“Nothing is impossible; the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!”

– Audrey Hepburn

Lisa Evert-Raeyne, MATP 

Founder, Emergent Studies Institute & Haven International

Lisa Evert was born in Saratoga, California to a family of artists, writers, and business professionals. She grew up in Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay Area, later moved to Nevada City, and most recently relocated to Austin, Texas. Her travels have taken her to places like Maui, Hawaii, and Sedona, where she felt an amazing personal and spiritual connection to Nohaa (Mother/Grandmother Earth) and the local communities.

Lisa earned a BA in Psychology in Applied Behavioral Analysis at Kaplan University, where she was Valedictorian and Graduating Student Speaker. She jokes about how Colin Powell opened for her in front of an audience of more than 5,000 students, faculty, and alumni. She holds a Master of the Arts in Transpersonal Psychology (MATP) with a specialization in Creativity from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Lisa has a strong business ethic and the ability to move fluidly in an ever-changing global environment, which she credits her long business history and drive to always further her knowledge by seeking out innovative learning platforms. She completed the two- year Business Professionals Course with The Aji Network (formerly known as Hecht & Associates), learning directly from the founder Toby Hecht. She has over 25 years’ marketing sales and business experience as a Senior Sales Manager and Processing Manager in the mortgage banking and real estate industry. She gives credit to her education and own innate ability for strategic planning that led her to see the writing on the wall, and her business ethic moved her to inform the leaders within her company about its questionable mortgaging practices. She chose early retirement rather than to knowingly participate in the collapse of the real estate and mortgage industry and the onset of the US depression of December 2007-June 2009.

Creativity has always been a driving force in Lisa’s life. Singing to Spirit and for her community since kindergarten, Lisa inspires others through her music, writing, and creative expression. Her grandfather instilled in her from a very early age the wonder of nature and the use of different perspectives to tackle life’s challenges. Lisa draws on her extensive business experience, education, and creativity to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Emergent Studies Institute. Lisa knows how incredibly powerful life can be when you connect with yourself transpersonally (body, mind, & spirit) and face life head-on.

• Email: haven.spiritual@gmail.com
• Facebook: Lisa Evert-Raeyne
• Blogs: Haven Spiritual Sanctuary Blog
• Blog: Spirit Chronicles

 Trace Whitley, MATP

Founder, Emergent Studies Institute & Haven International

Trace Whitley was raised by a family of educators who have inspired her lifelong passion for education. She grew up in the small suburban town of Duncanville, just south of Dallas, lived in and around the San Bernadino Mountains in California, and has traveled all over the Southwest and the East Coast — Asheville, Salem, Sedona, Santa Cruz, and New Orleans. Although from a Celtic background, she currently lives in Austin, Texas–  “Keep Austin Weird,” they say! This town is weird in an amazing way… Filled with a mixture of artists of all kinds and environmentally conscious people, this truly stunning city of like-minded people is a fantastic place for Haven International and ESI to have headquarters!

Trace has been an artist most of her life. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Communication from the University of Texas in Arlington and a Master of Arts in Transpersonal Psychology (MATP) with a specialization in Creativity and Spirituality from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. She currently serves the Emergent Studies Institute’s as a Project Leader. In addition, she draws on her technical experience in video production, website design, graphic design, and social media to serve as ESI’s Technology Coordinator.

Trace absorbs creativity from her surroundings, imagination, and personal experiences. She believes that art can be expressed in many mediums and especially enjoys working with videography as well as a variety of other mediums, including ceramics, acrylic painting, and mixed media. One current project is a documentary about the community of Sedona, Arizona– “Heart of Sedona.” This documentary not only features many of the spiritual artists, psychics, community leaders, and spiritual guides in and around the Sedona area, but also captures the area’s rich history, beautiful scenery, and the spiritual connection so many people experience there.

An avid movie fan (especially the horror genre), occasional gamer, Trekkie, Whovian, and all around tech-nerd, Trace has had a number of hobbies over the years that include fishing, hiking, swimming, and live action roleplaying (Amtgard). She enjoys bike rides, going to Renaissance Faires, reading non-fiction, walks with the dogs, and going to drive-in movies.

• Email: emergent.studies@gmail.com
• Facebook: Trace Whitley Facebook
• Academia Article: The Psychology of Shamanism: Transformative and Restorative by Trace Whitley
• Blogs: Haven Spiritual Sanctuary Blog
• Blog: Spirit Chronicles

Jessica Bowman, M.A. 

Jessica Bowman has worked in K – 12 public education for many years with both urban and rural programs. Having the privilege to work with so many students of different nationalities, heritages, religions, perspectives, and values has provided a tremendously broad worldview, reinforcing the importance of tolerance and acceptance of others. Diversity truly is the spice of life.

As a member of the Cosmic Cowgirls, Jessica paints virtually and in person with an amazing art tribe of women across the globe using the amazing concept of Intentional Creativity within the Contemporary Symbolism movement. She is very interested in the Sacred Feminine found in archaeological record and world mythologies across time. She finds the practice of making art to be a wonderful vehicle for personal transformation and is captivated by the idea that making art is an active form of prayer. Jessica has facilitated workshops for women using concepts from art and spirituality for women suffering from various forms of grief.

In addition to single subject teaching credentials in English and Social Science along with administrative services credentials, Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and a master’s degree in Women’s Spirituality. Additionally, she has studied alternative healing methods such as medicinal herbalism and aromatherapy, resulting in her own botanical business, The Spice of Life, located in Dunsmuir, CA. She began a PhD program this fall, researching the role that sacred experiences have on the creative process.

• Website: Spice of Life – Magical Apothecary
• Facebook Page: Spice of Life – Magical Apothecary
• Website: Creativity and the Divine Feminine
• Facebook Page: Creativity and the Divine Feminine