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A consent-driven “human library” where people check out The Living Well Brain Trust of award-winning social impact experts as living books—artists, clinicians, entrepreneurs, developers, thought leaders, evaluators, and culture-keepers—to learn through guided conversation, story, and practice. Sessions translate lived wisdom into strategies teams can use right away (policies, programs, facilitation norms, and partnerships).
1.De ne a learning goal (e.g., cultural sustainability, trauma-responsive practice, data equity, cannabis repair).
2.Curate Brain Trust members matched to that goal.
3.Check them out for 1:1, small-group, or whole-team exchanges (60–120 minutes).
4.Harvest insights into concrete next steps (playbooks, norms, MOUs, pilots).
5.Follow through with coaching or a second “story-to-strategy” session.
•Real expertise, not abstractions: You’re learning from practitioners with deep eld experience (e.g., hemp/cannabis entrepreneurship, data scientist, afro futurist, mental health, community health research, media professionals, artist, and cultural sustainability programming).
•Culturally competent + trauma-responsive: Space norms prioritize safety, dignity, and consent—especially for communities impacted by systemic harm.
•From story to systems change: Narratives become policies, facilitation practices, and partnership designs you can implement.
•Portable and modular: Works for cohorts, institutions, and municipalities—on-site or virtual.
Targeted learning: Match the right lived/technical expertise to your team’s exact challenge.
Faster adoption: Hearing how it worked in practice increases buy-in and behavior change.
Network e ects: Each session seeds collaborations (warm hando s, credential bridges, venue partnerships).
Evidence and accountability: Exchanges can include CPAR/data-equity framing, so insights roll into metrics and reporting.
Repair & Cannabis Pathways: Legacy land, hemp/cannabis entrepreneurship, policy literacy, and community healing.
Liberatory Practice & Evaluation: Anti-racist facilitation, organizational change, and outcome design for social impact programs.
Clinical & Healing Arts: Trauma-responsive mental health, somatic/yoga modalities, and culturally grounded wellness practices.
Arts, Culture, and Space-Making: Public programs, storytelling, and cultural sustainability that translate to community engagement strategies.
•A 1-page Action Memo (decisions, next steps, owners, timeline).
•A Working Norms sheet (trauma-responsive, consent-based).
•A Partnership sketch (who contributes what, early KPIs).
•Optional follow-on coaching or a pilot design workshop.
•Teams/institutions needing concrete help with trauma-responsive practice, equity/CPAR, cannabis education & repair, or culture-led community engagement.
•Cohorts seeking rapid, practice-proven insights + collaboration pathways.
Pricing re ects typical ranges and can be supported by scholarships. Multi-session and cohort discounts available.
1:1 or Pair “Reader” Session (60–75 min) · $350–$600 per checkout
Ideal for executives, team leads, or artists-in-residence.
Small Group Exchange (up to 12 participants, 90 min) · $1,200–$2,000
Includes facilitation + Action Memo + resource list.
Team Exchange (13–40 participants, 120 min) · $2,500–$4,500
Includes two Brain Trust books, note-capture, and a Working Norms sheet.
Story - Strategy Workshop (Half-Day) · $5,500–$8,500
Translate insights into pilots: roles, timelines, KPIs, and partnership sketches.
Cohort Series (3–6 sessions, quarterly) · Custom (starts at $12,000)
Blended exchanges + coaching; suited for institutions/municipalities.
Add-ons: Coaching blocks; micro-credential co-badging; evaluation support; scholarship funds for community partners.
Email: admin@livewellbemore.com
Web: livewellbemore.com
Location: Baltimore, MD · Portable (on-site & virtual)
Interested in a custom shelf? We’ll curate Brain Trust books to your audience, goals, and budget—and set up a call to align on outcomes.
Artist, Thought Leader, Craftsman
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER

