Presenter and Contributer Bios
We would like to offer our heartfelt appreciation for our 2025 Care and Courage Facilitators and Presenters. This endeavor would not be possible without your generosity, skills, and vision. Please take some time to get to know these amazing members and leaders in our community by enjoying thier bios below and know we are truly in the presence of greatness! Please be patient as we continue to add information and links to the list here! All of gratitude, Sisters Resounding Steering Committee
Deep Resilience and Racial Healing with Ami Chen Mills-Naim
Ami Chen Mills is a Chinese-American author and psycho-spiritual coach and teacher. She is also host of the radio show and podcast "Moment of Truth with Ami Chen Mills" at KSQD, and at major podcast sites. Ami started at KSQD with the program "Unheard Voices" with Gloria Nieto, Thairie Ritchie and Bobby Bishop. Her first shows were about the Chinese fishing villages in Pacific Grove, the Feast of Lanterns, and the Walk of Remembrance. She is a leader in the global, DEI working group LUV-BIPOC for her global, spiritual-psychology community (see www.luvbipoc.com) and her coaching and consulting practice is at www.AmiChen.com. She also writes and edits a Substack called Moment of Truth Dispatch.
Yvette Lopez Brooks - Panelist
Yvette Lopez Brooks is the Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Santa Cruz County, where she leads with a vision of equity, youth empowerment, and community resilience. With over a decade of experience in education and nonprofit leadership, and six years on the Capitola City Council—including two terms as Mayor—Yvette has championed inclusive policies, youth initiatives, and cross-sector collaborations that uplift families across the county. A first-generation college graduate from UC Santa Cruz, Yvette is deeply rooted in her community and committed to advancing opportunities for the next generation. She weaves her personal story of service and leadership into her mission: to lead with care, courage, and authenticity.
Turning Towards Death Together with Love w Ore Ganin-Pinto
Ore Ganin-Pinto is the founder of Bones and Breath Chaplaincy, created to provide End-of-Life Doula services, Spiritual Counseling, and Life Cycle Ceremonies for anyone who is facing a life transition. Ore received their ordination from The Chaplaincy Institute and their Masters of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA and have served as an interfaith palliative and hospice Chaplain for the past seven years. They are passionate about bringing the work of equity and justice to all their pursuits, and weaving their Ashkenazi and Moroccan Jewish roots with earth-based animist and liberatory practices. Ore is deeply grateful to the land, waters and the many beings seen and unseen that have brought them to this moment. You can find out more on the website- www.bonesandbreath.com
Aiki-Presence in Action: Embodied Leadership for Resilience and Presence with Silvia Austerlic
Silvia Austerlic is an intercultural educator, facilitator, and experiential learning designer. She is the founder of Senti-Pensante Connections www.senti-pensante.com - a Santa Cruz–based consultancy bridging inner work and social justice in service of personal transformation, community resilience, and collective well-being. Born in Argentina, Silvia has made Santa Cruz her home since 1999. Her work brings together cultural humility, emotional intelligence, personal leadership, and ancestral healing to honor the whole human experience—unlocking potential, cultivating belonging, and fostering shared humanity. She is committed to creating safe and brave spaces where people feel respected, seen, and inspired to learn, change, and grow from the inside out.
Land Blessing Ceremony with Amaya Rose
Amaya Rose is a folk herbalist and ceremonialist. Drawing inspiration from the rich natural environment of her upbringing, she channels her deep connection to the land into her practice. With a reverence for ancient wisdom and a passion for holistic healing, Amaya blends traditional herbal remedies with ceremonial rituals to nurture both body and spirit. Guided by the cycles of nature, she invites others to rediscover their innate connection to the Earth and embrace the healing power of plants.
Heather Christie- Pioneering music & motherhood
Heather Christie, with her babe in arms, has been forging a new pathway among the festival and ecstatic dance scenes with her “mama power” electric DJ sets that don’t take away from her motherhood nor artistry'; in fact, they enhances the visionary nature of what she has to offer. Going viral in July 2023 for breastfeeding onstage during a DJ set, she means it when she says “we’re making a new way.” With her motherhood-focused record label Möonbabe Records, Heather is on a mission to uplift all women in music.
Dallas McKenzie – Cultivating Connections
Dallas McKenzie is the founder of Cultivating Connections, a community based practice blending breathwork, sound healing, elemental rituals, and herbal arts to support transformation of mind, body, and spirit. With over a decade of experience in breathwork and professional training in frequency healing, aromatics, and holistic wellness, Dallas creates sacred spaces where science and spirit meet. Through ceremonies, concerts, private sessions, and educational programs, she invites people into deeper connection with themselves, each other, and the natural world. Her work reflects a devotion to the elements, community, and the healing power of the breath as a bridge between the inner and outer worlds.
Sarah Youing with Dana, Batya, and Mia
Sarah Young is a professional facilitator and coach who has been facilitating workshops on communicating across differences for over 20 years. Batya Kagan is a licensed marriage and family therapist using conflict resolution skills to help couples and families resolve differences. Dana G. Peleg is an Israeli-US long-time peace and LGBTQ+ activist, translator, teacher, and author. Mia Collins is a UCSC Jewish Studies major working through academia and conversation to build a peaceful future in Israel-Palestine and among Jews across the world.
Deep Resilience and Racial Healing with Ami Chen Mills-Naim
The 2025-2027 Watsonville Poet Laureate, Victoria (Vicky) Bañales (she/her/ella) is the author of the poetry collection, The Sun Will Not Harm You by Day, Nor the Moon by Night (Jamii Publishing, 2025). A Chicanx writer, educator, and mother, she is a member of the Writers of Color-Santa Cruz County, Círculo de Poetas & Writers, and the founder of Xinachtli Journal (Journal X), a literary arts magazine focused on social justice, which was awarded the Superior Distinction by the National Council of Teachers of English. Her writing has been featured in various journals and anthologies and has been supported by Hedgebrook, Storyknife, Macondo, Rooted and Written, and and other artist residencies. The recipient of two poetry awards and a teaching excellence award, she holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Feminist Studies from the University of California-Santa Cruz. She teaches composition, literature, and creative writing at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz County. More at vickybanales.com
About Heather Houston
Heather Houston is a passionate song leader, vocal coach, and choral director dedicated to awakening the power of the human voice. For over two decades, she has guided women in song circles, retreats, and courses that inspire connection, empowerment, and joy. Heather is the founder of the Sisters in Harmony Global movement, and director of Yala Lati Women's Choir in Santa Cruz - a beloved community ensemble that has been weaving women’s voices in harmony for 20 years. Her teaching style is both soulful and accessible, inviting singers of all backgrounds to experience the transformative magic of raising their voices in community.