Intentifiers

Originally born in Montreal, Melissa was influenced by her mother who worked in factory garment production for large scale clothing distributors in that city. She can remember sitting at the foot of her mother's industrial sewing machine organizing buttons into their respective categories and playing with remnant scraps of fabrics to create colorful collages. Melissa established Adhesif Clothing in 2003 in Vancouver, BC Canada where she resided for 27 years before making the leap over to Europe. She currently operates a permanent studio & showroom in the beautiful countryside of Königstein im Taunus, just outside of Frankfurt Germany with plans to expand to an Atelier in 2022. Melissa’s Story of Intent is about her belief in the power of self manifestation, the law of attraction and that what you put out into the world is inevitably what you will receive back to you. She shares how she tries her very best everyday to live with an acute consciousness of her actions and how those actions impacts the world around her. She believes in “sustainability and quality over quantity” and explains how this is her way of being. This is Melissa and her Story of Intent.

Lystra, is invested in the success and amplification of my QmooniTi at every intersection and on a global scale. She/They is a multitalented human due to her curious nature which has driven her to access a multidisciplinary education and career. She/They is deeply invested in healing from the generational trauma(s) collected by my ancestors due to wyt supremacy and it’s deadly systemic culture. She/They has developed strong opinions in order to show up as her/their whole self and does so unapologetically. Lystra’s Story of Intent is about how she leads with integrity and intuition to inspire her/they in all things life, love, business, community building, healing, and relationship building! She shares what she means by 'community capacity containers' and the impactful work that comes from them. Often called audacious, this is Lystra and her/their Story of Intent.

Sharon is Métis/Cree originally from Treaty Six Territory, is founder, and LEO of Cree8iv Collaboration Inc, doing business as DEVA Training & Staffing Solutions. Sharon is also a member of The Braid, an active member of PowHERhouse, a founding member of Impact Arts Co-operative, and a member of Zebras Unite Co-operative. Sharon is pursuing an MBA through Royal Roads University, and is writing her first book. Sharon’s Story of Intent is about how she spent most of my life running away from herself. She was ashamed of being Indigenous because of her upbringing and denial of her ancestry. She shares that in her 40’s she realized that a big part of herself was missing and how she started to explore her Indigenous ancestry and come to terms with it. “Everything I experienced throughout my life has led me to here”, she shares and has bought her to a life purpose of helping other Indigenous women believe in themselves and find their voices. This is Sharon and her Story of Intent.

Dr. Ami Patel, a pharmacist and Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, is passionate about raising awareness about menstrual health, mental health, infertility and PCOS, especially in the South Asian community where these are all taboo subjects. Going through her own challenges with PCOS and feeling ashamed and alone, she now wants to build a community for fellow women diagnosed with PCOS to have a safe space to communicate, ask for help, and be understood. She is raising awareness through Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube through the handle @PCOShealingadventure.This is Dr. Patel and her Story of Intent.

Bhavana is the lead designer and CEO of BHAV, a Chicago based women's wear clothing line. A pharmacist by profession (and still currently practicing) she decided to pursue her dream of fashion design. She launched her debut line three years ago and has not looked back since. Bhavana is inspired with her own Indian cultural identity and seeks to empower women to find unique ways to embrace their cultural heritage. Bhavana’s Story of Intent is about how she found herself in the journey of entrepreneurship and how her past experiences in life brought her to create BHAV. She shares how she sees heritage as a piece of us - not the sole thing that defines us - and how she is inspired by women who have authentically incorporated their multicultural identity into their lives, whether it's related to career, motherhood or otherwise. This is Bhavana and her Story of Intent.

Sangeetha Kowsik was born in Fremont, CA, a Parsons School of Design grad, is an NYC-based designer, interfaith chaplain, educator, and established gallery artist. The only person in the world doing this: A Hindu, Indian American woman who's an Islamic/Arabic calligrapher. Sangeetha is the Hindu Chaplain/Spiritual Advisor of NYU/Columbia Universities, founder of NYU Hindu Center, founding member of NAHCA (North American Hindu Chaplain Association), and awarded “Chaplain of the Year” for her interfaith initiatives by Chelsea Clinton.Horrified by the animosity/negative perceptions as seen on media and that plague South Asian Hindu and Muslim communities, IhsanIshan was initially launched to celebrate both faiths, its shared traditions, educate to remind the world that India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and parts of Iran were all one landmass before colonization/partition. Sangeetha's Story of Intent one where she shares her belief that through intentional art and design diverse communities can be brought together - it is a way to heal past traumas, phobias, and fight stereotypes. Her mission is to engage all people interested in knowing about the diversity of this world with intentionally crafted products meant to convey meaningful messages and provoke powerful conversations. This is Sangeetha and her Story of Intent.

JoAnna Haugen is a writer, speaker, and solutions advocate who has worked in the travel and tourism industry for nearly 15 years. She is also the founder of Rooted, a solutions platform at the intersection of sustainable tourism, social impact, and storytelling. Her mission through Rooted is to responsibly document, support, celebrate, and share sustainable travel-related initiatives that prioritize local communities and the planet – and to help others do the same. A returned U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, long-term expat, international election observer, and intrepid traveler, JoAnna currently lives in Carthage, Tunisia.JoAnna's Story of Intent focusses on the intentionality she believes is required to create the conditions for a safer, more sustainable, more equitable future in relation to when we travel - that is we need to be intentional when leaving our homes and visiting someone else's. This is JoAnna and her Story of Intent.

Brenda Rigney coaches business leaders and start-up entrepreneurs up to something BIG in their life. She hosts a weekly podcast called #3UNIQUES to learn what makes people unique. Brenda has spent 25+ years consulting with CEO's, entrepreneurs and family-businesses on scaling business solutions, or steps in as a fractional executive team member to support strategic planning, organizational design and executive and leadership development.Brenda's Story of Intent focusses around what makes people unique and how through being intentional about our unique we can drive our life purpose. This is Brenda and her Story of Intent.

Farah Nazarali, she has been teaching and studying yoga and mindfulness for 15 years. She brings a wealth of practical experience in teaching, breathing, wellness, conflict resolution, and non-violent communication in a variety of settings. As well, Farah is the founder of Drishti Point, a yoga podcast that has recorded hundreds of podcasts with fascinating individuals in the yoga and meditation space. Farah’s Story of Intent is connected to the power of yoga and meditation and how it can enable us in living an intentional life. This is Farah and her Story of Intent.

Natasha is an experienced change practitioner and project professional with a proven track record in systems implementations, organizational change initiatives, and large scale transformation. She also uses her change super powers as an advocate for asylum seekers and refugees. Natasha’s Story of Intent centers around her lived experiences with change and looking to provide support to organizations so that they can thrive. This is Natasha and her Story of Intent.