Our team
We are a growing, deeply passionate team that represents both lived and learned experiences of TBI. We share core values and see our work as an extension of who we are, how we want to live, and as a catalyst for our growth as humans. We are actively working on increasing representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color among our team, Board, and Advisory Team, and are proud of the growing diversity among our Program Leaders.
Our Values
Be Curious
We seek to understand and learn from others by asking questions, being open, and welcoming different perspectives.
Be Real
We seek to look within and be honest, authentic, and vulnerable so that we can show up as our whole selves.
Be Compassionate
We seek to meet difficulty with kindness, non-judgement, forgiveness, and wise action.
Be Fun
We seek to weave joy, adventure, and playfulness into our relationships and work.
Be Inclusive
We seek to affirm all abilities and identities to help create a more inclusive and equitable world.
Founders
Hover over our pictures to learn more about us.
Pronouns: he/him
Former professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce sustained a traumatic brain injury that ended his career just shy of the 2010 winter olympics. Motivated by his experiences, Kevin has set out to inspire people to better understand the most vital and fragile human organ, the brain. Kevin is sharing the message and work of the LoveYourBrain Foundation all over the world through motivational speaking, retreats, and educational programs.
Kevin’s remarkable recovery –- and his journey to accept his new life – has been chronicled in “The Crash Reel,” a documentary by two-time Oscar nominated director, Lucy Walker.
Kevin Pearce
Co-Founder
Pronouns: he/him
Native Land Acknowledgement: I respectfully acknowledge that I live on the ancestral lands of the Wabanaki and Abenaki people, today known as Norwich Vermont.
When Kevin sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in 2009, Adam took a leave-of-absence from his job and spent an entire year by Kevin’s side supporting his rehabilitation.
Adam co-founded LoveYourBrain alongside Kevin and now serves as the Executive Director. Through his vision, LoveYourBrain endeavors to help all people understand what it means to truly love their brain.
Adam also served as the co-producer and co-videographer of the HBO documentary “The Crash Reel.” The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2013 and was short listed for a 2014 Academy Award.
Adam Pearce
Executive Director & Co-Founder
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: The ancestral lands of the Lenape and Munsee people, today known as Northern NJ.
My Superhero Is: Ella Baker
As the Development Director, Laurel supports the growth and sustainability of LoveYourBrain's operations by planning, implementing, and overseeing all fundraising activities for the Foundation. She brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit development, working for a variety of resilience-focused organizations including Outward Bound USA, the Ms. Foundation for Women, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and Edible Schoolyard NYC. Laurel has a passion for brain health education, a strong belief in the healing power of mindful movement, and a deep appreciation for the work and vision of LoveYourBrain. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and feels fortunate to use her strengths as a writer to bring light to the invisibility of TBI.
Laurel Crosby
Director, Development & Communications
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Location: The ancestral lands of the Abenaki people, today known as Vermont
My Superhero Is: Anyone who leans into adversity for learning and growth.
Kyla serves as the Senior Director of Programs and Research, overseeing the design, implementation, and evaluation of LoveYourBrain programs on a large scale. She has been part of the Pearce family for years, and, following Kevin's accident, played an integral role in the launch of LoveYourBrain. By turning inward through mindfulness, Kyla believes we learn to be with our whole selves with greater compassion, which is fundamental to wellbeing and inspiring positive social change. Kyla has blended her expertise as a yoga and mindfulness teacher and practitioner, researcher, and advocate to develop evidence-based, TBI-centered yoga curricula, which she trains yoga teachers and clinicians to deliver through yoga studios and health care facilities across the United States and Canada. She teaches the LoveYourBrain Yoga, Mindset, and Retreat programs across the country and online, and is a Featured Teacher in the LoveYourBrain Meditation & Yoga Library. She recently completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Dartmouth College investigating the impact of yoga and meditation for people with neurological conditions, and has published widely on this topic.
