2000. In 2020, she began her mindfulness journey, integrating mindfulness practices into the school environment. She has participated in Mindful Schools programs to deepen her understanding of mindfulness. Additionally, she serves as a National Education Association Course Facilitator, sharing mindfulness and social-emotional learning practices with educators nationwide.
Courtney firmly believes that mindfulness is crucial in everyday life and everywhere. She emphasizes the importance of the “power of pause” and creating safe spaces for individuals to simply be.
Dave Trachtenberg
Dave Trachtenberg (he/him) is the Mindfulness Director at American University’s School of Education.
Dave is a mindfulness guide & mentor, restorative justice educator, cross-cultural dialog facilitator, and inclusive leadership coach with over 20 years of experience practicing mindfulness. He has dedicated his life to integrating mindfulness with a lens of inclusion and social justice, and creating communities that honor our collective wisdom, celebrate our identities and lived experiences, and embody the courage and humility needed to create a more welcoming society.
Currently, Dave facilitates at American University (School of Education, Department of Health Studies), serves on the Advisory Board of Peace of Mind, consults with organizations on Appreciative Inquiry and Inclusive Leadership to design more inclusive cultures, facilitates virtual communities with Pace, and has helped people flourish as a mindfulness mentor and wellness coach for over 13 years. Dave also coaches storytelling and public speaking, helping people discover their voice to speak authentically, with confidence, and from the heart.
Previously, Dave has served with five different mindfulness in education nonprofits: as Program Director of Minds Inc. (serving over 18,000 educators, students and parents in Washington DC), and as a guiding teacher for Mindful Schools, Mindfulness First, Millennium Forum, and Peace of Mind. He has also facilitated cross-cultural dialog circles with Soliya, and mindfulness and restorative justice in Washington DC area public schools.
In his free time, Dave explores his artistic passions of film, music, and storytelling, nerds out with fantasy tabletop roleplaying games, plays basketball, and listens to way too many podcasts.
Diestene Williams
Diestene Williams (she/her) is the Mindfulness Director at The Fugees Academy, a charter school for refugees and new Americans in Georgia, USA.
Born in Jamaica and raised in England, she now resides in Atlanta, GA. Diestene spends her summers in the UK, where she visits her daughter, new grandson, and other close family in London.
With over 20 years of experience in education, Diestene has served as an assistant principal, teacher, mentor, and wellbeing coordinator across Atlanta, South Korea, and New York. She holds a Postgraduate degree in Education from Goldsmiths University, London (2006). Her extensive work spans students from ages 2 to 18, focusing on holistic development.
Passionate about mental health and advocating for marginalized communities, Diestene transitioned from mainstream teaching during the pandemic. In 2021, she founded Yoga Kinship, a wellness company dedicated to equipping schools with tools for balanced and healthy living. She is a 500 hr certified Yoga and Meditation teacher and holds an additional qualification in trauma-informed yoga. Diestene uses her expertise to design and implement mindful movement, meditation, and social-emotional learning programs in schools.
Diestene enjoys traveling, yoga, meditation, great food, and family time. She believes that connection and community are the foundations for a healthy, balanced life and is committed to ensuring everyone has access to the tools to thrive and become their best self.
Dingani Mthethwa
Dingani Mthethwa is the Mindfulness Director at Journey Middle School and a middle school teacher in Albemarle Public School Systems, Charlottesville, Virginia. Outside of his middle school responsibilities Dingani is an adjunct instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech. In public schools he teaches US History, Comparative Religion, World History, United States Government and Politics, and Mindfulness and community based experiential learning classes.
Dingani received his MA in history from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa at the end of apartheid in 2002. He also received his Educational Leadership certificate from the University of Virginia, Curry School of Education in 2007. He is a certified mindfulness instructor focused on how the use of mindfulness in education enhances student learning, self-esteem and self-efficacy. His other area of academic expertise is in the study of comparative global social justice movements, which is the focus of the courses that he teaches in the Department of Sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Mthethwa also teaches history and the culture of the Zulu people in the department of African Studies at Virginia Tech.
When he is not teaching, Dingani is a strength trainer, personal trainer and Yin yoga instructor at the ACAC athletic club. Dingani traces his connection to contemplative practices from his family and his community in Zululand, rural South Africa, where a tradition of gratitude, silence and stillness is believed to open up a way to connect with ancestors and appreciate the opportunity that is given to us by life. He traces his reconnection to this tradition in 2013 when he attended a mindfulness workshop. Since then, he has brought these mindfulness meditation practices to his classroom. “My students and I begin our class by taking a few minutes sitting quietly and doing nothing.” He credits mindfulness as a rebuilt ability to trust and relate to people while making a new community. Dingani is excited for the opportunity to promote mindfulness for students, teachers and community in his school district.
