About|

    Meet Our Team

    The People Behind Yoga Alliance

    Yoga Alliance is powered by a team of passionate leaders, staff, and board members working to support yoga professionals and expand access to yoga worldwide.

    Overview

    Yoga Alliance is more than an organization—it’s a community dedicated to ensuring yoga remains safe, accessible, and inclusive.

    From our staff to our board and committees, each person brings expertise, lived experience, and a shared commitment to strengthening the global yoga community. Together, we empower teachers, foster connection, and advance the future of yoga.

    Staff

    Guided by Purpose, Connected by Yoga

    Our staff works daily to bring Yoga Alliance’s mission to life—supporting members, developing resources, and advocating for the global yoga community.

    Agatha Schmaedick

    Senior Manager of Ethics & Safety

    she/her

    Alicia Willemet

    CRM Specialist

    she/her

    Allison Mattingly

    Director of Membership Strategy & Engagement

    she/her

    Ashanty El Hajj Lau

    Communications & Engagement Manager

    she/her

    Banke Akinmolayan

    Business Analysis & Technical Project Manager

    she/her

    Carmen Colombo

    Systems, Data, & Analytics Lead

    she/her

    Charlotte Raich

    Director of IT Projects & Portfolio Management

    she/her

    Chris Norris

    Director of Marketing Strategy & Innovation

    he/him

    Christie Kelly

    Community Learning & Education Specialist

    she/her

    Dani Reese

    Head of Community Engagement

    she/her

    Elizabeth Rowe

    Marketing Coordinator

    she/her

    Emmanuelle Jouvent

    Community Learning & Education Specialist

    she/her

    Hamed Badiei

    Director of Technology

    He/Him

    Helsa Thompson

    Learning & Development Program Manager

    she/her

    Hilary Mughloo

    Chief Operating Officer

    she/her

    Kady Lafferty

    Director of Social Impact

    she/her

    Kevin Karas

    Board Governance Manager

    he/him

    Kristina Graff

    Head of Social Impact

    she/her

    Michelle Kelsey Mitchell

    Head of Strategy

    she/her

    Michelle Thurston-Harvey

    Director of Community Learning & Development

    she/her

    Natosha Safo

    Director of Strategic Projects

    she/her

    Shannon Roche

    President, CEO & Ex-Officio Member

    she/her

    Sharon Cyrus

    Director of Storytelling

    she/her

    Sophia Loza

    Senior Accountant

    she/her

    Toni Carey

    Head of Strategic Communications

    she/her

    Vivian Selles

    Community Relations Coordinator

    she/they

    Board

    Leadership With a Global Vision

    Our boards of directors guides the strategic vision of Yoga Alliance and the Yoga Alliance Foundation, ensuring we serve the community with integrity, sustainability, and purpose.

    Their work focuses on:

    Strategic Planning: Defining and upholding our mission, vision, and goals.
    Governance: Ensuring policies and practices align with our values.
    Financial Strategy: Approving budgets and allocating resources to sustain long-term impact.

    Benjamin C. Varadi

    RYT 200

    Britt Lake

    RYT 200

    Catherine “Cat” Chang

    RYT 200

    Chandana Achanta

    RYT 200

    Chantelle Diachina

    E-RYT 200, RYT 500

    Glenna Tinney

    RYT 500

    Jo-Ann Bance, Chair

    E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, BBA, MHRM

    Kathryn Luna

    RYT 200

    Kristoffer Carter

    Manmeet “Mona” K. Desai

    E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP

    Nisha Devi Rodrigo

    E-RYT 500

    Radha Metro-Midkiff

    Shannon Roche

    President, CEO & Ex-Officio Member

    she/her

    Siddharth Kulkarni

    Secretary

    Yoshi Aono

    Treasurer

    Committees

    Strengthening Our Mission Through Collaboration

    Our committees, led by volunteer board members, focus on specific aspects of organizational success, ensuring we achieve our mission with care and accountability.

    • Executive Committee: Implements board policies and provides oversight between meetings.
    • Governance Committee: Recruits and supports qualified board members to ensure effective leadership.
    • Finance Committee: Oversees financial planning and reporting, ensuring fiscal responsibility.
    • Audit Committee: Supervises independent audits for transparency and compliance.

