A little about me: I am a US Army veteran turned occupational therapist and HBCU graduate (Florida A&M University).

- my favorite food is basically any Hispanic food truck

- I don’t have a favorite holiday because I love celebrating all holidays

- fun facts: I was born in Germany, I wanted to be a Marine Biologist before diving into healthcare

A little about me: I’ve worked in education since 2016 and have worked with k-9 within immigrant and refugee communities focused around Social Emotional Learning skills

- my favorite food is Sushi

- my favorite holiday is Eid

- fun fact about me: aside from being a painter I enjoy playing soccer

Clinical Social Worker for 30+ years, now Retired.  Professional experience includes working directly with children and families across the lifespan, within medical settings, schools, Behavioral Health and Hospice and managing programs.  I 

Recently completed a Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture 

Extension Master Gardener Volunteer for Mecklenburg County

Lifelong interest in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health 

Grandmother of 7

Love rabbits

I believe in the LiveLearnPlay program because I see the benefit the program provides to the children as they engage in learning in the context of Nature.  I want to support efforts to expand capacity and programing to accommodate more participants.

Background/Occupation: I’m a pediatric occupational therapist, curious nature explorer, and at my center a playful creator who is practicing sharing more of my heart with the world.  Over the past nine years as an occupational therapist, and seven years specializing in pediatrics, I’ve experienced so much joy working alongside children and families in outpatient clinics, homes, parks, and school settings.  Through this work, I’ve developed a deep respect and admiration for the wisdom of the nervous system and the wondrous mechanisms that shape how children move, feel, learn, and relate.  

I am so supportive of the LiveLearnPlay mission because when I sense I am in my nature, I am deeply curious about connection.  Connection with our bodies, with one another, and with the natural, awe-inspiring world around us.  I believe our base design is to be in loving relation with all life within our community, and that when we feel safe and supported in our bodies, we become more available for cultivating this curious, creative, and meaningful connection. 

Fun Fact:  I LOVE singing, song crafting, and playing music and I currently have two songs for streaming on almost any platform you listen to music. 

A little about me: I grew up in a small farm town and on my parents’ “fun farm,” where we raised chickens, rabbits, and pigs for our family. Those early experiences shaped my love for gardening, growing my own herbs and spices, and hands-on learning for children. I bring that nurturing, experiential perspective—along with prior board service with the YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County and as the first Policy Chair of the Jamesville-DeWitt School Board—to support the mission of Live Learn Play.

• I love cooking with herbs and spices I grow myself.

• My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, for its focus on gratitude, family, and community.

Mario Jovan Shaw is a leadership coach and storyteller whose journey began as a middle school English teacher determined to help students see themselves in the stories they read. He founded The Brotherhood, an afterschool reading program for Black and Brown boys, which inspired the creation of Profound Gentlemen, a national nonprofit that has supported more than 700 male educators of color and earned him and co-founder Jason Terrell recognition on Forbes 30 Under 30 in Social Entrepreneurship.

In that role, he led a team of 30 coaches, retained 98% of Black male educators annually, and managed a multimillion-dollar budget to expand impact. Inspired by his own experience with a leadership coach, Mario transitioned into coaching full-time, quickly building a thriving practice and earning two coaching certifications. 

Seeing the need for more diverse voices in the coaching field, he founded Messy Roots, a coaching development program that has grown to 700+ members and certified over 100 social impact leaders within three years. Today, Mario is dedicated to equipping leaders with the tools to build a narrative-based coaching practice that develops leaders both within and beyond their organizations.  For him, the work always begins the same way - with a story.