Carolyn Kinzel, MSHS, is the Founder and President of Brighter Days Family Grief Center, the first family-focused nonprofit grief center serving the state of Minnesota. Bringing her personal grief experiences to the forefront, Carolyn formed an unparalleled model of care for Brighter Days that addresses the logistical, psychosocial and financial aspects of grief illuminated by the death of a family …
Carly Hiti is the Safe Harbor Youth Advocate at the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) in Duluth, MN. In her current role, Carly provides supportive services to youth across four counties who have experienced sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and/or sex trafficking. Prior to this role, she worked with homeless and runaway youth in a shelter setting …
Ann Gaasch has provided leadership in community and national family service initiatives for more than 25 years now. In honor of her decades of dedication to helping children and parents transition from healing to thriving, she was invited by Alia Innovations/IDEO as a 10 of 10 for Kids Innovator to redesign national child welfare practices. Her extensive experience includes program …
Julie Richards brings nearly 20 years of leadership, curriculum design, staff training/development, and program implementation through evaluation to conversations rooted in equitable family and youth development. Professional experiences across juvenile justice, children’s mental health, and public and private education, have given Julie the comprehensive lens necessary to help organizations create equitable and sustainable programming. She holds a bachelor’s degree from …
Briana Herman-Brand, MSW, has been working with youth and adults for 20 years to heal and transform the root causes and impacts of trauma and oppression. Through training, facilitation, and coaching she supports individuals and communities to build skills at the intersections of healing and justice. She is a Lead Teacher with Generative Somatics, conducting courses nationally on trauma healing …
Anna VonRueden has two decades of experience working with youth needing the most challenging interventions. Anna has become a recognized leader in Minneapolis-St. Paul for creating positive changes within the juvenile system and for those navigating it. After five years as FamilyWise Youth Service Manager, Anna took over as Chief Program Officer in 2018. While ensuring the health of this …
Samantha Moe and Associates provides continuing education, advanced training, and parent coach certification for family service professionals who support intense kids and their families. Certified parent coach and speaker Samantha Moe has coached parents on how to help their children calm, connect, and cooperate since 2004. She is the creator of the Mad to Glad Blueprint, a revolutionary brain-and-nervous-system-based approach …
Alyssa Perau has been an Adolescent Health Specialist with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota’s SELF team, Seeing and Exploring Life’s Future, since 2018. She is currently working towards her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Adler Graduate School and will additionally graduate with a specialty in Expressive Arts Therapy. Before coming to LSS she worked as a program …
Elsa Swenson is the Program Manager of Home Free Community Program at Missions Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. She has worked with victim/survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and child abuse for 10 years providing legal advocacy, emotional support, and working towards …