Kyla Pearce
Senior Director, Programs & Research
Pronouns: she/her
My Superhero Is: My mom
As the Manager of Systems for LoveYourBrain, Alyssa combines her passion for yoga and tech tools to cultivate positive change for individuals affected by TBI and the communities that surround them, by creating, refining, and innovating the Foundation’s systems across all programs. Alyssa has expertise in marketing, operations, and systems design and innovation that she gained from companies such as Burton Snowboards and Wasserman.
Alyssa Talbot
Manager of Systems
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Location: The ancestral lands of the Canarsie and Munsee Lenape peoples, today known as Brooklyn, NY.
My Superhero Is: My dad
As the Program Manager for LYB Mindset, Olivia oversees the execution, growth, and quality of this program. She mentors our large network of Facilitators to engage and empower them to skillfully delivery our research-backed curriculum. She is LoveYourBrain Yoga certified and deeply believes in the healing qualities of yoga and meditation. Olivia has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, is a registered yoga teacher, reiki practitioner and holds a plant-based nutrition certificate. Her love for Eastern practices and holistic psychology guide her on a path that intertwines the well-being of mind, body and spirit. Her mission is to serve people on the venture of befriending their minds while trusting the intuition of their bodies. Outside of working hours you can find her connecting with nature, practicing yoga or reading books.
Olivia Kesselhaut
Program Manager
Pronouns: she/her
Location: The ancestral land of the Massachusett and their neighbors the Wampanoag, and Nipmuc Peoples, now known as Boston, Massachusetts.
My Superhero Is: My parents
As the Retreat Program Manager, Melissa spearheads the implementation and expansion of our Retreat program while supporting organization-wide fundraising efforts. After spending a few years in Burlington, VT as the Associate Director of the community center, Melissa has settled back into her home in Boston, MA. Throughout Melissa’s career she has been responsible for many nonprofit program expansions and truly loves working in a team environment to create large scale experiences. Melissa has been a participant in the LYB Yoga Program and looks forward to bringing her personal passion and professional experience to this role. Outside of the working hours you can find Melissa exploring nature, spending time with her dog Dr. Wendy Plum, or laughing with friends and family.
Melissa Pennington
Program Manager
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Location: The ancestral lands of the Mascogo, Tocobaga, and Miccosukee peoples, today known as Tampa, FL.
My Superhero is: My dad
As the Development Coordinator, Abbey supports in all areas of Development and Fundraising for LoveYourBrain, with a special focus on creating engaging, relationship-driven experiences for individual donors. She has a BA from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she played Division 1 beach volleyball. Having previously worked for a national public health nonprofit, she brings experience in project management, communication, and relationship building. She has a passion for supporting and helping people affected by TBI, and a desire to create connections and meaningful change, and knows how valuable our donor community is in helping us do just that! Outside of working hours you can find her riding bikes, hanging out at the beach, or spending time with her pup, Bean.
Abbey Whatley
Development Coordinator
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Location: The ancestral lands of the Cheyenne, Ute, and Sioux people, today known as Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
My Superheros are my mom and my grandma
Courtney has been part of the LoveYourBrain family since its inception, contributing to the design and execution of products. She brings expertise in graphic design and project management.
Courtney Ruoff
Design and Product
Pronouns: she/her
Location: The ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux) peoples, today known as Denver, CO.
My Superhero Is: Anyone who lives courageously, compassionately, and open in heart & mind to the full spectrum of life.
Credentials: E-RYT 300, YACEP, Meditation Teacher
As the Communications & Social Media Manager Rachel has been teaching yoga, meditation & breath work since 2016, and intimately knows the power of such practices. She has also worked for companies such as lululemon and Hipcamp in content creation, storytelling, and brand management. Most recently created her own teaching business, Space to Breathe, bringing with her a passion and understanding for creating quality service, content, and brand resonance. Blending her deep love for yoga, mindful living, and nourishing community, with expertise in content creation, brand storytelling, and management, Rachel serves to ensure that those who have been affected by traumatic brain injury gain access to the support LoveYourBrain offers and are better able to live a fulfilling, joyful, and connected life.
