Presenters
Stig Mycelia
Stig Mycelia is a self taught cultivator and lifelong student of psychoactive fungi. He has a primary focus in the exploration, cultivation, and relationship building with “exotic” psychoactive fungi. It is his mission in life to cultivate a relationship with any and every psychoactive fungi he comes across while maintaining a low tech approach that is hands on and personal to develop accessible approaches to working with otherwise “difficult” fungi. He is an educator and advocate for the fungi often overlooked by the broader and mainstream psychedelic culture, having direct experience in the cultivation of several distinct species across multiple genera and many localities and lineages from across the globe. His approach and philosophy of life is one rooted in nature and the natural world, of connection and relationships, and to the pursuit of happiness.
Jade Mycelia
I’ve lived all over my hometown of Minneapolis, and happy to orbit back to my childhood home on the Northside to advocate for the lifestyle that has supported my path of self discovery. My journey of psychedelic activism was ignited through free-range experimentation starting in 2014. This independent study led me to an academic exploration of Psychology, Environmental Sustainability Studies, and AFRO Studies at the University of Minnesota. My time as Vice President of the Association of Black Psychology Students and Mental Health Advocate for adults with severe and persistent mental health matters, aided my search for improving Western healthcare systems. As an experiential learner, I enjoy exploring the diverse range of truths in this world. I’m always learning, integrating, and evolving with the help of my plant medicine friends. These teachings motivate my passion for sparking introspective conversation and organizing spaces such as Big Psych.
Cameron Taylor
Cameron was born in Kansas City, MO and moved to Minneapolis in 1993. He graduated from Minneapolis North High School, and considers himself a Northside native. He is a father, community organizer, podcast moderator, radio personality, world traveler, amateur psilocybin cultivator, and advocate for the decriminalization of plant-based medicine. He’s here to share my personal experience with psychedelics for the promotion of mental, physical, and spiritual health well being. As a menu option to help fight depression, a guide for esoteric knowledge, and a bridge to strengthen community.
Jessica is a neuroscientist and psychedelic researcher that has been exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for over 10 years. She has lead several psychedelic research studies at the University of Minnesota aiming to understand how psychedelics like ayahuasca and psilocybin may help with post-traumatic stress and depression, mechanisms for how psilocybin changes the human brain, and survey studies about the unique perspectives of marginalized groups often excluded or not represented in psychedelic clinical trials. She is also the founder and Executive Director of the Psychedelic Society of Minnesota, the Innovation Alchemist at Big Psych, co-founder of the DecriMN Coalition that recently advised Mayor Frey on the Executive Order to deprioritize entheogenic plants and fungi in Minneapolis, and was recently appointed by Governor Walz and elected to serve as Chairperson on the Psychedelic Medicine Task Force in Minnesota.
Bryan Ebert
I am a psychedelic therapist and drug policy activist. I cofounded the DecriMN coalition that got psychedelic plants and fungi deprioritized in Minneapolis. I also advocate for the decriminalization of all drugs. I believe that the work of drug policy activists is not over until no one has their freedom taken away for what they choose to do with their own consciousness. I am a practitioner of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and I am looking forward to being able to use other psychedelic drugs in therapy when they become approved. I love rock climbing and spend a lot of my time going outside to our local cliffs and climbing indoors as well. I also love going to the Boundary Waters, and spending time with my wife and dog. I have been involved in various psychedelic communities since 2008, and have found that the community that has formed around Big Psych is my favorite to date!
Olivia Prendergast, B.A., CHW
Mama. herbalist. geographer. climber. stick and poke tattooer. amateur astrologer. rambler. doula. earthling. wild woman. let’s talk if you want to know more 🙂 I currently reside near Viroqua, WI in the beautiful driftless region, a.k.a. the mountains of Wisconsin. My spirit is one that yearns for adventure, that loves companionship, and whose deepest wish is for all the lovely people I love to come together in one large party and celebrate all our wonderful selves. Being a bit of a party girl at heart, in the background of my life, there is passion for the fun and healing that the psychedelic medicines offer. Through my journey as a pregnant mother wanting to integrate mushroom medicines into my continued development as a parent, I connected with Stig and Jade, and Big Psych. As I prepared for birth, I prepared myself for the greatest psychedelic journey I could embark upon. Now, as a birth worker, I prepare mothers I work with for that journey too. Life is a trip. Plants are our friends. Mushrooms are our guides.
