Meet Our Team

Before joining Mindful Schools, Mia was the Chief Program Officer for the national nonprofit, Girls Leadership. As Chief Program Officer, Mia led the organization in developing culturally responsive curriculum and training to address the needs of girls across the socioeconomic spectrum. Mia also introduced mindfulness and self-compassion as a foundation through which social-emotional learning skills would grow.

Mia received her Bachelors Degree in Political Science and East Asian Studies from Yale, and her M.A. in School Leadership from Columbia Teachers College Summer Principals Academy.

Mia is inspired to join Mindful Schools to build an expansive mindfulness movement in diverse schools and communities, where all young people thrive.

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’ technology, project management, school enrollment, and customer care efforts, in addition to leading the organization’s human resources and internal learning initiatives.

Martha has been with Mindful Schools since 2013, and has been a key contributor to the organization’s continued growth and success as it evolved from offering its first online course during her first year to serving more than 60,000 educators and schools by 2020.

Under her leadership, Mindful Schools has grown to include a diverse team of 34 staff members and teaching faculty, developed a competitive benefits package that encourages work/life balance, 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 young son. Martha enjoys singing, traveling, camping, and cooking.

John is our kind-hearted Accounting Associate. He’s a Bay Area local and UC Berkeley graduate who brings over 30 years experience in accounting and finance. He first introduction to mindfulness was through a high school meditation class.

Seewan is a lifelong learner and educator with a deep commitment to and experience in leading for equity in education non-profits, start-up charters, and urban public schools.

As Executive Director at Mindful Schools, Seewan has built organizational capacity, vision, and presence in order to meet the unprecedented need for social and emotional well-being, mental health, and equity in schools. Seewan joined the organization  initially as Interim Executive Director in January 2020 with the charge of restructuring operations, assessing organizational strategy, and cultivating a culture of trust.

Prior to joining Mindful Schools, Seewan served as VP of Digital Transformation at the New Teacher Center where she led key initiatives to scale tech-enabled, people-centered solutions supporting teacher professional growth and teacher retention. At WestEd, she conducted fast-paced research, evaluation, and online product development as part of a new Innovation Studies team. She also has nine years of classroom teaching experience, most recently as a middle school teacher at San Francisco Community, a teacher-run school in SFUSD with a focus on project-based learning.

Seewan is passionate about empowering teachers and building a community of educators that drives for resilience, compassion, equity, and justice in schools. She received a B.A. in American History/Educational Studies from Brown University and an Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Seewan also earned her National Board Certification as a middle school teacher in 2003.

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 young daughter. She enjoys hiking, learning to snowboard as an adult, and deepening her lifelong ballet practice.

Recent interviews, news, and writing include:

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

Mindful Schools Announces Equity in Action Fund, Mindful Schools

Nurturing Change from Within, Mindful Schools

For speaker inquiries please contact Beck Engwerda at beck@mindfulschools.org 

Beck brings more than 15 years of non-profit communications and development experience to the Mindful Schools team. She is passionate about creating positive change in the world through programs that develop mindfulness, self-awareness, and social-emotional skills. Her previous experience includes managing communications strategy for nonprofits, including the GO Project and DREAM in New York City, and Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles. Beck also worked as a fundraiser for the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, and for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Charlotte, NC.

Beck loves working within positive, mission-driven teams. She is originally from Australia, where she earned her B.A. in Arts/Professional Writing and Editing, and now resides in Oakland with her husband and two young boys.

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 before founding Brilliant Mindfulness, LLC. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Minnesota, and is a licensed teacher in the state of Minnesota. She served in the Wayzata Public Schools from 1998 to 2015, and was honored as an Esteemed Teacher seven times by the district. Additionally, she writes about mindfulness, mindful teaching, and mindful parenting for the Huffington Post.

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.

Before joining Mindful Schools, Laura taught mindfulness, SEL, and social justice in K-12 schools and supported schools on projects to foster equity and holistic well-being. Laura has taught mindfulness with young people in the Bay Area, London, and Palestine and has conducted research on how mindfulness can support social justice pedagogy in schools. 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 received her 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

Molly spent the majority of the past decade working in the wellness space. From a meditation retreat center in the Rocky Mountains to meditation studios in New York City, she has witnessed the transformative power of mindfulness/awareness practices. With bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Raza Studies from San Francisco State University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from University of Colorado – Boulder, Molly’s eclectic career led her to her dream job with Mindful Schools. She believes educational equity is foundational in the creation of a more just world. She lives in Oakland with her partner and a street cat who adopted them. She feels happiest outside and most at home near the sea.

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.

Fontashia is an educator and a founder of a nonprofit where she develops and leads CTE courses and mindfulness programs for under-served communities. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Regent University and is a licensed teacher in the state of North Carolina. Fontashia has been practicing mindfulness for many years and believes that it has changed her perspective on life–not only does it allow her to be fully present for her four boys, it has also transformed her mindset to welcome abundance, practice self-love, and be grateful for all that life has to offer. As a graduate of the Mindful Schools Teacher Certification Program, she is excited to work for Mindful Schools because she gets to share her experiences, while empowering others in the present moment.

