Our Team
Damithia Nieves (she/they)
Co-Director, Community Care & Collaboration
With a background in art, design, and youth work, Damithia brings creativity and care into every offering, whether facilitating in schools, leading community programs, or curating experiences that nurture resilience and collective wellness. She is the founder of Thrive Centered, a healing-centered effort to improve access to contemplative practices for BIPoC Youth and communities. She holds a 500-hour Yoga Teacher Certification, CFTE Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Certification, and certified mindfulness teacher through Inward Bound Mindfulness. Damithia's practice is shaped and inspired by many teachers including Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Brent Morton, Ki McGraw, and Tuere Sala. Rooted in the belief that healing is our birthright, Damithia’s work is grounded in equity, access, and decolonizing wellness practices and spaces. Guided by stillness, curiosity, and a deep commitment to community care, she approaches the world as a constantly unfolding flower, an invitation to stay present to beauty, wonder, and transformation in every moment. Damithia wants you to know that Mindfulness is an invitation to be present to our inherent wholeness. |
Kara-Lee Ruotolo (she/her)
Co-Director, Youth Wellbeing & Program Impact
Kara-Lee practices mindfulness in order to be her most authentic and healthy self. Her favorite mindfulness quote is “Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.” by Thich Nhat Hanh. Kara-Lee has a Masters in Education and Mental Health Counseling from Seattle University. She is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher (Mindful Schools and Growing Up Mindful) and a Certified Kids and Family Yoga Teacher. KaraLee’s super power is connecting people with others and reflecting their own light back to them. She can hardly refrain from dancing when she hears the fiddle or bagpipes. Her Nova Scotia roots run deep and she has memories of performing the Scottish fling in a tartan when just a wee one. What Kara-Lee wants you to know is “Swimming in open water for a long period of time is a favorite way to practice being in the moment.” |
Carlos Fernandez (he/him)
Co-Director of Resourcing & Communications
Carlos practices mindfulness to stay grounded and connected in a world that moves quickly. A favorite quote of his is from Hermann Hesse: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” His journey spans growing up across three continents and working in global health, education, and storytelling. Carlos brings a passion for equity, creativity, and collaborative leadership to every space he enters. His super powers include perspective, adaptability, and making complex ideas feel simple. His happy places are a full movie theater, the view at the end of a hike, and family walks through the neighborhood with his wife, son, and dog. What Carlos wants you to know: “Within you, there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” |
Jill Sheldon (she/her)
Co-Director, Finance & Operations
Jill practices mindfulness to be more present in the moment, develop and show compassion and understand the deepest nature of life. A quote she loves is a short poem by Jack Kornfield: “In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you live? How deeply did you let go?” Jill has a Master’s in Applied Behavioral Science, and has been working in Administrative, Consultative and Coaching roles in the nonprofit sector for 35 years. Jill’s super power is asking important questions. Her happy places are in the forests, mountains, water and her own garden. One thing Jill wants you to know is that everything changes, and there is peace to be found in that truth. |
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FACILITATORS
Tai Mattox (she/her)
Facilitator
Tai practices mindfulness in order to better manage her emotions and find equanimity amidst the highs and lows of life. Her favorite mindfulness quote is “trees will do that; make you stop and breathe.” by Mariah Carey. Tai has a BS from Cornell University and is a Certified Meditation Instructor (Chopra Center) and RYT200 Yoga Teacher. She is a certified and licensed vibrational sound therapy practitioner. Tai’s super power is conveying challenging information with grace and guiding others to slow down. The Manhattan’s “Kiss and Say Goodbye” and Crystal Gales “You Light Up My Life” are two of her favorite Karaoke staples. She is a great back-up singer if you ever need one. What Tai wants you to know is “I am passionate about helping people slow down and take time for themselves. Mindfulness is an excellent way to do that.” |
Trudi Knight (she/her)
Facilitator
Trudi practices mindfulness to cherish all that life offers daily. Every experience is a gift even when it takes time and effort to unwrap it. Her favorite quote and mantra is one from Norman Lear, “This too I get to experience.” Trudi is a retired pediatric occupational therapist with an emphasis on sensory integration. She is a 500 RYT and a certified children’s and family yoga teacher. She is also a Level 2 reiki practitioner. Trudi’s super power is curiosity and enthusiasm for life long learning. Her happy place is with her children and granddaughters. She is grateful and inspired by her opportunities to travel to nearby and faraway lands. |
Tara Thomas (she/her)
Facilitator
Tara practices mindfulness because it helps her to access mental clarity, and to communicate and act more thoughtfully. A quote that guides her: "Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects”, from the Dalai Lama. Tara trained with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine’s Advanced Program, a model used around the globe for helping children and adults to heal trauma, reduce stress and promote self-care and resiliency. She is a clinical herbalist, MS Herbal Medicine, Tai Sophia Institute, BS Environmental Studies and Education, Middlebury College. Her superpowers are: calmness, collaborating for the greater good, being perennially fascinated. Happiness is snuggling her pup, laughing with family, and being enchanted by a tide pool. She says: “Shout-out to the guiding lights at Holistic Life Foundation in my hometown of Baltimore…leading the way with love, showing the world how mindfulness empowers kids and changes communities. So motivating and inspiring!” |
Space Between also has other facilitators, teachers, and contractors who work with us to teach and lead workshops and support our administrative tasks. We are grateful to the entire Space Between team for their contributions to our work and service to students, educators, and families.