CORE TEAM

As one of Inner Explorer's Co-Founders, Laura discovered the benefits of mindful awareness more than 20 years ago when she was trying to manage the stress of travel and long workdays. While working at GE, Laura had the insight to share her mindful awareness practice with hundreds of fellow employees. Upon seeing the many positive results the daily practice had on performance, creativity, and wellbeing, she realized it would be the perfect fit for education. The practices can help children navigate the ups and downs of life with resilience, alleviating stress and anxiety, and can help them focus, allowing them to be ‘ready to learn’. -- all with compassion, openness, and love. She can hardly wait for the first generation of kids going through this program to reach adulthood! Laura received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College and a Doctoral Degree in Psychology from Sofia University. She was trained as a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts. When not working, Laura loves to spend time with family and friends, especially with her husband Rick and son Will. She loves being outside, which is much easier now that she moved from Illinois to Florida, going for a bike ride, running with her dogs Scout and Bella, kayaking, or playing tennis.

Janice came to know mindful awareness through her lifelong (since age 6) friend, Laura Bakosh. Having started a mindful practice as an adult, she thought “If I had only had this when I was younger”! With the benefits of her individual practice and her lifelong friend beside her, she began the journey to bring peace to the world, starting with children. Through these practices, she has seen children transform, from anxious to calm, from angry to peaceful, from struggling to aspiring. She knows they are on the right path. Janice has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Northeastern University and has a Master‘s Degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts- Boston. She have been trained in MBSR and has been teaching mindful awareness practices to adults and children since 2009. She is a lifelong Bay State resident and likes to travel with her family. She feels that seeking out new places and knowledge goes hand in hand. She is constantly uplifted by her husband John and her son Jake and stepsons Jeremy and Brenden, and there is also Cooper, her crazy little dog. She was once told that she sees life through rose colored glasses….and she thought, isn’t that the best way to see life?

Lisa brings over 30 years of experience in mindfulness practices and as an MBSR instructor has provided Inner Explorer with input and expertise on program development and research since its inception. Lisa served on Inner Explorer’s Board of Directors and continues to assist Inner Explorer in her current capacity as Chief Strategy Officer. Through her private practice, Lisa has been teaching children, adults and corporate clients the value of mindfulness to enrich lives and promote well-being. Lisa maintains her decades long commitment to sharing the well- documented benefits of mindful awareness. She has an undergraduate degree from University of California-Berkeley and has completed Clinical Training in Behavioral Medicine with Dr. Herbert Benson and Harvard Medical School as well as certification in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction from the Center for Mindfulness at University of Massachusetts. While Lisa loves to travel, write and photograph, her greatest joy comes from her family. She credits her sons, Travis and Shane, who from birth, were her most authentic teachers of living in the present moment. And Marty, the family’s rescue dog, playfully and lovingly reminds each family member to live mindfully. Lisa understands that when she embodies the practices she teaches, she is a kinder, happier and more peaceful person eager to support Inner Explorer’s vision of changing the world, one student at a time.

Laurie spent 32 years seeking social justice for low-income communities when she wondered if teaching mindfulness to kids would be a good idea. As Community Outreach Coordinator of Park Day School, she could not believe her ears when on the first day of piloting a program to bring mindfulness into public schools, a third grader said, “I think if we do this every day we aren’t going to fight anymore.” At that moment, Laurie knew how she would be spending the rest of her career. Within two months, Laurie and her colleagues, started a new organization called, The Community Partnership for Mindfulness in Education, now called Mindful Schools. Within the first year of the program, thousands of low-income children benefited from the program. Laurie is delighted and feels fortunate to be working with Inner Explorer because the program teaches mindful awareness to students and teachers simultaneously, in a remarkably effective, sustainable and scalable way. Born in NJ, Laurie now resides in California. The loves of her life are her husband, David, her two kids, Ariel and Perrin, her sisters, family, friends, autumn leaves, whales and, of course, mindful awareness. Laurie’s mom used to call her Lucky Laurie and she is sincerely grateful for her good fortune every day.

Lisa's journey to a mindful lifestyle began more recently when she saw the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on teachers, students and their families. The level of stress and anxiety was so high that she decided to join Inner Explorer with a mission to bring mindfulness programming to more schools. Prior to Inner Explorer, Lisa spent 17 years at GE Healthcare working alongside Inner Explorer co-founder, Laura Bakosh. Lisa has always had a passion for improving the lives of children in need and volunteers for CASA Boston (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and the Wily Network working with children in the foster care system. She splits her time between Medfield, MA and Cape Cod with her husband, Tom and their three children, Matthew, Jack and Perri. In her free time, Lisa likes to hike, bike, garden and loves spending time with family, friends and her dog, Sammie.

