Team Bios
Megan Davis
Executive Director
I am a social worker turned yogi, with more than 15 years of clinical experience in children's mental health. Since completing the first of multiple yoga teacher trainings in 2012, I have integrated yoga and mindfulness into my work with children and families. I have extensive training in trauma-informed and accessible yoga and am actively engaged in anti-racism and social justice education. Before taking on the role of Executive Director for ZENworks Yoga, I was an instructor for 7+ years and served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. I previously developed and led trauma-informed yoga programs in local mental health agencies, drug/alcohol treatment centers and special education schools.
My intention in this crazy beautiful life is to be a conduit of change. I believe that each of us holds the capacity for resilience and healing, when given safe and equitable access to uncover it. I am also a wife, a mama to a 12 and 5 year old and lover of coffee and sunshine. I am eternally grateful for the gifts that yoga has brought to my life and am dedicated to paying those gifts forward in service of our greater Cleveland community.
Sonya Bapna Patel
Founder & Founding Board Member, Operations
In 2010, I moved back to Cleveland from New York after completing a two-year commitment teaching elementary students through Teach for America (TFA). While in TFA, I worked at Leadership Prep Charter School - Bed Stuy teaching 2nd and 3rd grade. I noticed that my students were very over stimulated and stressed whether it be from the pressures at home or other environments. And there were limited opportunities for them to refocus their energy and find some solace in their day. While teaching at the school, I would occasionally show my students basic yoga poses and breathing techniques during PE and quick transitions during the day. They enjoyed it very much and it provided them a chance to reenergize and refocus. Upon returning to Cleveland, I worked for Breakthrough Charter Schools in HR focusing on teacher recruiting. Prior to TFA, I worked for the Monitor Group in management consulting and Mattel Inc. in International Strategic Planning. I graduated from NYU in 2003 with a BS in Finance and Accounting and also have a MEd from Teacher U (Hunter College). I now spend my time working on Zenworks Yoga and enjoying time with my energetic daughter, playful son and supportive husband and extended family.
Megan Johnston
Founding Board Memeber
I am new to the world of yoga, but I have been working in the non-profit sector in Cleveland for several years now and was immediately sold on the idea of ZENworks. I am one of the founding members of the ZENworks Board of Directors and have enjoyed watching the organization grow and serve more children. I graduated from John Carroll University with a degree in Marketing and assist the ZENworks team with branding and outreach.
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Tammy Oliver
Founding Board Memeber
Bio coming soon...
Covesa Gragg
Board Member
Voted #1 Wedding Planning Company three years in a row by Fox8’s Hotlist, Covesa Kelly Events has made event planning expert Covesa Gragg one proud owner! Covesa is an author, an energetic and passionate speaker, coach, and a business strategist with a background in banking and finance.
When not planning, coaching, or speaking, Covesa can be found enjoying delicious meals with friends and family and cuddling up with her Rottweiler, Shaggy.
Jon Manke
Board Member
Hi! I’m a sales & marketing professional with experience working in the business world. A passioned leader that believes in growing strong cultures and teams – connected by empathy, community, & compassion. That said – I pride myself on developing people and leading functional teams to make positive, uplifting progress. I know that no single approach is the right way for every individual, and so I’ve been trained in a range of methodologies – including, Gestalt’s Organizational & System Development (OSD) & Emotional Intelligence. My education foundation is a B.S.B.A. in Marketing from Bowling Green State University. I lead by example and motivate others through open communication, collaboration and cooperation – in a FUN way! My wife (Polly) and I are Certified Partner Yoga Instructors from Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. And – we live in Bainbridge Township, OH - and have three grown children: Jordan (29), Dieter (26), and Ernest (22).
Laura Dutt
Board Member
Laura has been with Benesch, a national corporate law firm, for over 15 years. She has firm-wide responsibility for recruiting and placing top legal talent in all of our office locations. She focuses her efforts on lateral recruiting and on the firm’s Summer Associate and On Campus Interviewing programs. Laura works alongside Benesch’s firm leadership to carry-out strategic initiatives for attracting top talent and for growing the Benesch team. She is a member of the firm’s Hiring Committees.
Additionally, Laura works with the firm’s Practice Group Chairs to develop training programs that support the continued growth and success of our attorneys and paralegals across all of our office locations. She directs all programs related to onboarding and integration, mentoring, practice group specific training, and plays an active role in performance management programs. Laura also works closely with the firm’s Associate Development Committee and Women’s Initiative Committee.
Laura received her B.A. from John Carroll University and her Master’s Degree from Cleveland State University.
Mary Weatherhead
Board Member
Mary started working with children and movement in her teens as a gymnastics camp counselor. Her interest in somatic movement and its therapeutic benefits led her to yoga in 1994. Mary is certified as a RYT 200, OM Yoga New York(2007) and RCYT 95 ChildLight Education Company, NH (2020). She holds many additional yoga certifications which include a 50 Hour Advanced Teacher Training, Love Yoga, CA (2021) as well as trauma informed yoga trainings. She has led yoga in various capacities since 2007. Mary's passion for Cleveland and the future of our city's children connected her to ZENworks Yoga in 2014, with whom she was an instructor from 2014-2022.
Jennifer Griest Hayes
Curriculum and Instruction
As an Intervention Specialist and Educational Consultant, I have seen first hand the need for children to incorporate movement and mindfulness into their learning and play. While having practiced yoga myself for many years, in 2012 I took my first children’s yoga training with ChildLight Yoga. Immediately, I fell in love with the concept of teaching yoga to children of all ages and abilities! Since then, I have become a licensed trainer and consultant for the Yoga 4 Classrooms program, obtained certification in Creative Relaxation: Yoga Therapy for Autism and Special Needs, ChildLight Baby & Toddler yoga, and mini yogis® for Tweens and Teens. After spending almost seventeen years teaching in the classroom setting, I am thrilled to join the ZENworks Yoga team!
Sara Kelly
Residency Director & Instructor
Sara is a compassionate creative with a love for both teaching & learning. Often found in a classroom, kitchen, out in nature, or dancing with her family, she is fueled by challenging the status quo and empowering others. She earned an M.Ed as an Intervention Specialist (2014), RYT-200 (Awake to My Soul, 2018), and RCYT 95-hr trauma-informed children's and teen yoga training (Yoga Ed, 2021). She is currently training with Prison Yoga Project, and in Katie Kurtz's Cultivate program for trauma-informed space holding. Sara is dedicated to guiding individuals through accessible, meaningful practices which build confidence to develop their best selves, and in turn, their communities.
Mackenzie Clark
Development Associate
Mackenzie received her Masters of Public Health, worked as the Co-Executive Director & Chief Information Officer of a Health and Wellness non-profit in Youngstown, Oh, and is currently working as a marketing consultant for a few different companies and organizations. Traveling has fueled her desire to meet new people and embrace differences in cultures while growing herself and showing the value of these opportunities to her children. She has always had a passion for working with underserved communities and embracing a diversified community while taking a grassroots approach to a happy, healthy, community. She is a strong believer in supporting and investing in the communities you are a part of.
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Theresa Zele
Instructor
Bio coming soon...
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Liz Kardamis
Instructor
Liz Kardamis is a 200hr RYT (Awake to My Soul, 2021), a Childlight Yoga certified instructor (2015) and certified in the Trauma Conscious Yoga Method (2022). She is also a licensed counselor and a Registered Art Therapist with 8+ years experience working in local pediatric psychiatric hospitals. After stepping away from the world of mental health to focus on raising her 3 children she began to contemplate how she could bring her love of yoga, mindfulness, and creativity to the community. Enter Zenworks! Liz has been teaching with Zenworks since the 2021/2022 school year and is grateful for the experience, connection and joy it has brought to her.
Amy Ewing
Instructor
I took my first yoga class in 2000 as part of an after-school program for school-employees where I was currently working. In 2019, I became a certified yoga instructor (RYT 200) through the Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga, which maintains a focus on wellness-style yoga. I believe that yoga can be taught in a way that makes it accessible to everyone regardless of age, health, or fitness level. I truly believe in the benefits of teaching yoga & mindfulness to kids! Mindful movements can enhance students’ ability to learn and focus even after yoga class has ended. Bringing yoga to kids gives them skills they can use for the rest of their lives, and I am honored to be a part of teaching those skills to our students. I hold a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology and have spent many years in the schools as a speech-language pathologist. I have helped with yoga/mindfulness programs at my local school district and am a frequent presenter at Tri-C & various other organizations on the topic of wellness. I volunteer as the student relations chair for the Ohio University Women’s Club of Greater Cleveland and have worked in the non-profit sector including Hospice. I am a mother to 2 boys and love doing anything active, especially being outdoors!
Stacey Pickering
Instructor
Stacey is a multi-faceted Holistic Wellness Practitioner, yoga instructor, Group
Ecotherapy Facilitator, and movement artist, who uses music, sound,
movement, & mindfulness practices to help connect us with ourselves as
whole, healed beings. She is passionate about restorative & transformative
justice, decolonizing wellness, and contributing to efforts to uplift those who
have been marginalized & oppressed. She loves providing children with the tools
to listen to their inner wisdom, make healthy choices, and lead with care for
themselves and our communities.
Nadeen al-Jijakli
Instructor
Originally from NYC, Nadeen came to yoga 15 years ago when a coworker gave her a prenatal yoga DVD. She completed her trauma-informed 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2022 at Abide Yoga Studio in Cleveland and became certified in Children’s Yoga through Yo Re Mi based in New York. She is a Reiki (Level II) practitioner and holds certifications in Sound Therapy as well as Positive Psychology. Nadeen has worked with families facing trauma and separation as an immigration attorney for nearly two decades. She is a mother of four, Zumba lover, hip hop head, and she plays some guitar. She especially enjoys integrating wellness and self-care regimens for women as well as community care for each other.
Connie Neese
Instructor
I found yoga in 2016 as a means to get physically healthy and quickly noticed not only the physical change but began noticing a healing changing from the inside out. My interest in yoga turned into a passion. Three (3) years later, I became a certified yoga instructor (CTY 200) and continued with my training, receiving my 300 hour yoga certification in December 2021.