Haley Purvis
I was born in Minnesota — and have been an avid explorer throughout my life, spending lots of time in Southeast Asia. My travels have broadened my horizons and encouraged my curiosity to flourish. Plant medicines have been great allies on my journey through the cosmos! Holding my hand through periods of deep grief and joy. At this juncture in life I find myself particularly drawn to things like Yoga and prayer. You can find me moderating the Death & Psychedelics panel discussion.
Tegan Carr
Tegan is a multidisciplinary researcher, sociocultural-behavioral scientist, consultant, community healer, and acclaimed JEDI innovator. Tegan is the Founder and CEO of The Medicine Objective, a nonprofit working at the intersections of science, decolonization, and community health with a special interest in psychedelic medicine. Tegan works through ‘functional decolonization’, a method used to shift complex systems, restructure institutions, and rewrite academic norms.
Tegan holds BAs in anthropology and psychology (UMN), a Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies/Research (CIIS), and she is an alumna-scholar of the AAAP REACH Program. Tegan attended UMN Medical School for 3 years where she served as MD-student Chief Diversity Officer and co-led the movement for academic medicine reform following the local murder of George Floyd. She is the current President of White Coats 4 Black Lives – Minneapolis Chapter. Tegan researches psychedelics through the Nielson Lab (Psychiatry, UMN) and co-Chair of the Northern Lights Psychedelic Research Collaborative.
Tegan is passionate about identifying creative ways to unite and empower people. Lastly and mostly, she is a writer, poet, dancer, performer, healer, water protector, air bender, plant tender, firekeeper, and activist, bringing art and heart into every aspect of her work.
My story traces its roots back to the closure of Mississippi Mushrooms in the Upper Harbor industrial area of north Minneapolis. For nearly four years, I honed my skills with the Mississippi Mushrooms production team. However, as the pandemic took hold, the fate of Mississippi Mushrooms was sealed, and I found myself at a crossroads.
Emerging from the lockdown, I ventured into a new chapter at a unique facility in New Hope, Minnesota, known as New Hope Farmacy. Equipped with a 36 ft. retort for bulk pasteurization and twenty environmentally controlled grow rooms, New Hope Farmacy provided an ideal environment for experimentation and innovation. Over the course of several fruitful years with the N.H.F. team, I not only cultivated mushrooms but also my relationships within the community, fostering a culture of learning and growth.
As New Hope Farmacy closed its doors in 2021, I embarked on a new venture with a group called Forest to Fork soon after. This collaboration brought with it a wealth of new technology and opportunities for exploration. Together, we delved into pioneering methods of commercial growing, from designing innovative environmental grow room layouts to developing our own unique bioreactors for our own production. Automation became a key focus, as we sought to streamline labor-intensive aspects of the cultivation and harvesting processes.
After over a year of collaboration with Forest to Fork team, I made the decision to fully devote myself to Myco-Op in May of 2023. This transition marked the culmination of years of experience and dedication to the craft of mushroom cultivation. Throughout my journey, I’ve cherished the relationships built within the cultivation community and the wealth of knowledge gained along the way. I now have been focusing on the research and development of growing specialty fungi, scaling solutions, and the extraction of these mushrooms’ functional compounds.
At Myco-Op, collaboration is not just a philosophy—it’s our essence. We pride ourselves on working closely with some of the most talented cultivators in the United States, fostering a spirit of cooperation and knowledge-sharing. My mission is to make the art of growing mushrooms at home more accessible and enjoyable for enthusiasts of all levels.
The Mushroom Block:
Born and raised in the vibrant state of Florida, my journey into the world of mushrooms began at a young age, deeply rooted in the rich cultural traditions of my Haitian and Mexican heritage. From childhood, mushrooms were not just a culinary ingredient but an integral part of our lives, cherished for their well-being properties. As a teenager, I found myself drawn to the mystical allure of Psilocybin Cubensis, commonly known as magic mushrooms. In the vast cow pastures of Florida, I learned to identify and harvest these sacred fungi, igniting a profound connection to nature and self-discovery. Though initially consumed recreationally, I soon recognized the profound power of these mushrooms and tapped in on a transformative journey of introspection and personal growth.
Fortune smiled upon me when I encountered a mentor who guided me in mushroom cultivation and instilled in me the importance of sustainable practices. Under their tutelage, I honed my skills and deepened my understanding of fungi, recognizing their potential to not only nourish the body but also the mind and soul.