    For board-related inquiries, contact Kevin James Karas, Board Governance Manager, at kkaras@yogaalliance.org.

    Take the Next Step

    Yoga thrives through connection, and we’re here to support your journey and strengthen the community that unites us all.

    For more details about how we operate, read our Yoga Alliance Bylaws and Yoga Alliance Foundation Bylaws.

    Yoga Alliance Bylaws
    Yoga Alliance Foundation Bylaws

    Learn more about our work and our mission.

    Learn More

    Explore career opportunities to join our team and contribute to the future of yoga.

    Explore career opportunities

    Deepen your learning. For more details about how we operate, read our Yoga Alliance Bylaws and Yoga Alliance Foundation Bylaws.

    Agatha Schmaedick

    Senior Manager of Ethics & Safety

    Alicia Willemet

    CRM Specialist

    Allison Mattingly

    Director of Membership Strategy & Engagement

    Ashanty El Hajj Lau

    Communications & Engagement Manager

    Banke Akinmolayan

    Business Analysis & Technical Project Manager

    Carmen Colombo

    Systems, Data, & Analytics Lead

    Charlotte Raich

    Director of IT Projects & Portfolio Management

    Chris Norris

    Director of Marketing Strategy & Innovation

    Christie Kelly

    Community Learning & Education Specialist

    Dani Reese

    Head of Community Engagement

    Dani Reese is the Head of Community Engagement at Yoga Alliance. She has more than 10 years of experience in the wellness industry and nearly a decade with the organization. During Dani’s time at Yoga Alliance, she played a key role in the association’s global expansion with a thoughtful focus on community support. She oversees member experience, growth and retention, benefits, and partnerships.

    Dani’s passion for community building, yoga, and service was forged throughout her professional life, having worked in ecotourism and sustainability early in her career. As a yoga teacher, Dani has taught in school systems, studios, gyms, international retreats, and conferences. Her history within Yoga Alliance paired with her experience as a yoga teacher give her unique insight and perspective into her membership-centric role. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from West Virginia University and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from the University of Colorado Boulder.

    Elizabeth Rowe

    Marketing Coordinator

    Emmanuelle Jouvent

    Community Learning & Education Specialist

    Hamed Badiei

    Director of Technology

    Helsa Thompson

    Learning & Development Program Manager

    Hilary Mughloo

    Chief Operating Officer

    As Chief Operating Officer and in collaboration with the President & CEO of Yoga Alliance and the Yoga Alliance Foundation, Hilary Mughloo focuses on strategic project management and execution, identifying and solving roadblocks by paying close attention to the daily needs of the organization in support of the team. She works in service to the mission, the members, and the broader yoga community as a whole. Hilary thrives on creating, supporting, and leading initiatives that create collective social impact in local and global communities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and, over the past two decades, has studied community economic development, nonprofit management, leadership, holistic health, yoga, and other healing arts.

    Kady Lafferty

    Director of Social Impact

    Kevin Karas

    Board Governance Manager

    Kristina Graff

    Head of Social Impact

    Kristina Graff is a global public health professional with a passion for social justice. Over the past 20+ years, Kristina has worked both locally and globally to combat inequities and to contribute to a healthier, more compassionate world. She has pioneered initiatives to expand and improve health services in high-need communities, advancing policy, service delivery, and research. As head of the Yoga Alliance Foundation, Kristina draws on her body of work in the nonprofit, city government, and academic sectors to identify, measure, and scale innovative platforms that expand both yoga’s reach and impact. Kristina earned a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University. She appreciates yoga’s gifts of mindfulness and centering, and she finds her greatest inspiration through her journey as a parent to her two children and as a partner to her husband.

    Michelle Kelsey Mitchell

    Head of Strategy

    Michelle Thurston-Harvey

    Director of Community Learning & Development

    Natosha Safo

    Director of Strategic Projects

    Shannon Roche

    President, CEO & Ex-Officio Member

    A yoga student for 20 years, Shannon Roche’s career has centered around building bridges between mainstream institutions and community and coalition-driven initiatives to drive progressive social change. Prior to joining Yoga Alliance and the Yoga Alliance Foundation as Chief Operating Officer in 2017, Shannon served on the Obama Administration’s economic policy team, where she led stakeholder engagement for the U.S. Commerce Secretary. She also played key roles on the founding leadership teams of three innovative nonprofits, including the Democracy Alliance. Shannon has a Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Duke University and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and her most enlightening and humbling teachers of all, their two children.