Dia Penning is a connector. She has served in government, nonprofit, higher education, and K-12 as a curriculum developer, teacher trainer, arts specialist, mindfulness coach, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional, and program administrator. In all her roles she finds the themes that connect teams and organizations to one another and to a greater whole. Dia is committed to whole people, to the development of skills and resources that allow each of us to show up as our authentic selves and to support one another. With a Master in Interdisciplinary Studies from Columbia College, Dia leads international yoga and social justice workshops though Love Light Yoga out of Vancouver BC. She also coaches individuals in somatic awareness for social transformation. With 20 years of experience in integration, systems change, and a lifetime committed to mindfulness, Dia is very excited to be serving as a Program Facilitator. Dia lives in Oakland, CA, with her kiddo, wife and 16-year-old Labrador Retriever. She likes to garden, make pottery, and sew, and makes lots of opportunities to share these practices in her community.

Solissa has dedicated her career to mission driven work. As a champion for education, Solissa spent the last decade supporting and investing in the growth of adolescents and young professionals. She has been a 7th grade classroom teacher, a college academic advisor, and more recently, a program manager for a Kansas City area non-profit youth college access program. Solissa enjoys connecting people to meaningful experiences that will help empower and nurture their innate leadership skills. Her education includes a Bachelors of Arts in Middle School education and a Master’s in Higher Education Administration, both from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and is also a recent graduate of the 2021 Mindful Schools Teacher Certification Program. Solissa believes that we all have a place in mindfulness practice and our youth can benefit from having more mindful tools in their “life box”. Through mindful education, Solissa likes to focus on shining a light on communities who often don’t see themselves in the mindfulness movement or dominate culture, and is looking forward to learning, growing, and thriving with the Mindful Schools community.

April Frazier considers herself a lifelong learner of yoga and mindfulness as a tool for self-empowerment and social justice in diverse, resilient communities. In 2010, she completed her 200-hr teacher certification through Dharma Yoga certification and has since held space for yoga in under-performing schools, trauma centers, and addiction centers to cultivate inner healing.

Prior to being a yoga instructor, April was a middle school teacher at an under-served school in the South Bronx. She believes, regardless of background, we are all in our breath and body, so might as well tap back into our inner wisdom to navigate life’s challenges.

April was part of the first year cohort at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University where she combined education, social activism, entrepreneurship and mindfulness. April has also been certified in laughter yoga, yoga for 12 step recovery, off the mat and into the world, and various trauma-informed and mindfulness in-schools programs.

She earner her bachelor’s degree with a focus on Anti-Racist education from Mount Holyoke College and her  master’s degree from Columbia’s Spirituality Mind Institute Masters in Education.

Kelli Love, M.Ed brings 15 years experience to the field of contemplative education since receiving her degree in Early Childhood Education from Naropa University in 2001, where mindfulness was integrated into the higher education experience. She develops mindfulness curriculum with a focus on self-awareness and emotion regulation and currently teaches at Girls Prep Bronx Elementary, where yoga and mindfulness are embraced as a school wide content area. In 2015 Kelli created a short film, Aliza and the Mind Jar, to demonstrate the impact of yoga and mindfulness curriculum on school communities. She is a former classroom teacher and believes all children have a right to experience the empowering life skills that yoga and mindfulness offer. Kelli is a national speaker at related conferences, is partnering with Columbia University and NYU to contribute to the research in mindfulness education, and consults organizations on implementation and curriculum development related to yoga and mindfulness in K-8 schools.

Anthony “T” Maes has been a teacher at Spirit Rock, East Bay Meditation Center, and Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, where he guides retreats for people of all ages, with a focus on young people of the global majority (BIPOC). T has a BS in Psychology from UC Berkeley, and after graduating was a research psychology technician for UCSF, studying the effects of meditation on school teachers and their classrooms (Cultivating Emotional Balance Project). T has dedicated his life to practicing mindfulness since learning the practice as a teenager in 2000. He has completed over 200 days of silent mindfulness retreat practice, and over the past few years, has been teaching school teachers how to develop their own practice and how to implement mindfulness in their classrooms.

For over 20 years, Lucy has taught children and youth in a variety of classroom and therapeutic settings from instructing teens at North Outward Bound School to educating young people in preschool. She currently teaches Kindergarten.

As co-founder of Design to Connect, LLC, Lucy facilitates professional communities of practice focused on cultivating restorative school communities and increasing capacities of mindful well-being in students, educators, and families.

Lucy received her Masters In Education, Mindfulness for Educators, from Antioch University New England and her Early Childhood Montessori Credential form the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.

Before joining Mindful Schools Nathalie worked for 15 years for non-for-profits providing continuing education, and arts for all programs for low income and immigrant families. She also managed wide community service events with corporate foundations in NY

Nathalie is French with a Caribbean and Parisian background. She practiced dance for 7 years before taking her first yoga in 2003 just after her daughter’s birth. Yoga and meditation has been a long and interesting journey ever since. A journey where learning was not only about the body, but the self. Tapping into her former study of philosophy, she loves to make mindfulness a simple and practical tool for our everyday life.

She led “Education & Art For All” programs in France for many years before coming to New York. Combining her passion for movement and philosophy, she teaches yoga and mindfulness on a regular basis to young students, teachers and parents in NYC public schools with The School Yoga Project.