The discovery of an ancient family tree book that documents her family’s history over centuries spurred Lily to create a community bonded over meaningful storytelling and purposeful socialization. Lily has a background in nonprofit management, data science and policy research. Lily earned her Master’s in Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Linnea spearheads curriculum design and member experience for the Life Story Club. You’ll find her hosting many of our Club Meetups and Storytelling Events. Linnea has a Master’s in Creative Writing and taught English Composition at Minnesota State University.

Chris Deng is our bilingual Chinese-English Club facilitator! She is a Chinese American writer and multimedia artist born and based in New York. Her work explores grief, collective memory, and community resilience. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Education.

Stephanie is our bilingual Spanish-English Club facilitator. She is a first-generation American who has a deep-rooted passion for making a community-based impact. Stephanie is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Manhattanville College and believes in the power of storytelling to empower and embolden those who need it most.

Esther is our facilitator and program designer. She is an educator and filmmaker who was raised with all four of her grandparents. She loves all kinds of stories, especially the truer-than-true ones. Esther has a BA in Immigration Studies from Brown University and a Master’s in Education from Northwestern.