Our Team

James is an eco-social designer, applying the wisdom of nature to improve human systems. In over thirty years of creative problem solving in business, education, and media, James has kept his focus on helping organizations craft strategies to meet the needs of greater social and environmental wellbeing while reaching their goals for operational efficiency and profitability.

Azuraye grew up in Boulder, and has experience in entrepreneurship, cross-cultural communications, and nature-based people systems. She has returned to the land to help steward the test pilot for DAR’s “full stack” regenerative systems design & implementation at the Yellow Barn.

Amy’s interest in food systems was originally born out of a degree in cultural anthropology. After five years farming on the East Coast, Amy served on the board of a forming urban ecovillage, worked at Harlequin’s Gardens Nursery, and founded an ecological landscaping business. Amy is also a teacher and facilitator for the Boulder Permaculture Design Course, which she graduated from in 2018. She is deeply passionate about local history and ecology and how dryland agriculture can regenerate the land and communities of the arid west. Amy lives and homesteads in Niwot.

Rachel is originally a desert being who grew up in the suburbs of Phoenix. She was introduced to sustainable agriculture during her two years of living in rural Panama, coffee farming and growing veggies with children. After another two years of working on food sovereignty with the Red Lake Nation in northern Minnesota, Rachel finds herself soaking up every permaculture-imbibed moment at Elk Run Farm. A sister, a daughter, a farmer, a coffee lover, and a cat mom, it is her utmost honor to be Farm Manager this agricultural season. Her favorite vegetable is broccoli.

Born and raised in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, Carlos is inspired by collaborating with and uplifting land designers. Immersing himself in South America for five years guided his knowledge of community building, systems development and indigenous practices. After returning to the Canary Islands he received a degree in Architectural drafting and Project management. Soon after, he immigrated with his American wife to the US and lived at Elk Run Farm for one season. He is now the lead Project Manager and Graphic Designer for Land Stewardship within DAR.

Certified as a Director with the Colorado Office of Early Childhood, Jessica has been teaching children ages 1-8 for seven years and has been a part of the Folk Farm Family since 2021. She received her B.S. in Human Development from the University of California San Diego and is a lifelong student of regenerative child raising practices. She holds the container of developmentally appropriate education through growing authentic connection, building responsive systems, and ensuring quality care.

Nelson’s degree studies are in soil health, ecology regeneration, and sustainable food systems such as agrivoltaics and agroforestry. He has dedicated his life to understanding how regenerative agriculture can serve as a catalyst for change in the face of climate change and believes that soil health is integral to this change. He lives in Longmont with his sweet cat, white German shepherd, and clinical herbalist husband and strives to embody living in a reciprocal relationship with nature through his research.

Sabrina is a certified clinical medical herbalist and nutritionist trained in the western vitalist traditions. She believes we all have the innate intelligence and capability to heal and uses plants to facilitate the process. Born and raised in Colorado, she feels grateful to be among communities devoted to the synergistic relationships between all living things. When she’s not sharing her knowledge of plant wisdom at DAR, she can be found wandering in the mountains or spending quality time with loved ones.

Vida is a bilingual agroecology instructor, soil health nerd, and urban farmer. She is also a bold, tenderhearted everyday person who can barely contain her VERY enthusiastic fascination with Mother Earth’s beauty. When she’s not assisting DAR with operations support, she’s raising composting worms, learning to speak Comanche, and spreading love for Mother Earth.

Anthony Levy weaves together an entrepreneurial mindset, yogic values and permaculture design principles to bring life on Earth back into resonance. With each intentional breath, he tends to the land and community, harmonizing with the natural rhythms of Earth. The sacred practices of Self Care & Earth Care intertwine infusing the world with joy and regenerative vitality, one human being at a time. Anthony holds a degree from University of Colorado's Business School and is a certified Permaculture Designer.

Matt is a permaculture designer, musician and yoga teacher focused on cultivating the fertile edges of spirituality and regenerative work. He is passionate about designing and implementing water systems in order to reverse desertification and restore ecosystems. He has completed a permaculture design course (PDC), digital design training and is currently in a watershed restoration course led by Zach Weiss, a leader in the water harvesting field. His goal is to combine regenerative design with tools such as yoga, breathwork and meditation as a way to bring people into alignment with themselves and Mother Earth.

After growing up in the Tennessee Valley, I moved up to Knoxville for college. Originally, I envisioned a future for myself inside a lab, researching the way the physical world works. Along the way, I pulled on the threads of sustainability and found myself studying science through the lens of other cultures. With newfound awareness of alternative education, I jumped headfirst into Ecoversity’s Permaculture Design Certification course. Leaning into those principles and ethics have helped me find connections and community.

Anastacia Marie Archibeque, owner of Casita Herbals, is an Indigenous Chicanx multi-generational Coloradan. Her mission and vision for Casita Herbals is to serve/build her community, share her medicines, and reclaim ancestral knowledge, roots, and ways of living, by giving back to Mama Earth through a Decolonized Lense of Herbalism and Land Restoration. Check out more at www.casitaherbals.com

I grew up in Colorado and care deeply about our land and communities of the state. I earned my B.S. in Human Nutrition and Dietetics where I focused on localized food systems, access, and equity. I am passionate about gardening and farming and have worked with many Colorado farms to learn more about what our local food systems are doing and what barriers they are running into. I am  finishing my master’s in Environmental Public Health with a focus on agriculture practices that will better our communities, ecosystem, and planet.

Claire Thompson is a Colorado native raised on the ski slopes and in the woods. She has a passion for bringing people together for more than a good time, but for a good cause. With over 12 years in the event and hospitality industry, Claire creates events that weave together creativity, logistics, and seamless production to leave a lasting impact on guests.

Born and raised in Southern New Jersey, Amanda relocated to Colorado in 2018 to pursue her passion for conservation and environmental sociology. She brings that passion to DAR along with experience in a variety of fields including zookeeping, administrative work and customer service.  In college, she was an all-american rower with a national championship. She continues to be involved in the sport as a coach and mentor. After work, you can find Amanda spending time with her fiance, dog, and four frogs.

Shaqaula Habinsky is an experienced digital marketing strategist who specializes in utilizing data-driven methods to achieve desired outcomes. She carries a fervent desire to infuse her wisdom into the nonprofit domain, particularly by working with DAR. By employing her authentic and in-depth approach to marketing, she aims to amplify our mission and assist us in reaching our funding goals. Shaqaula is from Colorado and has a deep respect for disseminating information on food injustice. She knows firsthand the importance of educating marginalized groups about food sovereignty. She believes that access to fresh, nourishing food is a right, not a privilege.

Keila Hoover is originally from the Texas Panhandle where she grew up as a farmer's daughter. Running her hands through the dirt created a passion for nature, and because she grew up eating from the land, she recognizes the importance of accessible fresh food. As a UX Developer and Designer, Keila enjoys using her skill set to amplify the mission of the organizations that she works with while keeping engagement and revenue goals in mind. She recently purchased a house built in 1912 on 4.5 acres that she takes pride in bringing back to life. Along with her new found passion in homesteading, she also is a nerd for almost anything sci-fi or fantasy related.

After 7 years of working with children in settings such as a kindergarten classroom, summer camp, and preschool, Sara June found her way to Elk Run with a sense of remembrance. She is certified as an Assistant Teacher through the Colorado Office of Early Childhood and studied Early Childhood Development and Psychology at Fairfield University. Sara draws from her engaged spirit to teach through mysticism and lore of being in the elements. She seeks to uplift the inert wisdom of each individual child. Her teaching style draws from Earth stewardship principles as well as a sense of wonder. She’s worked on organic gardens and permaculture demonstration sites. Now, bridging the two parts of her service, Sara June’s teaching foresters children’s intuition throughout changing phases to create a connection to Earth.

