Joyce Christine Nakiwala is a Ugandan dance artiste, choreographer, entrepreneur, and yoga trainer. Since the age of 16 Joyce has been dancing in both traditional and modern genres—deepening her practice through various trainings. In 2020 she joined Healing and Resilience after Trauma (HaRT) where she currently is leading the SHINE programming as HaRT’s senior program manager. In addition to her technical and facilitation skills, Joyce has the exceptional ability to mix voice and movement patterns to inspire connection and healing.

Joyce holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance from Makerere University (Uganda), a Diploma in Traditional and Contemporary Dances of Africa from Ecole Des Sable/Janti Bi (Senegal), and has completed various yoga and meditation courses with the Africa Yoga Project Academy (Kenya), the Sunday School Yoga (UK) London and Living Life Limitlessly University (US). She is currently pursuing her masters in Counseling at Makerere University (Uganda).

Ericka Echavarria, LMSW, JD, is an Associate Director of Field Education and Adjunct Faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work. She is dedicated to preparing social work professionals for justice-based practice, emphasizing a lens of power, race, oppression, and privilege. Ericka also incorporates contemplative practices for self-care and self-awareness, social justice advocacy, and ethical professionalism.

Before her role at CSSW, Ericka worked as a mitigation specialist and sentencing advocate, supporting clients in complex legal cases. She also served youth, children, and families in community-based agencies. With a Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University and a Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School, Ericka brings a diverse skill set to her work. As an Afro-Dominican mother and caregiver, she aims to inspire future social workers while leaving a legacy of love, courage, hope, and compassion.

Find out more about her work here.

Dominique Marie Brown is a dedicated educator and holistic practitioner, specializing in the wellbeing of women in the African diaspora. In her journey of grief and healing after the loss of her mother, she found a need for spaces that centered Black women’s wellbeing and wholeness, which inspired her work. With a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Miami University, Dominique develops anti-oppression curriculums, facilitates critical dialogues, and creates spaces that prioritize women of color.

Currently serving as the Director of Participatory Research + Community Wellbeing at Design Impact (DI), she is deeply committed to promoting womanist healing practices for and with Black women. Her expertise spans somatic movement, meditation, and contemplative practices, collaborating with various healing practitioners to address racialized trauma. Dominique is also a published academic, writer, traveler, and ardent supporter of grassroots community organizing. Her research interests encompass Cultural Studies, Contemplative Education, Critical Pedagogy, African Diaspora, Womanist Spirituality, Intersectional Feminism, and Decolonial Feminism.

Find out more about her work here.

Sarina Rodrigues Saturn, PhD, was a faculty member at the University of Portland. She received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from New York University under the mentorship of Joseph LeDoux. Her dissertation focused on molecular, cellular, and behavioral studies of the amygdala, the key brain structure for emotional processing. She was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, under the guidance of Robert Sapolsky, where she investigated the role of stress hormones on the brain’s emotional circuitry. At the University of California, Berkeley, Saturn was a postdoctoral fellow in Dacher Keltner’s lab and here she began her attempts to bridge neuroscience and social psychology. Her research investigates the biology underlying positive emotions, and her goals are to illuminate the roots and development of social well-being. 

Sarina Saturn (née Rodrigues) is an experienced neuroscientist, educator, parent, researcher, mentor, and community builder devoted to health equity, social justice, and belonging for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), 2SLGBTQIA+ (Trans and Queer), disabled, and other people from non-dominant identities who have been historically excluded from guiding decisions or norms that impact their well-being. Sarina is a Chamoru and Indian queer femme and prolific scholar-activist whose expertise centers on intersectional advocacy, antiracism, feminism, and the neuroscience and psychology underlying emotions, intergenerational trauma, compassion, coping, affirmation, healing, and post-traumatic growth.

Find out more about her work here. 

Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu is a psychologist at Stanford University, exploring human development through mindfulness, Asian wisdom, science, and compassion. As an author, speaker, and workshop leader, he merges diverse cultural heritages, combining Japanese, Irish-American, Buddhist, Shinto, Celtic, and Catholic influences. With a background in early childhood education, East Asian medicine, and mindfulness, he received his doctorate from Harvard University, studying multicultural mindfulness. Over five decades, his work has spanned topics like human development, transformative learning, cultural diversity, and healing. Stephen is dedicated to blending traditional wisdom and modern science in his teaching, research, and clinical practice, promoting holistic healing and personal transformation. Currently, he’s a faculty member at CARE: Center for Asian Health Research and Education at Stanford University.