Ako "Brother Changa" Onyango has been a devoted father and husband since 1997. His extensive experience as a Tradesman and Superintendent undergirds his work as con ict resolution practitioner and nonpro t leadership coach. He relies on the principles of foundation setting, advanced planning and clear, honest communication to drive his practice. A B.S. in Urban Studies, and Nonpro t Leadership, Certi cations in Con ict resolution (2014), Group facilitation (2014), Equity in Leadership training (2017), Spanish Language Fluency (2001) have allowed him to excel in various roles. Brother Changa has served as Executive Director of three non-pro ts, Lead facilitator for several consultant rms, and Thought partner for two Mid-Atlantic Think Tanks. He has an unusual breadth of life experience from Army Intelligence operator(2002) to Professional musician (2008), and back to Craftsman, a catalogue of international travels, and is most revered in his community for his commitment to family. He is focused on enabling the highest level of transparent, productive communication possible to move the needle toward prosperity and peace for the Black community at large. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ako-onyango-72947863/
Artist, Thought Leader, Writer, Developer

André Robinson is CEO of The Robinson Group and a veteran producer/executive across lm, TV, live events, and community initiatives. His portfolio spans DEIB & leadership training, talent/workforce development, and multimedia production. He is executive producer at Carbon-Fibre Media and formerly led Mount Royal CDC, developing Baltimore’s rst innovation district, Innovation Village. He is the Co-Founder of the Stop Oppressive Seizures Fund (SOS) in Baltimore, MD.
Robinson has held senior roles with Belafonte Enterprises, Beloved Community Center, MIST Harlem, the Black Filmmaker Foundation, Roger Furman Theater, and the Lincoln Theatre redevelopment (DC). He’s served as board treasurer for the Innovative Housing Institute. Credits include Fox45’s Good Fellas of Baltimore, co-producing Harlem Week and the Harlem Music Festival, launching McDonald’s Gospelfest, and technical direction for Bishop T.D. Jakes’ MegaFest and Sony Music. He was executive producer at Crossroads Theatre Company for It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues (Tony-recognized). A community and cultural engineer, he’s currently under multi-year contracts with the City of Richmond, CA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-l-robinson-jr-b832b31
Healer, Food Justice, Farmer, Educator Photographer, Artist

Dr. Dominic Nell (he/him), a ectionately called Farmer Nell, is a farmer and the Founder of City Weeds. Dominic’s farming budded from a desire to do something about the vacant lots in the City. A longtime youth counselor and photographer, Dominic’s City Weeds grew from him learning to grow microgreens, seven to 10-day-old vegetable greens with a high nutrient density. Dominic promotes youth empowerment with Be More Green, the storefront for City Weeds’ microgreens, local farm produce, pressed juices, and other natural, grassroots products predominantly made by Black-owned businesses. It also provides the youth a resource space for the iCare Foundation and For My Kidz, which o ers workforce development, and a multi-purpose room, including a science lab for B’More Engaged, which has a Johns Hopkins University association. In addition, City Weeds o ers green food options for Baltimore’s food-insecure neighborhoods through markets, online orders, and pop-ups. Dominic’s brick-and-mortar grocery and community hub is located in the heart of West Baltimore. His life’s work is to change West Baltimore and in uence the youth to control what they eat and create their own destiny.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicnell/
Healer, Social Scientist, Evaluator, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
ARTIST

Dr. Geri Lynn Peak (she/her), Insight Facilitator, promotes proper understanding by identifying authentically meaningful questions; listening to stakeholders' wisdom and needs; applying diverse, customized methods; gathering and mining information with openness and detachment; and presenting ndings in accessible forms, trusting in and helping stakeholders invoke their wisdom to improve their e orts continually. Dr. Peak is a Lead Evaluator and Doctor of Public Health with over 37 years of experience, brings a liberatory lens to evaluation, applied research, facilitation, and coaching through Two Gems Consulting Services and Iona Concepts, Inc. Dr. Peak’s strengthens programs and social innovation by helping communities dismantle dominant system harms, build collective power, drive culturally rich insights, and facilitate individual and collective transformation for the betterment of all. Dr. Peak leverages the Virtues Project™ as restorative meaning-making support, combining them with her evaluative, analytic, and deep listening skills. As a “Spiritual Demographer,” she encourages her clients to transform themselves simultaneously with systems.
https://www.twogemsconsulting.com/who-we-are
Thought Leader, Real Estate, Developer, Social Designer and Impact