Graciella Romero
Graciella Romero (she/her) is an Assistant Principal at Passaic High School (PHS) in Passaic, New Jersey. For the past 35 years, Graciella has served the city of Passaic in various capacities from social worker to English teacher to administrator.
Through various grants and collaborative efforts, Graciella has played an integral role in bringing the practice of mindfulness to PHS. Since 2018, mindfulness practices have taken place in and out of the classroom. In 2019, staff members were able to sign up for mindfulness fundamentals, mindful educator essentials and school implementation clinics through a partnership with Mindful Schools. In 2022, four staff members, including Graciella completed the year long mindfulness instructor training offered through Mindful Schools.
As a co-director with Veronica Bohomolec, she hopes to reach the entire staff and families with opportunities for practice and learning so that all students can be exposed to mindfulness before school, in class, after school and at home.
Graciella attended New Jersey City University earning a Master of Arts in Urban Education; William Paterson University, Reading Specialist Certificate; Gratz College, Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction; and William Paterson University, Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.
She enjoys gardening, building and spending time outdoors with her family. She hopes to continue to grow more mindful and joyful and bring that to all spaces that she inhabits.
Jalisa White
Jalisa White(she/her) is a passionate and dedicated Early childhood educator.
Jalisa has 18 years of experience in the early childhood education field. Nurturing young minds and cultivating a safe and inclusive environment that fosters social and emotional, cognitive and physical development are some of Jalisa’s specialty skills as the Current Director and Mindfulness Director of Minds in Motion Learning Center Located in Greer, South Carolina.
Jalisa White was Born and raised in Boston, MA where she graduated from Social Justice Academy in Hyde Park, MA. Jalisa later went on to study Early childhood development and administration at Greenville technical college and mindfulness with Mindful schools.
Jalisa is also the owner of Incredible Faith Services where she consults and advocates for early childhood educators and families, educating teachers and families on cultivating inner peace, compassion, and awareness in individuals and communities. Jalisa has over 3 years of experience practicing and embodying Mindfulness in the classroom and her personal life through breath work, mindful movement, yoga, meditation and teaching kindness for oneself and others. As a mother of 3, a teacher to many and, student of life, Jalisa lives by the motto “love first, teach second.”
Jill Guerra
Jill Guerra (she/her) has worked in the role of Mindfulness Teacher at schools in Oakland, California since 2017. She is currently the Mindfulness Director at Manzanita SEED elementary where she has been the mindfulness teacher since 2019.
Jill was a classroom teacher for thirteen years where she practiced culturally responsive and anti-racist teaching. She found mindfulness practice in 2014 through Mindful Schools where she later earned certification. She has a master’s degree in Critical Environmental and Global Literacy and is the author of four children’s books including, WHEN I BREATHE DEEPLY/CUANDO RESPIRO PROFUNDO, a picture book about mindful breathing, and WE ARE YOGA/SOMOS YOGA, a resource picture book with asanas, affirmations and reflection questions for self-awareness. She completed a 200-hour yoga and SEL training through Breathe for Change and is currently in training to become certified to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through UCSD. She has taught mindfulness workshops to teachers at U.C. Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education and leads mindful sits with her school staff weekly.
Jill believes that having a true mindfulness practice awakens us to our common humanity, compassion for the needs of others, and social justice. Her next book, The ABC’s of Mindfulness, will be published in 2023.
Kara Cosby
Kara Cosby (she/her) is a Mindfulness Director at Englehard Elemtary School, part ofJefferson County Public Schools, in Louisville, KY.
She’s been an educator for 13 years and is currently a teacher with the Compassionate Schools Project at Engelhard Elementary. She graduated in 2008 with a Master’s in Teaching from the University of Louisville. She completed her second Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in 2015 from Asbury University.
In 2017, Kara began her position teaching and leading mindfulness with K-5 students by integrating compassion and yoga-based practices. The curriculum focuses on mindfulness for stress management and self-control, while educating the whole child for self-awareness and self-understanding. Over the years, being a mindfulness instructor has caused a shift in her own life. Through her practice she has cultivated a passion for deep breathing and meditation, which has led to her becoming a more mindful parent and partner. She believes mindfulness is a way of life. Her mission is to equip children and families with the tools necessary to prevent stress and improve their personal, social, and emotional skills.
