Lisa Consiglio is CEO and Co-Founder of Narrative 4, a global which she launched in 2013 but began envisioning in 2004. For over thirty years, she has dedicated her career to developing powerful organizations that transform the lives of their clients and constituencies. She has applied her leadership skills – in management, fundraising, marketing, and business communications – to a wide web of organizations that is connected by a dedication to humanistic ideals. Deeply committed to a belief in the power of stories, Lisa’s professional experience spans the arts, education, civic engagement, technology, cancer research, public policy, and honoring WWII veterans.
Meet the team, discover our stories
We’re a global team driven by artists, shaped by educators, and led by students. Before sharing your stories, discover ours.

Board members
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Board of Directors MemberView Bio
Lisa Consiglio
Board of Directors Member -
Board of Directors MemberView Bio
Dr. Lora de la Cruz
Board of Directors MemberThroughout her career, Dr. de la Cruz has worked with a great diversity of students and families across the socioeconomic spectrum. As the child of a Mexican immigrant, she has a lived experience that proves the power of education to change one’s life; this is why she has made it her life’s work t ensure that children and families have access, opportunities and quality educational experiences. After spending 20 years in BVSD as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, she left the district for a few years to expand her leadership experiences as an area superintendent and superintendent. She is delighted to have returned home to BVSD as deputy superintendent. Dr. de la Cruz is driven by a belief that all students deserve access to high quality educational experiences, so they can manifest their potential and thrive, and that is our responsibility as educators to ensure that conditions are optimal for this to occur.
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Treasurer of the BoardView Bio
Yildiz Ferri
Treasurer of the BoardYildiz Ferri, a Turkish-Canadian now living in New York, has extensive experience in finding innovative solutions to business problems and seeing them through to successful execution. A former strategy consultant for a broad range of clients in industries including media an entertainment, telecom, energy and pharmaceuticals, she has a strong interest in using skills in team-based environments on projects having a positive social impact. Yildiz worked with the Boston Consulting Group for twelve years and with the Council for Economic Education in New York for seven years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She and her husband, Matthew, live in New York City and have been long-time supporters of Narrative 4.
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Board of Directors MemberView Bio
Colum McCann
Board of Directors MemberColum McCann is President and Co-Founder of Narrative 4, which he began to help shape in 2004. He is the author of seven novels and three collections of stories. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he has been the recipient of many international honors, including the National Book Award, the International Dublin Impac Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, election to the Irish arts academy, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, and an Oscar nomination. In 2017 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts. His work has been published in over 40 languages. His most recent novel, Apeirogon, was a New York Times bestseller, and winner of several international prizes.
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Board of Directors MemberView Bio
Christopher Oechsli
Board of Directors MemberChristopher G. Oechsli is President and CEO of The Atlantic Philanthropies. In keeping with Chuck Feeney’s philosophy of Giving While Living, he led Atlantic’s four program areas and Founding Chairman grantmaking to completion and concluded foundation operations and closure of its offices in 2020. He currently serves as Chair of the Atlantic Institute, which supports the work of the seven global Atlantic Fellows programs that were established as the foundation’s culminating work. He is a Trustee of the Rhodes Trust, the host of the Atlantic Institute in Oxford, England. Mr. Oechsli has over 40 years of experience in international business, law, philanthropy and policy development in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. He previously served as Counsel to U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, whom he advised on legislation and a range of domestic and international issues. Since 1990, Mr. Oechsli has served in various senior program roles at The Atlantic Philanthropies and as director, counsel, or chief executive of operating companies within the General Atlantic Group, an international investment subsidiary of the Atlantic Foundation. Earlier in his career, Mr. Oechsli worked with private law firms in Seattle, Shanghai, San Francisco, and Taipei. In 1985, he became the first resident visiting law professor from the United States in the People’s Republic of China, where he taught constitutional and commercial law at the East China Law School in Shanghai. He currently serves as a director of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mr. Oechsli is a graduate of Occidental College in Los Angeles. Following studies in Chinese language at Georgetown University and graduate studies at Columbia University, he received an M.A. in Foreign Affairs and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.
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President of the BoardView Bio
Marc Brackett, Ph.D.
President of the BoardDr. Marc Brackett is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, professor in the Child Study Center at Yale, and author of the best-selling book, Permission to Feel , whic has been translated into 25 languages. An award-winning researcher for 25 years, Marc has raised over $100 million in grant funding and published 175 scholarly articles on the role of emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, physical and mental health, and workplace performance. Marc is the lead developer of RULER, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) that has been adopted by over 5,000 schools across the globe, improving the lives of millions of children and adults. RULER infuses the principles and skills of emotional intelligence into school systems, enhancing how administrators lead, educators teach, students learn, and families parent. It has been proven to boost academic performance, decrease school problems like bullying, enrich classroom climates, reduce teacher stress and burnout, and enhance teacher instructional practices.