In exchange for this invaluable knowledge, I made a solemn vow to my mentor: to share my expertise and empower others to cultivate their own mushrooms, fostering a community of self-sufficiency and holistic living. Today, as a proud advocate of mushroom culture and tradition, I continue to honor this commitment, spreading the wisdom of sustainable cultivation and the transformative power of fungi to all who seek it. My journey from Florida native to mushroom connoisseur is a testament to the profound impact of nature’s wonders on our lives and the boundless possibilities that await those who dare to explore them.
I am an herbalist, mother of 3, and wife originally from Minnesota but now residing on my homestead in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
My path as an herbalist sprouted from a desire to reconcile my two passions of health care and environmentalism. I originally attended the herbal studies program at MCTC, but realized most of my learning came from being in the soil directly connecting with the plants and embracing bioregional herbalism. Alongside attending small markets I created “Community Herbalism Project”, which sought to actively engage with neighbors about what plants were growing wild in their yards, teaching about or discussing their medicinal and edible qualities, and making medicine from these plants to share at no cost. It was an opportunity to get to know community members, educate about herbs, and expand the non-traditional healthcare system. My vision is to create a network of people interested in providing free herbal medicine, and holding an herbal free clinic using the remedies made from local land.
These days I am slowly working towards becoming a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator. My husband and I attend our local farmers markets in Northern Wisconsin under our business Cloud and Fire Homestead selling handcrafted herbal goodies. We also work on our forested homestead where we use regenerative and conservation agriculture principles and plan to farm threatened native plant species.
Clemon earned his PhD at the University of Minnesota where he studied cannabinoid and terpene genetics in cannabis. Clemon has a M.S. from University of MN in Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics. Clemon is also CEO of Doctor Dabs which is MN based hemp companies that specialize in hemp derived edible manufacturing, co-owner of A & D Genetics a company that breeds, produces and wholesales cannabis seeds as well as the CSO for Uniflora Holistics which is a company that owns Retro Bakery and Love is an Ingredient.
Hi, my name is Jordan Jacobs. I have been studying and practicing mycology for about 10 years now. My fascination with fungi stems from a general interest in their nature, and the many ways which they impact us. My first interest in studying mushrooms came from attending college at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, where mushrooms littered the campus and surrounding community. While my field of study was chemistry, I spent much of my free time learning to identify and cultivate fungi. As I nurtured this passion, I eventually combined my formal training with my amateur study to forge a path as a fungi natural products chemist.
My work today is driven towards elucidating the chemistry of fungi. Why does one mushroom species elicit a different property than another? What molecules or systems are right under our nose, powerful enough to extend and enrich life, restore and regenerate ecologies, or reverse and prevent disease? How much of this is entirely snake oil peddled by profiteers and pedestaled by the wishful naive? I practice and fund this work privately through Tryp Labs, where I provide potency analysis services to the community for medicinal and psychedelic mushrooms.
Ash Ritter is an ethnobotanist, multi-disciplinary animist, herbalist, writer, and educator with over 20 years of study in clinical, traditional, academic, and directly relational terrains. She is a devotee of curiosity, and especially savors the study of history through the woven threads of fungi, people, and plants.
One-on-one longterm apprenticeships are the cornerstone of her training, with a focus on Druid herbalism, clinical botanical & naturopathic medicines, Cali-Mexican curanderismo, and MacGuyver-style urban & wilderness first aid. Her college thesis focused on the history of plant & fungi in rites of passage, and altered states as evolutionary technology. Over the years, Ash’s research has honed in on entheogenic traditions of her Bohemian ancestry, mainly the folklore and pharmakon of Amanita muscaria, and the Solanaceae-laden Flying Ointments of central Europe.
Ash counsels and creates in her private practice, Black Sage Botanicals, to engage direct relationships with & as the living world. She teaches both publicly & privately, with a focus on ethnobotany, ethnomycology, and herbalism. Ash has a passion for weaving the unifying threads between history, science, and spirit. She joyfully offers in-depth consultation services, and loves concocting unique herbaceous & bemushroomed elixirs in her Sonoran desert apothecary.
Emily Davis is a multi disciplinary scientist and creative based in Brooklyn, NY. Their experience lies in soil science, agriculture and mycology. They co-founded the Center for Mycological Analytics in February 2023 and have been co-teaching in Oakland and Detroit communities how to measure the potency of mushrooms. They have also been strategizing how to set up more community lab spaces in decriminalized cities. Emily is passionate about removing boundaries to science. Emily also works on her passion project called Community Agriculture Project, does local education about dosing in NYC, and works closely with Mycosymbiotics.
