Ashley has over 10 years of experience working in professional office positions providing support to businesses and C-Suite Executives. She loves details, planners, and people, and works with enthusiasm to keep things organized and her customers feeling supported. Ashley helps keep core business operations, large meeting notes, logistics, new projects, and me, organized and moving forward. Her tireless encouragement, creativity, and belief in the work, make it all more beautiful and possible even when things get hard. I am deeply grateful for the risk she is willing to take on behalf of human flourishing.

Brooke Nielsen Yang is a trauma-informed psychotherapist and guide for highly sensitive and neurodivergent people who are ready to move beyond coping and into deeper alignment with who they truly are.

For 18 years, Brooke has supported individuals in crossing inner thresholds, helping them unwind old relational patterns, reconnect with their intuition, and live from a more grounded and authentic sense of self. Her work blends advanced training in trauma therapy, attachment, and nervous system regulation with deep attunement and intuitive insight.

She is the founder of Intuitive Warrior, where she offers coaching and intensives devoted to helping sensitive people recognize their way of being not as something to manage, but as a source of wisdom, vitality, and inner authority. Her work invites people to come home to themselves and live from their truest inner knowing.

Daniel is a physician, strategist, and health data leader who is passionate about helping people, organizations, and communities make better decisions through clarity, connection, and purpose. His career has spanned surgery, preventive medicine, clinical informatics, and executive leadership, giving him a unique lens on how health systems work—and where they often fall short. Daniel is known for translating complexity into practical action, building bridges across silos, and keeping the human story at the center of data and transformation work. Whether he is leading statewide initiatives, shaping strategy, or engaging in meaningful conversation, he brings thoughtfulness, warmth, and a deep commitment to service, impact, and building something better together.

Dolly was born and raised in Western NC. She serves as Chair of Department of OB-GYN at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), in Asheville, NC. In addition to her leadership role, she practices full scope clinical nurse-midwifery. She values being "with women through their lifetime“ and promotes shared decision-making in all aspects of care. In addition to prenatal appointments and attending deliveries at Mission Health Systems, she provides well-women gynecologic, preconception counseling, and contraceptive services. Her research interests include maternal health equity, structural racism, and health outcomes for women historically affected by oppression,  discrimination, and indifference. She holds degrees from Wake Forest University, Yale University, and UNC Greensboro. In 2020, Dolly was named a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar. She is married to Dr. Brian Byrd and is mother to two college-aged sons, Ellery and Evan. 

As Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, Dr. Hariri directs research on brain-based biomarkers of accelerated aging and dementia risk and teaches courses on the brain circuits that help shape normal and abnormal behavior as well as the depiction of mental illness in films.

Hardworking, strong, and charismatic describe Dr. Rod Jenkins, Public Health Director for Durham County Department of Public Health. He joined Durham in 2020 after serving nine years as Deputy Public Health Director in Cumberland County and three years as Assistant County Manager in Robeson County. A U.S. Army veteran, he also spent over a decade as a banking manager with Wells Fargo. Dr. Jenkins holds a B.S. in Business Administration from The Citadel, an M.H.A. from the University of South Carolina, and a Doctor of Public Health from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health (2024). He completed UNC’s Municipal & County Administration Course and fellowships with the Jim Bernstein Community Health Leadership Fellows Program and the Civics Federal Credit Union Fellows Program. His leadership during the pandemic earned him the Ronald Levine Public Health Award (2022) and the Reynolds Achievement Award (2023).

Dr. Sarah Banks serves as the Public Health Director in Haywood County, NC and has devoted her tenure to creating and delivering services that will improve health outcomes. This includes implementing a program to assist individuals with substance use disorders, increasing community awareness of mental health issues and suicide prevention, and expanding dental services for uninsured individuals. She has also led numerous public health initiatives and health outreach programs. She holds degrees in Nursing (BSN), Nursing Education (MSN), and Nursing Leadership (PhD) and has more than 21 years of nursing experience. She is a 2026 Presidential Leadership Scholar and serves on the Board of Trustees with the Haywood Health Foundation and is a member of professional organizations including Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity, Sigma theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the Society of Collegiate Leadership and Achievement, and the National Society of Leadership and Success

Eric is a guitar-slinging troubadour. His lyrics paint stories that are introspective and deep—quirky but palatable. His songs feature fresh hooks that somehow draw listeners in like old friends.
Eric has penned the theme song for Drag Race High. His song “Stone’s Throw” is a hit for the Red Clay Strays and is featured on both the Strays’ Moments to Remember (RIAA Certified Gold) and Live at the Ryman albums, as well as on CBS’s hit show The Road. His song “Caddo County” (written with Dave Cobb and the Red Clay Strays) is featured on the 2025 Grammy-nominated and 2025 AMA-nominated Twisters soundtrack.
He is the 2026 Mobile Arts Council Musical Artist of the Year; a 15-time (2010–2024) Lagniappe Awards Solo Musician of the Year; the 2021 Southland Music Line Musician of the Year; a 5-time TRMA Songwriter of the Year; and co-writer of the 2021 TRMA Song of the Year, “The Wave,” and Single of the Year, “Family Tree.”