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Secretary of the BoardView Bio
Alanna Jane Sethi
Secretary of the BoardAlanna Sethi is a 21-year-old award-winning mental health consultant and certified yoga instructor from Hong Kong. As the Founder & CEO of HOPE, Alanna aims to develop self-sustaining wellness ecosystems in each community across the Asia-Pacific, through promoting mental health education, empathy, and leadership advocacy. She is also a mental health researcher pursuing her final year of studies of the BSc in Psychology (Hons) program at the University of Toronto, where she investigates accessible solutions for mental health. She has undergone additional training in mental health and accessibility and is currently a Circl Future Leader for their accredited Leader Coach program. Having previously worked as the Head of Wellness for online therapy platform start up, Open Heart by Arise Asia, she also has experience working in adult mental health such as developing the clinical matching questionnaire and consulting o accessible user experience for the platform. Most recently, she has received the prestigious Diana Award, which recognises outstanding young people from across the globe working to create and sustain positive social change in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. She is also a speaker for the upcoming Duke-NUS Global Mental Health in Asia 2025 Symposium. For her exceptional achievements, in 2024 she was also named a Top 10 Finalists for the Chegg.org $100,000 Global Student Prize, Global Citizen Youth Leaders Award, Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholar, Scholar-in-Residence and Dean’s List Scholar. Other achievements include being named 2023 Platinum Youth Wellness Mentor of the Year and receiving the 2022 Women of Wellness: Changemaker Award among others. She has also been featured in Liv Magazine, JESSICA Magazine, South China Morning Post, Insauga, and live on CBC Radio, 680 News Radio and NewsTalk 1010.
Team members
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Programs and Operations Intern, N4 AfricaView Bio
Jadesola Adekoya
Programs and Operations Intern, N4 AfricaJadesola Adekoya is an operations and program intern at Narrative 4 Africa. She recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Her journey to Narrative 4 was driven by her passion for social change and community development, and the desire to make a meaningful impact. Throughout her academic journey, she explored the intersection of economics and social justice, understanding how economic policies shape communities and foster equitable development. Beyond her academic pursuits, she finds solace in reading and enjoy escaping into the pages of a good book. She also love organizing and participating in fundraising events to promote literacy and support education. These experiences have fueled her passion for social change and strengthened her commitment to making a positive difference. She is eager to contribute to N4’s mission of creating positive change around the world!
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Chief Financial OfficerView Bio
Ryan Alexander
Chief Financial OfficerRyan Alexander is the Chief Financial Officer at Narrative 4 and has extensive experience scaling nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Most recently at Civic Builders, Ryan oversaw the Facilities Investment Fund, a groundbreaking $300 million loan fund in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation committed to improving facilities financing for high-performing public charter schools in communities where the need is greatest. Previously, Ryan was Co-Founder and President of LightSail Education, where he grew the company to serve 500 schools representing more than 300,000 students at the time the company was acquired. Ryan also served as the CFO of Success Academy Charter Schools and helped manage the rapid expansion of NYC’s highest-performing and fastest-growing charter organization. Earlier in his career, Ryan was Managing Partner at real estate developer Argyle Holdings, was President and COO of the enterprise messaging company Omnipod Inc. until its sale, and worked for several years in financial services.
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Program Manager, N4 AfricaView Bio
Zukiswa Allah
Program Manager, N4 AfricaZukiswa Allah is a daughter, mother, humanitarian, and part of the N4 Africa Team. She started her journey at Artworks for Youth as a mentor and a teacher, assisting in the community. During her time there, the Sister’s Keeper was founded. Zuki’s time there involved empowering and guiding young women in the fight against Gender Based Violence through different campaigns. Meanwhile, she is also a founder and principal at Royal Offerings, a daycare center in South Africa. Zuki has been involved with Narrative 4 for many years, and in 2020, she founded and now manages the organization’s first official Empathy-into-Action project, Trash to Treasure, based on an exchange of trash for groceries.
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Southeast Regional ManagerView Bio
Evan Barker
Southeast Regional ManagerEvan Barker is a Southeast Manager of the United States, responsible for TN, KY, WV, VA, NC, and SC. He began his career as an orchestra musician before accidentally becoming a bookseller and then an English teacher, coming to N4 after eight years in the secondary classroom. He believes that language is humanity’s greatest achievement and hopes to spend his whole career propagating the word in the service of understanding and peace. He holds a B.M. in Viola Performance and a B.A. in English from Middle Tennessee State University and a M.A. in Teaching English from the University of Kentucky. He lives in Richmond, Kentucky with his wife and two children.
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Artists Network DirectorView Bio
Felice Belle
Artists Network DirectorFelice Belle consumes and creates stories to make sense of the world and her place in it. As a poet and playwright, she has performed at the Apollo Theater, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, TEDWomen and TEDCity2.0. Her writing has been published in several journals and anthologies including Oral Tradition, Bum Rush the Page, and UnCommon Bonds: Women Reflect on Race and Friendship. Playwriting credits include Other Women, Game On! and It Is Reasonable to Expect. She is a lecturer in the low-residency MFA program at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY and Artists Network Director for the global nonprofit Narrative 4. Her poetry collection Viscera is forthcoming from Etruscan Press (Spring 2023).