Kate Finnick
Kate Finnick (she/her) is the Mindfulness Director and District SEL Liaison for North Babylon School District on Long Island in New York. She has a Doctor of Naturopathy, a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Counseling, and has certifications as a Reiki Master, Meditation Instructor, and Nutrition Coach. She is also a certified School Counselor and has worked with young people as a guidance counselor for 23 years. Kate began her practice as a mental health therapist. She gained experience working in Queens Family Court with the Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes Units and as a Director of Mental Health for a residential mental health agency. In 2000 she took her experience and love of working with children to the educational system as a guidance counselor. From her own experience attending a Quaker school, she understood and valued the importance of the life principles they were taught (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship – SPICES) as guideposts to living in a way that best allows us to thrive within ourselves and as members of the world community. She began to focus her work on teaching students the ways of living mindfully as a way to help them build a solid foundation of living the SPICES. In 2020 she transferred from being a guidance counselor in the middle school to working throughout the district (preK-12 and staff), helping individuals on the path of learning to live a mindful life.
Kate also serves on the Educator Advisory Board for NaliniKids (an organization focused on creating PreK-12 programs pairing physical movement with emotional reflection for children of all ages and backgrounds) and is the owner of Lives Without Limits, a holistic counseling practice assisting individuals in working with their personal triangle of wellness (Mind, Body, Soul).
Through her work with adults and young people, she is dedicated to empowering others to be able to let their inner light shine!
Kate Westhaver
Kate Westhaver is a Mindfulness Director and English Teacher at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts.
Kate works to create connections between mindfulness, academic study, creative practice, and awareness of the natural world. Her teaching is informed by her MFA in Creative Writing, her yoga and stress resilience training, and time spent exploring both wild and suburban environments.
Kate’s first experiences with mindfulness include observing the world carefully and writing about it as a child. Since then, she has been passionate about highlighting the relationship between mindfulness and creative work. She currently focuses on supporting young artists as they explore the ways in which mindfulness impacts their artistic practice, and supporting educators as they create meaningful spaces in which young artists can thrive. Kate is also interested in making space for administrators, parents, and all school staff to access opportunities for practicing mindfulness. Her goal is to create a school community in which all individuals can be present with their work while honoring themselves and one another.
In addition to her mindfulness and creative work, Kate enjoys being in the mountains or by the ocean; gardening; and spending time with friends and family.
Kazumi Igus
Kazumi Igus (she/her) is a Mindfulness Director at As Black, female science teacher at the Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnet School in Los Angeles, California.
Kazumi Igus has, for the last 14 years, found herself dedicated to radical access to any and everything that would support students of color. Her love of the environment inadvertently brought her to a Thailand monastery where she experienced her first silent retreat. That experience solidified her path of integrating mindfulness into the school setting.
Kazumi is a UCLA Mindful Awareness Center trained meditation facilitator, who has had her own practice for the last eight years. She facilitates drop-in meditations and courses in various community and school settings to bring Mindfulness to everyone who may benefit from it (radical access). She runs her school’s Mindfulness Club and just before the “”COVID social remix”” she was designing a Mindful Athletes program for the school’s nationally ranked basketball team.
Affectionately known around west Los Angeles area as Ms. Igus, Kazumi is a Los Angeles native working at one of the only predominantly Black high schools in Los Angeles Unified where she wants to transform education to be inherently social-emotionally responsive; explicitly supportive of increasing the ability to focus; and empowering of the students’ ability to be emotionally resilient in this increasingly tumultuous time.
Kevin Hulburt
Kevin is the Mindfulness Director at Penn State University.
With over two decades of experience in education, Kevin Hulburt’s career has been marked by a deep commitment to the growth and flourishing of his students. He holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from Penn State University, studying the intersection of mindfulness and schooling, and has taught a wide range of courses at both the high school and university levels. Currently, Kevin teaches a course titled “Happiness through Mindful Learning,” which explores positive psychology, contemplative practice, and the differences between schooling and education. Additionally, he is developing and will be teaching a course to train undergraduate student peer coaches in a mindfulness-based form of academic life coaching.
Kevin is the inaugural Director of the Journey Success Center at Penn State University. Journey is a dynamic space dedicated to enhancing students’ academic and personal development through peer coaching, mental health services, and mindfulness programming. Journey’s holistic approach to student support fosters an environment where students can achieve clarity, balance, and success.