Poe
Poe Yoni follows Spirit wherever it leads them for all creative expression, endeavors, and experiences. Doing so has led them to their most cherished projects and acts of self-love. Experiencing these flows have lead them to a passion in poetry, watercolor, teaching and herbalism. The latter being the earth side blooms of generational chronic pain. Pyoni Apothecary is a space for connecting to Land through small batch herbal offerings which ebb and flow with the seasons. At Pyoni Apothecary’s core lies the intention to create and maintain a nourishing relationship with Land and all that they hold.
Katherine Sill
Originally from Duluth, I’ve lived in NYC (11 years), a farm in Ohio (10 years), Belgium (12 years) and now in Minneapolis (11 years). For all 12 years in Belgium, I went to school to study Dutch/Flemish (the local language where I lived). Every week I would pass by a beekeeper working his hive on my way to school and I was intrigued. When we moved back to the US, my husband was hired by a non-profit and the first fundraising event had an auction. One of the prizes in the live auction was a complete beekeeping set-up (hive boxes, smoker, suit, hive tool, etc.) I turned to my husband and said I want to be a beekeeper. We won the set and so began my journey to understand exactly what that meant. At the time it was mandatory to notify your neighbors to obtain permission (which was a great way to meet them!) for a permit. I completed the bee course at the Arboretum and was mentored the first year by the U of MN Bee Squad. At the end of the season my first year, I had a kill. I came home and thousands of my bees were dying in front of my hive. I called the U of MN Bee Squad and they came immediately and tested my bees. It was discovered that my bees were killed by a pesticide they they shouldn’t even have had access to. Two other beekeepers within a mile of me also lost bees. I was part of group that quickly formed and went on to testify in front of the MN House and Senate to try to address the public availability of this pesticide and to fight for labeling on nursery plants on whether or not they were free of systemic pesticides. We had some wins, which was both a surprise and enormously gratifying. I have been a hobby beekeeper since 2013. I live in the city of Minneapolis and my hive(s) are in my garden. I am a semi-retired upholsterer/furniture restorer and Lead Master Gardener in Karamu Communal Garden in the Near North neighborhood of Minneapolis.
I am a Minnesota Native living in the St. Croix River Valley with my Wife and 2 teenage children. We are stewards of Waking Nomad, a community centered around living authentically and coming to life. We often host group sessions that include forms of Kundalini, yoga, Qi Gong, and breathwork paired with an active Sound Meditation component where we work with live overtone producing instruments to massage the psyche and help bring up material and insights that need to be digested and integrated.
I enjoy nature and simplicity. I’m a life-long musician. Philosophy of Consciousness is fascinating. And I’m a student of the Mystery. I look forward to connecting with you.
Thomasina is a certified yoga instructor through the Yoga Center of Minneapolis and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Women studies through the University of MN Duluth. She is trained and well practiced in sound meditation and integrates this healing modality and others into her large group and individual wellness sessions. Her work history and passion has and continues to focus on mental wellness and personal development. She is a firm believer that with the right tools we can all awaken the healer within.
Thomasina lives with her husband Bob and their two teenagers in the beautiful river town of Marine on St. Croix. Their interests as a family are traveling/adventure, Sunday morning crepes and engaging authentically with life.
Thomasina and Bob are the founders of a wellness community called Waking Nomad. This community is focused on personal development and whole body wellness. We utilize a variety of modalities including plant allies, sound meditation, yoga, breathwork, wellness/adventure retreats and community connection.
Ayize, Jama-Everett, M.Div, M.A. M.FA
Ayize Jama-Everett holds three Master’s degrees: Divinity, Psychology, and in Fine Arts, Writing. He blends these degrees in all his work, often identifying as a guerilla theologian, a community-based therapist, and an afro-futurist in the same breath. He’s taught at Starr King School for the Ministry, California College of the Arts, The University of California, Riverside, Western Colorado College, and several private High schools for over twenty years. His expertise includes working with adolescents, the history of substance use in the United States, the history of Sacred Plant medicines in the Maghreb, the religious roots of political violence from Ireland to the Middle East, educational arts pedagogy, and Afrofuturism. He’s published four novels (The Liminal series )and two graphic novels(Box of Bones and The last Count of Monte Cristo).