Victoria González has a broad background of not-for-profit and general business, where she has specialized in marketing, leader development, strategic planning, professional development, events, product placement, chamber/ civic public/ private alliances and worked significantly with donors and government officials on a global level. She has been involved in social and emotional learning and mindfulness in education for nearly a decade, most recently serving as the Executive Director of The Hawn Foundation. Growing up as a military child and having two educators as parents, Victoria dreams of the day when all children and teachers feel excited and inspired about going to school, without any added stressors. She is a believer that mindfulness is the recipe for that. Victoria is fully bilingual and bicultural. A well-traveled professional, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Florida International University and resides in Miami, Florida with her French bulldog, Claymore.

Tabitha provides strong skills across many different areas of business operations, including finance, accounting, technology, project management, and engagement. Tabitha works daily with teachers and students to introduce them to opportunities to incorporate mindful awareness into their daily routine. As with her own kids, Tabitha knows that encouraging children to focus on inner peace allows them to develop empathy and compassion for themselves and those around them. She has faith that as students learn these skills and aptitudes, they will be happier, healthier and have more success in school.
Tabitha has spent her life in beautiful New England and her joy is hearing success stories from teachers and classrooms that illustrate the positive impact the program has had in the lives of the participants.

Iris provides Inner Explorer with a variety of skills and capabilities in donor development, database improvement and administrative support. A Colby College graduate with a Bachelor's in History her extensive background in development includes directing and managing programs at Harvard University's Associates Giving Program, Concord Academy's Alumnae/i Affairs and Development Office and Yale University's Development Office. A Franklin Massachusetts resident Iris was introduced to mindfulness and Inner Explorer by her friend and co-founder Janice Houlihan. She balances her time between mothering three kids (and a Maine Coon cat), volunteering for a variety of Boy Scout, school and church programs and is a long time member of the Daughters of the Revolution. Iris loves to bike and has ridden across both Maine and the Florida Keys and hopes to take more trans-state rides with her husband HoJin in the future.

Joan is a former Massachusetts public school teacher with sixteen years of experience teaching special education, executive function, mindfulness and social-emotional learning in middle and high school. She is a member of the Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully and co-founder of their regional chapter, Educating Mindfully New England. Joan completed training through the Center for Mindfulness 8-week MBSR Program and 13-week MBSR Program for Educators. Prior to teaching, Joan served as a public policy specialist in the field of unintentional childhood injury prevention in Washington, DC, working for the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems/EMS for Children Program, the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Housing & Urban Development, and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Siena College (NY), a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from the University at Albany (NY), and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Simmons University (MA). She will tell you that her most challenging and joyful life experiences have been as a mother and a teacher. Joan resides in the Boston area with her son, Isaiah, and Schnoodle, Sparky. In addition to a long-standing contemplative practice, Joan finds balance through writing, gardening, hiking and spending time along the Maine coast.

As a homeschooler, Travis was passionate about games in education and pioneered using Minecraft in Education at Da Vinci Innovation Academy. He presented at the Immersive Education Summit in 2013 about the merits of utilizing games in education. An Eagle Scout, Travis earned Bachelors of Science degree and was awarded Salutatorian with a major in Game Design. He furthered his education by pursuing multiple professional certifications in Data Analysis, Data Science, and Gamification. Travis has worked as a Data Analyst for Inner Explorer for three years, analyzing user data to discover pertinent insights for improved engagement; trend analysis; tabulating survey results to inform program development; and customizing reports for districts, including analyzing usage data and metrics such as absenteeism, suspension rates, and academic performance. Travis credits his long standing mindfulness practice with supporting his positive outlook, improved focus, and resiliency. When not working, Travis enjoys playing tennis, reading, Japanese Mahjong and spending time with family and friends.