Kevin also serves as the facilitator and faculty advisor for the Mindfulness and the Science of Happiness (MASH) Student Organization at Penn State. In this role, he leads weekly sessions that combine mindfulness practices and discussions on the latest scientific research related to well-being. MASH is a vibrant and diverse community where students can explore and apply mindfulness to their lives.
In addition to his work at Penn State, Kevin has been a dedicated group leader for the Insight Meditation Society Teen Retreat in Barre, MA, since 2006. There, he helps facilitate a meditation and mindfulness retreat for young people, collaborating with therapists and meditation teachers to support individual practices.
Kevin is also the proud father of two elementary-aged children, Sydney and Ash, and enjoys family adventures into the woods.
Kimberly Daniels
Kimberly M. Daniels is the Mindfulness Director at P.S. 41 (The Greenwich Village School) in New York City.
Kimberly holds a Master’s degree in Psychology, as well as a Certification in School Counseling. She has served as a School Counselor for over 15 years in New York City public schools. Additionally, Kimberly is a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach and the founder of Wellness by Kimberly, a Holistic Wellness and Mindset Coaching practice that transforms the lives of women through a combination of mindfulness work, practical psychology, and nutritional counseling. She has an unwavering commitment to justice and social emotional learning, as well as a passion for helping women and children become empowered in their lives through the practice of mindfulness.
Kimberly has been practicing yoga and meditation since she moved to NYC in 2000, when she stumbled into the Dharma Mittra yoga studio. She now attempts to use her mindfulness techniques to parent her two year old son and hopes to continue strengthening her skills in this new domain.
Laura Lenz
Laura Lenz (she/her) is a Mindfulness Director at Riverside Central Elementary School in Rochester, Minnesota.
She has been a public school teacher for 27 years, primarily teaching English to multilingual students, first in the Twin Cities area, and for the last fourteen years in Rochester Public Schools. For the last three years, Laura has served as an instructional coach and mentor to first-year and student teachers.
In 2016, Laura started teaching mindfulness to her middle school refugee and immigrant students at the Newcomer Center in Rochester. She found it to be so transformative for herself and her students that she has continued to teach mindfulness to students and also expanded to offering mindfulness to educators.
Laura is passionate about making mindfulness practices and concepts accessible to everyone in the community. She views mindfulness as a relationship-builder, enhancing inner knowledge, peace, and confidence as well as improving connections with others. Laura believes mindfulness is a vehicle for making the social change that leads to everyone in the community feeling a sense of belonging, love, and joy.
She has two young adult children and lives in Rochester, Minnesota with her husband, cat, and dog.
Lucy MacGregor
Lucy MacGregor is the Mindfulness Director at Mountain City Public Montessori in Asheville, North Carolina.
She has worked in educational and therapeutic spaces with young people for over 30 years. After engaging with students across a wide variety of ages and having children of her own, she developed a strong focus on early childhood education – both as classroom teacher and educational leader. Lucy was introduced to mindfulness at a pivotal time in her life, as a middle schooler and new immigrant to the United States. The seed of mindfulness practice developed into a steady resource that accompanied her into adulthood and became a foundation of her work as an educator.
Through the years, Lucy has focused on cultivating spaces for shared leadership and co-learning in schools, spaces in which the vitality and wisdom inherent within each person is recognized, grows and transforms in relationship with others, and catalyzes transformative learning and action around a common purpose. She is a teacher at Mountain City Public Montessori, a Program Facilitator at Mindful Schools, and is a co-founder of Design to Connect, LLC, an educational consulting organization, that assists schools in their efforts in skillful, integrated, and sustainable schoolwide implementation of mindfulness and peace education practices.
Lucy holds a Master’s Degree in Education, Mindfulness for Educators, through Antioch University, an Early Childhood Montessori credential through The Center for Guided Montessori Studies, and a B.A in Sociology through Oglethorpe University. She is a teacher at Mountain City Public Montessori in Asheville, North Carolina and a program facilitator for Mindful Schools. Lucy is mom to two teenage children, Elijah and Rowan, and many furry animal friends. She very much enjoys being in nature, gardening, painting, and adventures.
Raul Betancourt
Raul is the Mindfulness Director at ARISE High School in Fruitvale.
Raúl works with teens and educators to integrate practical mindfulness methods into the classroom and their daily lives to build community and resilience. He is a former science teacher who regularly incorporated meditation and social emotional learning into his classroom and found the practices dramatically transformed his classroom culture. They were more present, connected and ready to learn about themselves, each other and the natural world.
