Driven by her experience as a middle school teacher in diverse, resilient communities, Seewan is a lifelong learner and educator with a deep commitment to leading for equity and reimagining education systems and cultures that support all students to thrive. 

As the Executive Director, Seewan has been leading an inside-out organizational transformation so that Mindful Schools can better meet the unprecedented need for social and emotional well-being, mental health, and equity in schools. 

Prior to leading Mindful Schools, Seewan served as VP of Digital Transformation at the New Teacher Center where she created tech-enabled, people-centered solutions to accelerate educator growth and  districtwide systems change. At WestEd, she led fast-paced research and online product development to scale the implementation of promising teaching practices and reduce the predictability of educational outcomes in charter schools, magnet schools, and community colleges. She spent nine years in the classroom, most recently as at San Francisco Community, a teacher-run school in SFUSD implementing rigorous project-based learning. She began her career working at Providence Summerbridge, now Breakthrough Collaborative, where she learned that teaching is a fundamentally creative, joyful, and collaborative process. She has also taught at two start-up charter schools in the Coalition of Essential Schools network where she learned to navigate issues of equity and access as part of a community building operational infrastructure and designing instructional programs that intentionally challenge the status quo.

Seewan is passionate about empowering educators and building cultures and systems that sustain resilience, compassion, liberation, and justice in schools. She believes that mindfulness was a missing piece for her as a teacher, and that a practice would have empowered her to foster a braver and more loving classroom community where all students were thriving. She received a B.A. in American History/Educational Studies from Brown University, an Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and National Board Certification. She is also a 2023 Pahara Fellow.

The firstborn daughter of two Chinese immigrants, Seewan was raised in the New England area of the United States and currently resides in Berkeley, California, with her husband and daughter. She enjoys hiking, snowboarding (which she learned as an adult), and deepening her lifelong passion for ballet, which gives her many opportunities to practice curiosity and kindness with each passing year.

Recent interviews, news, and writing include:

A Recent Study Found a School-Based Mindfulness Program Doesn’t Work—Let’s Unpack That, Mindful Magazine

Be Curious, Be Kind, Be Brave, School 180 Podcast

Nurturing Change from Within, Mindful Schools

For speaker inquiries please contact Shannon Baker at shannon@mindfulschools.org. 

Mia has been a kindergarten and middle school teacher, teacher coach, and assistant principal. As Head of Program for Mindful Schools, Mia oversees our Product Development engine and leads our Program Faculty. Since joining Mindful Schools in 2020, her work includes ensuring our programs align with our Theory of Change–creating equitable, trauma-sensitive, and culturally sustaining school systems in which every member of the community is supported to thrive. 

As an educator and nonprofit leader, Mia has centered the needs of historically marginalized and resilient communities focusing on health education, social and emotional wellbeing, and mindfulness. After serving as Chief Program Officer for Girls Leadership for over 3 years, she continues to facilitate educator professional development and girls programming as a Girls Leadership Educator. Mia has practiced mindfulness for over a decade, with formal training in transcendental meditation practices. Mia has a passion for developing and facilitating healing-centered, culturally responsive learning experiences and curricula. 

Mia is a proud Uchinanchu (Okinawan) and seeks to embody the Mindful Schools Core Value “We Grow Love” by listening to the wisdom of the Okinawan proverb “choo kukuru ru dee ichi” / “the heart is the most essential quality” in her daily life. Mia received her Bachelors Degree in Political Science and East Asian Studies from Yale, her M.A. in School Leadership from Columbia Teachers College Summer Principals Academy, and began her career as a Teach for America 2005 Greater New Orleans corps member. 

Shannon is passionate about supporting diverse and dynamic leaders in their work to build a more equitable and just future. She spearheads our fundraising and communications efforts, including designing partnerships with leading foundations and corporations and cultivating a beloved community of donors.

Her deep leadership experience draws from impact-driven organizations––including New Media Ventures where she elevated the work of women entrepreneurs and founders of color to strengthen movements and build power with and for BIPOC communities; State PIRGs; Stanford Law School; and The Nature Conservancy. Through this work, as well as her leadership on DEI initiatives and her personal study around anti-racism and white supremacy, Shannon pushes herself to center equity and challenge unjust power structures. 

Shannon has a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from University of Michigan, where she focused on strategy and social innovation. When not at work, she enjoys travel and photography, the East Bay’s best eats and treats, time with her family, and walking her rescue pup Hamilton and pandemic puppy Quincy.

Martha is a heart-centered and pragmatic leader with more than 20 years of experience in operations, communications, and human resources management. As the Senior Director of People and Operations, Martha oversees Mindful Schools’ human resources, technology, project management, school enrollment, and customer care efforts.

Martha has been with Mindful Schools since 2013, and has been a key contributor to the organization’s continued growth and success. Under her leadership, Mindful Schools has grown to include a diverse team of staff members and teaching faculty, cultivated a values-driven culture with a commitment to educational equity, and reorganized internally to better serve the growing needs of schools. 

