Berta Bragado Belío

Regional Summits Coordinator

Spain

Berta is a culturally engaged professional with a strong passion for creativity and fostering social connections. Having lived in four countries, she has cultivated a deep passion and curiosity for multicultural environments, which continues to shape her outlook on life. With a degree in Art History and a master’s in Cultural Management and Art Education for Social Inclusion, she is deeply interested in the social power of the arts and their ability to bring people & communities together. She has built her career in museums, galleries, and cultural organizations, with a growing socio-educational perspective that ended up paving her way to the Project.

She comes from a family of musicians, and she is also a musician herself, believing that art and creativity are essential to a meaningful & balanced life. She is an avid observer and finds joy in life’s small details, drawing peace and inspiration from photography, reading, gardening, and exploring art exhibitions. She also loves spending time and sharing experiences with her loved ones and feeding her curiosity by exploring new places and meeting new people.

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Riddhi Shah

Lead, Innovation

Pondicherry,
India

In a career spanning sixteen years, of which eleven were spent living out of a backpack, Riddhi has an extensive blended experience of working on field in some of the remotest areas of India and at decision-making tables in urban India. Having played multiple roles, including those of mentor, advisor, and facilitator, she has supported and consulted for a range of Indian and international HNIs, projects, schools, organisations and institutions on Integral Education, Spiritual Ecology, Communications, Organisational Strategy, Design Thinking, CSR, Young Leadership, Fundraising, Culture and Wellness practices.

With a knack for piloting and incubation, she has given form to great ideas that have little or no blueprints, including The GROW Fund and UdyamStree, her most recent pilots, that have received global recognition and multiple awards.

Previously, she has been a Young Climate Change Representative for India, at UNESCAP Bangkok; been ranked as one of the top five influential Indian women-changemakers under the age of 25 by Hindustan Times in 2016, been a serial TEDx speaker and been invited to represent India at global forums to address critical issues pertaining to the fulfilment of SDGs, integral education, and women in leadership

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

Equanimity and Joy!

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Healed (past tense, specifically)

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

Walking barefoot on sand, grass and in the forest, art, painting and printmaking, meeting elders of the community

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

Only the healed can heal. 🙂

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

Books: Braiding Sweetgrass, Entangled Life, Savitri,
Movies: The Prophet (animated), Peaceful Warrior

Adrian Griffin

Junior Digital Marketing Coordinator at The Wellbeing Project

Budapest,
Hungary

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Adrian Griffin is a dynamic digital marketer and designer based in Budapest, Hungary, originally hailing from Miami, United States. With a passion for storytelling and visual communication, Adrian excels at bridging communities through thoughtful design and impactful narratives.

His career spans diverse experiences across the United States, including designing for the games and entertainment industries, curating art gallery shows in Los Angeles, and supporting black-owned small businesses in the Midwest. Each opportunity has contributed to his holistic worldview and fueled his drive to create meaningful connections through his work.

Adrian’s love for storytelling shines through his digital marketing expertise, where he uses social media as a powerful platform to share stories that resonate across cultures. His designs spark conversations, evoke emotions, and inspire deeper engagement.

Outside of his professional life, Adrian enjoys exploring global cuisines through cooking, seeking creative inspiration on Pinterest, and immersing himself in games and entertainment. A proponent of balance, he also prioritizes physical well-being with regular workouts and hiking adventures.

Adrian Griffin is committed to crafting designs and strategies that bring people together, spread positivity, and spark meaningful interactions.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?
Inner wellbeing, to me, is about building a positive relationship with yourself. It’s recognizing that you are your own greatest supporter, nurturing self-compassion, and finding balance within to thrive.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?
Serenity

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?
Consistently nourishing my body with good food, prioritizing my physical health, and taking time to pray.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing
Prioritizing your wellbeing is crucial, especially when life feels difficult and unstable. Amidst the uncertainty, it’s important to stay true to yourself and find stability within.

David Simas

Managing Director, Research and Impact, Emerson Collective

David Simas is the Managing Director of Research and Impact at Emerson Collective, where he works to develop in-depth research projects and distributes findings and analysis in service of Emerson’s priorities including democracy, immigration, education, and climate.

