Silvia Haba de Merlo

Regional Summit & Network Senior Manager at The Wellbeing Project

Panama

Silvia is a deep believer in the power of community, connection, and inner growth as the paths for social transformation. She has spent over a decade working in NGOs and social enterprises, leading social and emotional learning programs for children, young adults, and change-makers. In the midst of the pandemic and experiencing [what she later came to understand as] symptoms of burnout, she understood the importance of taking care of oneself in order to keep taking care of others and promoting social impact. She founded Coimpacta, an online community for Spanish-speaking changemakers to cultivate their wellbeing and self-development by accessing international experts and peer-support spaces. You will often find her out in nature (especially the ocean), dancing or learning something new. She was born and raised in Madrid, Spain, and has lived in France, China, and Belgium before moving to Panama in 2014. She is thrilled to be a part of The Wellbeing Project movement and community. In collaboration with The Wellbeing Summit and the Networks Teams, her work enables expanding the messages and experiences of inner wellbeing for social change to a regional and local level.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Feeling at peace, with yourself and with others, while striving to keep evolving and contributing.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Love.

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Meditation, stretching, Qi gong, yoga, playing music (piano, guitar, singing), walking in nature, and spending time with loved ones. Watching sunrise and/or sunset.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

“We cannot practice compassion with other people if we do not treat ourselves kindly.” – Brené Brown

“Peace between countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

Online course: The Power of Awareness – Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach

App: Richard Davidson’s “Healthy Minds”

Book: “The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save your Life” – Edith Eger

Connect with SILVA HABA DE MERLO on social media :

Alana Chávez

Senior Manager of Digital Marketing at The Wellbeing Project

Mexico City,

Mexico

Connect with Alana Chávez on social media :

Alana Chávez is a Digital Marketing and Content professional hailing from Mexico. With over eight years of experience in the industry, Alana has honed her skills in creating compelling content and crafting effective marketing strategies for a wide range of mass consumer goods, government agencies, technology companies, fintech startups, and more.

Alana is a true storyteller at heart. She has a passion for anything that tells a story, whether it’s a captivating novel, a thought-provoking film, or a great conversation. She firmly believes that human beings connect best through stories and that storytelling is the key to creating content that resonates with audiences. This enthusiasm for storytelling is reflected in her work, where she creates content that not only informs but also entertains and engages her audience.

As the Senior Manager of Digital Marketing for the Storytelling team, Alana is dedicated to creating a captivating and inspiring narrative that motivates others to embark on their own wellbeing journey.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Feeling at ease with being a work in progress.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Awareness.

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Long walks in nature.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

Because well-being inspires well-doing.

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

Brené Brown’s podcast “Unlocking Us” taught me everything I know about self-awareness, the key to inner wellbeing.

Celina de Sola

Glasswing International

New York, NY,
USA

Celina de Sola is co-founder and president at Glasswing International, an El Salvador-based organization that combines community-based initiatives with strategies to strengthen public education and health services. Her work focuses on designing and implementing innovative, community-based initiatives that bring together institutions and people for joint action. Prior to Glasswing, de Sola worked as a crisis interventionist for Latino immigrants in the US and led humanitarian crisis response projects in Liberia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Indonesia. She is a Fellow of the Obama Foundation, Ashoka, LEGO ReImagine Learning, Penn Social Impact House. She is also an Audacious Project and Skoll Foundation Awardee, and a Tallberg Global Leader. Celina holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard University and one in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice.

Matilde Siman Kim

Mental Health Specialist

Glasswing International

Miami, FL,
United States

Licensed mental health clinician with 10+ years of experience, focused on helping democratize mental health access in Latin America. Leverages clinical expertise to partner with private and public organizations to build programs. Passionate about strengthening the intersection between practice and policy. Matilde currently serves as a Mental Health Specialist for Glasswing’s Strategic Partnership team, working to align industry standards, research, and services in the mental health sector that are relevant to Glasswing’s work. At the beginning of her career, Matilde focused on Latino and migrant mental health by providing clinical psychotherapy to Spanish-speaking youth and families. Matilde holds a masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston College, a Foundations in Mental Health Certification from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a Psychological First Aid Certification from John Hopkins University, and a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Certification from the PESI Institute.

Connect with Matilde Siman Kim on social media :

Co.act Detroit

Detroit, Michigan,
United States.

Co.act Detroit is a hub that accelerates transformative impact with nonprofit and community organizations in southeast Michigan through collaborative idea generation, cross-sector resources, and equitable access to world-class programming and learning opportunities.

Co.act Detroit is the home of the Nonprofit Wellbeing series, which celebrates the vital connection between self and community care and pushes for a culture shift around wellbeing at the organization and sector level. Through a quarterly series of workshops, activities, and conversations, we provide access to virtual resources and best practices that equip nonprofit professionals with strategies to support their teams and wellbeing.

