SYHAYA AVIEL
Syhaya Aviel is a creative multi-hyphenate and co-founder of The Balance Factory Wellness Sanctuary, where she curates immersive wellness experiences rooted in movement, yoga, meditation, and energy work. With a background in the performing arts, her offerings invite deep release, reconnection, and alignment.
R. C. CUNNINGHAM
Rahmad Cunningham (RC) is a LA native who has been enjoying yoga for a little over a decade–– off and on at first––but over time his commitment to the practice grew. He found the balance and restorative elements of yoga increase one's ability to cope, feel grounded, and connect to oneself. In 2020, those realizations led RC to get certified in Rocket Yoga, and he has been teaching happily ever since. RC aims to foster freedom, grace, and safety during the practice; and, he also hopes to cultivate a foundational understanding of yoga and its benefits to all, especially Black men and the broader BIPOC collective.
DAUNTÉ NABI FYALL
Daunté Nabi Fyall is the Founder and Artistic Director of DAANSEKOU (Dance+Wisdom) Cultural Arts & Wellness Collective, a grassroots organization in Southern California dedicated to preserving and sharing West African dance, drumming, and holistic wellness practices. A professional West African dancer and choreographer, he also serves as a Professor at UC San Diego, where he teaches courses on cultural art forms and movement. Through DAANSEKOU, Daunté creates accessible spaces for healing, community connection, and celebration. He is passionate about using wisdom, rhythm and movement as tools to activate presence, emotional release, and collective joy.
DEREK GARLINGTON
Derek Garlington is a multidisciplinary artist and healer through the modalities of movement, sound and storytelling. As 2x MMA Champion and yoga instructor, he’s blended the two forms into his own FlowFighting practice, Martial Asana. He is a wellness entrepreneur who has alchemized his unique talents in a variety of ways to enrich our presence with the human experiences.
DILAN KAYA
‘Dilan Kaya (she/her) is a trauma-informed movement professional specializing in yoga and reformer pilates, as well as breathwork and mindfulness, with over eight years of teaching experience. In 2022, she founded the Peace For All collective to expand access to wellness practices for QTBIPOC communities.
Dilan is a passionate advocate for decolonizing wellness, collective care, queer joy, and radical inclusion in wellness spaces. Through her teaching, she creates environments where queer bodies feel safe, supported, and celebrated.’
KALA LACY, LMFT & CYT
Macala “Kala” Lacy, LMFT & CYT (she/they) is a yoga-psychotherapist who works with historically marginalized communities across the country to provide education of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness. In addition to serving as a mental health therapist, Kala is the founder of The Well Healing, a culturally compassionate resource dedicated to providing trauma-informed holistic health services for Black and LGBTQIA+ people of color.
AARON MASON, LMFT
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience in the field of mental health. My practice is grounded in the theories of Cognitive behavioral and Psychodynamic therapies, and I am also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Even more foundational to my practice is the Person-Centered approach I take with clients, as I truly believe that the therapeutic relationship is the bedrock of treatment and the change process.
My practice is also greatly informed by my practice of Mindful Self-Compassion and Zen Buddhism. As a dancer/ movement artist and certified trauma informed yoga practitioner, I also center the body in the therapeutic process. This vessel holds the totality of our experience and can serve as a deep well of wisdom when we learn to be in a healthy relationship with it. Lastly, I have been a facilitator with A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) for nearly eight years and incorporate their art workshops into my individual and group therapy as a creative tool for processing through trauma.
While psychotherapy can be viewed in many ways, one way that I view it is a safe space where people can explore the patterning of their lives and decide what does and does not serve them. Once this awareness is established, I collaborate with clients to explore how we might begin to practice new more intentional patterning which helps them to live a life that is in greater alignment with their core values. I feel incredibly honored and find a deep sense of purpose and meaning to do the work that I do for the community of Queer and Trans folks of color that we serve at REACH LA.