Gina Merritt, MBA (she/her) is a principal at Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures and founder of Project Community Capital. Dr. Merritt has exceptionally high standards for herself. Dr. Merritt has had to overcome signi cant personal challenges as a young person losing her mother at 13 and having a father with substance abuse challenges. These obstacles created a drive in her that created her distinct level of ambition and high ideals. Dr. Merritt made her way to a top undergraduate and graduate school while working on wall street in between in a role of signi cant responsibility. When presented with the opportunity to return to Wall Street, she chose another challenging path for a woman of color: commercial real estate. Dr. Merritt’s career in real estate has spanned 20 years. Dr. Merritt has demonstrated success by working with some of the country’s most prominent real estate developers who choose to work with a Black female developer–not because she is a Black female but because she is a technical expert in her eld. Dr. Merritt’s expertise is constantly challenged as she operates in a primarily male and mostly white industry. However, these challenges to her integrity and expertise do not intimidate her - she continues to demonstrate through her passion and technical knowledge that Black women can lead in real estate and business. As a result, Dr. Merritt has won numerous real estate and business awards, illuminating her determination to be successful and industry leaders’ recognition of this success. https://nreuv.com/index.php/home/the-team/
Healer, Mental Health Clinician, Agnihortra , Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
ARTIST

W. Henry Gregory, Jr., Ph.D. (he/him), is a clinical psychologist with a wealth of experience and is an retired assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Dr. Gregory has expertise as a clinician, educator, trainer, consultant, and researcher in several service areas, including substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, criminal justice, juvenile justice, child welfare, school-based mental health, and behavioral health. Dr. Gregory is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Dr. Gregory also has served as the associate director for the University of Maryland Baltimore County Department of Psychology’s Center for Community Collaboration. In addition, he was the Cultural Competence Coordinator for MD CARES, a Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration-funded system of care, and a trainer/mentor for Georgetown University’s National Center for Cultural Competence. As a constructivist, Dr. Gregory passionately believes that we create our destiny by thinking about ourselves and our circumstances. To this end, he believes that focusing on strengths, competencies, and resilience will revolutionize the mental health eld.
https://ra kiconsortium.com/about-us
DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC
Healer, Nurse Practitioner, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
Empathy Wellness Center
ARTIST

Ine Saka, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC is a double board-certi ed Family Practice and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and the founder of Empathy Wellness Center. Her whole-person approach goes beyond prescriptions—integrating mind, body, and lifestyle—to treat anxiety, depression, and ADHD with evidence-based medication management plus supportive strategies for nutrition, sleep, and stress. Licensed in Virginia and Maryland, Dr. Saka creates a safe, compassionate space where clients feel heard and supported while building balance, resilience, and lasting wellness.
Services include: Psychiatric mental health care (diagnosis & medication management), Youth Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Medical Cannabis Consultation (evidence-informed and state-compliant).
https://www.empathywellnesscenter.org/
Writer, Editor, Interior Designer, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
ARTIST