Erin Hallagan Clare is the founder of Story Parlor, a narrative arts listening room and experiential learning space, as well as co-owner of the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar in Asheville, NC. She is pursuing her PhD in Creativity at Rowan University, focusing on the ontology of story and creativity. With a Masters in Creative Psychology and certifications in creativity coaching, applied mythology, narrative psychology of fairy tales, and the Enneagram, Erin helps others explore the intersection of creativity and story. A writer, storyteller, Moth Story Slam champion, and Emmy-winning producer, she teaches at Story Parlor and UNCA’s Great Smokies Writing Program and leads a biannual Creative Facilitator Training Program. Her work appears in Psychology Today, The Cleveland Review, and more, and she is a contributing author to The Coach’s Guide to Completing Creative Work. She recently launched an online school built on her Inward & Artward Creativity Model.

Kirsten is an Executive Director and senior living leader who believes aging should be rooted in meaning, connection, and possibility. Based in Asheville, NC, she brings over two decades of experience across senior living, healthcare delivery, and organizational leadership, including executive roles in Life Plan Communities, memory care, and nationally recognized Programs of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly. Kirsten is known for integrating values-based leadership with evidence-informed practice—drawing on her background in physical therapy, business administration, and interdisciplinary care to drive culture change, operational excellence, and whole-person wellbeing. She has led startups, campus operations, and turnaround initiatives; managed complex, at-risk health programs; and presented nationally on leadership, wellness, and innovative approaches to elderhood. Kirsten brings both heart and rigor to her work, advancing a more humane and hopeful future for aging services.

Leah has over two decades of experience in community transformation, specializing in participatory evaluation, organizational strategy, and advancing health equity. Her work in rural and underserved communities is rooted in a facilitative approach that centers community wisdom and lived experiences. Throughout her career, Leah has supported national, regional, and local networks to strengthen their evaluation capacity, design inclusive governance systems, and develop adaptive leadership.

In 2025, Leah brought her national work home to Asheville, North Carolina, as Executive Director of Thrive Asheville, an incubator for community ideas. She was also selected as a Collective + Mind Fellow in 2025 to complete a project identifying community ecosystems that foster resilience. Leah remains deeply committed to creating spaces where diverse voices—particularly those often left out of the main discourse—are elevated and valued in shaping healthier, more equitable communities.

Lisa Macon Harrison has served as Local Health Director for Granville and Vance Counties, NC, since 2012, leading at the intersection of public health research, practice, policy, and advocacy. She has advanced rural health and workforce development, established the NC Practice-Based Research Network and Rural Academic Health Department model, directed SEPHLI, and led regional initiatives addressing mental health, substance use, and integrated care. Lisa guided her counties through the COVID-19 response and continues to champion evidence-based approaches. She holds degrees in Public Health, Public Policy, and an MPH from UNC Gillings, and is co-author of 40+ peer-reviewed publications. A past President of the NC Public Health Association and former NACCHO Board member, she also serves with NCIOM, the Rural Justice Collaborative, and NACo’s Opioid Leadership Network. In 2024, she was named NC Health Director of the Year. 

Meghan is a speaker, facilitator, author, and coach who guides people through the liminal space between stories—helping them find their way back to themselves and embody their unique purpose in a changing world. A former psychotherapist with training in somatics, applied neuroscience, and Human Design, she specializes in Imaginal Change: cultivating the capacity to live and lead in the in-between, where old structures are dissolving and what's next has not yet emerged.

Nash Gates is a senior at West Henderson High School and currently serves as an intern with the WNC Health Network, where he supports CHA data aggregation, survey response organization, and interpretation. He values organization, clear communication, and meaningful connection—and he thrives at blending technical precision with strong people skills.

His work has already contributed to projects that advance community health and human-centered innovation. With an eye for detail and a natural ability to engage others, Nash brings both energy and clarity to the teams he works with.

Robert Fields, MD is Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for Beth Israel Lahey Health, leading health care quality, population health and clinical services. In this role, he oversees BILH’s primary care, pharmacy, continuing care, behavioral health, hospital at home, and laboratory services, as well as Beth Israel Lahey Health Performance Network. A board-certified family medicine physician who believes in the value of linking social care to health care, Rob possesses a unique blend of clinical leadership expertise in academic and community-based settings.

Willysha holds a master’s degree in Biological & Biomedical Sciences from North Carolina Central University, specializing in Health Disparity Informatics. During her graduate studies, she development the Metabolic Syndrome Research Resource (MetSRR). This work sparked a lasting focus on informatics & data science. She has held roles spanning academia and public health, including curriculum development and bioinformatics leadership at Fisk University & Data Modernization Director at the North Carolina Division of Public Health, where she led the Centralized Health Equity Data Initiative and helped launch the state’s first Public Health Data Summit. She later served as Senior Advisor for Data Modernization & Informatics at the Public Health Accreditation Board. Willysha currently serves as Chief of Staff for the NCDHHS Health Portfolio under Deputy Secretary Debra Farrington.