Favorite Self Care Activity: Dance! Especially that of the African diaspora i.e. West-African, Jamaican Dancehall, and House Dance
Favorite Guiltless Pleasure: 8pc wings, half mild, half lemon pepper and seasoned fries from Wingstop
Favorite Queer Icon: James Baldwin
BRITTANY MIRANDA
With a lifelong passion for creative movement and the mind-body connection, Brittany brings energy, expertise, and heart to every experience she curates. She held the title of professional dancer before diving deep into the world of health and wellness.
Her approach blends the power of yoga, meditation, assisted stretching, and manual therapy to help clients move better, feel stronger, and live with more ease.
Whether you’re stepping onto the mat for the first time or looking to deepen your practice, Brittany’s personalized approach will meet you where you are. She believes movement is medicine and is here to guide you toward balance, strength, and a body that feels amazing.
Drawing on experiences from her own healing journey and academic understanding of movement, meditation, and therapeutic strategies, Brittany seamlessly integrates these elements to provide holistic care and knowledge to her clients. This unique skill set has empowered Brittany to offer personalized relief to all her clients, fostering a sense of trust and well being in every therapeutic encounter.
RITA ORTIZ
Mexican born , raised in south Los Angeles Rita has had a passion for making yoga accessible to her Spanish speaking community for the past 10 years.
Rita is a cofounder of The Tree Yoga Cooperative, offering accessible yoga class and workshops in South Central L.A.
She is an avid student of Toltec philosophy and teaches Kinam, a psychophysical practice of Toltec origin (cultures of ancient Mexico/Anahuac) that seeks to harmonize body, mind, and spirit through power postures, breathing exercises, and mindfulness.
An Army veteran, breast cancer survivor & 40+ year resident of South Central Los Angeles, she embraces and loves her sometimes rough and misunderstood community,
SAFIA PULLIAM
Meet Safia Pulliam the founder, Find Your Lite.
As a Wellness Coach, Sound Healer, and Mindful Movement Instructor, Safia guides clients toward deeper self-care, balance, and joy. Her approach blends beauty, mindfulness, and healing practices to create spaces where women can feel nurtured, empowered, and seen.
Through Find Your Lite Wellness & Beauty, Safia continues to share her passion for helping others radiate from the inside out—because wellness is not a luxury, it’s a way of life.
MALACHI RIVERS
The 2026 Renaissance Visionary
Malachi Rivers is a powerhouse creator whose work defines the modern “Renaissance Artist”. A Prince George’s County, Maryland native honed by rigorous professional training in New York City, Rivers has evolved from a celebrated spoken-word poet into an elite actor, award-winning screenwriter, and GRAMMY®-nominated album featured artist. He seamlessly bridges the raw innovation of the downtown arts scene with the highest echelons of global entertainment.
The 2026 Grammy Milestone Rivers enters 2026 with a defining career honor: he is a GRAMMY®-nominated album featured artist and songwriter.
His contribution is pivotal to poet Queen Sheba’s 3x GRAMMY®-nominated masterpiece, A Hurricane in Heels, currently contending for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. Their powerhouse collaboration, “Choice,” which Malachi co-wrote and performs on, is the emotional centerpiece of Sheba’s project and serves as a standout track on Malachi’s own debut album, No Signal, Vol. 1.
The Award-Winning Actor & Creator On screen, Malachi is a force of narrative precision. His acclaimed digital series, Moments, established him as a triple threat in the independent television landscape.
In 2024, Malachi solidified his standing by becoming a 3x Indie Series Award winner, taking home top honors for Best Actor in a Drama and Best Writing in a Drama. This critical acclaim was echoed internationally when Moments won Best Drama at Rio Web Fest, the world’s largest web series festival. His acting credits also extend to the cinematic grandeur of David Fincher’s Oscar-winning film Mank.
A Pedigree of Performance: From Nuyorican to NPR. Malachi’s performance history reads like a map of artistic excellence. He cut his teeth in NYC, performing countless times at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Café, where he eventually held a residency for his jazz poetry play.
