BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADVISORY BOARD

Mia von Sadovszky, Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning Director, RPA. Harvard University, B.A., M.B.A., UCLA-Anderson School of Management.

Christopher Van Buren, President and CEO of Launchmoxie, Inc., a premier digital marketing agency. B.A., San Diego State University.

Liza Ingrasci, President and CEO, Hoffman Institute Foundation, a pioneering personal growth organization since 1960. B.A., UNC, Chapel Hill.

Lauren Sullivan, Co-Director of REVERB, environmental leader and sustainability expert. B.A., Tufts University.

Celeste Sforza, Physician and underserved communities and families advocate. B.A., Bryn Mawr.

Adam Gardner, Co-Director of REVERB. Helping to create global citizens and steward the earth. B.A., Tufts University.

COACHES, MENTORS, AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Laurie Gardner, Founder/CEO, Master Coach, Instructor,  Trainer, and Mentor
For three decades, Laurie has been joyfully teaching and coaching people to access their intuition to discover their best selves, remember what really matters, and lead lives they love. She received her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, principal certification, and teaching certification from Harvard University, where she also taught quantum physics. Laurie is a master practitioner in over five dozen Eastern-Western wellness techniques. She is the founder of Shine Your Light, author of The Road to Shine, The Road to Joy (pending), and creator of SYL’s Trust Your Gut master classes, intuitive coaching certification program, and dozens of leadership and personal development workshops.

Cedric enjoys the creative process and creatively helping others along in this journey of life. After earning a PhD in quantum physics, he embarked on numerous Silicon Valley startup (ad)ventures. He has his foot in four cultures (American, English, Swiss, Pakistani) and enjoys surfing, reading, and nature hiking. Shine Your Life taught him to intuitively remember his truest self and take decisive steps to set his ship sailing in the direction he wants to be headed—rediscovering his love of writing and the mysteries of the Universe.

With a background in the hospitality industry, Karen is dedicated to serving others. The Shine Your Light courses profoundly impacted her life, rekindling a long-neglected connection with her intuition, facilitating remarkable breakthroughs, and transforming her to construct a life filled with greater happiness and abundance. She is thrilled to share the tools, insights, and support to empower others to create a more fulfilling and enriched life.

Keani Hin, Lead Coach, Lead Mentor, Trainer, Teaching Assistant
Keani’s deep fascination with the human body began with her passions in competitive sports and Polynesian dance. She received her B.S. in Kinesiology at Cal State Fullerton, is a current tech recruiter, and has worked as a massage therapist and meditative dance teacher. Keani is dedicated to using SYL’s life-changing intuitive tools to guide herself and others  to feel home in their own bodies through the mind-body-spirit connection.

Thayer Hopkins, Teaching Assistant 
Founder and Principal of a highly respected architecture firm in San Francisco, and holding Bachelors degrees in Fine Arts and Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, Thayer brings a collaborative, creative, holistic approach to this work. Intuitive coaching catapulted Thayer onto a much more powerful, uplifting path, and he is excited to help others along their journeys to living more joyfully and authentically.

Heidi Kao, Teaching Assistant 
Heidi has a clinical doctorate in Chinese Medicine and has had a private practice in the Bay Area for over 22 years. Using acupuncture, functional medicine, and herbal medicine, she empowers patients to take control of their own health. The Shine Your Light tools changed both her approach to medicine and her life. She is excited to continue exploring how medical intuition helps people regain their physical and mental health.  

Joohi Kasliwal, Teaching Assistant
Joohi holds graduate degrees in law and gender studies from London and a B.A. in International Relations from UC Davis. She is passionate about exploring and facilitating healing in wellness forums and spaces, including in Bali, Colombia, Nicaragua, Greece, and the Himalayas. Shine Your Light’s trainings have been instrumental in helping her to cut through the noise and follow her intuition to lead a life from a place of wholeness. 

Kellie Levens, Teaching Assistant
Kellie has a B.A. in Music Performance and (soon) Master’s in Music Therapy. A former middle school teacher, AmeriCorps alumna, Appalachian Trail hiker, and now manager of a small, eco-friendly business in New Jersey. Kellie loves energy and intuitive healing. She is committed to showing up as her Highest Self each day and is grateful to SYL for helping her find the courage to follow and pursue her biggest, wildest dreams.

Bex Mui, Lead Mentor, Lead Coach, Trainer, Education Coordinator
Bex, M.Ed. from Bank Street, is committed to the work of LGBTQ+ affirmation at the intersections of equity, spirituality, and sexual and mental wellness. She had a transformative experience learning the techniques and skills from Shine Your Light and delights in working with and guiding others of all backgrounds through the discovery of their own grounding practices and intuition-building.

Michelle Ng, Lead Coach, Lead Mentor, Trainer, Teaching Assistant, Operations Coordinator 
Originally from New York, Michelle is a Doula and founder of Wildflow’r, a platform for creative expression and self-care. She was powerfully transformed by Shine Your Light’s approach and tools and is excited and honored to help others to shine their lights in alignment with the life they desire and deserve. She is grateful to be part of a team that has been a pillar of support for her throughout her own journey.

Roxane Ozers, Lead Coach, Teaching Assistant 

Trini Rivera, Teaching Assistant
Trini received her B.A. in Urban Planning and Environmental Studies from Sonoma State University and her Master’s in Public Policy from Arizona State University. Trini loves hiking with her dog and being in nature as much as she can. After taking SYL’s “Trust Your Gut” master classes and applying the tools in her daily life, she reconnected with her true self, reclaiming her personal power and peace. She is thrilled to help others to transform their lives with SYL’s uplifting, empowering wisdom and approach.

Michael Ruffner, Teaching Assistant
Michael is a massage therapist and healing arts practitioner who loves bringing wellness and healing to the world. Shine Your Light’s intuitive master classes and workshops changed his life, helping him to connect with his higher self, see his life purpose more clearly, and feel more more comfortable in his own skin. He is excited to be part of the beautiful SYL community, helping others to feel more calm and at peace.

Adele Winter, Lead Coach
Adele is an education technology and business development consultant who’s passionate about helping people to be their best selves. She holds a Bachelors in Business from Neumann University. Adele loves intuitive coaching and energy healing as loving, direct ways to get to the root of what needs to be seen and shifted. When not coaching, Adele enjoys propelling people into joyful sweats as a certified spin instructor.

Aron Wolgel, Lead Coach, Lead Mentor, Teaching Assistant
Aron is a rabbi, educator, and nonprofit leader who loves music and sports, especially ultimate frisbee. He received a BA in Politics and Philosophy from Brandeis University and MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew College. Striving to embody the lessons he teaches, Aron is grateful to Shine Your Light for helping him connect with his Highest Self and quickly get to the core of each issue to achieve greater understanding of himself and the world.

Tara Firelight Wood, Apprentice Coach and Mentor, Teaching Assistant
Tara is a mastery-level medicine woman, spiritual psychology coach, bodyworker, and nature ceremony facilitator. She loves guiding people to  tap into their own healing capabilities to lead a life they love.  SYL has been life-changing for Tara, adding precise, quick tools for grounding and self-healing..  She is honored and grateful to be part of an organization that is leading the way in helping so many others to Shine their Lights.

TEAM MEMBERS

Leslie Bove, Bookkeeper
Founder of the Holifield Group, Leslie has been providing expert, high quality bookkeeping and accounting services  for 25+ years. From the moment Laurie met her, she knew Leslie had the smarts and skills (and sense of humor!) to take Shine Your Light to the next financial level.