Suvas Vajracharya — Chair and Co-Founder
WELLKIND was inspired by Suvas’ long term interest in personal development and meditation. After retiring as the CEO of Lightning Bolt, where he ran a successful startup for 17 years, he wanted to create an organization that would create environmental and social impact through health and a care for the environment. Having led a team of 55 employees helping hospitals and physicians solve the most complex medical staff scheduling problems with advanced, AI-optimized technology and leading in the field of burnout prevention in physicians, he brings a mindfulness based approach to health and wellbeing. He advises on WELLKIND’s board of directors and facilitates trainings and workshops.
Julia Forest — Co-Founder and Board Member
For Julia, WELLKIND grew from her interest in how personal growth and care for the earth interrelate. She brings with her 16 years of facilitation and curriculum development experience and a passion for cross disciplinary change work. Julia is an avid permaculturalist and the founding director of Awakened Spirit Yoga, an organization that blends yoga and mindfulness with regenerative change to support the wellness of communities. Julia advises on programming and is on the board of directors.
Catriona MacGregor Glazebrook — Executive Director
Catriona is helping WELLKIND with expanding its reach and supporting its programs internationally. She has assisted hundreds of non-profits from seven countries and loves working with people who are passionate about changing the world for the better. Over the years, Catriona has dreamed, designed and carried out programs & solutions with thousands of non-profit leaders, scientists, environmentalists, bio-mimicry & free energy innovators, educators, and even a former president. She believes that as human beings focus on wellness for themselves and the planet, we can heal the world.
Janine Krause — Director of Operations
Janine strongly believes that the key to a better world is to educate young minds. Educating local leaders and our youth will hopefully snowball into a better future where we can produce most of our own food and ultimately create less trash and a healthier environment. Because of her background in operations and education, she enjoys helping companies and their employees to be more efficient through streamlined and clear processes to give them all the tools they need to succeed. She works closely with the Executive Director on all the Operations, Accounting, Human Resources and Marketing. Janine is an avid climber, hiker and backpacker who feels at home in nature.
Walker Laughlin — Development and Forestry Program Manager
Walker is the manager of WELLKIND Forestry’s internship program, where he draws from a background in journalism and 6 years in education to mentor high schoolers in environmental communications and habitat management.
For his development management work, Walker identifies funding sources, writes grant proposals, assists with program events and activities, and chips in on various communications projects.
Walker earned his Bachelor’s Degree in History from U.C. Berkeley in 2020. He is passionate about using research, writing, education and multimedia communications to work for environmental sustainability and human development.
Shad Qudsi — Executive Director, WELLKIND Guatemala
Shad is a passionate farmer, designer, and permaculturalist. He has lived and worked in Tzununa, Guatemala, for the past 12 years, where he and his wife founded Atitlan Organics, a permaculture-inspired organic farm. He believes that humans can live harmoniously on the planet and meet all their needs while actually enhancing the local and global ecology. After spending years practicing regenerative food production, Shad began partnering with a wide range of local farmers and community members. Shad's current role as Program Director of WELLKIND Guatemala enables him to build community-driven, permaculture-inspired solutions to food security, climate change, and economic disparity.
Michael Collins — Grant Writer
As a grant writer, Michael communicates with the team and stays current with WELLKIND’s ongoing evolution. The role allows Michael to champion the mission by putting down in words a complete picture of all the work being done.
Michael has a passion for writing and the outdoors, and as a grant writer he is able to combine the two, working for a better tomorrow. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in American Civilization from Middlebury College in 1999 and went on to the Master’s in English program at Seton Hall University. Michael is passionate about writing of all kinds, creating an equitable world where young people spend more time outside, reading great literature, and savoring the winter months.
Terese Chalmers — Senior Education and Garden Coordinator
Terese grew up with in Eastern Washington state with a large family vegetable and fruit garden that supplied all the family needs. This has fueled her passion for the importance of outdoor and project-based education. Terese assists schools with creating or maintaining school gardens and a rigorous outdoor education curriculum for K-12. She also helps community-based organizations who use garden programs to fight food insecurity. Terese has taught a wide variety of subjects to students from the elementary school level to adults, and she is excited to be showing students the joy of learning in their own school gardens.