His command of the stage transitioned effortlessly to the jazz world’s most hallowed grounds. Rivers served as “the voice” for GRAMMY®-nominated artist Marcus Strickland’s Twi-Life group on the album Open Reel Deck. This collaboration led to prestigious appearances, including a two-night showcase at the Blue Note Jazz Café and a performance at NPR. He has also shared the stage with the virtuosic multi-GRAMMY® nominee Keyon Harrold, and graced venues ranging from The Kennedy Center to the Apollo Theatre.
No Signal, Vol. 1: The Visionary Debut.
Now, Malachi brings his journey full circle with the release of his debut album, No Signal, Vol. 1. The project is a sonic tapestry featuring an elite roster of collaborators including Doodlebug (of the GRAMMY®-winning Digable Planets), Queen Sheba (3x GRAMMY® Nominee), and Rutina Wesley (Queen Sugar).
With a career that spans the underground to the Grammys, Malachi Rivers is not just participating in the culture—he is curating it.
YOLO AKILI ROBINSON
For over two decades, Yolo Akili Robinson has served as a counselor, organizer, facilitator, and community healer working at the intersections of mental health, womanism, spirituality, and collective care. A Ford Foundation Global Fellow and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Award recipient, Yolo is the founder of the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)—a national grantmaker for healing justice and mental health organizations that has designed evidence-based interventions centering radical wellness and collective care.
His work bridges clinical, community, and movement spaces, with experience spanning Men Stopping Violence, NYU Langone Medical Center, and national initiatives with the CDC and NIH—helping to design and implement community-based mental health and wellness interventions nationwide. Recognized by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy for his leadership in advancing emotional well-being and social connection, Yolo’s areas of specialization include anti-patriarchal counseling and healing work with Black men and boys, collective and community-based curricula and interventions, mental health and HIV/AIDS in Black queer communities, and body-centered healing practices.
DEJON “DAVI” AKEI SMITH
Dejon "Davi" Akei Smith is a community health counselor, artist, yoga instructor, and organizer based in Los Angeles — but more than any title, Davi is someone who shows up for their community in the most real ways possible.
Over the past two years, Davi has been building Zen Folk from the ground up — not from a boardroom or a grant proposal, but from lived experience and genuine care. What started as a vision for accessible, community-centered wellness has grown into a full ecosystem of programming: yoga, sound healing, panel conversations, support spaces, and events that center Black, Brown, Latine, and LGBTQ+ folks who don't always see themselves reflected in mainstream wellness culture. Zen Folk isn't an idea. It's a practice. And it's been proven.
Davi holds a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training certification from IGNITE Yoga and Wellness Institute and is a certified meditation coach — with real teaching experience leading yoga and silent meditation practices in community settings. That foundation informs everything they do, from how they hold space in a room to how they design an event that actually feels healing rather than performative.
Now, Davi is bringing that same energy into the biggest Zen Folk production yet: Zen Fest 2026 — a free, full-day community wellness event happening May 9th at The East Angel in DTLA, produced in partnership with REACH LA. Sound baths. Panels. Resources. Rest. All of it free. All of it on purpose.
This is what two years of doing the work looks like.
DR. SHENA YOUNG
dr shena is a sacred being and embodiment focused psychologist, trauma informed yoga teacher & consultant, mental health futurist, psychedelic assisted therapist, and priestess. she intends to live freely, authentically; to embody her sovereignty, to be cherished and respected by her ancestors; and to honor the ritual of calling community-beloveds back into their bodies as a freedom practice. her way can best be described as a healing midwife — a close & present companion for good people doing the work of rebirthing themselves, in healing. her book, body rites: a holistic healing and embodiment workbook for Black survivors of sexual trauma is available wherever books are sold.
dr shena’s voice has been featured in Forbes, Bustle, Huffington Post, Lily by The Washington Post, Therapy for Black Girls, and she has been trusted to care + consult for The Braxtons, The Body A Home for Love, Black Girl in OM, Loveland Foundation, Reach LA, and metoo movement communities amongst many.