Concurrent with teaching, Raul facilitated a teen group at the East Bay Meditation Center and has been a mentor and teacher for retreats with Inward Bound Mindfulness for many years. He loves the privilege to support teens as they meet their life’s challenges and joys with mindfulness. He also is passionate about supporting educators. He facilitated BIPOC support groups for educators which were rooted in mindfulness and community building in order to thrive together, not just survive. He also currently hosts weekly mindfulness groups for educators and writes a blog about applied mindfulness for educators.
Raúl transitioned out of the science classroom after 25 years in order to support the social emotional needs that arose during the pandemic. He taught mindfulness to educators through Mindful Schools, and in middle school classrooms with Niroga and the Mindful Life Project. He recently completed a mindfulness teacher training program with Freedom Together, a BIPOC program centered on collective liberation. He is committed to helping everyone find a practice that works for them, rooted in their own cultures and lives.
Raúl started his meditation journey as a teen in Los Angeles after he attended his first meditation workshop in the social justice summer camp run by the National Conference of Community and Justice(NCCJ). He loved that he could tap into his wisdom within by simply paying attention to the present moment and found meditation helped him navigate the waves that come and go in the teen years. This moment planted the seed that grew into his current path. He was drawn to Zen training and studied in the US and Japan since then. Currently he is a student at Chozen-ji Zen Dojo in O’ahu, which integrates meditation, martial arts and fine arts as forms of zen training. Raúl loves how the training asks him to be fully present for all areas of his life. Raúl has studied martial arts for over 30 years and currently trains in Aikido and Boxing. He studied Kado, flower arranging in Japan as well as Chado, tea ceremony and ceramics in Hawai’i. He loves the challenge of “simply making a cup of tea” and enjoys making a matcha or coffee for friends. He lives in Oakland with his sweetheart and loves walking with their dog Buster, camera in hand to take and share pictures of the beauty around him. He is currently studying for an MS in Counseling at SF State.
Rashid Hughes
Rashid is the Mindfulness Director at Howard University.
Veronica Bohomolec
Veronica Bohomolec (she/her/hers) has been a public school history teacher at Passaic High School (PHS) in New Jersey for the past 23 years. She has had a personal meditation practice for that amount of time beginning with the Tree of Life system and then branching out to other practices. Veronica was fortunate to start PHS’ Meditation Club 15 years ago and has had many wonderful experiences leading it throughout the years.
Veronica is a mom and a grandmother with four beautiful grandchildren who bring her a lot of JOY! She recently completed the Mindful School’s mindful teacher certification and looks forward to infusing even more mindfulness in her student’s and co-workers’ lives.
She has a BA from Rutgers University in political science with a minor in Slavic and is a certified mindfulness teacher.
Other Partners Have Included
Cambridge, MA
Charlottesville, VA
Tampa Bay, FL
Oakland, CA
Shrewsbury, MA
Richmond, VA
land of the Tulalip Tribes, WA
Cape Elizabeth, ME
Our Team
Argos Gonzalez
Argos Gonzalez is the Director, Community Partnerships and Professional Development
Drawing on over 13 years of experience as a high school English teacher in the Bronx, Argos is an equity-driven educator and thought leader dedicated to fostering positive change through mindfulness and community engagement. His mindfulness journey began as a way to support both high school students and the pre-service and in-service teachers he continues to mentor at Hunter College, CUNY.
Currently, Argos serves as the Director of Community Partnerships and Professional Development at WholeSchool Mindfulness, where he works to integrate mindfulness, social-emotional learning (SEL), and wellbeing practices into school communities. He also lectures in the School of Education’s department of Curriculum and Teaching at Hunter College, and serves on the Greater Good Education Advisory Board, contributing to the advancement of holistic education practices nationwide.
With a deep commitment to empowering children, adolescents, and fellow educators, Argos recognizes love as a radical force for personal and community transformation. He shares mindfulness practices to promote healing, especially for communities most impacted by systemic oppression. Originally from Venezuela, Argos grew up in Queens and now resides north of New York City.
Ben Painter
Ben Painter (he/him) is a Co-Founder and Partner at WholeSchool Mindfulness. Recognized as a “Rising Voice” of mindfulness by Mindful.org, Ben is dedicated to supporting the mindfulness in schools movement. He collaboratively engages with WholeSchool’s community of supporters, including Mindfulness Directors, staff, educators, philanthropists, and the Board, to cultivate this vision.