A native of Taunton, Massachusetts, David was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in 2007. He then joined President Obama’s administration in 2009 as a Deputy Assistant to the President, working with senior advisors David Axelrod and David Plouffe. In 2012, he served as Director of Opinion Research for President Obama’s reelection campaign. Following the reelection, Mr. Simas returned to the White House as Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach. In 2016, President Obama selected Mr. Simas to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Obama Foundation. Mr. Simas holds a B.A. in political science from Stonehill College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. He is the son of two Portuguese immigrants and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Shauna, and their two daughters.

Learn more from David SimasLearn more from David Simas

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Content Curation Advisory Board Member

Content Curation Specialist

Elena Crescia

Wellbeing Events Adviser, The Wellbeing Project

12+ years experience as speaker coach and content curator. Connector of Dots. Bridge Builder. Changemaker. Wellbeing Events Adviser at The Wellbeing Project | Program curator at The Wellbeing Summit for Social Change 2022 | Content curator and organizer of The Wellbeing Summit São Paulo 2023 | Content curator at Hearth Summit Omega & Harlem Wellness Center 2025. Curator & Speaker Coach TEDxSaoPaulo | TED Speaker | Country Director Clubes TED Ed Curation consultant at The Skoll World Forum 2023 | Content Curator SOCAP 2023. Master of International Affairs, Economic and Political Development – Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs | Master in Financial Evaluation of Development Projects – Université Sorbonne | Impact Investor Manager course by ANDE and JPMorgan with Santa Clara University. Founder of Ideas Talk. Editora de Ideias and Portfolia.

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IN ELENA’S WORDSIN ELENA’S WORDS

How do you think individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing are connected?

Individual, collective and planetary wellbeing are interconnected. We all affect each other and we can only flourish when we are take care of all of us, the communities and the environment that we live in.

What do you hope the outcomes are from the global Hearth Summit?

I hope all participants of the global Hearth Summit feel inspired to prioritize their wellbeing and the wellbeing of the people they care about, and we all strengthen our connection to nature and the arts, we learn new ways to improve our wellbeing and we make new friends.

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Manuel Bagorro

Creative Advisor at Carnegie Hall in New York City; Founder and Artistic Director of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) in Zimbabwe; Artistic Director of Bay Chamber Concerts in Camden, Maine

Manuel Bagorro is a long-time Creative Advisor at Carnegie Hall, working on the design, planning and implementation of a range of programs. He is also Artistic Director of Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School in Rockport ME, Founder and Artistic Director of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) in Zimbabwe and served as a program advisor for CultureSummit Abu Dhabi in 2017 and 2018. He curated the arts program for the first Wellbeing Summit in Bilbao, 2022 and leads the artistic team for the Global Hearth Summit in Ljubljana, 2025. For the last 12 years, his work with Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School has resulted in a new approach to the organization’s educational offerings and community engagement programs. Under his leadership, the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) became one of the most significant artistic and social impact projects in Southern Africa, weathering the social, political and economic turmoil in Zimbabwe for more than a decade.

He is also a pianist, having performed extensively and won prizes in the Newport International and Royal Overseas League Piano Competitions. He performed in the John Schlesinger film, Madame Sousatzka, and appeared as soloist with the BBC Welsh and Cape Town Symphony Orchestras. He composed the music for a series of documentaries entitled Africa Unmasked and played for Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries at a State Banquet in London in 1995.

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IN MANUEL’S WORDSIN MANUEL’S WORDS

How do you think individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing are connected?

Wellbeing begins with the individual – with the creative and innovative thinking of each of us as we journey through our lives. What I think our individual journeys make clear to us is that our own wellbeing relies not only on our personal practices and outlook, but on social groups, communities and a sense of belonging to a larger whole. The existence of this beautiful, human, wellbeing ecosystem is of course entirely dependent on planetary wellbeing – the planet provides the home for our journeys as humans, and our sense of individual and collective belonging. 

What do you hope the outcomes are from the global Hearth Summit?

I hope that the global Hearth Summit strengthens and emboldens our collective commitment to keeping our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of our planet in our minds and hearts long after the Summit ends. I hope for a collective realisation that the arts have a powerful role to play in nurturing individual, collective and planetary wellbeing.

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Carrie Rebora Barratt

Director, LongHouse Reserve, and Founder, The Solace Project

Carrie Rebora Barratt is an energetic and collaborative curator and executive leader, who has deployed her growth and resilience mindset into organizational culture in top cultural institutions. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Botanical Garden, LongHouse Reserve, and through her umbrella organization, The Solace Project, she leads through big transitions by championing collective intelligence of staff and board at the intersection of art, nature, and the human spirit, to welcome visitors to culture and build community.

