Our Staff

Director, Development & Communications

  • Pronouns: She/Her

    Location: The ancestral lands of the Lenape and Munsee people, today known as Northern NJ.

    My Superhero Is: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

    As the Development Director, Laurel supports the growth and sustainability of LoveYourBrain's operations by planning, implementing, and overseeing all fundraising activities for the Foundation. She brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit development, working for a variety of resilience-focused organizations including Outward Bound USA, the Ms. Foundation for Women, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and Edible Schoolyard NYC. Laurel has a passion for brain health education, a strong belief in the healing power of mindful movement, and a deep appreciation for the work and vision of LoveYourBrain. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and feels fortunate to use her strengths as a writer to bring light to the invisibility of TBI.

Senior Director, Programs & Research

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Location: The ancestral lands of the Abenaki people, today known as Vermont

    My Superhero Is: Anyone who leans into adversity for learning and growth. 

    Kyla serves as the Senior Director of Programs and Research, overseeing the design, implementation, and evaluation of LoveYourBrain programs on a large scale. She has been part of the Pearce family for years, and, following Kevin's accident, played an integral role in the launch of LoveYourBrain. By turning inward through yoga, Kyla believes we learn to be with our whole selves with greater compassion, which is fundamental to wellbeing and inspiring positive social change. Kyla has blended her expertise as a yoga and mindfulness teacher and practitioner, researcher, and advocate to develop evidence-based, TBI-centered yoga curricula, which she trains yoga teachers and clinicians to deliver through yoga studios and health care facilities across the United States and Canada. She teaches the LoveYourBrain Yoga and Mindset programs and co-facilitates LoveYourBrain Retreats across the country. She recently completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Dartmouth College investigating the impact of yoga and meditation for people with neurological conditions. 

  • Pronouns: he/him

    As the Salesforce Admin for LoveYourBrain, Eli oversees CRM operations to ensure efficient data management. Eli has expertise in systems design and innovation, which he applies to mission-driven organizations to maximize their impact.

Salesforce Admin

Program Manager

  • Pronouns: she/her

    Location: The ancestral lands of the Abenaki, Wabanaki, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Mi'kmaq peoples, today known as Maine

    My Superhero Is: anyone who turns toward uncertainty and change with curiosity and a light heart, even if only for the smallest moments.

    Elizabeth spearheads the implementation and expansion of our Retreat program while supporting organization-wide fundraising efforts. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Writing and a Master’s degree in Education, and is a registered yoga teacher and certified mindful educator. Elizabeth has previously worked in diverse education and nonprofit spaces supporting the social emotional growth of young people and professional educators through movement, mindfulness education, nature-based interventions, and community care practices. These practices have taught her the value of perpetual studentship and encouraged her to explore with genuine curiosity what lies beyond the edges we so often believe define us. She is grateful to support others on their own paths of personal discovery as a part of the LoveYourBrain community.

Program Manager

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Location: The ancestral lands of the Nahaganset (Narragansett), Wôpanâak (Wampanoag), and Pauquunaukit (Pokanoket) peoples today known as Rhode Island.

    My Superhero is: My grandma, “Nummie”, for her intelligence, humor, grit, and grace; along with the people - known and unknown to me - who make an impact on the world simply by being their authentic, resilient, and compassionate selves!

    As the Program Manager for LYB Mindset, Trainings, and Outreach, Lauren oversees the execution, growth, and quality of these programs. She mentors our large network of Facilitators to engage and empower them to skillfully delivery our research-backed curriculum. Lauren is an experienced yoga and meditation teacher and practitioner, an End of Life and Bereavement Doula, and health promotion specialist. She earned her Master of Science in Global Mental Health from King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She’s connected to and inspired by LoveYourBrain’s mission. Lauren is deeply passionate about health equity and social justice, mindfulness-based intervention research, expressive arts, and taking a holistic approach to wellbeing. She is grateful to serve the LoveYourBrain community.

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Location: The ancestral lands of the Mvskoke or Muscogee people, today known as Greenville, South Carolina.

    My Superhero is: my son, who introduced me to a depth of joy and love I had never known and reminds me to never stop asking questions… and playing!

    As the Program Coordinator, Bridget oversees the program administration and operations of core LYB programs to support sustainability, quality, and growth. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is an ERYT-500. In addition to teaching yoga since 2015, Bridget has extensive experience in developing yoga teacher training curricula, as well as facilitating training programs. With a profound belief in the transformative power of yoga, she is dedicated to cultivating inclusive environments that embrace individuals of diverse backgrounds. More than anything, she aims to cultivate accessibility and equity within the yoga community, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience its healing capacity.

Program Coordinator

  • Pronouns: she, her, hers

    Location: The ancestral lands of the Cheyenne, Ute, and Sioux people, today known as Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

    My Superheros are my mom and my grandma 

    Courtney has been part of the LoveYourBrain family since its inception, contributing to the design and execution of products. She brings expertise in graphic design and project management.

Design and Product

  • Pronouns: she/her

    Location: The ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux) peoples, today known as Denver, CO.

    My Superhero Is: Anyone who lives courageously, compassionately, and open in heart & mind to the full spectrum of life.

    Credentials: E-RYT 300, YACEP, Meditation Teacher

    As the Communications & Social Media Manager Rachel has been teaching yoga, meditation & breath work since 2016, and intimately knows the power of such practices. She has also worked for companies such as lululemon and Hipcamp in content creation, storytelling, and brand management. Most recently created her own teaching business, Space to Breathe, bringing with her a passion and understanding for creating quality service, content, and brand resonance. Blending her deep love for yoga, mindful living, and nourishing community, with expertise in content creation, brand storytelling, and management, Rachel serves to ensure that those who have been affected by traumatic brain injury gain access to the support LoveYourBrain offers and are better able to live a fulfilling, joyful, and connected life.

Communications & Social Media Manager

  • Pronouns: she, her, hers

    Native Land Acknowledgement and Today-Known-As Location: The ancestral land of the Massachusett and their neighbors the Wampanoag, and Nipmuc Peoples, now known as Boston, Massachusetts.

    My Superhero Is: my mom

    Jackie serves as the Manager of the Clinical Affiliate program where she integrates her expertise as a clinician, yoga teacher, and teacher trainer. She manages partnerships with clinical facilities offering the LoveYourBrain Yoga program across the U.S. and Canada. Jackie has been teaching LoveYourBrain Yoga in Boston since 2016 as well as co-leading LoveYourBrain Yoga trainings for teachers and health professionals since 2017. As a clinician, she has experience working in both inpatient and outpatient neurological rehabilitation as well as community-based psychiatric rehabilitation. She is passionate about offering holistic rehabilitation services that integrate traditional therapy with yoga and meditation, as well as providing clinicians with the tools to offer this approach in their respective settings.

Program Manager