Prior to joining Mindful Schools, Martha had an eclectic career spanning hospitality and tourism; TV and film production; PR and media communications; and performing arts education. She also spent several years running after school programs for the City of Oakland, working as a substitute teacher for OUSD, and serving as a one-on-one aide for autistic children.

Martha received her BA in Communications and Ethnic Studies from U.C. Berkeley. She holds a credential in copy-editing and a Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential.

Martha continues to be inspired by working with a diverse team of passionate, powerful change-makers. She is a Bay Area native and currently resides in Richmond with her husband and son. 

Ray brings more than 15 years of experience in K-12 education as a teacher, coordinator, and coach. He is dedicated to supporting students and teachers that have been historically underrepresented and often ignored by the dominant culture. He joined Mindful Schools in 2022 and is passionate about meaningful systemic change and leveraging positive energy as a powerful tool to motivate, inspire, and heal. As a School Support Specialist, he helps introduce schools and districts to mindfulness while building relationships with administrators and teachers. He holds a Master’s Degree in Education from William Carey University. Ray has been practicing mindfulness for more than a year now, and describes mindfulness as a much needed grounding experience. As a former athlete, coach, and teacher, Ray understands the importance of using his experience to lead and create an environment of connection and inclusivity. 

Darius Ingram is an IT professional with more than 15 years of experience in systems administration and database management. He has worked almost exclusively in education-based nonprofit organizations, choosing to devote his energies to the support of his community. His relationship with Mindful Schools began as the business analyst. As the head of technology, he brings strategy, logic, and empathy to his work. When not overseeing tech, you’ll find him mixing his own music or volunteering his tech-spertise to other nonprofits.

Alison is a Bay Area native and passionate about sharing the Mindful Schools story with the global community of educators. She brings more than 15 years of marketing experience–from product marketing and sales roles in Bay Area tech and at Warner Bros. in Southern California. When she returned to Oakland to raise her children near family, she immediately engaged in the community. Prior to joining Mindful Schools, Alison managed Development and Communications for one of the largest nonprofit parent organizations in the Bay, and also co-founded a children’s apparel brand. Alison received her B.A. in International Economics from UCLA. She is excited about progressive and bilingual education and is trying her best to raise her two daughters with resilience, joy, and kindness.

Sarah Rudell Beach taught high school social studies for 17 years in the Wayzata Public Schools in Plymouth, MN, where she continues to teach mindfulness to adolescents. She has taught mindfulness to educators nationwide, and to students aged pre-K to college throughout the greater Twin Cities. Sarah completed the Mindful Teacher Certification Program in 2015, and began working for Mindful Schools as a Guiding Teacher in 2018. As Curriculum & Research Manager, she oversees and produces content for Mindful Schools’ courses and workshops and supports schools implementing mindfulness programming. Sarah holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Minnesota. Sarah has had a personal mindfulness practice for many years, and describes mindfulness as life-changing. She firmly believes that teaching compassionate attention and self-care to students, teachers, parents, and families can change the world.

Laura has experience teaching mindfulness, SEL, and social justice in K-12 schools in the US, UK, and Palestine, as well as conducting research on how mindfulness can support social justice pedagogy in schools. As the Schoolwide Implementation Manager, Laura supports partner schools to implement mindfulness and foster a culture of well-being in their community. Laura has been practicing mindfulness for 15 years and is deeply passionate about helping people discover how mindfulness can support them. After years of working with refugee communities in the Middle East and witnessing the impacts of conflict and trauma on the body, mind, and spirit, Laura came to understand mindfulness as a path to healing, re-connection, and liberation. 

Laura holds an MA in Social Justice and Education from University College London and a bachelor’s degree in Peace and Justice Studies and Arabic from Tufts University. Laura is also a certified yoga teacher and enjoys hiking, surfing, and backpacking.

Brooke brings over fifteen years of customer service and membership management background to her role as Course Operations & Group Enrollment Specialist for Mindful Schools. Since receiving her BA in Psychology from UCLA, she has worked almost exclusively in the nonprofit community. She joined the Mindful Schools team in 2017, and is passionate about aiding the empowerment of younger generations and interacting with diverse communities. A Bay Area native, Brooke can most often be found rooting for the local sports teams, spending time with her large family, and crafting throughout the year.

Molly has dedicated her career to serving the community – from experience working with the state as a civil servant and the county teaching people how to keep kids safe in cars and bikes, to working with nonprofits in facilities. She is a mother to an elementary school student and enjoys working at her child’s school as a parent volunteer. Molly attended Holy Names University in Oakland where she earned her International Relations Bachelor’s Degree. Molly has been practicing mindfulness since 2019 when she attended a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course. She is excited by the work of Mindful Schools and feels fortunate to be a part of this important work.

Beth has spent her career in nonprofits administration and public accounting. As a parent and volunteer PTA board member, she’s worked closely with teachers, parents, and children to support public schools. She is now excited to combine her finance and nonprofit experiences to support the Mindful Schools mission – giving children the positive tools they need to handle their complex emotions and supporting educators with professional development opportunities.