At The Met, she rose from summer intern to Deputy Director, immersing herself in the vital importance of museum work in our world. As the leader of 27 departments and over 400 staff—curatorial, conservation and scientific research, libraries, education, publications, and digital—she worked with commitment to the common purpose of shaping the collection, putting on superb exhibitions, and enriching visitor experience. That work requires structured governance and decisive administration matched with collaboration, curiosity, and creativity. She delivered results through strategic planning, marketing savvy, institutional advancement, and facilities management.

In 2018, she took over the New York Botanical Garden as ninth CEO and President, the first woman to hold the position in its 127 year history. A 250 acre campus of art and nature with nearly 500 staff, NYBG faced a major leadership transition and weather challenges on the grounds. In just two years, she developed a long-range art exhibition plan with vital educational programs and new digital content, drafted an agenda for increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, improved facilities, heightened the garden’s role in the botanical and horticultural dimensions of climate change and human wellness, and expanded the urban gardening program in our region. She managed the challenges of the pandemic, and saw the Garden to reopening in summer 2020, staff intact, budget balanced, and visitors returning.

In 2020, during the pandemic, she founded The Solace Project as a vessel to write, talk, teach, and gather community in pursuit of basic wellness through art and nature. Her work in the space continues as a speaker, consultant to museums, gardens, and organizations sharing the value of resilience and wellbeing.
She joined LongHouse Reserve in autumn 2021, invited to lead the institution through transition and turnaround following the passing of founder Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020). Since then, she has stewarded the 16-acre integrated environment within a mission to inspire living with art in all forms, serving the community with vast open space, programs in art, nature, and wellness, providing a sanctuary for Long Island and beyond.

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IN CARRIE’S WORDSIN CARRIE’S WORDS

How do you think individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing are connected?

Through our breath and our collective growth as living beings. 

What do you hope the outcomes are from the global Hearth Summit?

Enhanced appreciation for art in nature as the tie that binds us, heals us, generates our curiosity, and creates those awe-filled moments that teach us to feel in our bodies.

WHAT CARRIE IS READING, LISTENING TO, AND WATCHING

Claire Wilcox, Patchwork: A Life Amongst Clothes (Bloomsbury, 2020)

James Elkins, Pictures and Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings (Routledge, 2001)

Brene Brown talks to David Eagleman Unlocking Us podcast about The Inside Story of the Every-Changing Brain

Katherine May, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times (Riverhead Books, 2020)

George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance (Parallax Press, 2016)

Ruth La Ferla, “The Power of Positive Thinking, Reborn,” The New York Times, January 21, 2021

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Content Curation Advisory Board Member

Ecological Belonging Specialist

Aaron Pereira

Project Co-Lead, The Wellbeing Project

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Aaron recently came across an old and slightly dusty high school paper and was more than a bit surprised to see it explored the connection between inner lives and social change. It was lovely to (re)discover that his work in the Project touches on a life long interest alongside other wonderful things in life like travel, meeting people, reading, and hosting dinner parties or really gatherings of all kinds.

Aaron’s mom got him involved in social change work (some time before the high school paper) and it stuck. The key thread in much of his work is exploring the way we live together. Sometimes that’s taken the form of pop up experiments, boards, or running an organisation. A few other times he’s been a co-founder such as with CanadaHelps. CanadaHelps, one of Canada’s leading charities, engages over 3 million Canadians to raise over $400 million a year for social causes across Canada and around the world.

Taking time for a morning cup of tea helps his day start out gently and well. It started as a (gentle) daily ritual sometime during a 7 year walk-about which was all about taking time for and re-centering his inner life. Something the cup of tea helps with every day. He loves being based in Paris and continuing to spend a lot of time in India.

