Social Artistry

As a woman with many interests and talents, I wear many hats in the world!  My husband, Stephen Dinan, and I were recently elected to be the Co-Chairs of the Summer of Peace, a new initiative designed to harness the efforts of dozens of cutting-edge programs in the San Francisco & Oakland Bay Area to reduce violence and create new models for collaboration that can be replicated in other cities and countries worldwide. The Summer of Peace will start with a kick-off festival, akin to the Summer of Love but with much more substance in addition to music and celebration. Over the course of three months, every sector of the society will have a platform to explore how it can contribute to the creation of a culture of peace. The events will help activate a grassroots volunteer effort to support programs that are applied in each area of crime, violence or disharmony. The SOP will set specific and bold goals for reduction of violence and improvement in community health, which will be studied by scientific methods. Ultimately, we envision the Summer of Peace moving each year to new regions to foster a culture of peace from the grassroots up.

Professionally speaking, I work both as a nonprofit consultant and as an interfaith minister & Spiritual Director.  As a nonprofit consultant, I focus on fundraising and strategic planning.  Current clients include Conservation Strategy Fund and NoBully, among others.  In my spiritual private practice (see www.radiantessence.com), my offerings include individual sessions using either the spiritual direction or the life coaching model.  I also officiate private rituals including weddings, funerals, office openings, blessings, and other life passages.  I perform sacred music and dance pieces, which can be tailored to the needs of your event.  And finally, I run several public workshops focusing on sacred sound and music.  Previously, I served as the Director of Member Engagement at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). IONS harnesses the unlimited potential of consciousness to cultivate transformation, creativity, and global wisdom.  Formerly, I worked as Executive Director of the Full Circle Fund, a social venture group based in San Francisco. My work there focused on leadership development, helping individuals interweave the "inner work" and the "outer work" that are both necessary for social change. Previously, I worked as a Management Consultant at Boston Consulting Group where her clients included HP-Agilent and Teledesic, among others. To enhance my training, I also completed coursework at the Coaches Training Institute.

Academically speaking, I am currently a doctoral student at Wisdom University, where I am pursing a degree in Ministry, with a focus on using the arts for leadership development and conflict resolution.  I have also been taking classes at the California Institute in Integral Studies in Music Therapy, Dance Therapy, and the Expressive Arts.  I also attended Stanford University where I earned both my BA in Anthropology and MA in International Development.  As a Fulbright scholar, I spent several years working with indigenous groups in the Brazilian Amazon. My work concentrated on ethnic art, documenting the cultural, environmental, and economic significance of traditional crafts. Out of my deep appreciation of indigenous art, I birthed a handicraft cooperative, thereby helping tribal peoples of the Gurupi river valley to export their art to museums and collectors in the United States. I also spent time with shamans of the Tembe' tribe exploring and participating in their ancient healing rituals.

In terms of spiritual training, I was ordained an interfaith minister after completing seminary at the Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith Ministries (ChI) in January of 2005. My studies included spiritual psychology, dream work, music ministry, pastoral care, spiritual direction, and major world religions.  I am also part of a year-long apprenticeship program in earth-based spirituality with Suzanne Sterling, and a second apprenticeship on the Divine Feminine with Ariel Spilsbury. 

With regard to performance art, you will see me performing sacred music around the Bay Area, where I serve as a lead vocalist.  I have professionally performed both music and theater since the age of seven, and completed the Professional Actor's Certification at UCLA (including theater, film, voice and movement). I have studied kirtan chanting at Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India and also continue to study traditional Indian music at the Ali Akbar College of Music.  In addition, I received a certificate in Sound Healing from Tom Kenyon's Institute and I have taken classes in sound healing at the Globe Institute of Psychoacoustics in San Francisco. I also continue to study voice privately with Suzanne Sterling.