1.) DuShaun Branch Pollard, Yoga Teacher:
BIO: Has been practicing yoga for almost 15 years and fell in love with the discipline because it allowed her to find peace of mind while moving her body. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) through the Yoga Alliance and was certified through Bloom Yoga Studio in June 2020.
In addition, DuShaun received her 95-hour Children’s Yoga Certification from Mission Propelle in the summer of 2018 and was trained for Prenatal and Postnatal yoga with Amala School of Yoga. She is passionate about creating space for rest, for calm and helping people find tools that work for them to relieve and reduce stress.
DuShaun also contributes her advocacy and mindfulness expertise as a trained restorative justice circle keeper and has been a community organizer in North Lawndale.
2.) Maraliz Salgado, Life Coach, Circle Keeper:
BIO: The founder and chief accountability partner at Libérate Life Coaching, LLC, where she walks fellow womxn of color back home to their freedom. She is a liberatory educator with over twenty years of dedicated service to Chicago students, teachers, and families. Mara is a workshop facilitator, racial healing circle keeper, culture cultivator and coach, who serves women (group & individual life coaching engagements), teams (racial equity coaching), and students (post-secondary purpose coaching) with passion. She is a proud native of Borikén, unapologetically authentic, and deeply honored to be a Mama to two sacred seeds. You can find her anywhere there is community, cultura, healing, and liberation to be had in the city and far beyond.
3.) Cristina Garcia, Coach + Consultant:
BIO: Hailing from the Southwest side of Chicago, the city that shaped & molded her political identity. As a daughter of Mexican immigrants, she is fueled by helping other People of the Global Majority use their voice and story for their own liberation and the collective liberation of all people. Cristina is the founder of Liberation Leadership, a revolutionary based coaching & consulting practice that helps bring consciousness to issues of identity, culture and leadership, highlighting how these impact our social, political & spiritual wellbeing. Cristina brings an anti-oppressive and healing justice approach & integrates her on-the ground knowledge & ancestral wisdom into all of her work. Cristina spent 16+ years across various leadership roles in the non-profit sector working on educational campaigns, program development, and policy advocacy in the areas of gender based violence and immigrant rights. Today, she coaches and consults with individuals and organizations to define their leadership identity, develop their authentic voice & ground into their power & conviction. Cristina has a Bachelor in Business and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago.