Board of Directors:
Jill Weiss Ippolito, RYT, Founder/Director
Jill Weiss Ippolito, is a trauma informed yoga educator and instructor, an activist, public speaker, consultant and writer, currently the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit UpRising Yoga. UpRising Yoga (URY) offers direct services of yoga life skill classes in youth detention facilities and camps, group homes, schools, homeless shelters, and underserved communities, bridging communities worldwide. With 'Yoga For Healing Trauma', an International Trauma Informed Training program, Jill educates numerous service providers, yoga instructors, childcare providers, educators, mental health professionals and advocates for the reformation of prison and probation culture through healing centered yoga and mindfulness practices. As an activist for equality she works directly with foster youth and sexually trafficked children to help inform policy change. Her consulting services stem from private individuals and start-ups to create trauma informed environments to Sesame Street to share how to offer Elmo a global and inclusive lens.
Jill has offered her trainings and taught classes in men's and women's prison in New Zealand with The Yoga in Education Prison Trust. In Australia she visited the men's prison yoga class and her input guided the successful development of the Australian Yoga Foundation.
Jill was a contributing writer to Best Practices for Yoga in the Criminal Justice System, a Yoga Service Council publication and was a contributing writer for LA Yoga Magazine. She has contracts with both the Los Angeles City with GRYD, a gang prevention and aftercare program, and with the County of Los Angeles, she has developed a California State approved curriculum and trained Los Angeles County Probation Staff. She is currently mentoring and coaching students to take this work in their part of the world to make personal and global impact and writing a memoir. More Info: www.yogaforhealingtrauma.com
Jill has offered her trainings and taught classes in men's and women's prison in New Zealand with The Yoga in Education Prison Trust. In Australia she visited the men's prison yoga class and her input guided the successful development of the Australian Yoga Foundation.
Jill was a contributing writer to Best Practices for Yoga in the Criminal Justice System, a Yoga Service Council publication and was a contributing writer for LA Yoga Magazine. She has contracts with both the Los Angeles City with GRYD, a gang prevention and aftercare program, and with the County of Los Angeles, she has developed a California State approved curriculum and trained Los Angeles County Probation Staff. She is currently mentoring and coaching students to take this work in their part of the world to make personal and global impact and writing a memoir. More Info: www.yogaforhealingtrauma.com
Orlando Suarez, Yoga and Pilates Instructor, Addictions Specialist
Founding Board Member, manager of several yoga studios, Orlando is in charge of the Department of Mental Health Drop In Center Program. He recruited, scheduled and managed trauma informed yoga instructors to offer yoga life skills to unhoused youth. Fire & Ice Yoga Studio Manager and Teacher Trainings.