Janelle Williams Hughes (she/her) is an interior designer, writer, and co-founder of Detail Theory Studio (USVI), shaping soulful spaces that blend Caribbean sensibility with modern craft. Based between the Virgin Islands and Baltimore, she also co-owns KJ Design & Mortar Styling LLC, a home staging and interior design rm. Her work has been featured in Apartment Therapy, and she serves on the House Beautiful Advisory Council. In 2020, Janelle launched #shareblackspaces, a campaign amplifying designers of color worldwide.
A versatile communicator, Janelle’s writing has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Black Enterprise, Shop Smart/Consumer Reports, Heart & Soul, and Harvard University’s Transition Magazine online. She has supported communications, design, and program initiatives for multiple U.S. federal agencies, including HHS/ACF, SAMHSA, NIH, the Department of Education, HUD, and DOT. Janelle holds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University and an M.A. in Publications Design from the University of Baltimore.
https://detailtheorystudio.com/
Afrofuturist, Technologist, Author, Artist , Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
Blk Robot Project

Jason Harris (he/him) is a Baltimore-based futurist, educator, and cultural activist. Jason founded and facilitated the BlkRobot Project, a long-term educational art e ort designed to place multi-functional art of scale and 21st-century learning in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Jason has spent 20 years working as an Information Technology (IT) professional and the past 18 years building his practice as a writer, futurist, and artist in Baltimore City. During Jason’s IT career, he worked as a full-time employee and contractor for information technology rms, performing various tasks that included working in schools implementing and supporting classroom and media center technology.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-harris-14955821/
Agricultural Policy, Industrial Hemp Production, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
Piedmont Harvest
Keith Parker (he/him) is the founder and CEO of Piedmont Harvest, a purpose-driven industrial hemp company born from his journey as a U.S. Army Field Artillery o cer seeking nature-based healing. A Washington, DC native shaped by Greensboro, NC, he earned his degree from North Carolina A&T State University (HBCU), served over two decades, and ultimately turned to hemp’s therapeutic and industrial potential—work that became the backbone of Piedmont Hemp Co.
Under Parker’s leadership, the company advances Black land retention and rural wealth—educating farmers, partnering with HBCUs, and growing a portfolio of 20+ hemp-based products. His family farm secured a state pilot grower license in 2017; in 2019 he and COO Tasha Parker expanded into hemp-infused nutraceuticals. A continuous learner, he completed Texas A&M’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) in 2022 and multiple accelerators, and remains deeply involved in service through Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Ebenezer AME Church.

Social Design Innovator, Public Health Researcher, Organizational Development, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER

Maurissa Stone is a thought leader, organizational development consultant, community-arts design consultant, and social entrepreneur with 30+ years of cross-sector impact. Since 2009, she has stewarded The Living Well Center for Social & Economic Vibrancy as a trusted third space for healing, cultural sustainability, and economic empowerment in Baltimore, where she serves as Director of Innovation. She is founder/CEO of Iona Concepts, Inc. (training & change management) and Chief Equity Impact Analyst for Fight Blight Bmore.
Maurissa has taught in Greater Baltimore Culture Alliance’s Urban Arts Leadership Fellowship, and founded The Black Canni, a healing-centered equity initiative supporting cannabis education. She is the Maryland Co-State Director for Minorities for Medical Marijuanna She is an alumna of Lincoln University, the Center for Creative Leadership, and the A.K. Rice Institute, she is dedicated to dismantling structural racism and disrupting the social determinants of health—while grounding her work in healing practices, reading, and travel. She is a 2025-26 Drs. Elmer and Joanne Martin Fellow, a program of Cllitvly Fellowship and studying in University of Pennsylvania Center for Social Impact Strategy certi cate program.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maurissa-stone-592b039/
Herbalist, Healer, Artist, Museum Curator, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
ARTIST

Socially engaged artist Mēlani N. Douglass is the founder of the award-winning Family Arts Museum - a migratory institution focused on the celebration of family as ne art, home as curated space, and community as gallery. Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Mēlani started her own museum reimagined her studio practice, and re ned her innovative approach to community engagement, audience development, and exhibition design.
Mēlani currently serves as a consultant on numerous projects. She is the East of the River Artist in Residence, A DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities fellow as well as a Humanities DC Fellow Her work has been highlighted by the New York Times, Atlas Obscura, Shondaland, Bmore Art, American Museum Alliance Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, Artnet, and National Geographic.
https://reclamation.nmwa.org/meet-the-artists/melani-n-douglass/
Healer, Artist Social and Public Health Researcher, Food Justice Activist, Producer
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
ARTIST