Yoga is far deeper than a physical practice, it teaches you powerful tools/skills that benefit beyond the mat. Being able to share these tools/skills with others no matter the age group is something I am passionate about. When I am not practicing or teaching, you can find me enjoying a good book, or hanging out with family/friends enjoying a good meal, good conversation and good laughs!
Fran McIntyre
Instructor
Fran Mcintyre’s introduction to yoga was through an adult community ed. class.The yoga sessions cleared her mind and the energy and peacefulness she felt inspired her to continue. She went on to teach adult and children’s yoga for school and community recreation programs. In 2022 Fran completed the 200 hour program as a certified yoga instructor at Prana Yoga in Broadview Hts.
Fran holds a M Ed. in Education Psychology and worked with elementary and secondary students as a teacher and school psychologist in the Cleveland Schools and other districts in the Greater Cleveland area. Through this work she realized the importance to offer children the benefits of yoga and mindfulness. The forced isolation of the Pandemic made that need more striking. She finds it
very rewarding to witness the kids’ enthusiasm and their embrace of mindfulness.
Gardening, art, travel and spending time with family are her go to pastimes.
Mary Conway
Instructor
Mary started practicing yoga years ago, in high school, after her last soccer game. What felt like a great way to just continue moving turned into an entire lifestyle that helps her regulate her emotions and wellbeing. Her regular practice changes pace and purpose day-to-day, but always with the intent of finding a few minutes of peace in a crazy world. She has been teaching since 2019 with a 200hr/YT certification from GIVE Yoga in Columbus and offers private classes as well as donation-based classes during the summer. During the day Mary is a management consultant in the Cleveland area and takes great joy from her travels, cooking, gardening, volunteer work, and reading in her free time. She is passionate about sharing yoga and serving the Cleveland area.
Jessie Marotta
Instructor
200Hr RYT, Sound Healer, Tarot Reader, Reiki II
When I was younger, I was very active; dance, cheerleading, snowboarding, gymnastics, skating, theater and more, movement has always been something my body needed. Somewhere along the line, I let toxic habits and relationships slowly take my passions away. I found yoga as a stepping stone back to my own mind and body. The more seriously I took my practice, the more my life started to feel like my life again. In 2019 I decided I wanted to learn how to share this practice that had already helped me so much with others and I enrolled in the 200-hour yoga teacher program at the Studio Cleveland. I was introduced to philosophies and modalities that seemed to stitch my life together in a way that made so much sense and my life since that program has changed in every single way. I graduated the moment before the world stood still in March 2020.
I have a passion for incorporating sound healing in my classes as a way for people to connect inwards and feel rested and restored physically and energetically. I teach children and teens at Yoga Revolution, I teach Yin with sound healing at Lakewood yoga, and I offer sound baths all over the Cleveland area and surrounding cities.
I enjoy being a student just as much as I love teaching. I am currently working on completing the advanced 300 hour yoga teacher training and I enjoy taking yin, vinyasa and Kundalini classes. Outside of yoga, first and foremost, I am a mom to an amazing toddler. I am a tarot reader with over 20 years of experience. I enjoy music of all kinds and really love to provide new sounds for sound-baths and sound healing events. I have a passion for great food, cooking and eating! I also am a big fan of movies and the theater; I could talk about my favorites for days.
Ladonna Bartkowski
Instructor
I am the mother of 3 adult children and a grandmother of 6 children. This is my greatest accomplishment. I am very proud of all of my children. My profession is a nurse and I have worked with babies and children for over 50 years!! I love being a nurse. It is truly my calling. I believe in the 3 facets of life: physical, mental & spiritual. I have been practicing yoga for over 20 years but I have been consistent for about 5 years. I was so interested in the poses and learning about yoga that I took two— 200 hour yoga training classes. My main interest in life is children and working with children is in my comfort zone. Yoga truly combines the mind- body connection and addresses all the 3 facets of life: the physical, mental and spiritual.
Margaret Stamm
Instructor
Margaret started practicing yoga to help recover from a Traumatic brain injury, and she describes it as being heaven-sent! When she thought nothing else could help, she found yoga. Her classes are trauma informed and helpful for anyone in recovery; physical, mental and/or spiritual. She's been teaching regularly since 2013 with a 200hr/YT certification and training in Trauma Sensitive and Children's Yoga. She offers private, group and corporate classes, retreats and workshops. She's taught for The Manhattan School of Music, The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Cleveland Metro School District, Abide Yoga, The Yoga Room Cleveland and The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. You can view her practice by visiting her Youtube Channel Margasway Yoga for free online classes.
Joie Scott
Founding Board Member & Director of Curriculum and Instruction
As a retired elementary teacher, Joie felt that the benefits she received from yoga could be offered to “children” of any age from 3 to 83. Yoga taught her to say “yes” to what life has to offer and to live skillfully. Yoga should be fun-filled, meaning-filled, and skill-filled. She began working with ZENworks Yoga in 2010 as an instructor and became a founding board member in 2013 when ZENworks became a non-profit. In 2014, as the teaching staff grew, it became her privilege to take on the role of Teacher and Program Development.