    Sharon Cyrus

    Director of Storytelling

    Sophia Loza

    Senior Accountant

    Toni Carey

    Head of Strategic Communications

    Toni Carey serves as Head of Strategic Communications at Yoga Alliance and is a recognized leader in the health and wellness industries—most notably as the co-founder of Black Girls RUN!. With more than a decade of experience in marketing and communications strategy, her previous roles include Director of Marketing at The Public Good Projects (PGP), where she developed innovative campaigns to address some of the nation’s most pressing health challenges. Prior to that, she led the marketing strategy for Michelle Obama’s Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). Toni has worked with numerous consumer and non-profit brands with an intentional focus on ensuring that the stories of marginalized communities are seen and heard. She was also named one of the “50 Most Influential People in Running” by Runner’s World and received Toyota’s Standing O-Vation Award presented by Oprah. She holds a B.S. in Mass Communications with minors in Marketing and Spanish from Middle Tennessee State University, as well as a M.A. in Strategic Communications from Seton Hall University.

    Vivian Selles

    Community Relations Coordinator

    Benjamin C. Varadi

    RYT 200

    Ben Varadi is a law professor teaching nonprofit and business law, professional ethics, and agricultural law and policy at Vermont Law and Graduate School in South Royalton, Vermont. His scholarship explores relationships between business regulation and social responsibility. Prior to academia, he built a nationally recognized law practice focusing on expanding opportunity for members of historically marginalized communities and directed a free legal clinic assisting people impacted by natural disasters. He holds a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a sports law certificate.

    Ben’s 30-year personal journey in mind-body practices began with early exposure to yoga and breathwork, expanding through extensive formal and autodidactic study in various spiritual, contemplative, movement, and martial arts disciplines. The transformative impact of his regular yoga practice kindled a desire to deepen his understanding and more actively engage with the global practitioner community, leading to a RYT 200 credential with Yoga Alliance. Ben lives in Vermont with his spouse and two dogs, who all often join in asana practice.

    Britt Lake

    RYT 200

    Britt Lake is a nonprofit executive and yoga practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in the social impact sector. Lake began her yoga journey to complement marathon and triathlon training. She soon saw how yoga not only helped prevent injury but provided balance to her life off the mat. When she’s not practicing or teaching yoga, she leads Feedback Labs, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting high-quality feedback and listening to communities in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Lake holds a Bachelor of Arts in international studies from the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where she was a Morehead-Cain Scholar, a master’s in international relations from the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa, and a master’s in public affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs in Princeton, New Jersey.

    Catherine “Cat” Chang

    RYT 200

    Cat Chang is a finance, strategy and operations executive, and a dedicated yoga practitioner for more than 20 years. She has helped build and scale teams in high-growth environments including as an early team member of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and at Planet Labs, an impact-oriented aerospace startup that operates the world’s largest fleet of Earth imaging satellites. Chang holds a Bachelor of Arts in applied mathematics from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and earned a joint Master of Business Administration/Master of Science in sustainable development from Stanford University in Stanford, California. She also currently serves on the board of WBEC-West.

    Chandana Achanta

    RYT 200

    Chandana Achanta is a kids yoga teacher and mental health advocate. She holds a deep commitment to expanding the accessibility of yoga, conducting free workshops in the United States for young children, teens, and adults. Her writing is published in the Baltimore Sun and OM Yoga Magazine. She served on Virginia’s Loudoun County Public Schools Mental Health and Wellness Committee for two years. Professionally, Chandana has been solving public policy problems since 2007. She holds a Master of Public Policy Analysis from the University of California, Berkeley.

    Chantelle Diachina

    E-RYT 200, RYT 500

    Since her first classical Hatha Yoga class in 2001, Chantelle Diachina has studied in ashrams with Shri Yogi Hari (United States) and Swami Nityamuktananda (India), both students of the late Swami Vishnu Devananda of the Sivananda lineage. Her commitment to yoga and the betterment of humanity is reflected in all her work. After a decade-long career as an educator, she has evolved into a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, corporate wellness facilitator and consultant, and meditation teacher for the Insight Timer app. In 2021, she appeared as a Wisdom 2.0 community speaker. Her current projects include addressing mental health for the Racial Justice Program at University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law in Victoria, British Columbia and contributing to the latest Changing Work Collective Anthology to be released Summer 2025.