I believe that transforming childhood will transform the world and feel that Inner Explorer is the key to that transformation! I received my BA in Secondary Education from The University of Michigan with a specialization in facilitating social justice dialogue and served with Teach for America in Detroit. I then earned an MS in Human Ecology, Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a thesis on mindful practical wisdom in parenting. I created and then directed EcoWell at UW-Madison, a mindfulness-based wellbeing initiative which innovatively furthered the university commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. As a part of this initiative I led trauma-informed mindfulness based groups with the Wisconsin Prison Mindfulness Initiative and with the homeless population in Wisconsin. I then led mindfulness as an advisor at the University of Michigan Children's Hospital with a specialization in pediatric oncology and have most recently served for the past few years as the Mindfulness Coordinator for Detroit Leadership Academy before joining the Inner Explorer team! I am trained in Mindful Self Compassion and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. In my free time, I work on creative social justice education, am a travel blogger with my girlfriend, am in the process of running a marathon on every continent, and enjoy creating and performing musical comedy with
my Mom-son band.

Since Christy discovered mindfulness meditation in 2010 and experienced the transformational effects of the practice for herself, sharing it with others has become her lifework. She founded, and for 8 years directed, the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness WorkLife Integration Programs, where she developed and delivered customized mindfulness programs for workplaces of all kinds. She founded the Institute for Mindful Works to further expand her work with businesses, schools, & parents. She is a Certified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through the UCSD CFM Professional Training Institute and the International Mindfulness Teachers Association and has also trained to teach the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program. She earned a BS in Life Sciences from the Missouri University of Science & Technology, a JD from the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Law, and is also trained as a professional coach and a Certified Worksite Wellness Specialist. Christy lives in San Diego, CA with her husband, Mike, two lovely daughters, Laurel & Sophia, two sneaky kitties, & a happy Labrador Retriever. They remind her every day to appreciate and embrace the challenges and joys that are found in the present moment. She is thrilled to help Inner Explorer support the world’s educators and children, providing them with the resources they need to grow and thrive.

Samantha Sugar makes a deliberate effort to approach life with a balance of creativity and logic. Sam has an innate drive and appreciation for building relationships and cultivating connections. Her values of compassion, humor, and care are the foundation of her professional successes in private and public systems. In addition to her work in the corporate hospitality world, Sam was a public school teacher in New York City and in rural Oregon. During this time Sam used Inner Explorer daily in her classroom, which only further solidified her view that mindfulness in schools is essential for thriving, healthy communities. Sam feels immense gratitude to have been introduced to mindfulness as a child and believes in the positive effects of practicing MBSR to improve everyone’s holistic quality of life. Sam is also passionate about her family, friends, traveling, history, food, literature, and film.

Royal's passion for mental well-being stems from her own personal experiences. After facing an unexpected loss in her family, she began a physical and spiritual healing journey. Royal believes mindfulness can transform the lives of adults and children and is grateful for the opportunity to support Inner Explorer's Mission. She is trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Royal has been dedicated to helping the youth from the early age of 16. At 16, Royal co-founded her non-profit organization, Grl-Pwr.
Royal is a Virginia native but currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. A Spelman graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, she possesses a host of strong skills across vast areas of business, including but not limited to: relationship management, strategic planning, and leadership. In her free time, Royal enjoys researching her family's ancestry, traveling the world, and attending music festivals/concerts with her family and friends.

Fard discovered the importance of mindfulness first as a college athlete, juggling school, practice, and travel, then as part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system. He used the tools he learned to develop the habit of daily practice as a way to center his thoughts and gain mental balance. Fard received a Bachelor of Science in Marketing degree from North Carolina A&T State University. He is CPI and CPR certified. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he has been a Charlotte resident for 19 years. When not working, Fard still spends time playing basketball and training his children in their sports-specific fields. He enjoys competitive games with his wife Krystina and kids, as well as learning about artists and painters.

Alex is a small-town Western Pennsylvania native now based in Brooklyn. He earned his MA in English Literature from the University of Louisville and has since spent his life pursuing art and service. He's been a theatrical rigger, choreographer, artist, actor, writer, teacher, and father. While the many roads he's traveled have been a wonderful adventure, they were also a bit chaotic, and Alex began practicing mindfulness in search of a more peaceful mind. Now, as a parent, he has witnessed and personally experienced the positive social, emotional, developmental, and professional impact that mindful practice has on lives. He has spent the last ten years bringing unique and effective programming to New York City schools, where he has found a passion for helping students find joy in life and learning. Healthy minds, healthy lives, and healthy cultures begin with the young, and Alex is very excited to contribute positively to the lives of students, teachers, and families with Inner Explorer. When Alex isn't on the job, you can find him playing Zelda with his son, baking for his wife, and doing woodwork in his basement.