After becoming one of the first 100 registered aromatherapists in the US in 2001, Mary Jo has been honing her skills as an olfactory artist. She worked as an esthetician and make-up artist for feature film and print advertising for over 15 years. Now she is combining those talents with her passion for scent, plants, and nature. Her botanical fragrance company, Tenth Muse, is the culmination of her life’s experience with the olfactory, observations of how people and plants interact, and the desire to continually experience and create connections.
Every place, every person, and every experience has its own scent. It is something you can feel, not just smell. It is there reminding us, inspiring us, nurturing us, and bringing us back to the present. Mary Jo thinks this should be celebrated and enjoyed to the fullest. Her 100% natural fragrances are made using only essential oils, including rare and precious, tinctures crafted by her, and organic wheat alcohol. Good intentions, gratitude, imagination, and love are ever-present.
Mrs.Vicius is an advocate, speaker, educator and cultivator who focuses on integrating plant medicines into daily life practices thru education and advocacy. Mrs.Vicius has used her social media platform to showcase how to use plant medicines for anxiety and depression in a family setting for the last 6 years. After suffering from postpartum depression upon the birth of her 1st child, she left behind traditional pharmaceuticals in favor of plant medicines.
Learning from Detroits very own psychedelic Father, Baba Kilindi – Mrs.Vicius founded Decriminalize Nature Hazel Park in 2020 and is an active member of Decriminalize Nature Michigan. On 3/22/22, The city of Hazel Park successfully decriminalized entheogenic plants and fungi under her leadership. Mrs.Vicius took home 1st place in the 1st ever Michigan Psilocybin Cup(microdose category) in fall 2021 at the 1st ever Entheofest event located in Ann Arbor, MI.
Mrs. Vicius has been featured on NPR, in PBS news articles, dozens of Podcasts such Buds and Babes Podcast, Detroit State of Mind, Talking Sh*t with the Eagle, The Hard Rs, Medical Mondays, Jazz Cabbage Cafe, DPL2000 and more. She recently appeared as a guest speaker at the Detroit Psychedelic Conference, The Mycelium Network, Colorado Psychedelic Convergence Event, Entheofest, Spread the Spores and many Decriminalize Nature Fundraising events.
Armand, (26) from Saint Paul Minnesota, is a multidisciplinary artist and leader with strong passions for Holistic Healing, Black Liberation and the inextricable correlation between the two. They have been studying healing modalities from all over the world, with a current focus on traditional plant medicines and biochemistry. Founder of Path Maker Herbs LLC, Armand provides health and wellness consultations where clients receive protocols and custom herbal tea blends to help transition into lifestyles more compatible with their spirit, body, and mind. Armand ties in the human connection with land, our ancestors, our cultures, musics, martial arts, foods, and much more, to further their holistic paradigm strategies towards wellness and decolonization. Armand dreams of a world where colonial powers are left in history, and the present is filled with autonomous and harmonious communities who protect the land and one another without giving into desires of domination and exploitation. Armand has been writing lyrics and poetry since the age of 5, composing music across a wide range of genres since 14, doing plant based food pop-ups and catering since 19, and has experience practicing a variety of martial arts since age 5. Armand’s current projects include writing several books, mastering Chen Style Tai Chi, studying prison abolition and indigenous ways of being in community, and growing a deeper connection to the land, water, plants and mushrooms on planet Earth .
A natural seeker of life’s most valuable truths, Armand has taken the time to cultivate keen awareness of the complexities of the human experience and the many fields of study necessary for Liberation and Healing. Their life’s work and perspective makes them an essential member of any group or project cultivating healing, decolonization, empowerment, and justice.
Christin, Ament, DNP, MS, BSN, BS
I learned the power of plants, nature, gardening, and cooking from my grandmother. These wisdom ways carried with me through my adult years when I began working in the ICU at Mayo Clinic.It was here, in this setting, that I was exposed to the disconnect between healthcare and healing. I was craving ways of healing that could be brought into the hospital setting. This started me on my path of medicine ways outside of the hospital setting and back to nature and the rhythms of nature.
It wasn’t until about a decade after this journey that I had my first psychedelic experience. It was on the Canadian border, nestled between quaking aspens and a babbling brook. I then realized the potency of the medicine and realized solidified my research of plants and fungi in our healing transitions. I then later met with Dr.Spence who is a Jamaican oncologist working with psychedelics in Jamaica and Harvard. This led me to a facilitator training for providers who sit with patients at EOL. I now am working to open an End-of-Life Sanctuary in the metro focusing on demystifying death and incorporating Nature into our healing paradigm.