    Diachina holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, a master’s degree in education from University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, a Master of Arts in counseling psychology from Yorkville University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and a post-graduate certificate in corporate communications and public relations from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.

    Glenna Tinney

    RYT 500

    Glenna Tinney is a retired United States Navy Captain social worker and holds an RYT 500 credential with Yoga Alliance. Her work has focused on advocacy, activism, social justice, and eliminating violence against women, children, animals, and the environment. Her goal is to help people add yoga as a tool to aid in their healing and recovery from trauma. Tinney believes that yoga is a powerful tool for bringing physical, mental, and emotional healing that can make a difference in people’s lives on and off the mat. She helps individuals be their best selves and do less harm to themselves, others, animals, and the planet so they are better equipped to make a positive difference in the world. She is a published author and was recognized by the White House in 2013 as a Woman Veteran Champion of Change. Tinney lives in Northern Virginia with her husband where she enjoys long walks around the local lake and eating out at favorite vegan restaurants.

    Jo-Ann Bance, Chair

    E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, BBA, MHRM

    Jo-Ann Bance’s yoga journey began with her first yoga class in 1999 during which she felt an instant knowing that there was so much more to learn. In 2013, Jo-Ann completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program, leaving with an even greater knowing of what was still left to discover. Having graduated from a 300-hour training, she has been teaching ever since, finding opportunities to practice, teach, and grow via a student of yoga.

    Jo-Ann has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Human Resource Management. She has worked in various senior management roles for both government and post-secondary institutions. Jo-Ann has over 20 years of experience as an administrator, which is combined with her solid financial and human resources background.

    Kathryn Luna

    RYT 200

    Kathryn Luna is an experienced community and relationship builder with more than a decade of experience in professional sports, corporate philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector. She is currently the Director of Community Investment for Sacramento Republic Football Club. She believes in the power of healing through mindfulness and movement and has taught yoga since 2020. Her journey towards lifelong contentment and fulfillment includes a continued passion for building community, being an advocate for historically marginalized communities, and a proponent of holistic health and well-being. Luna completed her undergraduate studies in sociology at Santa Clara University in Santa, Clara, California and holds a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco in San Francisco, California. She also holds an RYT 200 credential with Yoga Alliance.

    Kristoffer Carter

    Kristoffer Carter (“KC”) is passionate about applying timeless yogic teachings to the demands of modern leadership. As the CEO and Founder of Epic Leadership, a coaching and training organization for conscious leadership, Kristoffer’s teachings have helped thousands create a daily meditation practice. Kristoffer has coached executive leaders and taught meditation professionally since leaving his career in learning and development in 2015. His first book, Permission to Glow—A Spiritual Guide to Epic Leadership has been featured in Men’s Health, Success Magazine, Good Morning Washington, and on numerous news programs for NBC, ABC, and CBS.

    KC has been a disciple of the teachings of Paramhamsa Yogananda through Self-Realization Fellowship and their lineage of masters since first reading Autobiography of a Yogi in 2011. Kristoffer is also a professional songwriter, kirtan artist, TEDx speaker, and international retreat leader. He is currently writing his second book (Permission to Chill, Spring 2024) and preparing to make his teaching debut at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in 2023.

    Manmeet “Mona” K. Desai

    E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP

    A dedicated yoga teacher, attorney, and operations leader, Desai integrates her background in education, law, and strategic leadership to broaden access to yoga and wellness. Raised in the South Asian community, she is passionate about honoring Yoga’s origins while fostering meaningful connections through practice. Though yoga was present in the background of her upbringing, she began actively practicing in 2017 and soon recognized its deeper influence on her life. What began to manage the demands of a stressful career became a reconnection with her cultural roots, leading her to deepen her studies through extensive training. She holds an E-RYT 200, RYT 500, and YACEP credential with Yoga Alliance, alongside certifications in meditation and advanced yoga studies. Beyond teaching, she trains future instructors in yoga history, philosophy, Sanskrit, and Ayurveda.