During his high school years, Ben had the distinct privilege of engaging in mindfulness classes led by Mindfulness Director Doug Worthen. This foundational experience profoundly influenced his personal and professional trajectory, allowing him to harness meditation as a tool for personal growth and community enrichment.
Before his role at WholeSchool Mindfulness, Ben worked as an Investor Relations Associate at New Profit, a pioneering venture philanthropy firm focused on breaking down barriers to opportunity in the U.S.
He graduated from Bowdoin with a B.A. in Government and Legal Studies, where he served as the Vice President of the Student Body and co-founded the Mindfulness Club.
Ben’s journey in mindfulness also includes several meditation retreats, highlighted by his experiences at the Drupa Drong monastery in Northern Nepal.
Charisse Minerva
Charisse Minerva is Consultant at WholeSchool Mindfulness, stewarding Community & Professional Development. She brings to the Mindfulness arena a background in Arts, Science, Youth and Community Development. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology from Medical College of VA MCV/ VCU, and a master’s in performance studies with a concentration in Dance Anthropology from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. For 16 Years Charisse served as Director of a multiple award winning Performing Arts Academy which was an integral component of a Community Development Organization. She then spent 7 years designing and implementing a K-12 Mindfulness curriculum at Friends School, VA Beach, VA. Minerva then designed and continues to facilitate a community-based Dance, Drum & Mediation (DDM) program to introduce Mindfulness tools to communities not versed in Mindfulness pedagogy. Charisse has been in schools, corporate offices, detention centers, elite academies, counseling programs, health care facilities and college programs. She served as core faculty for the first two cohorts of the Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) Yearlong Teacher Training program and is presently a guest presenter. She worked with the Dalai Lama Project of University of VA Contemplative Science Center and does workshops, and conferences throughout the United States and abroad. She considers herself a 21 st century Griot, focusing on community building, using the ancient tools of creativity, culture, and contemplation.
“I believe Contemplative Practices are a human capacity that we have begun to reawaken. Its such a priceless gift to realize in these challenging and fruitful times.”
Jenna Spencer
Jenna Spencer (she/her) is a Partner at WholeSchool Mindfulness. Jenna works in partnership with our diverse community of stakeholders- schools, educators, and investment partners- to re-imagine and co-construct a more equitable and liberatory education system through mindfulness.
Jenna began her career as a high school English teacher with Providence Public Schools, where she had the privilege of working with the most brilliant group of young people. She is a fierce advocate for building systems that are student, educator, and family informed, responsive, and led and that center community power, justice, and healing.
Prior to her work at WholeSchool Mindfulness, Jenna was as an Investor Relations Manager with New Profit on the Education and Inclusive Impact teams. In this role, she worked closely with the investor community, building meaningful partnerships and targeted engagement opportunities, while working to catalyze the flow of dollars and capacity building supports to Black, Latinx, and Indigenous social impact leaders. Prior to her work with New Profit, Jenna was the Development Manager at DC Public Education Fund, a nonprofit organization and the sole philanthropic partner of DC Public Schools.
Jenna is a Teach for America alum, has an Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a B.A. in Africana Studies and Performance Studies from Brown University.
Jim Roche
Jim Roche, C.P.A., M.B.A. serves as a part-time CFO for WholeSchool Mindfulness. With over two decades of experience, Jim Roche has consistently demonstrated the importance of aligning operational success with sound financial practices. Serving as the principal of Robust Alternatives, Jim offers a practical approach to helping businesses identify, capture, and monitor their progress through essential metrics, both financial and non-financial. His work predominantly supports companies in growth or transformative stages, ensuring they’re set on a path of sustainable financial management. Beyond consulting, Jim brings depth in tax planning, assisting both businesses and individuals in structuring for optimal outcomes.
He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an MBA from Babson Graduate School of Business. Jim is an engaged member of the American Institute for Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society for Certified Public Accountants. His wide range of experiences, from serving as a part-time CFO to advising on business strategies, underscores his valuable contribution to the WholeSchool Mindfulness community.
Jon Luke Tittmann
Bio coming soon!