Priscilla Momah is a multifaceted wellness practitioner who weaves together her unique offerings into immersive Soulful Embodiment Experience. These practices interlace Somatic Movement, Yoga, Reiki and Thai Bodywork coupled with live music, to create a foundation for healing on both an individual and community level. Made accessible to all levels these Soulful Embodiment Experiences offer a space to lean into the direct felt experience of the present movement through the art of receiving. Her music stylings are a unique form of empowering vibrational melodies that are intentional in opening up the heart space. Rooted in unconditional love and self compassion her lyrics and songs are a gateway into a realm of inner nourishment fusing Soul, R&B, folk, hip hop and movement into a unique sound and healing journey.
Jeremy Paulson
As a movement artist, Jeremey has been dancing since 2010 and teaching since 2016. He has taught through youth programs such as Urban 4H Extensions and Beacons as well as different studios throughout the twin cities. To him, it is most important to approach the art in a way that centers the cultural/social context of Black Americans in the creation of these dance styles many people enjoy globally. Jeremey uses a fun, creative approach, instilling both a good foundation and confidence for students to express themselves without being only limited to choreography.
His current career is in Urban Agriculture at Hope Community in the Food Land and Community department. This involves combating food scarcity, by growing and distributing free produce to the community in the Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis. Within this work, there is also community organizing around giving communities the tools and agricultural knowledge to grow their food.
As a keeper of knowledge, Jeremey Paulson has made it his life’s mission to foster power in BIPOC communities the tools to nurture and heal themselves. This is what led him to co-create Wellness On The Block: An organization dedicated to creating donation-based, safe, and accessible spaces to practice and learn about holistic healing modalities
Chris Webley hails from North Carolina, where he studied Textile Technology with concentration in Medical Textiles at North Carolina State University. He has worked for major fashion retailers to include Calvin Klein, Victoria’s Secret, and Target, accumulating over seven years’ experience in the retail fashion industry as an R&D Textile Engineer. He has extensive experience in product design & development, innovation and Real Estate Development.
Chris currently serves as Chairman of NEW RULES® Benefit Corporation; a ‘turn-key’ Real Estate Development Collective anchored on the Northside of Minneapolis. NEW RULES is a Northside based Real Estate Development collective built on the idea of developing ecosystems & solutions for Black & Brown communities where economic, health & wellness and education disparities breed. We take unproductive buildings in overlooked communities and co-create innovative spaces that are designed by the community to solve problems they have identified for themselves, both personally & professionally. Much different from traditional Developers, NEW RULES differentiates their work by being ‘Participatory’; co-creating innovative spaces that bring diverse and creative professionals together at the nexus of culture, wellness and progressive social change. A Community Innovation Hub for public, private, community, & philanthropic engagement – New Rules is a destination location for fresh ideas, organic networking, and curated events grounded in the shared experiences of the Northside’s communities.
Caty Brown & Richard “Chi” Johnson
Caty Brown, founder of Soul Body Finesse, leads a mission dedicated to crafting wellness-oriented spaces fostering peace, self-nourishment, and collective wisdom. Specializing in therapeutic experiences to awaken the soul and senses, emphasizing the importance of community for healing and societal evolution.
Through the act of peaceful surrender and deep listening, we begin to align with our most grounded frequency and intuition. Cultivating this relationship builds confidence and courage and ripples across all aspects in our life. Having access and being exposed to natural healing modalities while coming together to feel safe in community is vital to our health and plays a pivotal role in our overall success in life.
Richard “Chi” Johnson, Advisor and facilitator at Soul Body Finesse, is a classically trained philosopher and musician, but also a classic non-comformist. He has been teaching TaiChi and Yoga for more than 15 years and is passionate about upending common misconceptions and preconceived notions.
A lifetime of learning and exploring spiritual-truths continues to be enriched through his fascination with political science, theoretical physics, artificial intelligence, astrology, linguistics, sports, and life itself. Despite a penchant for provocative statements, the driving force behind his offerings (by way of the great and magnificent grace of his Teachers) is always a blend of radical humor, fierce compassion, and real love.