Talluba was born and raised in Colorado and is mother to a 2.5 year old boy. She has a BFA in Dance and is a trained Vinyasa Yoga Teacher. She has 14 years of experience as a teacher and care provider in various spaces with a wide range of students, ranging from infancy to adulthood. Talluba specifically engages with children through the Montessori method and gentle parenting approach. For her, it is most important to see and treat children as respectable, capable, and autonomous human beings. This approach builds self-sufficiency, confidence, self-awareness, communication and problem-solving skills. T holds the learning space with structure yet spontaneity and understands that when a child is in a loving and relaxed environment, the brain is capable of learning and growing in exceptional ways. She values and holds clear boundaries while making room for intuitive flow to support the needs of the collective, as she recognizes it is ever-changing.  Along with a structured curriculum, T is interested in providing opportunities for self-generated research within the children, space to recall and remember their soul, ways to recast innate magic, and encourages their connection to the mystery through various artistic modalities.

Ashley Kulik is a nature-based educator, artist, and musician who deeply believes in the need for holistic approaches to learning. Over the past 9 years, Ashley has dedicated her career to mentoring young people. In 2013, Ashley worked in partnership with Earth Guardians where she assisted youth groups in climate action and indigenous youth rights. This led Ashley and a group of environmental educators to develop The Kiva Center, an outdoor educational program designed to nurture the potential of youth in becoming ecological stewards. Ashley has also worked with organizations such as Dream Tank to engage kids in local youth-led community projects and social entrepreneurship education. Ashley specializes in working with neurodiverse children as she holds a BA in Speech Language Hearing & Communication Sciences at the University of Colorado in Boulder. You can find her playing acoustic folk music and creating digital art in her spare time. She is happy to be a new member of the Elder Child team and offer her love of expressive arts to the program!

Ryan is a dedicated organization and community builder. Colorado-born, he’s been founding and leading organizations centered in community impact for nearly two decades, including an award-winning circus troupe, a childrens’ media company, a tech platform, and a rebels’ gathering space. Ryan believes that the change we need comes from diverse communities, networked and self-organizing towards a more just and regenerative future. A life-long learner, Ryan currently studies Regenerative and Complex Systems Design through the Systemic Design Labs at ETHZürich. He also loves to cook for his wife and two daughters, host backyard gatherings with his neighborhood crew, and play frisbee golf with his closest friends.

Growing up on the Front Range exploring all of colorful Colorado during childhood, Michelle has a deep passion for all young ones to spend their early years outside loving the land. She has dedicated over 10 years as an outdoor educator, naturalist, and mentor to people of all ages throughout a variety of non-profit organizations in Northern California and Colorado. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Education and Interpretation, with an emphasis in child development, from Cal Poly Humboldt. Michelle is also a certified Yoga Instructor, Women’s Guidance Facilitator, and Permaculture Designer, as well as gaining several nature education teaching certifications during her time in the field. She weaves her diverse experiences into an ecosystem of learning that aims to be inclusive, safe, fun, and expansive. She is a firm believer in the power of a creative education and a connection to nature as a means to protect our Earth and a pathway for people to thrive. Michelle seeks to build resilient children and communities by modeling patience, curiosity, and trusting our intuition. Michelle’s teaching style is based on letting our Earth guide the learning process through children’s natural exploration and their innate wonder and self-determination.

Bella grew up in Colorado and has always felt an innate connection to the non-human world. In college, she studied Sustainable Agriculture and began her career as a professional horse trainer. After an injury forced a sudden career change, Bella stepped into management roles within the service industry, while pursuing music on the side. During that period of her life, Bella felt called to use her skills to impact more meaningful change, but it wasn't until the birth of her 6-year-old daughter, that she made the choice to fully dedicate herself to forging a regenerative future. The ensuing years saw Bella navigate various ventures, from founding a poultry business to immersing herself in the intricacies of local food systems. However, a sense of alignment was elusive until she encountered DAR.

Now, Bella contributes her attention to detail and soft skills to DAR's mission of land and cultural regeneration. Additionally, she serves as Assistant Operations Manager at Yellow Barn Farm, DAR's largest land partner and demonstration site. Off the clock, you'll find Bella cooking with local ingredients, knitting, playing bass, tending to her garden, and soaking up the outdoors with her family. Nestled along Left Hand Creek outside of Niwot, CO, she shares her home with her partner, daughter, dogs, and a crew of rescued feral cats and aims to live in reciprocity with the land and all of its inhabitants.