Nicola Uatuva (she/her) is a daughter of the African diaspora from immigrants that ed South African Apartheid to the US in the late 80s. Nicola’s interest and practice are a multidisciplinary and collaborative exploration of culinary nutrition, community wellness programs, and community-based participatory research on food security and community activation during the pandemic. Nicola has over a decade of experience working in coordinating and teaching capacities with organizations across Baltimore, such as The Institute for Integrative Health, Living Classrooms Foundation, and The Living Well Center for Social and Economic Vibrancy. In addition, Nicola has worked with students K -12 in the Baltimore City public school system, trained medical school students at the University of Maryland, and led bulk cooking programs with community members in workshop settings (Five Times a Feast). Nicola is a 2021 Bunting Neighborhood Leadership Program Fellow alum and co-coordinator of Project Healthy Communities, a collaborative community wellness walk initiative that connects community members to resources and informal chats with doctors at Lake Montebello in Northeast Baltimore. Nicola also works with a team to build an inter-institutional research partnership with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, Morgan State University, and Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-uatuva-a3790857/
Artist, Social Scientist, Data Strategist, Healer, Producer, Developer, Thought Leader

SOS Fund | Fight Blight Bmore
Nneka N’Namdi (she/her) is CEO & Founder of Fight Blight Bmore and the S.O.S. Fund, and COO of N’namdi Consulting, LLC—a Baltimore techno-artivist and licensed real estate agent advancing communalism and community wellness. With 20+ years in technology, she blends software development, project management, and liberatory practice with arts and healing. She launched Fight Blight Bmore (2016), a platform empowering resident to identify, report, and analyze blight. She is a co-founder of the S.O.S. (Stop Oppressive Seizures Fund) where she mobilizes resources for community-led repair, housing stabilization, and anti-displacement. Her training includes Trauma-Informed Care, initiation in Ifa, and a Master’s in Management (Organizational Leadership). A graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Morgan State University.
https://www. ghtblightbmore.com/nnekannamdi-fbb-founder
Artist, Healer, Thought Leader

Saddi Khali’s (he/him) trials and transience mark his faithful walk from writer to producer and image evangelist. Displaced overnight by Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans native returned unsheltered and untethered to his beloved community of 30 years, realizing that despite all this -- “I’m okay.” Saddi’s ascension is not a portrait of loss, but a portrait of faith and faith’s labor. Saddi has been featured in exhibitions worldwide, including Rush Arts Gallery in New York and the Coast Gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2014, he was Polk State College’s inaugural Artist-In-Residence and coproduced the historical fantasy short lm “ASE,” shot on location in Nigeria. An acclaimed poet and performer, he has also been featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and the Apollo Theater’s Salon Series and published in over 30 anthologies and journals. Crediting distinctly southern yet unapologetic traditions in their aesthetic, Saddi continues to craft a bold and brash brand of art and art practices through his exploration of vulnerability and courage as he invites viewers to welcome the possibilities that arise when they choose both. Saddi stakes claim to a healing arts renaissance through this listening lens, which fearlessly intends to restore Black love and beauty.
https://saddikhali.com/about/

Artist Producer, Writer, Media, Film maker, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
Indigo Creative Works | Black Broadway on U.
ARTIST