Historically, I struggled with mental health challenges (namely depression, and occasional Rapid-cycling Bi-polar Disorder) in my teens and twenties. I now identify as a *formerly* depressed person, due to improving my condition significantly with behavior modifications and lifestyle choices – virtually pharma-free for 20+ years. Now, I want to spread the Good News of natural solutions and healthy living, including developing my animated series, “LifeUps,” for PBS!
Terry Tauger, MSW, LICSW
I am a Minneapolis resident and employed at Hennepin County Human Service and Public Health. As a clinical social worker, I serve adults with severe mental health and substance use disorders linking them to services, systems of care, and community. Across my lifespan, I too have experience persistent mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorder. Despite my professional training, personal exposure to behavioral health treatment, psychotropic medications, and traditional forms or care, I continued to struggle throughout my adulthood.
Fortunately, psychedelic medicine has brought me relief from intractable methamphetamine and alcohol use, healing from the trauma associated with recurrent loss, near death experiences, and profound hopelessness. Having had this transformative experience with psychedelic medicine, I’ve achieved optimal health and well-being. Now, my personal and professional mission is to advocate for psychedelic healing with access and application in the mental health and addiction recovery space.
Shireen is a Persian-Celtic mystical embodied earth medicine space holder and trauma therapist. As an energy worker, she combines Reiki, a Japanese healing art form from the Usui Lineage, and Shafaa Healing, which was birthed from her Persian Zoroastrian lineage. Shireen’s soul has a deep affinity for co-creating meaningful space for humans to unearth their own healing elements already living within them and their roots.
In her free time, Shireen fills up her soul-cup by being immersed in nature, paddle boarding, jumping into lakes, writing, creating ritual, dancing, sharing space for depth conversations (especially with plants and animals), and spending time with her partner and pups.
As a child, she would find solace in nature, and as she has journeyed through life, nature has become a beautiful eclectic medicine for her. The deep reverence she has for mother earth and all her gifts lights her passion to co-create space with her for others to connect with their most authentic self through movement, mindful journeying exploration, sound, earth medicine, and unconditional compassion and love.
Cortney Amundson, M.A., LPCC, BCN, QEEG-DL
Cortney Amundson (she/her) received a master’s degree in Ecopsychology from Antioch University Seattle following undergraduate studies at Metropolitan State University MN. She is a licensed professional clinical counselor certified in neurofeedback, trained in mind-body medicine, and a diplomate of qEEG. Cortney founded Mindful Restoration PLLC in 2011, providing eco-based & neurofeedback focused therapy services. She is currently participating in Naropa University’s program for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Certification. She qualifies as a disabled Veteran after an active-duty enlistment in the Air Force yet identifies and aligns more with a reclamation of her mind & body following the disruption and influence of war. She found healing in a travel-study abroad, outdoor-recreational program in New Zealand and Australia. Her lens is highly influenced by liberation and social justice academic studies. Her belief system is rooted in Earth based practices of reciprocity and approaches that support and guide the healer within each individual. She loves to teach, mentor, and facilitate workshops. She loves to travel and garden, explore and study culture, be in and build community. She is the mother of two in a co-parenting dynamic, identifying as a white, queer woman in a heteronormative partnership. Cortney is fluent in American Sign Language.
David, Farrar, MPH, DC
South Dakota native, Minnesota resident since 2001. I’ve taught anatomy, physiology, healing touch, healing movement for over 20 years. I experienced my first intentional psychedelic healing experience in 2020 and knew immediately I needed to use my knowledge and skills to help others understand their body and experiences with psychedelics. This was the beginning of expanded learning and practice to develop a movement and healing touch-based approach to psychedelic-assisted healing.
I currently still teach- or add I call it, “cultivate healers” in the traditional Western-medicine approach and work with people on full-body interview multisensory somatic healing experiences.
It’s my passion to approach each individual with comparing and understanding for their unique mind-body-spirit histories, traumas, and knowledge.
My developing interest include spring other healers to develop their own skills and approach to mindful touch based healing and working with neurodiverse populations and individuals with various methods of (non-verbal) communication .
Ashleigh Lynn is a passionate advocate for psychedelic assisted therapies and somatics to assist in releasing and re-processing traumatic events, and learn through the analysis of protective behavioral patterning. She is a passionate dancer, gardener, student of the soil, builder, breathwork facilitator, journey work guide, integration coach, and ecstatic dance dj.
Her inspirations lay within safety, vulnerability, right-relationship, presence, and creative expression. She believes in the liberation of authenticity through creative movement in all of its forms. Her relationship with psychedelics and breathwork has sky-rocketed her into depths of self awareness that have opened a path towards virtue; and she strides to gently guide and remind others of their own unique gifts and superpowers.