Find out more about his work here. 

Crystal Fleming is a renowned scholar whose research focuses on the ways in which individuals of African descent conceptualize and respond to racial oppression across various national contexts. Her influential work includes the book “Resurrecting Slavery: Racial Legacies and White Supremacy in France” (Temple University Press, 2017), which applies critical race theory to advance our understanding of racism in France and Europe. This book draws on ethnographic data, archival research, and in-depth interviews with French activists and descendants of slaves to explore how social actors construct racial temporality through collective memories and commemorations of enslavement and abolition.

Fleming’s second book, “How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide” (Beacon Press, 2018), combines public sociology, memoir, critical race theory, and satire to debunk common misconceptions about racism.

In her current research projects, Crystal Fleming extends her work on racism and anti-racism by further investigating the dynamics of global white supremacy and anti-blackness in both France and the United States. She also explores the intersection of spirituality, racial temporality, and intersectionality by examining the experiences of non-white minorities with mindfulness and contemplative practices.

Find out more about her here

Edgardo Ramirez is a doctoral student/researcher in Clinical Psychology and a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow with over 10 years of community-engaged research experience. As a first-generation, Latinx with immigrant roots, Edgardo aspires to conduct research that centers the lived experiences of underserved communities confronting health-related adversities, specifically cancer. Through leveraging theoretical frameworks that consider how unique sociocultural processes and environmental contexts interact within these communities to shape physical and psychological health, Edgardo hopes to develop interventions that promote integrative healthcare among Latinx communities. Edgardo also has experience as an instructor and mentor for first-generation students of color, and is committed to becoming a scholar-activist and educator/mentor who leverages his lived experience to serve the greater community.

Find out more about him here

Dr. Felipe Mercado is a professor in the Department of Social Work at California State University, Fresno, and the founder of Wise Soul LLC, a consulting firm focused on integrating compassion and wellness into education and community settings. Dr. Mercado’s career spans over two decades and includes roles as an elementary school principal, counselor, social worker, and curriculum designer. He earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership, bringing a wealth of experience from diverse positions within the education and mental health fields.

Dr. Mercado’s professional journey began with hands-on roles in underserved communities, where he developed programs to address trauma and promote resilience among youth. He later advanced these practices as a school principal, where he pioneered the Wise Compassionate Framework, significantly reducing suspension rates and fostering supportive, inclusive school cultures.

A published author, Dr. Mercado’s book, A Journey to Compassion: Learning to Stand Firm in the Face of Pain, has become a six-time Amazon bestseller and received an International Award for Most Inspirational Book. Dr. Mercado’s dedication to compassionate leadership is evident in his collaborations with national and international organizations, including the Compassion Institute and the World Happiness Academy. Through his teaching, writing, and community engagement, he continues to inspire and equip individuals and institutions to promote empathy, resilience, and equity in all areas of life. For more information on his initiatives, visit wise-souls.com.

Dr. Mahlobo is a multicultural psychologist and mindfulness practitioner dedicated to rewriting the narrative around Black youth by centering their flourishing. As a researcher, Christa has found that culturally salient mindfulness and arts and humanities interventions are crucial in increasing flourishing, especially for Black Americans who face daily mind-body impacts of racism. With an interest in exploring how mindfulness practices can be adapted to meet the unique needs of the Black community, Christa is excited to deepen her knowledge and skills through the Global Majority Leadership and Mentorship program. Through this program, Christa hopes to cultivate culturally salient and equitable mindfulness programs and use her research to make a positive impact in her local community.

Find out more about her here

Rui Seabra Machado is a Brazilian of African descent, hailing from Salvador-Bahia, the city with the largest Afro-Brazilian community. While living in Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Rui has been dedicated to helping his community through contemplative practices, especially for vulnerable children. He is married to his beloved wife Gláucia and has a daughter, Maria Clara. Rui is completing his thesis this year, which showcases the positive effects of contemplation on teachers and students within the Brazilian educational system. His goal is to nurture collaborative contemplative research with compassionate interventions involving other university campuses to combat discrimination and prejudice. Participating in the mentoring program will enable Rui to prepare himself better to share his knowledge with his community and propose a collaborative research project to implement centers of contemplative practice in universities and public schools.

Learn more about his work here