Dara Ackerman

(she/her)

Big-Hearted Facilitator

Dara grew up performing in music, theater and dance. She also played the role of peacemaker quite a bit between friends and family members but had trouble speaking up for herself. All of this informs her theatrical facilitation style and why she loves to help cultivate empathy, ally-ship and communication skills in young people.

“I love this work. The incredibly insightful content, the amazingly fun yet surprisingly deep facilitation style we are trained in… As I empower students to become leaders in caring and love for each other, I become increasingly empowered in my own life.”

In her mid-20s, Dara moved to India to study meditation and do service work in the Tibetan exile community. While studying with the Dalai Lama, her heart caught fire with a desire for peace in the world.

When she moved back to the Bay and discovered Soul Shoppe, she learned she could channel this fire into training thousands of young people to be Peacemakers in their own schools, at home and beyond.

“I feel so lucky to have found my way here. Honestly, this is the work of my heart and fills me with happiness beyond description every day. I like to write songs about it all too… and I can be found performing in a wild art-nerd-rock band on the weekends.”

Rhyan Ramirez

(he/him)

Big-Hearted Facilitator

Rhyan has over 15 years of experience working with teens in his community in many capacities, from peer and young adult leader to youth minister. He’s also a youth motivational speaker, working to help teens understand the value of having healthy relationships in their lives.

Rhyan combines his personal experiences with his passion for helping kids have healthy relationships with their friends, parents, relatives and with themselves. “Aim for the heart and the head will follow,” he says. “I consider myself to be a heart first person, allowing me to connect with the hearts of my students before their minds. I believe that our heart muscle should be just as strong as our brain muscle.”

Monica Doherty

Big-Hearted Facilitator

Monica dreams of living in a world that’s supportive of all people living happily, equitably and peacefully; a world in which all people not only feel safe, loved and celebrated for their unique selves but where they actually ARE safe, loved and celebrated in their lives.

She believes deeply in the Soul Shoppe lessons and experiences and the depth of inclusivity and belonging they can cultivate. For nearly two decades, she’s witnessed the powerful impact of this work and is committed to creating a peaceful, fun and happy life together!

Monica’s a Bay Area native and has produced socio-emotional programs with Challenge Day and The Be the Change Movement for over 14 years, taught dance and theatre at various performing arts academies and facilitated I.BE.Me youth empowerment workshops.

She leverages that experience with her educational background in Sociology, Ethnics Studies, Inclusive and Social Justice Performance and Nonprofit Management, which inform her commitment to equity, accessibility and liberation.

Often sought out for her peacemaking nature in personal relationships, she’s grateful to be sharing her heart with Soul Shoppe.

“My fun and happy life includes going on adventures with my spouse, traveling near and far, dancing and singing my way around the world, being curious and learning new things, performing in musical theatre productions, dressing up in costumes any time of the year, connecting and laughing with family and friends, being a ‘guidemother’ to five amazing young people and playing and snuggling with my nephew. When I asked him what he thought I should say in my bio for Soul Shoppe, he said ‘You love kids. That’s all.’ It’s true!”

Anthony Jackson

(he/him)

School Care and Facilitator Coordinator

Anthony has worked with youth in many capacities for over 25 years. As a counselor, instructor and facilitator, he’s developed and implemented life-changing programs and curricula. Certified in Multicultural Awareness for the Helping Professions, he’s adept in resiliency models, VARK learning strategies, generationally relevant material and cultural sensitivity.

it’s important to him that diversity and inclusion be part of everyday life. “Soul Shoppe is in alignment with my desire to positively impact the world by embracing our differences and honoring the importance of the empathy and compassion humans need to feel and share in order to have a fun and happy life.”

Anthony has worked with thousands of kids faced with common, day-to-day challenges as well as those affected by poor economic circumstances. He’s an author and activist for Cultural Relativism and liberation. He received a Martin & Malcolm Award for philanthropy.

“I love animation, art, writing, nature and anthropology. I love having the opportunity to utilize some of these things I love as the Lead Illustrator for Soul Shoppe workshops. Living in the diversity of the Bay Area, it’s important to me that the kids can see themselves in my illustrations and facilitation.”

Jillian Sequeira

(she/her)

Program Administrative Manager

Jillian has delivered social emotional learning programs to schools across the country, bringing safety and joy to conversations about mental health. As a young person, Jilliaan was passionate about the intersection of art and activism, fascinated by how creative expression helps us better understand each other.

After studying how and why young people get drawn into violence at the London School of Economics, she worked in violence prevention at Sandy Hook Promise, delivering programming to thousands of teachers and teens across East Bay and beyond. She then shifted into the afterschool space at Ever Scouts, a program that taught elementary schoolers how to advocate for themselves and build healthy relationships with their classmates.

Having worked as both an in-classroom instructor and a behind-the-scenes program manager, Jillian’s number one priority is sharing lessons that are a blast for students and a cinch for teachers.

Soul Shoppe is a place where she can help make vulnerability and honesty feel less like a frightening leap and more like a comfortable, natural step we take together.

Today, Jillian still finds joy in all the greatest hits of her elementary school art classroom: collage, acrylic painting, and of course, pipe cleaner creatures.