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Jasmine Brett Stringer is an expert on workplace well-being and emotional agility, helping individuals and organizations thrive through practical, research-backed strategies. A 2026 Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business Honoree, she is a dynamic keynote speaker, award-winning author, television personality, and Founder & CEO of Carpe Diem with Jasmine. Known for her vibrant presence on stage and screen, Jasmine blends positive psychology, lived experience, and business insight to help people flourish at work and in life.
Her energizing keynotes inspire audiences to lead with authenticity, reconnect to purpose, and build sustainable success. A flourishing expert and “Possibility Whisperer,” she raises the bar on well-being through practical tools that strengthen resilience, emotional agility, and leadership effectiveness.
Jasmine has partnered with leading organizations including the Federal Reserve Bank, Land O’ Lakes, Airbnb, General Mills, Bayer, the American Heart Association, Surescripts and SICK. A graduate of American University and the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program, she equips leaders to navigate stress, foster connection, and perform at their best.
Based in Minneapolis, she lives with her husband and their dog, Charlie.
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Laurie Ellis-Young MTC, SYT, is a passionate pioneer in developing and sharing ‘Breath Literacy’ as an empowering and healing modality across six continents. She began her yoga practice at 14, discovering early on that breath transforms lives. Laurie is a yoga teacher, MBSR instructor, speaker, and global peace ambassador having worked with diverse populations and NGO’s, including inner-city teenagers, girls rescued from brothels in Cambodia, families rising out of poverty in Guatemala, UN staff in Kosovo, OSCE staff and professionals in Ukraine, She is founding director of Breathe The Change LLC and co-founder of the non-profit BreathLogic dedicated to sharing breath literacy across three main areas: 1.Humanitarian 2.Education 3.Medical/Wellness.
Caylee Martinez (she/her), Founder of Kind Hearted Women Society
Tarah White Eagle (she/her), Chief Operations Officer of Wambli Ska Society
Jada Steidley (she/her), Kind Hearted Society Member
Caylee Martinez White Eagle, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, was born and raised in Rapid City, South Dakota. Despite growing up in a community challenged by gangs, violence, substance abuse, and other adverse influences, Caylee remained committed to her cultural heritage and academic excellence. At age four, she started her grandfather's drum and dance group, becoming a healing Jingle dress dancer. For over a decade, she has inspired peers to engage with their culture. She has earned numerous powwow royalty titles and still dances to this day. Her passion for cultural preservation and youth empowerment led her to become a youth mentor at the age of 15. She founded Cante Waunsilpi Wi Ta Ominiciye (Kind Hearted Women Society) to provide comprehensive support and tools for young indigenous women to unlock their potential and drive positive change.
Tarah White Eagle is the Chief Operations Officer of Wambli Ska Community Development Okolakiciye. It began in 2005 as a vision of Daron White Eagle, who worked tirelessly to bring traditional song and dance to youth and their families to revitalize culture and set forth the path of a good road. After Daron’s passing, his relatives continued with this work, opening Rapid City’s first Native American community teen and family center. The Native-led nonprofit is committed to advancing the well-being, self-determination, and sovereignty of Indigenous communities, with youth at the center of all its efforts. As both a development and relief organization, Wambli Ska Society responds to immediate needs while building long-term solutions. Its mission is to revive culture as a powerful source of strength and resilience to better address the challenges its people face today. The organization uplifts community-driven solutions rooted in Lakota values and intergenerational leadership, creating pathways to healing, education, and economic opportunity. Through culturally grounded services in workforce development, restorative justice, housing, food sovereignty, and youth mentorship, Wambli Ska fosters a sustainable future where Native youth, families, and communities thrive with dignity, purpose, and strength.
Dr. Rhonda Ríos Kravitz (she/her/ella), Sacramento Poderosas Community Advocate, Xicana activist and scholar
Mary Stokke Vides (she/her), Sacramento Poderosas Member, teacher, community advisor and parent
Elvira Alonso (she/her/ella), Sacramento Poderosas Member, Xicana K–12 public educator, graduate student, and member of the Association of Raza Educators
Dr. Rhonda Ríos Kravitz is a Xicana activist, scholar, and community advocate dedicated to social justice, educational equity, and immigrant rights. She draws from her multigenerational migrant roots and a lifetime of resisting erasure and oppression. She has served as a medical librarian, Ethnic Services Consultant for the California State Library, faculty leader at CSUS, and Dean at Sacramento City College, always centering equity and culturally authentic representation. Inspired by women‑of‑color thinkers and movement builders, she continues to use her voice to uplift marginalized communities and advance collective liberation.
Mary Stokke Vides (she/her) is a parent, a teacher, an advisor for a community service club, and a member of the Sac Poderosas. She has been working with other parents at her child’s school to form community patrols in case of heavy-handed immigration enforcement on campus. She has also created lesson plans and content to help students use literacy and critical thinking skills to investigate the impact of immigration enforcement on our school communities, and to look at ways that we can keep each other safe, using Minneapolis as an example of collective action and community care.
Elvira Alonso (she/her/ella) is a Xicana K–12 public educator, graduate student, and member of both the Association of Raza Educators and Sacramento Poderosas. She serves as Secretary of the Sacramento chapter of the Association of Raza Educators and a Board member of the Sacramento Poderosas. She has taught Ethnic Studies courses, established site-wide Equity Teams, and co-advised inclusive student clubs to support diverse students, families, and school communities. She advocates for equity, dignity, and the rights of immigrant students and families through education, community engagement, and culturally responsive practices.
Development Manager
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Brianna is a connector, storyteller, and educator passionate about living her values. She has a background in early childhood education, field organizing, performing, and writing. She completed two bachelor's degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Writing from Augsburg University and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from St. Catherine's University. She loves working at Mary’s Pence as the Development Manager because she can tell stories about the incredible work of grantees to bring together the public, donors, volunteers, board, staff, and grassroots leaders. You can most likely find her in her backyard garden, at an independent bookstore, or at an event promoting Mary’s Pence. She lives in St. Paul with her partner and their three cats.
Grants Program Manager
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Erin has worked in small and large organizations in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Her functional skill set has enabled her to work in the arts, sales, events, project management, and nonprofit management. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, summa cum laude, from Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, Texas) and a Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from New York University (New York, New York). She also held a real estate license and took the loan officer licensing education in the State of Texas.
Just prior to joining Mary's Pence, Erin worked as a grant writer, sponsorship manager, institutional giving officer, and development events manager, serving both individual and institutional donors. Erin loves connecting with people over food, music, storytelling, celebrations, and remembrances.
ESPERA Program Lead
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Mabel has more than 15 years of experience at international cooperation organizations in advisory roles and coordination of gender programs and projects, especially programs for the political, social and economic empowerment of women in Honduras and Latin America. Mabel is committed and linked to the struggles for social justice in Latin America. Mabel has a degree in Legal Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Honduras. She is convinced that changes towards freedom, equity and justice are urgent and possible.
Finance and Operations Manager
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After many years working in the corporate world, Nadine made a change and has worked in several local non-profit organizations in program, finance and management positions. She volunteers at her local parish, St. Albert the Great and is on the board of the Woman's Club of Minneapolis. She and her husband also manage the Twin Cities Board Games Meetup group which advocates for building community through playing board games.