Shellée M. Haynesworth (she/her/hers) is an award-winning multimedia maker, brand builder, and storyteller and is the lead creative force of Indigo Creative Works, LLC. An experienced and proven production leader whose creative and professional ethos is fueled and inspired by her belief that“Creativity can have a powerful and transformative e ect — on humanity” Shellée has a demonstrated history of crafting and managing thought-provoking stories and content in whatever format and medium best ts the story.
She has lmed productions across the United States and internationally to produce and develop compelling long and short content for an array of clients, including Meta/Facebook, Robinhood, Everytown for Gun Safety, Smithsonian Institution, USAID, DCTV, Gates Foundation, PBS, AD Council, Black Entertainment Television, The Kennedy Center, Black Entertainment Television, TV One, Whitman Walker Health, HBO/Time-Warner, among others. Her recent producing credits include Black Broadway on U: A Transmedia Project, NMAAHC Digital Treasures: Daufuskie Island and Beyond!, Fierceness Served! The ENIKAlley Co eehouse (independent Black LGTBQ documentary), Roland Martin Presents We Got Next: An Intergenerational Dialogue (six-part limited series for Meta/Facebook), and The $even Dollar Return (education/social impact documentary).
Her recent honors include the D.C. O ce of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment’s February 2019 Filmmaker of the Month. She is a past fellow of the Black Public Media’s 360+ Incubator and past president of Women in Film and Video in Washington, DC. She is a proud member of the Brown Girl Doc Ma a and an Advisory Board member of Women in Film & Video (DC Chapter). She graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleemhaynesworth/
Thought Leader, Strategist, Writer/Editor

Ti ani Truss (she/her), who believes "our most important task as a nation is to make sure all our young people can achieve their dreams," is the Senior Manager of Youth and Young Adult Workforce Strategies at Baltimore's Promise, playing a pivotal role in supporting workforce systems partners to advance a more coordinated system of support for youth and young adults in Baltimore. Ti ani started her career in workforce development as a college intern at the Mayor's O ce of Employment Development's Eastside Career Center. Ti ani progressed as a Program Director at JARC-Baltimore, and, most recently, as a Workforce Strategist at the Associated Black Charities. As a rst-generation college graduate, Ti ani's passion for understanding the local workforce grew with her personal experience navigating the education and workforce systems. Ti ani holds an M.S. in Human Services Administration from the University of Baltimore and a B.S. in Human Services from Stevenson University. Ti ani is passionate about supporting both new career professionals and young career-seekers. In addition, she is committed to service in the Baltimore area and Frederick, MD, as a proud Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated member. Ti ani was raised in Virginia Beach, VA, but grew up in Baltimore, MD. Ti ani enjoys spending time with her family, raising her daughter, reading a book, and singing karaoke in her spare time.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ti anitruss/
Healer, Social Impact Leader, Yoga Certification, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER
Victorious Ones LLC
ARTIST

Teniyah Kaishutsau (aka Tameka Gray) is the Executive Director of Park Heights Community Health Alliance, dedicated to healing and empowerment through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. With nearly a decade of trauma-informed teaching, she brings compassionate leadership to underserved communities—especially in Park Heights—designing transformative programs for individuals, families, and organizations. Tameka specializes in Vinyasa, Restorative, Yin, Kemetic Yoga, and Yoga Nidra, and is a Certi ed Health Specialist (since 2005). She also serves as a liaison to The Living Well Center for Social & Economic Vibrancy, bridging partners and programming across wellness, arts, and social-impact initiatives, and is the founder of Victorious Ones, a purpose-driven enterprise advancing people and projects with practical support and accountability. Her mission is to create safe spaces for healing, growth, and purposeful living—centering practices that restore balance, build resilience, and cultivate community.
https://www.victoriousonesllc.com/
Author, Artist, Educator, Thought Leader
THOUGHT LEADER HEALER

Tracie Marie Jiggetts (she/her) is a highly acclaimed Interdisciplinary Artist from Baltimore, Maryland, who specializes in Dance, Acting, Musical Theatre, Movement for Actors, Acting for Dancers, and Solo Performance. An award-winning Arts Educator, Playwright, and Director, Tracie is a graduate of Coppin State University and founder of the Art of Truth, an arts organization committed to Human and Community Development through the Performing Arts. Tracie believes that making and experiencing art is revolutionary! https://theartoftruth.org/