Marc Waxman
Marc Waxman (he/him) is a Co-Founder and Partner at WholeSchool – meaning, he has the pleasure to work with an amazing group of Mindfulness Directors, board members, WholeSchool staff, and staff of WholeSchool’s Partner Schools to transform school communities through the power of mindfulness. Marc has close to 25 years of professional experience in education, including becoming a National Board-Certified Teacher, and over 20 years of experience in non-profit development and management. He has been practicing mindfulness for many years and has completed a year-long mindfulness teacher training program. Marc co-founded and co-led several progressive urban charter schools in New York City and Denver, where, in addition to his teaching and administrative responsibilities, Marc was accountable for board development, fundraising, business plan development, fiscal oversight, program design, and project management. As a school leader, Marc promoted opportunities for teachers to explore the power of mindfulness for themselves and their students. Additionally, Marc is a Certified ChiRunning Instructor and regularly supports runners in enhancing their running experience through mindfulness.
Selena La'Chelle Collazo
Selena La’Chelle Collazo (she/her) is a Partner at WholeSchool Mindfulness, stewarding Mindfulness Director Recruitment & Selection to identify those with a demonstrated commitment to working at the intersection of education, justice, and mindfulness.
Selena holds degrees from the University of California (B.A., Psychology), Endicott College (M.Ed., International Education), Alliant International University (M.A., Counseling Psychology), and Brown University (A.M. & Ph.D., Theatre Arts & Performance Studies).
Before joining WholeSchool Mindfulness, Selena served as a K-12 educator in international schools, a youth speaker for the National Student Leadership Conference, and a founding member of both the Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) Communities of Color Leadership Team and the iBme Systems Committee. Through Pramana Wellness, Selena offers bilingual (English & Spanish), BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ affirming liberation and wellness practices including guided journaling sessions, mindfulness meditation training, narrative-based psychotherapy, yoga asana, and yoga nidra.
Siddhant Babla
Siddhant Babla brings his expertise in education, mindfulness, and community building to WholeSchool as the Development Manager. In this role, he is focused on cultivating partnerships to advance our mission, growing sustainable funding to support our programs, and strengthening relationships with donors and supporters while continuing to amplify mindfulness as a tool for wellbeing, community, and justice in education.
Previously, he served as Wellbeing Program Coordinator at Dartmouth College for 3 years, collaborating and leading evidence-based programming for over 1300+ participants annually, embed mindfulness within the classroom, and make student wellbeing an institutional priority.
Sid holds a Master’s degree in Education Studies from KU Leuven in Belgium where he studied the role of contemplative practice & pedagogy in educational settings. He is a MIEA Mindfulness Teacher, iRest Yoga Nidra Level 1 Teacher, and RYT 200 Yoga Instructor through The Yoga Institute.
Sid was drawn to mindfulness from a young age, finding solace and strength in the practice in his hometown of Mumbai where he worked in finance with an Economics degree from the University of London. In 2017, this passion inspired him to transition to teaching mindfulness and meditation, supporting others to live whole, peaceful lives.
Research & Program Evaluation
Ashley Gaskew
Bio coming soon!
Becky Acabchuk
Becky Acabchuk has a PhD in Physiology and Neurobiology and is consulting with WholeSchool in conducting research on its mindfulness programs across five school sites. Becky is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Connecticut, where she holds a joint appointment in the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy and the Department of Psychological Sciences. Her research focuses on evaluating the mental and physical health benefits of yoga and mindfulness meditation, with a special interest in promoting scalability and acceptability of evidence-based mindfulness programs across diverse populations. Becky specializes in conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and recently completed a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness tools to assist students in developing a meditation practice to self-manage stress.
Becky leads mindfulness workshops locally and internationally, tailored for a wide variety of audiences (e.g., schools, addiction groups, sport teams, workplace settings and more), she has been teaching meditation, yoga and o
ther wellness classes in the private sector for 15 years. Becky is also an Editorial Associate for two scientific journals, Social Science & Medicine, and Psychological Bulletin. Previously, she worked as an adjunct Professor at Connecticut College and UConn, where she taught the Neuroscience of Meditation and Health Psychology.
James 'Lamar' Foster
James “Lamar” Foster, Ph.D., is a research and data professional with over 10 years of experience working cross-functionally to tell stories with data. He has experience working with large unstructured and structured data sets (over 1 TB) and survey data for evaluation purposes. He uses qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to answer questions at the intersection of race, place, policy, and practice. In particular, his research seeks to understand how local, state, and federal policies mediate the actions of school leaders striving to make their schools more equitable when attending to the well-being of students marginalized due to their race, gender, economic status, and other social axes of difference.
He has presented and published his research at prestigious conferences and journals, such as the American Educational Research Association, the University Council for Educational Administration, Educational Administration Quarterly, and Theory into Practice. He has held research and data positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Washington eScience Institute, The Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity at the University of Washington, and more.