Rachel Petri
Communications &
Social Media Manager
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Native Land Acknowledgement and Today-Known-As Location: The ancestral land of the Massachusett and their neighbors the Wampanoag, and Nipmuc Peoples, now known as Boston, Massachusetts.
My Superhero Is: my mom
Jackie serves as the Manager of our Clinical Affiliate program where she integrates her expertise as a clinician, yoga teacher, and teacher trainer. She manages partnerships with clinical facilities offering the LoveYourBrain Yoga program across the U.S. and Canada. Jackie has been teaching LoveYourBrain Yoga in Boston since 2016 as well as co-leading LoveYourBrain Yoga trainings for teachers and health professionals since 2017. As a clinician, she has experience working in both inpatient and outpatient neurological rehabilitation as well as community-based psychiatric rehabilitation. She is passionate about offering holistic rehabilitation services that integrate traditional therapy with yoga and meditation, as well as providing clinicians with the tools to offer this approach in their respective settings.
Jackie Farrell
Program Manager
Our Board
Our engaged Board represents both lived and learned experiences of TBI. Each brings significant executive leadership in philanthropy or business to help us set our strategic direction, achieve our goals, and realize our vision.
Patricia Pearce (she/her/hers) Board Member, Board of Directors for Simon Pearce (US) Inc. Since 1979, employed by Simon Pearce (US) Inc. in a leadership position. Currently a member of the Board of Directors for Simon Pearce, Secretary of the company, and President of the LoveYourBrain Foundation.
Patricia M. Pearce
Mr. Vitt (he/him/his) has more than thirty years’ experience handling complex business disputes. He has appeared in state and federal courts in New Hampshire and Vermont. His cases have spanned a wide variety of substantive areas including intellectual property, breach of contract, trade secrets, covenants not to compete, employment, and other business disputes. Geoffrey has done extensive pro bono work. For four years, he was the Co-Chair of the Children’s Rights Litigation Committee of the Section of Litigation of the ABA and for ten years, he served on the Working Group of that Committee. He recently completed a three-year term as the Co-Chair of the Pro Bono and Public Interest Litigation Committee of the Section of Litigation. He also served on the Governing Council of the Section of Litigation.
Geoffrey J. Vitt
Jay (he/him/his) is Chief Operating Officer of Simon Pearce US and serves as an advisor to Andrew Pearce Bowls. Previously, Jay was SVP and CFO of Swiftpage Inc., an email marketing, social media marketing, and customer relationship management (CRM) company based in Denver, CO. He has also been a strategy and corporate development consultant to multiple clients in the high tech industry. Consulting followed a career in digital mapping at TomTom and TeleAtlas, where he served as Vice President of Strategy and Planning. Jay, his wife Heather and their two daughters live in Norwich, VT. They love playing outside year round: biking, skiing and raising some of their own food. He is active in many area non-profits including the Montshire Museum in Norwich, the United Church of Christ at Dartmouth and Crossroads Academy in Lyme, NH.
Jay Benson
David (he/him/his) has been a successful sales executive in the footwear industry for over 25 years due to his deep understanding of the wants and desires of consumers. He is an avid cyclist and skier who has used those passions to raise money and attention for causes he cares about. He has raised thousands of dollars for the National MS Society through fundraising and cycling in charity rides. In 2013, he was in a devastating cycling/car accident that left him with many broken bones and a TBI. “The Crash Reel” film helped David open a dialogue about his own TBI and reach out to help others affected by brain injury. In 2017, he co-created the first Love Your Brain event in Hermosa Beach, where he lives with his wife, Carol and two teenagers.
David Adler
Advisory Team
Michael Jager
David De Rothschild
Doug Ulman
Duke Stump
Nirali Chauhan, MD candidate
Chris Giza, MD
Sarah Hubbard
Mary Brownsberger, Psy.D. ABPP
Our growing Advisory Team includes leaders with both lived and learned experiences of TBI, and expertise that spans nonprofits, communications, brand, TBI rehabilitation, and DEIAB. To center our community in our work, we intentionally invite program participants and Program Leaders to serve on this team.