    Desai earned her bachelor’s in English and master’s in education from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas before studying law at New England Law School in Boston, Massachusetts where she focused on international and immigration law. A former high school teacher and global immigration attorney, she transitioned to leadership in the health sector and now serves as Chief Operating Officer at Mother of Fact, a digital women’s health company that delivers medical nutrition therapy to at-risk pregnant patients.

    Nisha Devi Rodrigo

    E-RYT 500

    Nisha Devi is an Eastern Medicine practitioner dedicated to remedying the deepest of human conditions by enhancing chi flow through movement modalities, including yoga. Raised in Sri Lanka and the USA, Nisha Devi’s understanding of eastern and western medicine permeates true health into all facets of one’s life. Grounded in 20+ years of apprenticeships, her study includes time in Shaolin Temple and on Wudan Mountain. The pioneer of Medicinal Movement™, her methodology is rooted in this ancient lineage of medicinal masters. In 2012, she founded KALA Wellness. Four years later, she was inducted into the Asian Martial Arts Hall of Fame for promoting healing arts globally. Currently, she works with the CA State Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Jordan and conducts lectures world-wide on internal alchemy fueled through Medicinal Movement™. In 2022, Governor Newsom appointed her to the CA Advisory Council on Physical Fitness & Mental Well-Being.

    Radha Metro-Midkiff

    As co-host of the One Answer: YOGA podcast and owner of Radha Enterprises Inc., Radha Metro-Midkiff brings a lifetime of experience in yoga and business. Born and raised in Yoga, she grew up at Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia, under the direct tutelage of Sri Swami Satchidananda. Her parents, Integral Yoga Ministers Bhagavan and Bhavani Metro, moved to Virginia so she and her five siblings could attend the Integral Yoga School/Yogaville Vidyalayam. As the only student to attend the school from first through 12th grade, she was certified as both a Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga instructor at the age of 18. Additionally, she had the fortune of being one of only four individuals to receive the direct blessing of Dharma confirmation from Swami Satchidananda. Radha most recently served as the Executive Director of Integral Yoga Institute, New York.

    Shannon Roche

    President, CEO & Ex-Officio Member

    A yoga student for 20 years, Shannon Roche’s career has centered around building bridges between mainstream institutions and community and coalition-driven initiatives to drive progressive social change. Prior to joining Yoga Alliance and the Yoga Alliance Foundation as Chief Operating Officer in 2017, Shannon served on the Obama Administration’s economic policy team, where she led stakeholder engagement for the U.S. Commerce Secretary. She also played key roles on the founding leadership teams of three innovative nonprofits, including the Democracy Alliance. Shannon has a Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Duke University and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and her most enlightening and humbling teachers of all, their two children.

    Siddharth Kulkarni

    Secretary

    Siddharth Kulkarni is an economist and researcher with more than a decade of experience in the economic development and technology sectors. Yoga has been a presence in his life from a young age through instruction and guidance from his mother, a dedicated yoga practitioner and teacher. Her influence started Siddharth on his own journey to explore the physical and spiritual traditions of yoga, which he has rediscovered as an adult and continues today.

    In addition to yoga, Siddharth is also a passionate student of martial arts, training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Siddharth completed his undergraduate studies in Economics and Politics at UC San Diego and holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University. Siddharth lives in San Diego, California with two of his favorite yoga partners, his wife Avani and his dog Twix.

    Yoshi Aono

    Treasurer

    Yoshi is a mindfulness visionary, company builder, musician and humanitarian, whose mission is to bring high-level presence and consciousness into global entrepreneurship and community. Through his passion for music and communal wellness, he has participated in various social impact projects around the world. His humanitarian work has led him to Africa, Haiti, Cambodia, Thailand, Peru, India, Bali and Louisiana. He has coordinated and led tent city aid distribution projects along with leading teams into disaster zones.

    Yoshi is the founder of the Hanuman Community (Festival, Academy, and Adventures). Throughout his professional career, Yoshi has served as CEO for various mid-sized companies, with his deep understanding of vision and brand development, strategic road-mapping, and investor acquisitions helping pave his way for impact and success. He is a 43-year student of the guitar and self-motivator. Yoshi joins the Yoga Alliance Board of Directors to help support the organization’s continued growth and yoga community support.

    Meet Our Team