Meet the team, discover our stories

Karla is originally from Tampico, Mexico and currently based in Mexico City. She is passionate about the defense of human rights, specifically gross violations of human rights and transitional justice. Karla has a B.A. in International Relations from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). She has been part of N4 since 2014, being one of its first student ambassadors. Some of the roles she has had in the organization include certified facilitator, trainer and member of the Globetrotters group. She has attended six N4 Global Summits. Karla is currently an Associate for N4 Mexico, in charge of project management in the country. On a personal level, Karla has been a dancer since she was 3 years old and loves animals, so much that she has five pets at home.

Rachel Gleeson is N4 Ireland’s Executive Director and has a keen interest in people in how we interact with each other and how our stories intertwine and have a profound effect on one another. A student of Psychology, she comes from a background of early childhood care and it was in seeing the interactions of these young minds that inspired her to take up her studies in understanding human relationships and behaviours. She believes strongly in the power of human relationships, the power of connection and the sharing of our stories. She has been a member of the N4 Ireland team since 2019, becoming Executive Director in 2025.  She lives in Limerick, Ireland with her husband, her son Harris and their cat Indie.

Based in the West Bank, Mali Hamza is an educator, project coordinator, and drama enthusiast who recently joined Narrative4 as a Palestinian Associate. She earned her BA in English Language and Literature from An-Najah National University and spent a semester in Norway studying Drama and Intercultural Communication through an Erasmus+ exchange. Her passion for inclusion, and community development led her to pursue a master’s in Social Integration at ELTE University in Budapest, Hungary. 

After completing a 10-month postgraduate traineeship at Nausika youth organization in Poland, Mali continued participating in various training across Europe, always seeking new ways to empower young people and amplify unheard voices. 

She believes we are more than numbers that each of us carries a message and a purpose. Beyond her professional life, Mali enjoys dancing, traveling, and creating warmth wherever she goes. 

Sharon Hanson is a Narrative 4 Lead Trainer and Community Organizer in the Pacific Northwest region. Sharon taught high school language arts and creative writing for over thirty years. She feels right at home in the N4 family with her belief that stories really can change the world. Fall is her favorite time of year, a time for long hikes in the foothills, a bouquet of maple leaves, and a hearty bowl of minestrone.

Elizabeth has been a part of Narrative 4 since 2016, when she facilitated her first Story Exchange with students in her English classroom. Since then, Elizabeth has worked as a Lead Trainer and an Advisor with Narrative 4, and she now serves as the organization’s Lead Training Manager. Elizabeth has a BA from Colby College and an MA in English from Wake Forest University. She lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Maud ia a mother, wife, an artist, an educator, and a mentor. She is a teacher with over 15 years teaching experience in the Zambian education sector, from teaching in the classroom to being part of a pioneering team that created eLearning content in English and translated in local languages in Zambia. She has a passion for volunteer work in education, the arts and girl child empowerment projects. She also works with students with disabilities and OVC’s (orphaned and vulnerable children). After being introduced to N4 by Buchi Onyegbule, Head of Operations in N4 Africa, she said yes and was launched into the world of N4. The Story Exchanges still blow her away because of the connections that develop among participants that come in as strangers and leave as acquaintances or friends. She also enjoys the networks she has gained and new collaborations (like letter exchanges) with other educators around the world.

Leonie is a nonprofit and international development professional with almost three decades of experience. She most recently led the growth of the Ifrah Foundation, advancing its mission to end gender-based violence through strategic partnerships with governments, UN agencies, and NGOs. Previously, she spent ten years at a migrant support organisation in Limerick, influencing policy locally and nationally while overseeing critical services for diverse communities. Leonie also spent over a decade with UNESCO in Paris, supporting World Heritage initiatives and serving in the Secretariat of its Executive Board. She holds a B.Soc.Sc. from University College Cork and an MSc in Development from the London School of Economics, where her research focused on migrant integration in Ireland. A fluent French speaker, she is passionate about equity, cultural exchange, and community-building. Leonie lives in Ireland with her two teenagers and loves to travel and garden.

Lee Keylock was the first official hire by N4’s co-founders in 2014, and is currently the Director of Global Programs and Training. Lee leads the professional development strategy and implementation for N4 Educators globally. Originally from Britain, Lee immigrated to the United States in 1989 and taught English at Newtown High School in Connecticut for thirteen years. He has served as an adjunct professor teaching Creative Writing and Composition at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, where he also earned his MFA in Creative Writing.