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Connect with Dr. Corinna on social media:

Connect with the Draifflessen Collection on social media:

Dr. Corinna Otto

Museum Director and Curator, Draiflessen Collection

Corinna sees her work not just as a job, but a vocation. For over 25 years, she has worked at the head of various exhibition centres and initiatives and as a consultant for art collectors. Her focus and expertise lie in contemporary art. After studying adult education, art history and philosophy she completed her doctorate on the communicability of contemporary art. As museum director and curator for Draiflessen Collection, Corinna is highly interested in tension fields between tradition and future, faith and doubt, boundaries and freedom, reality, and fiction. With her work it is always her aim to ask questions and to raise awareness of differing viewpoints and her conviction is that in the process, works of art can take on the function of mediation or translation, encouraging people to think and to discover new ways of seeing, promoting and supporting a critical look at themselves, the world around them, and society. As part of a single world that – whether we realise it or not – is closely interconnected, rooted and branched, she wants her work to draw attention to the fact that we are not just looking at an ecological system from the outside, but that we are a living and creative part of it.

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Tiu de Haan

Ritual Designer & Founder, The Possibility of Wonder

Tiu de Haan is an Oxford educated ritual designer, creative facilitator, inspirational speaker and “idea doula”, who curates and creates experiences designed to shift your perspective to see the wonder in the world, helping people to birth their creative ideas and design their own unique path filled with moments of meaning.

As a ritual designer, she creates bespoke ceremonies for times of transition for individuals, communities and organizational change. Tiu has created all sorts of rituals that honour the thresholds in our lives, be that a rite of passage for an organization at a point of transition, an individual stepping across a threshold in life or work, or any number of other transformations that call for a moment of meaning. 

She also teaches ritual design and has been a visiting lecturer at UAL and Bristol University, as well as being on the faculty for the Odyssey Works Experience Design Certification Program and a Professor at the College of Extraordinary Experiences.

Tiu has worked with global organisations including Google, the World Economic Forum, L’Oreal and the UN and consults for global brands on rituals for beauty, food and wellbeing, as well as working with pioneers in the death industry to reimagine funerals with more heart and human-centred experience design. She also collaborates with world-leading neuroscientists, quantum physicists and chemists to create experiences that shift our perspective to see the magic in the mundane, both in person and in VR. 

She has been a keynote speaker at Google, Sunday Assembly, and the UN International Day of Happiness and her TEDx talk ‘Why we still need ritual’ is about the art of celebrating the transitions of life, love and death and has had over 29k views. 

Tiu lives on a beautiful houseboat in London and is exploring the creation of a “monastery for artists and experience designers” somewhere in Europe, where moments of meaning are made as magical artworks and experiences are both created and gifted, as acts of collaborative creativity and sacred, soulful generosity.

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IN TIU'S WORDSIN TIU'S WORDS

How do you think individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing are connected?

When we are able to feel our innate connection to ourselves, to others and to the planet, we tap into our true nature, our interconnectedness. It is where science and sacredness meet, where the evidence stacks up to support the concept of our “interbeing” as Thich Nhat Hanh put it. To live within an awareness of this means we might perceive ourselves not as fragmented, isolated or wounded individuals, but rather as a part of an infinitely complex whole. If we were to live with this as our guiding principle, the very idea of it might allow both our thoughts and our actions to be infused with a new depth of compassion and care, transforming how we treat our bodies, minds and our fellow humans and non humans and also to care for the wider world that surrounds and supports us as a part of ourselves. Conversely, to live in disconnection is to deny our bounty, our beauty and our community with all things, human and beyond human.

Also – we are united by so much more than that which divides us. The work I do within the realm of creating non religious ritual engages with the universal experiences we all share – birth, death, love, grief, home, food, family, reflection, seasonal changes, work, rest, rites of passage from one life stage to another… Regardless of our beliefs,  the list goes on and on, for ritual denotes meaningful moments of transitions of all kind, whether they pertain to our identity, our location, our race, our challenges, our losses and our joys. 

Our lived experiences are so often demarcated by the same thresholds and so to find kinship and connection amid all our many differences allows us to accompany each other through the same transitions we all face, offering a way to feel less alone along the path we all walk through birth, life and death.

What do you hope the outcomes are from the global Hearth Summit?

Enhanced appreciation for art in nature as the tie that binds us, heals us, generates our curiosity, and creates those awe-filled moments that teach us to feel in our bodies.

WHAT TIU IS READING, LISTENING TO, AND WATCHING

Work for Humans Podcast: Nourishment for the Soul: The Sacred Power of Ritual in Work and Life | Tiu de Haan

TEDxHeythrop College Talk: “Why We Still Need Ritual with Tiu de Haan”