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Hailing from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Nick is a regenerative designer, farmer, and builder. Inspired by indigenous culture and ancient farming practices, he works passionately to design the future of living systems.

In 2015, Nick began farming on a barren and desertified 14 acre parcel of land in rural north Boulder County, now called Elk Run Farm, and the pilot research project for Drylands Agroecology Research (DAR). Today, Nick is working to develop climate change solutions through regenerative farming, working with private and public landowners across Boulder County.

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Hailing from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Nick is a regenerative designer, farmer, and builder. Inspired by indigenous culture and ancient farming practices, he works passionately to design the future of living systems.

In 2015, Nick began farming on a barren and desertified 14 acre parcel of land in rural north Boulder County, now called Elk Run Farm, and the pilot research project for Drylands Agroecology Research (DAR). Today, Nick is working to develop climate change solutions through regenerative farming, working with private and public landowners across Boulder County.

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Brett serves as the city of Boulder’s Senior Policy Advisor for Climate Action and leads the City’s NaturalClimate Solutions team. He is also the Director of the Center for Regenerative Solutions (CRS)—a national initiative to expand natural climate solutions nationally that is co-sponsored by the UrbanSustainability Directors Network.Brett’s primary responsibility is the ongoing evolution of the city’s climate action initiatives. Over the past two years, Brett has coordinated cross-department/multi stake holder efforts in soil regeneration and sequestration research on agricultural lands and an urban forestry expansion campaign at a local, regional and national level.

Hailing from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Nick is a regenerative designer, farmer, and builder. Inspired by indigenous culture and ancient farming practices, he works passionately to design the future of living systems.

In 2015, Nick began farming on a barren and desertified 14 acre parcel of land in rural north Boulder County, now called Elk Run Farm, and the pilot research project for Drylands Agroecology Research (DAR). Today, Nick is working to develop climate change solutions through regenerative farming, working with private and public landowners across Boulder County.

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Hailing from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Nick is a regenerative designer, farmer, and builder. Inspired by indigenous culture and ancient farming practices, he works passionately to design the future of living systems.

In 2015, Nick began farming on a barren and desertified 14 acre parcel of land in rural north Boulder County, now called Elk Run Farm, and the pilot research project for Drylands Agroecology Research (DAR). Today, Nick is working to develop climate change solutions through regenerative farming, working with private and public landowners across Boulder County.

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Rosalind Wiseman challenges us to understand the power of dignity to build courage, connection, and community.  She is a speaker, writer, advisor, and thought leader on leadership, culture, conflict, and young people. Currently, she serves as the senior leadership consultant at the US State Department’s Office for Overseas Schools which serves over 195 schools throughout the world and is supporting Professor David Yeager at the University of Texas on a forthcoming book on young people and motivation. She is the author of nine books including the multiple New York Times Best Sellers: Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World—the groundbreaking book that was the basis for the movie and Broadway Musical Mean Girls, and Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World, which was awarded Best Parenting Book by Books for a Better Life. Her ninth book, published by Chronicle Books in the fall of 2022 with co-author Shanterra McBride, is Courageous Discomfort: How to Have Brave, Life Changing Conversations about Race and Racism. She is currently revising Queen Bees & Wannabes for a 4th edition to be published in 2024 in time for the 20th anniversary of Mean Girls. Rosalind also co-founded Cultures of Dignity, an organization that partners with communities to reimagine how to bring dignity and social and emotional learning to all.

Colleen McClosky Is a registered Occupational Therapist with a love for the healing powers of the great outdoors.  After many years working with children in a variety of settings she became inspired to bring therapy outside of the typical four walls. After landing at her new home on the Starhouse land in Boulder, this vision became even more clear.  The vision is to create a space for children and families to be supported in a highly individualized way while navigating the ups and downs of neurodiversity in the home life and educational  journey.  

Colleen has 20+ years working with children as an early childhood education teacher, behavior therapist, mindfulness educator and school based occupational therapist.  Colleen loves the joy and creativity that sparks from deep presence and connection with children.  She is a competitive athlete, ski instructor for special needs children, spiritual seeker and yoga lover!