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 …
Michelle Kissinger (she/her), PhD, is the founder of [ree-sheyp] your story, LLC, an art-based consultancy focused on at-risk youth and youth-serving organizations. She helps organizations transform art programming to support the development of young people. She also helps clients deploy the arts to nurture the growth and wellness of their valued team members. Michelle is a seasoned management and organizational …
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 …
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 …
Jamil Stamschror-Lott, LICSW is a public speaker; mental health therapist; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional; educator; and the CEO and co-founder of Creative Kuponya. As a Black man, he represents less than 4% of licensed therapists in America. Jamil is a skilled healer and facilitator who has offered over 250 professional speaking engagements. Jamil and his wife Sara co-founded Creative …
Wendy Lorenz-Walraven, LICSW, LSSW is a Clinical Social Worker and the Director of Equity and Diversity at Minnesota Transitions Charter School. She has 20 years of experience serving youth in educational and artistic settings and offers training on Trauma Responsiveness, Restorative Practice, and Culturally Proficient School Systems. She believes that with deep self-knowledge we hold the capacity to create space …
