October 2025
Cohort Fellows
Overview
The Acosta Institute Fellowship is a transformative initiative designed to cultivate healing-centered leaders at the confluence of education, business, and technology. Rooted in contemplative science and slow work, this program is a sanctuary for deep personal and professional inquiry. Fellows are invited into a space that values process over productivity, emergence over rigidity, and care over competition—offering them the opportunity to align their impact with their inner truth. The Fellowship serves as a catalytic container, guiding individuals to reconnect with their purpose while shaping meaningful change in their communities and industries.
Through an intentional blend of masterclasses, workshops, and certificate programs, the Fellowship supports professional development in healing-centered education, leadership, and innovation. The program offers exclusive access to resources such as the Acosta Institute's digital archive, discounted events, and one-on-one coaching, while fostering a vibrant ecosystem of co-learning and collaboration. Fellows are recognized not only for their participation but for their visionary contributions to evolving fields and for holding space for others' transformation.
More than a program, the Fellowship is a living community—one that embraces the fullness of each participant’s identity, story, and vision. The spirit of the Fellowship is grounded in playfulness, boldness, and rooted wisdom. With monthly grounding calls, personal roadmap development, and restorative retreats, the program weaves structure and spontaneity, creating space for both rigorous inquiry and joyful connection. Fellows are encouraged to embody care, practice emergence, and lead with intention, not urgency—cultivating resilience, creativity, and justice in everything they do.
At its heart, the Fellowship is an invitation: to belong, to stretch, to slow down, and to dream collectively. In this shared journey, participants are encouraged to engage bravely with complexity, navigate tensions with care, and co-create a new paradigm of leadership—one that centers healing as a prerequisite for justice. The Acosta Institute envisions this Fellowship as both a model and a movement, planting seeds for a more compassionate, interconnected, and flourishing world.
Aubrey N. Valencia
Bianca Vashti Marks
Christian von Tippelskirch
Coco Lamenzo
Crissy Bruno Mombela
Easton Davis
Ei Ei Samai
Emmanuel Guerrero
Erica Hernandez-Scott
Esperanza E. Zamora
Gloria Casilda AnglĂłn
Jennifer Howard
Katie Wyndorf
Lakiba Pittman
Lori Glazebrook
Marisela Márquez, PhD
Natalia Weimann de Guardia
NĂs Phillips
Oswaldo Montoya
Rachel Jean Davis
Dr. Sanayi Beckles-Canton
Shaina Glass, M.Ed
Dr. Lisette E. Torres-Gerald
Maral Varjabedyan
Melissa Brooks-Yip
Michael Doyle
Michael-Ray Mathews
Munire Bozdemir
Nadia Lopez
Neddy Yong
Our ProgrammingÂ
Fellows in the Acosta Institute Fellowship engage in a rich tapestry of programming designed to nurture both personal transformation and professional excellence. From demystifying technology in the AI for the Rest of Us and AI in Education programs to exploring purpose-driven entrepreneurship in the Healing-Centered Business Workshops, participants are invited to lead with empathy, strategy, and innovation. Certification offerings such as Healing-Centered Education, Alchemy of Now, and Archaeology of Self deepen reflective practice and healing-centered leadership. Business Masterminds and the culminating Healing-Centered Education International Conference offer spaces for strategic growth, celebration, and collective inspiration—forming a powerful arc of learning and impact throughout the fellowship journey. Below are brief descriptions of our offerings:Â
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AI for the R​​est of Us Workshops
This workshop series is designed to make AI approachable, this workshop offers practical tools and insights for using AI responsibly. Participants will learn how to leverage technology to enhance learning while staying true to healing-centered values. It’s ideal for anyone looking to demystify AI in education.
Healing-Centered Business WorkshopsÂ
This workshop series explores business as a relational, healing, and purpose-driven practice. Each session blends mindset shifts, somatic practices, and strategic tools to help entrepreneurs and leaders align their work with deeper values. Participants will explore themes like trust, authenticity, and the spirit of their business while engaging with emerging technologies like AI. Designed for those seeking more meaning and impact, this series offers a space to reimagine business as a force for transformation.
Healing-Centered Education Certification Program
This program continues the journey of exploring healing-centered education through live sessions and collaborative learning. Participants will refine their strategies for fostering inclusion and resilience in their communities. It’s a chance to deepen your impact and connect with peers. It focuses on addressing systemic challenges with trauma-informed practices. It’s a transformative experience for anyone committed to leading with empathy.
AI in Education Certification Program
This program provides a comprehensive look at integrating AI into education while maintaining equity and ethical standards. Participants will gain tools to navigate the evolving landscape of technology in schools and organizations. It’s an essential learning experience for forward-thinking educators.
Alchemy of Now Certification Program
This program focuses on using the present moment as a catalyst for transformation. Participants will explore mindfulness, embodiment, and leadership strategies to create impactful change. It’s an inspiring experience designed for deep personal and professional growth.
Archaeology of Self Certificate Program
This program invites participants on a journey of self-discovery, focusing on reflective practices and healing-centered leadership. Through guided sessions and resources, participants will deepen their understanding of self and others. It’s designed to empower individuals to lead with empathy and intentionality.
Business Masterminds
This session provides a space for leaders to collaborate on aligning their organizational goals with healing-centered principles. Participants will engage in strategic discussions, gaining fresh perspectives on their challenges. It’s an energizing opportunity to refine strategies and drive meaningful growth.
Healing-Centered Education International Conference
This conference celebrates a year of growth, transformation, and collective impact. Participants will connect with peers, reflect on their journeys, and gain inspiration for the future. It’s a powerful way to conclude the year and reignite your commitment to healing-centered education.
Our VisionÂ
The Acosta Institute Fellowship stands as a foundational pillar in the unfolding legacy of our Institute. It reflects our enduring commitment to fostering leaders who are deeply rooted in healing, justice, and vision. This fellowship is not simply a program—it is a movement, a sacred invitation for individuals to slow down, listen inwardly, and lead from a place of integrity and wholeness. Through this container, we have created space for deep learning, transformation, and relationship, aligned with the values that have always guided our work: care, emergence, restoration, and innovation.
Our vision is to cultivate a global community of fellows who carry healing-centered leadership into every realm they touch—education, business, technology, and beyond. As these leaders integrate the tools, insights, and relationships nurtured in this fellowship, they become catalysts for systemic change and stewards of new possibilities. We believe that healing-centered leadership is not a niche practice, but a necessary paradigm shift, and our fellows embody that shift with boldness, empathy, and resilience.
This fellowship is part of the legacy we offer the world: a testament to what becomes possible when we invest in the inner and outer work of transformation. As our fellows rise, so too does our shared dream of a world rooted in justice, joy, and belonging. Through their work, we see the future taking shape—one that is relational, regenerative, and radiant with hope. This is the impact we envision. This is the legacy we are building together.