Grace Nelson
I have lived in Minneapolis for the past 5 years, during which time I have worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery as well as hospice/deathcare. In both of these fields, I have had the honor of holding the space for people to pass through both of these portals with greater comfort, focus, ease, and even pleasure. My work is enlivening to my spirit and life’s calling to learn as much as I can about where unconditional love lies in spaces of such deep ecstasy and profound fear of the unknown.
I am also a singer and songwriter, a reiki master practitioner, and an avid consumer of films and visual art. Every day sparks a new revolution for me and I bow down to the creator who makes all these things possible.
Heather Carabajal, Psychedelic Therapist, MFT
I am a third generation born North Minneapolis kid who moved around the state a bit, before re-locating to Northern California. I have an innate magnetism towards creativity, nature and humanity. I have late diagnosed ADHD (combined type), and my partner and two children are also neurodivergent, so naturally this has become a great interest of mine. I am intrigued by the intersection of Psychedelic consciousness with repairing rupture/wounding connected to Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, that can accompany neurodivergence (and I think many of the ways a person can feel othered).
My professional background is in Counseling Psychology, with an emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy. I built my foundation of experience in the non-profit field, providing intensive therapy for youth who were at heightened risk for psychiatric hospitalization, or were on probation, and their support systems, then later providing clinical supervision for therapists who were doing similar work for 15 years.
The Covid-19 pandemic catalyzed big changes in my life, including moving back to Minnesota, taking a hiatus from work to reset and reflect, and being intentional with stepping into my next professional role I studied and passed the National and Minnesota state tests, and was licensed in Minnesota as an LMFT in 2023. I joined the team at Intero the same year. I feel grateful for continued learning, support, and a deep reverence for Psychedelic informed work.
Nina Guertin is a trained End-of-Life / Death Doula, a trained and certified Interfaith Spiritual Director, a certified Grief Support Specialist, an End-of-Life-Doula Mentor, a Death Educator, Ritualist / Celebrant, Aromatherapist, and an Angel Artist / Ceramicist.
Nina also serves as a Chaplain and Spiritual Support Team Member with Sholom-Johnson Hospice.
As a Death Educator, she teaches a six-part series on preparing for death, and is available to speak on the following topics: What’s a Doula Do?, Vigil Planning, Ritual Work at End of Life, Sacred Oils, The Four Elements, Meaning and Legacy, The Dance of Bereavement, Art and Processing Grief, Art and Legacy, Stillbirth and Grief, and What Is Death Education? She has spoken to groups with over 9,000 in attendance.
Nina has more than twenty-five years’ experience in clay work and and facilitates Healing HeART Experiences with clay in her studio in NE Minneapolis. She also offers Grief Intensives, one-on-one Spiritual Direction, Self-Care and Wellness Retreats, and End of Life Webinars.
Nina is a co-founder and member of The Minnesota Death Collaborative, a member of the International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA), The Minnesota Threshold Network, The National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA), The Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death, Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality, Spiritual Directors International (SDI), and the Minnesota Enneagram Association, and holds a NEDA Proficiency Badge.
Nina has been practicing death, grief, and bereavement work since 2017. She lives in NE Minneapolis with her spouse and their Great Dane, Frances.
I’m a Minneapolis native whose world blends art, music, and spirituality. My true passion is delving into the depths of human consciousness and progressing on the path to enlightenment.
I have a wide range of passions and activities that fuel me. I love to travel and learn from Mother Nature; listening to her is one of our greatest teachers.
I founded and create art at Leviticus Tattoo, where I believe that tattooing can imbue energy and intent into the body, much like a blessing changes the structure of water.
I am also a music fanatic and own Minneapolis Hi-Fi, a store specializing in high-end audio gear. I see music reproduction as a portal into higher consciousness, where sound and frequency can lead us to new depths of awareness.
I am deeply interested in various healing modalities, combining them while channeling source energy into my practice. I thrive on collaborating with other healers to help bring people back into harmony using all of the most effective methods I have learned. I’ve studied both traditional practices and plant medicine-based methods.
Though there are many routes to an enlightened path, we can each choose how we approach this sacred journey. As I continue my own journey, I find great value in teaching and learning from others and sharing ways we can deepen our own paths. My mission is to gently guide others to their paths, so they can reach their truest and highest potential.