Lamar holds degrees from The Pennsylvania State University (B.S. in economics), Duquesne University (M.S.Ed. in Child Psychology and Program Evaluation), and the University of Washington (Ph.D. in Education Policy, Organizations, and Leadership). Lamar enjoys going outdoors, reading, writing, learning about horology, and watching Manchester United F.C. in his free time.
Board
Ben Painter
Ben Painter (he/him) is a Co-Founder and Partner at WholeSchool Mindfulness. Recognized as a “Rising Voice” of mindfulness by Mindful.org, Ben is dedicated to supporting the mindfulness in schools movement. He collaboratively engages with WholeSchool’s community of supporters, including Mindfulness Directors, staff, educators, philanthropists, and the Board, to cultivate this vision.
During his high school years, Ben had the distinct privilege of engaging in mindfulness classes led by Mindfulness Director Doug Worthen. This foundational experience profoundly influenced his personal and professional trajectory, allowing him to harness meditation as a tool for personal growth and community enrichment.
Before his role at WholeSchool Mindfulness, Ben worked as an Investor Relations Associate at New Profit, a pioneering venture philanthropy firm focused on breaking down barriers to opportunity in the U.S.
He graduated from Bowdoin with a B.A. in Government and Legal Studies, where he served as the Vice President of the Student Body and co-founded the Mindfulness Club.
Ben’s journey in mindfulness also includes several meditation retreats, highlighted by his experiences at the Drupa Drong monastery in Northern Nepal.
Doug Worthen
Doug Worthen (he/him) is a Co-Founder of WholeSchool and is the Founder and Director of Mindfulness Programs at the Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. Since 2010 he has been supporting and educating the Middlesex School community (students, staff, parents, and alumni) in mindfulness. Doug began practicing mindfulness meditation in 1999 as a member of the University of Virginia national championship lacrosse team and has been a dedicated practitioner ever since. Living through two bouts of lymphoma, including a bone marrow transplant in 2007, Doug has also experienced how supportive mindfulness can be when living with illness. Doug has attended many week- and month-long mindfulness retreats, led and attended a variety of teacher trainings, and is dedicated to supporting other schools in creating full-time staff positions in mindfulness.
Erika Mills
Erika Mills (she/her) serves as a Board Member of WholeSchool. Additionally, she is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, where she also serves as an humanities and social sciences teacher, dorm parent, and varsity rowing coach. She teaches a class on the Origins and Evolution of Mindfulness, developed in collaboration with fellow Board Member, Doug Worthen. Erika has been coaching, teaching, and working with teenagers since she graduated from Connecticut College in 2003. Prior to Middlesex, Erika worked at Choate Rosemary Hall and Harvard Business School, where she co-authored a number of business cases and later earned her M.B.A. She serves on the board of Cirtronics Corporation in Milford, NH and Applewild School in Fitchburg, MA and lives in Concord with her family.
Kara Cosby
Kara Cosby (she/her) is a Mindfulness Director at Englehard Elemtary School, part ofJefferson County Public Schools, in Louisville, KY.
She’s been an educator for 13 years and is currently a teacher with the Compassionate Schools Project at Engelhard Elementary. She graduated in 2008 with a Master’s in Teaching from the University of Louisville. She completed her second Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in 2015 from Asbury University.
In 2017, Kara began her position teaching and leading mindfulness with K-5 students by integrating compassion and yoga-based practices. The curriculum focuses on mindfulness for stress management and self-control, while educating the whole child for self-awareness and self-understanding. Over the years, being a mindfulness instructor has caused a shift in her own life. Through her practice she has cultivated a passion for deep breathing and meditation, which has led to her becoming a more mindful parent and partner. She believes mindfulness is a way of life. Her mission is to equip children and families with the tools necessary to prevent stress and improve their personal, social, and emotional skills.
Raed Khawaja
Raed Khawaja (he/him) serves as a Board Member of WholeSchool Mindfulness.
Raed is the CEO and Co-Founder at Open, a mindfulness studio designing a new way to practice wellbeing, together. Inspired by his love for music, fascination with art and architecture, and a practice of prayer cultivated while growing up Muslim, Raed began building Open in 2018 with a vision to amplify the benefits of meditation through community. With career foundations in global consumer goods and technology consulting, he first focused his strategic expertise on crafting the Open breathwork experience as the mindfulness studio’s inaugural teacher. Raed seeks to inspire millions to find presence and connection with themselves and with each other through Open.