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Regional Associate, RwandaView Bio
Bruno Bugingo
Regional Associate, RwandaBruno has been an associate at Narrative 4 in Rwanda since its inception in the country of Thousand Hills in 2022. Alongside his work with Narrative 4, he is involved with a social enterprise dedicated to protecting the future by conserving forests. His main role is advising the senior management on strategy, communication, and partnerships. Bruno has extensive experience in strategy and communication and has worked in various sectors, focusing on socially impactful and sustainable projects. He enjoys traveling, hanging out with friends, and engaging in open conversations.
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Pacific Northwest Regional Associate & Lead TrainerView Bio
Sean Cain
Pacific Northwest Regional Associate & Lead TrainerSean Cain is a Lead Trainer and the Pacific Northwest’s Regional Associate for Narrative 4. A multidisciplinary artist and tabletop game designer, Sean is passionate about exploring the intersections between narrative performance and community change. They are the cofounder of an arts-and-politics collective focused on screening movies, playing games, publishing zines, and hosting residencies, all in service of collective struggle. While Sean’s primary career has focused on education, he has also worked as a filmmaker and photographer, a house party DJ, and, briefly, as a cleaner of alligator cages.
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Director of Operations, MexicoView Bio
Maru Castañeda
Director of Operations, MexicoOriginally from Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, she has a solid academic background that includes studies in Public Relations from the Universidad del Noreste, a Master’s degree in Sciences and Multidisciplinary Studies from the University at Buffalo in New York, a Master’s Degree in Educational Communication from Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas and a Diploma in Sustainability and Strategic Leadership from the Fleishman Foundation. Her professional career has been enriched with various courses in Cognitive Coaching, Habits of the Mind,Mindfulness & Work Life Balance, Art therapy, Negotiation as well as Academic Leadership among many others.
With an outstanding vocation for education and community service, she has dedicated more than 30 years teaching Spanish, literature and oral expression. Since 2015, she has been a key figure in Narrative 4, starting as a first generation Master Practitioner and currently assuming the role of Director of Operations in Mexico. Her leadership has been fundamental for the successful implementation of the program in schools in several cities of Mexico, from primary school to university, and has encouraged the participation of students such as ambassadors N4. Through her work, she has brought the Narrative 4 methodology to various communities in Mexico. Maru loves spending time with her children and taking walks with her yorkies Lola and Cocoa.
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Executive Director, Narrative 4 GlobalView Bio
Kandice Cole
Executive Director, Narrative 4 GlobalKandice Cole brings 15 years of experience working with educational institutions and nonprofit organizations to create impact. After earning degrees in Psychology and Teaching from the University of Chicago, Kandice taught in elementary classrooms in Chicago and Sacramento. In 2013, Kandice was introduced to Narrative 4 and managed their early programmatic efforts. Kandice has a built a successful consulting practice, having worked with an array of clients including BUILD Initiative and University of Chicago’s Urban Teacher Education Program. Kandice is also passionate about empowering people to create sustainable wellness practices and has designed corporate wellness programs centered around self care, leadership, and creativity. She is a Chopra Certified Health Teacher and author of The Joyful Woman’s Guide to Self Care. Kandice serves as Executive Director for Narrative 4. She resides in Houston, Texas with her family.
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Global Director of Information TechnologyView Bio
Ly Lo Cong
Global Director of Information TechnologyBorn and raised in France, Ly then lived in Canada during his university years and graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Computer Engineering Degree and from HEC Montreal with a Certificate in Business Management. He then returned to Paris for 14 years to work in several digital agencies as a manager, project director and digital consultant. During his professional experience, Ly has acquired a technical expertise that allows him to master both the coaching of technical teams and the support of business teams in all phases of a project. He has driven growth and innovation for a wide variety of companies through their digital and organizational transformation, and aligned their strategies with the company’s business goals, always keeping in mind the return on investment. Ly lives with his wife and two children in Montreal.
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CEO & Co-FounderView Bio
Lisa Consiglio
CEO & Co-FounderLisa Consiglio is CEO and Co-Founder of Narrative 4, which she launched in 2013 but began envisioning in 2004. For over thirty years, she has dedicated her career to developing powerful organizations that transform the lives of their clients and constituencies. She has applied her leadership skills – in management, fundraising, marketing and business communications – to a wide web of organizations that is connected by a dedication to humanistic ideals. Deeply committed to a belief in the power of stories, her professional experience spans the arts, education, technology, cancer research, public policy and honoring WWII veterans. She has lived in Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Georgia, Washington, DC, France, Hong Kong, Australia, Colorado, Illinois, and is now happily ensconced in New York City.
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Programme Assistant, N4 IrelandView Bio
Oisín Cooke
Programme Assistant, N4 IrelandIn 2023 Oisín received his undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Limerick. He completed an internship with N4 back in 2021 and worked with them part-time throughout the rest of his studies. He recently took up a full time role as programme assistant with N4 Ireland. He is passionate about finding ways to build connection and community, as he believes they are essential to people’s wellbeing and sense of belonging. Oisín also loves sport, and is a rugby player with Garryowen FC in Limerick. He currently lives in Tipperary, in the south-west of Ireland.
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