Speakers

Lina Sergie Attar was a visiting fellow with the Muslim Diaspora Initiative at New America and the founder and CEO of Karam Foundation. She is a Syrian-American architect and writer from Aleppo. Sergie Attar is a co-founder of the How Many More? project and she serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Syria Campaign. She was named one of GOOD magazine's 2016 Good 100 for Karam's innovative work with Syrian refugees. Her articles and essays have been published in The Atlantic, BBC, Chicago Tribune, Foreign Policy, New York Times, and Politico. She has appeared on BBC, CNN, Huffington Post, NBC, and NPR, and she has given a TEDx talk. Sergie Attar has spoken about the Syrian humanitarian crisis at schools, universities, and institutions including: Aspen Institute, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, King's Academy in Jordan, New America, The New School, Northwestern University, Phillips Exeter Academy, Rhode Island School of Design, and the University of Chicago.

Born and raised in Portland, OR, to parents committed to community activism and educating underprivileged youth, Remi Sobomehin has always known that education was the field in which his life would be committed. After Stanford, Remi spent his career devoted to the community of East Palo Alto, as a school leader and director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, until launching Ambition. Remi has two kids, Jaiye (5) and Kemi (3) with his wife Kendra. They live in East Palo Alto.

Faye Sahai is Partner at Exbourne Group and Founding Managing Partner at Telosity Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in digital wellness and mental health.  Faye has 25+ years of experience in healthcare, financial institutions, and insurance innovation and investment executive at Kaiser Permanente, Schwab, AIG, Blue Shield, and Deloitte Consulting and founded 3 of her own startups.  She has served as an Advisor and Board member to over a dozen companies including Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, UCSF Catalyst, Berger Institute Vice Chair, ANA Innovation Advisory, Samsung Emerging Technology Advisory, Innovation Executive Forum, Summer Search, Autonomous ID, Somnology MD, Ayogo Health, Bridge Asia, and Ascend Leadership AEN & NorCal Chair.  Faye has been recognized as Power 100 and Women of Influence by Silicon Valley Business Journal, Insurance Business Hot 100 and Elite Women in Insurance Business America, Tech for Good Women in Tech, Ascend Leadership Award, Computer World’s Top Premier IT Leaders, The Stevie Awards Women helping Women, Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Kaiser Permanente Asian Community and Innovation Enterprise Best Ideation Award.

A native of LA, Gloria is the proud mother of a 30 year old daughter, Marisa. After a successful 40 years in healthcare, Gloria is now happily retired. Art and travel have always been part of her many interests and has most recently added on ballroom dancing lessons.

Shawn is the founder of THE REAL Mental Health Foundation, which has a focused objective: to significantly improve the mental health of men and their families. Leveraging his personal experiences, Shawn aims to challenge societal norms, create environments for open dialogue, and encourage authentic peer connections.  Visit THE REAL Website for more information.  Vision: THE REAL is set on building a global community to support men's mental health and well-being. The initiative aims to make a ripple effect, positively impacting families and communities by transforming the mental healthcare conversation and structure.  Shawn Lesser is channeling his hard-won battles into action, showing that adversity can indeed lead to meaningful change.

Janna has been practicing energy work since 1993.  She has numerous certifications, including Reiki II, heartmath, crystal resonance, Peruvian Cosmology and sound healing.  Janna completed a 2-year program with Samaya k Aster, formally known as Niasha Ashian, author of the book of stones. She was invited to assist the sanctuary at Black Oak Ranch in 2022 & 2023. She hosts her own curated CRYSTAL GRID SOUND JOURNEY in Mount Shasta & Los Gatos, and teaches this class at Breathe + Oneness in Santa Cruz.

Lindsey is an author, screenwriter, and cofounder of Reach Out Recovery where her articles about relationships and recovery reach millions of readers worldwide. Lindsey has written screenplays, TV shows, and co-produced award-winning documentaries, including The Secret World of Recovery and The Silent Majority, which premiered on PBS in 2014. She has worked in publishing and communications and served as a recovery advocate for twenty years from testifying in Congress to teaching her 2019 self-help book, 100 Tips for Growing Up, to recovery and gang reentry programs. Lindsey is a frequent featured speaker, a proud member of Rotary International, and a practicing Buddhist. Lindsey is co-author of the highly praised Mother Daughter Relationship Makeover, published by HCI in April 2024 to help mothers and daughters everywhere understand that even if you go off track, go to war, part ways for years, you can still find your way back to friendship, understanding, and love. 

The Rotary Club of Mental Health & Wellness (RCMHW) believes that addressing mental health requires a community of compassionate and dedicated individuals from various professional backgrounds. The "Be Kind" Scholarship is a testament to our commitment to fostering a future where mental health support is accessible, empathetic, and integrated into all aspects of society.  Through the "Be Kind" Scholarship, RCMHW seeks to empower the next generation of mental health leaders and advocates. By providing financial support to students committed to this cause, we aim to inspire actionable change and encourage innovative approaches to mental health challenges. We strive to turn passion into tangible results, supporting those driven to make a difference in the world.

Lidia, a natural empath, has been finely attuned to the subtle energies and frequencies around her since her formative years. In 2014, her journey into the world of Reiki was a natural progression, earning her the prestigious title of a Master level Reiki teacher. Her insatiable thirst for knowledge led her to a diverse array of mind-body-soul healing techniques, and she masterfully customizes each guest's experience. Among her arsenal of certified healing modalities, Lidia boasts proficiency in Pranic Healing, Theta Healing, Aromatherapy, Akashic Readings, Past Life Healing, Generational Healing, Soul Contracts, Somatic Experience, Breakthwork, Shakti, and Crystal Therapy.