Our Team
“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.” Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Ella Scheepers (she/her)
Feminist Facilitator, Researcher & Co-weaver of Organizational Possibility
As a mixed-race woman of colour, born in London in exile from Apartheid South Africa, this inheritance seeded in me a deep awareness of love, power, and the spaces in between.
I’ve always been drawn to the quiet contradictions—the gap between the purpose of organisations and how they feel from the inside. I hold a deep belief that how we show up inside our organisations matters just as much as what we fight for in the world.
From facilitating feminist processes to designing curriculum, from writing about networks of care to listening for the truths beneath organizational conflict, I’ve had the privilege of working across Africa and beyond with social purpose organizations, researchers, and dreamers.
I’m currently completing my PhD on building more caring, purposeful organizations from the inside out. It’s not just academic—it’s personal. I am committed to loving curiously, celebrating lived experience, and supporting others to do the same.
Leanna Frick (she/her)
Facilitator
In high school, instead of being a jock or a theater kid, I was a process dork learning Robert's Rules of Order and consensus through many, many organizing groups and committees. Since then, I've spend twenty-odd years continuing to study and practice group facilitation, resisting oppressive systems with comrades, and generally being in love with the magic of humans in community.
Along the way, I've also learned a lot about the non-profit industrial complex, philanthropy, strategic planning, business operations, somatic inquiry, home renovation, making bread, and a bunch of other related skills. I love sharing them all.
As a facilitator, I will smile through the awkward silences. I'll be honest when I don't know the answer. I'll try to end on time but will always want to hear more. I'm looking forward to hearing from you especially.
Nacoya Villegas (she/her)
Facilitator & Program Operations
Nacoya is an Impact-driven project, event, and operations manager with 10+ years of experience in event management, project logistics and facilitation. In a world of specialists she is a generalist who believes that focusing on the “how” will lead us to the best “what” in our work. She has a passion for building flexible and integrated systems that improve the day to day experience of both employees and external stakeholders.
Larree Stickland
Facilitator
I've cultivated a multifaceted career spanning education, business management, and community development. Hailing from Bulbancha, also known as New Orleans, I carry with me the rich cultural tapestry and vibrant spirit of my homeland on this ever-unfolding professional journey.
I'm dedicated to fostering environments that encourage growth, collaboration, and meaningful connection across all contexts . As a self-described process guardian, I'm driven by a commitment to nurturing the how of things, ensuring that change initiatives honor our shared humanity, creativity, and well-being. I value relational approaches and am versed in emergent strategy, recognizing the power of collaboration and adaptability in fostering meaningful change. I thrive on engaging audiences with my playful yet grounded approach, weaving together metaphors and insights drawn from living systems to inspire transformative action.
I approach my work with an anti-oppressive stance and an anti-racist analytical lens, striving to dismantle systemic barriers and promote equity and justice in all endeavors. And, I infuse all of my work with a deep appreciation for interconnectedness and holistic problem-solving, Currently, I am actively engaged in learning about land rights and data stewardship for Indigenous and displaced African Indigenous persons, recognizing the importance of honoring and preserving traditional knowledge and practices.
Above all, I find excitement in every facet of existence and I find solace and wisdom in the simple joys of life—be it turning my face toward the nourishing sun, breathing deeply into stillness, or enjoying moments of creativity with cherished loved ones.
Anand Macherla (he/him)
Ecosystem Designer & Facilitator
Anand is an entrepreneurial ecosystems designer, facilitator, and systems thinker based in Baltimore, MD. Originally from Albuquerque, NM he moved to Baltimore as a Venture For America fellow in 2018. His nonlinear career has spanned community & civic media, political campaigns, nonproliferation, data analytics, fundraising, and journalism.
Anand’s work is informed by his experiences with disability and accessibility, vedic philosophy, relational facilitation, and growing up in the American southwest – a space steeped in indigeneity and feminist leadership.
He is also an amateur matchmaker (3 for 3!), a wannabe pilot, and aspiring game designer. He loves starry skies, weddings, breakfast burritos, and libraries.
Kasey Armstrong (she/her)
Co-founding Consultant
I - like you - am ever unfolding. On my best days, I am wildly excited to exist. I grew up and currently live in the northeast of the so-called United States, and feel deeply tied to the land and seasons of this region. I became a baby adult and fell in love with systems thinking in the Pacific Northwest, where I will someday return. I’ve been a group facilitator and collaboration designer for over a decade. If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be cooking. I’m introverted, playful, grounded, weird, and a big feeler. The tarot cards I most frequently pull for myself are “solitude” and “fractals”. I love - among other things - sandwiches, singing, jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with my people
I love working with anyone who identifies as a changemaker, who is not here for the status quo. As a self-described process guardian, I tend to the how of things and strive to illuminate ways of making change - whether in the world or in our own lives - that honor our humanity, our creativity, our interdependence, and our wellbeing. I nerd out on metaphors that help us understand ourselves and human groups through a living systems lens, and I believe we can look to the Earth for guidance as we experiment our way into the future.
Nothing in life has taught me more than having my hands and feet in the soil.
Sam Novak (she/her)
Co-founding Director & Facilitator
I am the daughter of a Montessori school teacher and a salesman, the sister of an anti-human-trafficking badass and the partner of an emotional support wizard. I prefer to express myself in poems and I’m a recovering “pleasure to have in class.”
I am passionate about practicing our way into a future that is begging us to remember that we are nature. I come alive at the interplay of systems theory, intentional community, spiritual ecology, and transformative justice.
I have worked in diverse fields across networks and nonprofits, education and entrepreneurship. In all my endeavors, I maintain a commitment to cultivating community and transformative change.
As Graduate Faculty at University of Maryland Baltimore County, Co-Founder of Loam and an evergreen creative, I have the distinct honor of applying my love of learning, divergent dialogue, capturing beauty, and deep listening to foster relationship and radical love for a living.