Beth Kleederman is an occupational therapist and life coach, presently working as a coach in her private practice. Through individual coaching sessions and workshops, Beth guides and supports individuals of all ages past limiting beliefs, closing the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Beth completed both coaching and leadership programs with the Coaches Training Institute and is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach.

Alex is the Midwest Regional Manager, residing just outside of Detroit, Michigan. She received her BA in Communications and Nonprofit Management from DePaul University. Alex has 9 years of experience working at the Pitch In mentoring program in Chicago. Through the SEL charged work, she has seen the power of empathetic relationships and created a program to support middle schoolers. Through curriculum design, community partnerships and hands-on learning, Alex worked towards the mission of helping students transition successfully to high school. Outside of work, Alex is learning about the joys of parenthood and gardening.

Kate Laskey (she/her) is Narrative 4’s Partner Resource & Support Manager based out of Massachusetts. Kate was born in Connecticut and received a BA in Elementary Education and Psychology from Keene State College in Keene NH. She went on to move to Boulder, Colorado and taught elementary school students for 9 years in various public school settings. She also received her MA in Literacy Education from University of Colorado Denver. Kate remains passionate about creating meaningful social-emotional learning experiences for students and advocating for and supporting educators.

James Lawlor has been part of Narrative 4 since 2014, serving as the founding director of Narrative 4 Ireland. In this role, he established and led school-based programs that reached a wide range of young people, including the development of the Empathy School Award.

He is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Limerick, and University College Cork, where he was awarded a Ph.D. in 2020.

In 2025, James transitioned to the global team as Senior Director of Global Marketing, where he continues to advance Narrative 4’s mission on an international scale.

Allison Lerman-Gluck (she/her/hers) is a Northeast Regional Manager for Narrative 4. She is also a theatre and storytelling educator with over a decade of experience. She earned her BA in Theatre, Education, and Community Building from Hampshire College and her MA in Applied Theatre through the CUNY system. Allison uses personal and collective storytelling as a means of building community through radical empathy and has devised over a dozen plays with groups across the Northeast. She has worked with folks of all ages and abilities through numerous organizations, including The Moth, CATA, Dorot, Barrington Stage Company, the Creative Arts Team, and more. Allison’s interactive storytelling was recently featured through the Kennedy Center’s “Teaching Artists Present” program. You can find her work on allietellsstories.com.

Alondra Mahoney has been with Narrative 4 since 2013. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Psychological Sciences and Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences. Alondra loves cooking, happy coincidences and sharing stories (and warm smiles) with everyone she meets. Alondra currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Kane and their four fur-babies. 

Luis Andres Morales is a mechatronic engineer graduated from the IEST Anahuac University from Mexico, now working as the Informations Technology and Program intern for Narrative 4. Having been part of Narrative 4 since highschool, he continues to participate in its event as both participant and facilitator. During his time at university, he was the Training Committee Director from the board of directors of the student council, at the same time, he was part of the excellence program of its university network and became Director of one of its projects that encouraged innovation and problem solving. Luis Andres also has experience working as a Full Stack Developer and Web Developer from an internship at Conquer Money, a financial support company.

Being freshly graduated, Luis Andres is ready to face new challenges and keep learning from what he experiences.

Ola! Hola! It’s Valeria here. I’m a proud Mexican from Tampico Tamaulipas. I’ve been with N4 for about 7 years now. Currently I’m a college student studying Communications and Media Production at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP). 

Using my feelings to create art is my passion, whether that be in the form of writing, photography, directing a short film or digital art. You can either find me with my brain going a thousand miles an hour, overthinking even how you sneezed, or floating in the middle of the ocean with not a single thought, there is no in between. Bribing me with cookies or a good conversation is easy enough. And as of late I’ve found peace in becoming a pilates girly but not as much as being with my family’s dog, Lola. 

Meet Herman Mosha – Narrative 4’s Associate in Tanzania. He was introduced to Narrative 4 through his volunteer work with the National Debate Society here in Tanzania. Inspired by Narrative 4’s mission of equipping young people to harness the power of stories to drive change in their communities, he is passionate about community development, youth empowerment, intellectual engagements, and leadership forums. He envisions creating a better world through the platforms that he has and will continue to engage with throughout his life.

