Ayla Gavins was introduced to Circus Up through partnership work between Mission Hill School and Commonwealth Circus School. After seeing the work the staff did with students, experiencing elements of circus arts, and learning more about the vision of Circus Up, she was compelled to get more involved in the life of the organization...

Deborah Lee is a Program Manager at a medical device interoperability and cybersecurity lab, and is the Manager of Research at a medical devices accelerator at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a former educator and curriculum designer, and is passionate about decreasing disparities in access to education, healthcare, and overall health...

Euness Cirino is a Boston area educator who specializes in early childhood development and community well-being. With over a decade of nonprofit leadership experience, Euness currently works as a facilitator at Smart from the Start focusing on strengthening the parent-child relationship, school readiness, and equitable access to resources. In addition to her work supporting families throughout Boston's diverse communities...

Leah Abel is Founder, Executive Director, and Head Instructor of Circus Up, a Boston-based social circus program. She holds a Masters degree in Social Work from Simmons College and is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Leah also (surprisingly) completed her Masters in Environmental Law and Policy at Vermont Law School...

Lisa Thurau-Gray is Founder and Executive Director of Strategies for Youth, Inc., a non profit advocacy and training organization dedicated to improving police/youth interactions. Working with Dr. Jeff Q. Bostic, Director of School Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, Lisa built Strategies for Youth from the ground up without formal institutional or foundation support...

Ramona Alexander is an award-winning actress, enthusiastic about using theater as a model for social change while encouraging youth to think outside their own “…universe of six blocks…” (Ntzoke Shange). A vibrant theatre artist, educator, community leader and consultant, she spends her time offstage working with youth organizations, integrating the therapeutic aspects of theater, movement, and writing with community outreach and development...

Dr. Samuel L. Bradley, Jr. is an assistant professor of Macro practice at the Boston College School of Social Work. His research focus is on innovation and equity within organizations. Dr. Bradley is an accomplished musician, community activist, and administrator with extensive experience in fundraising and communications...

Sarah Whitman is Assistant Director of the Technical Assistance Team at AnLar, a Washington, DC-based education management consulting firm where she works on educational and policy programs for district, state, and national projects. Sarah utilizes her background in research and data analysis to support systems thinking and the implementation of strategies at a large scale to improve student outcomes...

Sheri Gurock is a facilitator and executive coach with over 18 years of experience in management, business development, brand development and change work. She started out as an entrepreneur founding Magic Beans with her husband in 2004 and helping grow it from a small startup to an award-winning toy and baby gear regional chain and website...

Sophia Herscu graduated from Colorado College in 2011 with degrees in drama and sociology. She received a Watson Fellowship, which awarded her $25,000 to travel the world studying the ways different communities utilize circus pedagogy in order to work for social justice. She then went to professional aerial dance school in Boulder, Colorado...