LeeAnna  Maniace began her dance training in Batavia, NY, studying ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary dance for 16 years. Her introduction to yoga opened the door to a practice that connected physical movement with spiritual well-being, and she went on to train in Anusara, Baptiste, and Ashtanga/Vinyasa yoga.

After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Health and Wellness from the University at Buffalo, LeeAnna moved to the Catskills, where she founded Sprouting Dreams Farm, a small organic vegetable farm in Liberty, NY. With over a decade of yoga training and teaching experience, she now owns The Yoga Space Catskills at her farm, where she shares her passion for movement, health, and well-being through creative alignment-based Vinyasa and restorative yoga.

Dawn Leas is the author of A Person Worth Knowing (Foothills Publishing), Take Something When You Go (Winter Goose Publishing), and I Know When to Keep Quiet (Finishing Line Press). Her poetry has appeared in Literary Mama, The Pedestal Magazine, SWWIM, New York Quarterly, The Paterson Literary Review, Wild Roof Journal, and elsewhere. In addition to being the part-time coordinator in the Maslow Family Graduate Creative Writing Program, she’s a writing coach, editor arts educator, and mother.

Heather Houskeeper "The Botanical Hiker" is an herbalist and forest therapy guide, long-distance hiker, and author. Since 2010 Heather has professionally guided others into the natural world through seminars, workshops. She is the founder of the School of Plant and Place Connection, an in-person herbal medicine school located in Milford, Pa. Heather has hiked thousands of miles, including the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, exploring, identifying, foraging plants along the way. She is the author of three trail-inspired books about wild edible and medicinal plants and the Wild Food columnist for Dirt Magazine. Heather believes that plants are the conduit for connection to the living world, and that by attuning to nature, we can foster individual and collective wellness.  

Candace Rivela is the Director of Creative Programs at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, where she has helped develop and expand arts-based education and community programming since joining the organization in 2018. She holds a BS in Fine Arts from SUNY New Paltz and a Master’s in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute. A nationally licensed and board-certified Creative Arts Therapist with more than 16 years of clinical experience, Candace specializes in using the arts to foster creativity, connection, and well-being.

Previously, Candace served as a Creative Arts Therapist and Director of Recreation at Housing Works, Inc., a New York City nonprofit. At Bethel Woods, she oversees creative and education programs, manages the teaching artist cohort, and develops community partnerships and arts-based wellness initiatives. Her work includes the development of the Sensory-Friendly Museum program and partnerships with the Alzheimer’s Association, Fearless! Hudson Valley, Inc., and local schools.

Nia Brown is a self-taught mosaic and fluid artist whose work explores creativity as a tool for connection, healing, and empowerment. Working professionally since 2014, they create across mediums including mosaic, paint pouring, resin, and collage. As a teaching artist, Nia designs and leads accessible, hands-on workshops for all ages, blending skill-building with art therapy–inspired practices. Their work focuses on fostering creativity, reflection, and community through inclusive, engaging art experiences.

Danielle Gaebel is the founder and executive director of Superfine Synergy, a trauma-informed nonprofit supporting women through somatic healing, nervous system regulation, and community care. Through conscious movement, ritual, and body-based practices, she creates inclusive spaces where women can release stored stress, reconnect with their bodies, and rediscover resilience, wisdom, and joy.

Rooted in her own healing journey, Danielle’s work centers on restoring safety, choice, and connection through compassionate, body-centered practices. She is a certified JourneyDance® Facilitator, Mindset Coach, NLP and Hypnosis Practitioner, Moonologer, Kundalini Dance Facilitator, Yoga Nidra guide, and Trauma-Informed Practitioner, and is deeply committed to making healing accessible and supportive for all women.

Natalia Zukerman is a Hudson Valley–based musician, painter, and educator. A solo touring artist since 2005, she has released eight independent albums, with music featured on The L Word and Chasing Life, and has composed for projects with Yeshiva University and Harvard. In addition to her music career, she creates murals, illustrates children’s books, and teaches songwriting across the U.S. and Canada. Named a Cultural Diplomat by the U.S. Department of State in 2017, she has performed and led workshops internationally, and developed her multimedia show The Women Who Rode Away during a residency at The Cell Theatre in New York City.