I was born in Jerusalem Israel and raised in the United States. I have a BFA in fashion design from Shenkar college in Israel. I worked in the fashion industry for 20 years before I became an English teacher in 2008. I’ve been teaching English Language Arts for 16 years in the public high school system in Israel

In the past I’ve prepared students for model UN and national debate competitions. Since being introduced to Narrative 4 in 2014, I’ve been passionately doing story exchanges between students from all the sectors in Israel. I present Narrative4 to educators in national conferences and run teacher professional development trainings in English and soon in Hebrew. 

Malia’Kekia Nicolini is kanaka maoli, they received their inoa (name) traditionally from an inoa po (mothers dream) that held both an inoa ho’ailona (symbol) and their inoa ulaleo (ancestors voice). Malia’Kekia is an artistic director, speaker, arts curriculum designer, and gratitude enthusiast. Malia’Kekia is a Training Associate, Lead Trainer and member of the Artist Network at N4. She is also the Co-Founder of Play Pathways Initiative specializing in teaching play-based strategies for the realms of education and business. Malia’Kekia is the BOLD (Building Opportunity for Leadership and Development) Co-Chair for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, Region 1. Training includes: artEquity’s BIPOC Leadership Circle, Arts & Cultural Organization Management (American Repertory Theater), BFA (Music Theater). ‘Oia has collaborated with Penumbra Theatre, Company One, Indigenous Direction and more. Malia’Kekia weaves all of their experience together to empower dreams and create sustainability towards a play-integrated world. 

I did my first story exchange when I was 15, and it opened my eyes. We exchanged stories with students from the U.S., and for me, it was more than just sharing experiences—it felt like traveling beyond what I knew into a new world. Since then, I’ve been deeply interested in the work of Narrative 4.

While in college, I joined the Globaltrotters, a student-led cohort focused on cultural exchange and storytelling. Later, I had the opportunity to work at the Community Center in Joe Slovo, led by Zukiswa Allah. I started as a tutor, and a year later, I joined the Administration department.

Ryan graduated from Capitol Technology University with a B.S. in Computer Science and began a career in the non-profit sector because she wanted her work to make a positive difference in the world. She has worked with many organizations including Amnesty International, Ocean Conservancy, and Food & Water Watch. Narrative 4’s dedication to improving education caught her attention and led to her joining the team. Ryan is currently based in Maryland.

Buchi Onyegbule has been the Head of Africa Operations for Narrative 4 since 2020 and lives in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital City. Buchi is a broadcast journalist, writer and editor. As a student, he studied English and literature at the University of Benin, Benin City. He started his career in sales for Heineken, before switching to the mass media. Buchi was the host of the Morning Mojo on WEFM 106.3, one of Abuja’s Premier talk shows on politics, governance and social/national issues. A founding Director of the Abuja Literary and Arts Festival (ALitFest), he runs Afi, the Spill Sessions, a mini literary festival that examines societal issues via the lenses of literary works. He can usually be found where there is plenty of coffee and craft beer.

Summer Payne is a Personal Coach focused on liberation through habit change, healing and building connections that empower people to speak and listen from a place of authenticity. She is also an Adjunct Professor, facilitating courses that amplify Black culture while exploring issues of race, equity and social justice education. Summer is an avid road cyclist and a founding chapter leader for Black Girls Do Bike and Major Taylor Iron Riders in her region.

Christina is originally from Chicago, but has lived in 3 states and 2 countries. She received her BA in Anthropology & Chinese from Beloit College. Christina spent her early career as a Collections Manager at the Lafayette Miners Museum and as a Camp Director for the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department. She has been a part of the N4 team since 2020 and is thrilled to work with teachers, students, and organizations on community building through storytelling and civic engagement. She spends her free time doing aerial silks, reading, listening to music, and having fun with her family. Christina works and lives in Aurora, IL.

Shoshana Perry is a Lead Trainer at Narrative 4 and member of the Artist Network. Shoshana worked as a journalist and documentary filmmaker for many years, and now works with men just out of prison and off the streets from homelessness at the Doe Fund, and with psychiatric patients and therapists at Bellevue as a mindfulness educator. Shoshana cares deeply about the natural world, animal welfare, poetry/dance/expression, meditation, connection, joy, love.

Shoshana’s daily wish is – “May the fruits of my practice be of benefit to all living beings, and to the earth.”.

Ashley is a lover of stories. As a child, she always carried a book with her. As a student, she studied English, worked at Eudora Welty’s home as it was being transformed into a museum, and studied under Welty’s biographer. She received her M.A. in print and multimedia journalism before she began working with non-profit organizations. For the last eight years, she has worked in non-profit program management, managing staff teams, recruiting, training, and retaining volunteer leaders, and growing established non-profit programs. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and two children.