Nonprofit mental health and wellbeing is also a frequent topic of conversation in our podcast, Natural Collisions. Past episode topics include creating cultures of wellbeing at work and the impact of the pandemic on women’s careers and the mental health of women in the nonprofit workplace.

Connect to Co.act Detroit on social media :

Website

Sitting at the Feet of Elders - May 2, 2023 Sitting at the Feet of Elders - May 2, 2023

Guest: Chris Underhill, Social Entrepreneur and Professional Mentor

Host: Sharon Salzberg & Reggie Hubbard

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

11am ET / 5pm CET

In this episode, Sharon Salzberg and Reggie Hubbard welcome Chris Underhill to discuss the important topics of eldership and diversity, mental health and wellbeing, and community healing.

Together, they explore the role of elders in our communities and the value of diversity in shaping our understanding of aging and wisdom. They also delve into the importance of mental health and wellbeing as we age, and how we can support ourselves and our loved ones in this journey.

Finally, they touch on the power of community healing and how we can come together to address the challenges and opportunities that come with aging. Join us for an insightful and inspiring conversation on what it means to sit at the feet of our elders and learn from their wisdom.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CONVERSATION

MEET OUR SPEAKERS MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Reggie's Bio
Sharon's Bio
Chris' Bio

Sitting at the Feet of Elders - July 11, 2023 Sitting at the Feet of Elders - July 11, 2023

Guest: Joan Halifax, Buddhist Teacher, Zen Priest & Anthropologist

Hosts: Sharon Salzberg & Reggie Hubbard

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

11am ET / 5pm CET

In the final episode of “Sitting At The Feet Of Elders,” join hosts Reggie Hubbard and Sharon Salzberg with special guest Joan Halifax as they explore personal growth in a post-pandemic world.

Discover how challenging experiences can become opportunities for healing, resilience, and profound transformation. Gain practical guidance and wisdom from these remarkable individuals as they share their insights and stories.

Don’t miss this enlightening conversation that combines spirituality, activism, and introspection!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CONVERSATION

MEET OUR SPEAKERS MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Reggie's Bio
Sharon's Bio
Joan Halifax

Sitting at the Feet of Elders – June 6, 2023 Sitting at the Feet of Elders – June 6, 2023

Guest: Chip Conley

Host: Sharon Salzberg & Reggie Hubbard

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

11am ET / 5pm CET

Sharon Salzberg & Reggie Hubbard welcome Chip Conley to “Sitting at the Feet of Elders”.

Chip is a co-founder of Modern Elder Academy. Inspired by his experience of intergenerational mentoring as a ‘modern elder’ at Airbnb, where his guidance was instrumental to the company’s extraordinary transformation from fast-growing start-up to the world’s most valuable hospitality brand, Modern Elder Academy is the first-ever ‘midlife wisdom school.’ Dedicated to reframing the concept of aging, Modern Elder Academy supports students to navigate midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.

Hosted by: Hosted by:
Reggie's Bio
Sharon's Bio
Chip's Bio

Chris Underhill

Social Entrepreneur and Professional Mentor

Chris Underhill MBE is a social entrepreneur and professional mentor. He has worked in the field of the Wellbeing, Resilience, and Mental Health since he started Thrive in 1978 (www.thrive.org.uk). The organisation provides to this day an opportunity for many people with different needs to benefit from gardening and horticulture whether as a hobby or a vocation. Chris is a serial social innovator and has established many organisations over the years in addition to Thrive. To give several examples: Action on Disability and Development (ADD), working in the developing world with disabled people creating systems of representation, advocacy, and policy creation. BasicNeeds in the field of community mental health worldwide, and citiesRISE in the field of mental health and the big city.

He has founded several other organisations as well, but coming up to date, he Chairs the Mental Health Collaboration of Catalyst 2030 and is cofounder of the Elders Council for Social Entrepreneurs. The Elders Council for Social Entrepreneurs gives practical support to founders as they make successions within and away from their organisations as well as the encouragement of younger social entrepreneurs as they field the complex challenges and transitions that inevitably confront them.

Chris is a well-known and sought after professional mentor and his practice, Mentor Services, has been carefully nurtured since 2000. Chris has been married to Giselle for 52 years, and they have three grown-up children and six grandchildren. He is an Elder of the Wellbeing Project and attended the Wellbeing Summit in Bilbao working on both Eldership and Mental Health within the wider context of Wellbeing. He is a recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, an awardee in Social Entrepreneurship of the Schwab Foundation, and a Senior Fellow of Ashoka. In 2000 he was honoured with an MBE by HRH the Queen for his work in disability and development.

Click here to learn more about Mentor Services.

Connect with Chris Underhill on social media :