Nissa Johnson Pronouns: she/they From Pittsburgh’s paintball fields to the rhythm of everyday life, Níssa moves with purpose, passion, and a whole lot of heart. You’ll catch them on the field with The Command Bros, not always front and center—but always bringing energy, creativity, and that unmistakable fire. That says just as much about their spirit as their game does. Beyond the splatter and strategy, Nissa is rooted in family and fueled by love. A proud parent of six—including bonus babies they…Read More
Kris Chandler Pronouns: he/him/his An artist with a passion for public policy, Kristopher (Kris) hails from Erie, Pennsylvania! With a background in writing, film, community engagement, non-profit management, and transportation advocacy, Kris is driven by connecting his passions to discover solutions to some of the most pressing policy issues of today. He strives to meet people where they are at, in order to better understand who they are, what they need, and how best everyone can work together. As the Land Use…Read More
Adeleye Oriola Adeleye Oriola is from Ondo State, Nigeria and is a White House Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Scholar and currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Information Systems Management at Carnegie Mellon University. Previously, he earned his undergraduate degree from Edward Waters University, an HBCU, in Jacksonville, Florida. During his time at Edward Waters, Adeleye collaborated with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) on transformative projects, including community peacekeeping, revitalization initiatives, and addressing heirs’ property challenges. These experiences fueled his…Read More
Ra Heggins Pronouns: she/her Rashelle (Ra) was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and has been stationed at many bases across the United States, which has given way to her being a chameleon and being able to thrive in many arenas and atmospheres. Originally an army brat from Fayetteville, North Carolina, she moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in February of 2016 to continue her community organizing in the nonprofit sector. She attended Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia, majoring in sports medicine and minoring in psychology while also having scholarships…Read More
Greg McAuliffe Pronouns: he/him/his Greg was born and raised in Albany, NY, and received a B.S. in Environmental Science from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. Shortly after graduation he joined the Peace Corps and served in the mountains of Peru. The experience with the Peace Corps instilled a sense of purpose when working in conservation at a community level. He has returned to Peru multiple times to work on projects such as small scale community wind power projects, conservation of monkey habitat,…Read More
Kelly Henderson Pronouns: she/they Kelly Henderson is a sustainability, equity, education and community engagement professional who prioritizes relational and heart-centered leadership in her work. She is also an engaged community member and part of the Planning Commission where she lives in Homestead. Before coming to Grounded, she spent time as the Program Director for Sustainable Pittsburgh, the K-12 Education Coordinator and Adjunct Faculty for Chatham University’s sustainable Eden Hall Campus, the Sustainability and Communications Coordinator for The Efficiency Network and a Building…Read More
Skylar McGinley Pronouns: he/him/his Skylar strives to be a part of the change that he wants to see in the world. He says "a part of" because we can't always do everything on our own. It often takes a united group of people to begin to see the changes we desire. Skylar has a Bachelor of Science in English from the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH. After graduating, he took part in the Photography Intensive course at Pittsburgh Filmmakers (now part…Read More