Molly Rankin has spent all of her career connected to education- first as a high school English teacher and then as a postsecondary coach. As a natural “dot connector,” Molly is passionate about collaborative leadership, learning, and building relationships while keeping students at the center of her work. She is eager to use story exchanges to bring us closer to each other in ways that we aren’t prompted to do often enough. Molly holds a B.A. in Speech Communication from Miami University, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from DePaul University and a Masters of Arts in English from Middlebury College. Outside of work Molly enjoys spending time with her two young kiddos (Max and Jonah), working out and reading.

Amanda Cantrell Roche divides her time between working as a teaching artist in schools and community settings, creating narrative art, and advising and training for Narrative 4. Versed in restorative arts, somatic practices, journalism, dance, and arts integration, Amanda brings 20 years’ experience of collaborative school residencies and arts-immersion professional development for teachers to her work with N4. Her alchemy is most powerful when she combines a trilogy of her deepest passions: choreography, writing, and social justice.

Tony Sangwa has been serving as the Regional Associate for Rwanda since joining his organization in the heart of the “Land of a Thousand Hills.” In addition to his role as a college counselor, Tony is a key member of the executive committee, where he advocates for expanding access to quality education for all students. His work is grounded in empathy, a principle that enables him to connect deeply with students from diverse backgrounds and help them dare to dream. Outside of his professional commitments, Tony enjoys watching and playing football (a devoted Chelsea FC fan), engaging in charitable initiatives, prayer, and savoring his morning coffee latte.

Rebecca Sauls is a master level social worker. She’s worked with adolescents and adults providing community and school-based individual and family therapy. She has facilitated mental health trainings on depression, anxiety, trauma and suicide assessment. Outside of work Rebecca enjoys camping, event planning and spending time with her adorable shepherd puppy Anubis.

Tarsha Scovens is a visionary, leader, and passionate change-agent, who aims to inspire individuals to improve their well-being. After falling in love with the Narrative 4 story exchange model, she jumped on board to become an outreach associate and is thrilled to expand the work by serving as a trainer. Tarsha’s experience includes 20+ years in higher education institutions, founding and leading her own business, plus mentoring and engaging underrepresented youth. She’s an exceptional communicator, holding a Master’s degree in Professional Communication, loves adventures, witnessed by her 3 driving/camping trips cross-country, and brings a positive energy to all she does.

As an avid reader, Missy has always believed in the power of stories. Upon first hearing about Narrative 4, she was intrigued and had to learn more. Now she is thrilled to join the staff and be a part of something with so much potential to help build much needed empathy in our world. With an original career focus of teaching, Missy also has a background in nonprofit program management and tax preparation.  With their four children now grown, Missy and her husband have settled in Maine where they own and operate their own small lakefront motel.  

Valerie Striar is a Narrative 4 Master Practitioner, Trainer/Facilitator and member of the Artist Network. She is a mindfulness/meditation practitioner and educator trained with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, Inner Strength Education and is certified most recently with Lama Rod Owens in the The Seven Homecomings practice. Valerie teaches at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and leads seasonal Walking Meditation with the intention of supporting our interconnection and reverence for the earth.

Valerie is also a performing artist and creator of interdisciplinary dance theater works that have been performed in NY and abroad. Valerie’s work as an artist, facilitator, and mindfulness educator come together in support of deepening connections, cultivating empathy, creative expression and personal and collective liberation in service of a more compassionate world.

Perla Zamora is a dedicated mother of two and a distinguished Mexican educator with over 25 years of experience in private education, where she has made a significant impact. She serves as the program coordinator at Narrative 4 Mexico and thrives as an independent educational consultant, instructional coach, and public speaker. Perla holds a Master’s Degree in Science from SUNY Buffalo and has extensive experience guiding children, young people, and teachers to enhance their teaching and learning experiences.  Her dedication to quality education is evident in her promotion of the ethical use of technology and positive human connections. Her contributions have earned her the prestigious ISTE “20 to Watch 2024” award, recognizing her outstanding influence in the field. In her personal life, Perla enjoys reading, playing gameboards, and cooking, believing that these activities are powerful tools for learning. She also values relaxation and social connections, which she considers essential for a healthy and balanced approach to education. Perla loves spending time at the beach and organizing small gatherings at home, viewing them as opportunities to foster community and connection.