All posts by Shirley

Mary Darling

What’s in a name? A ‘darling’ supportive person who uses her Masters in Social Works to fight for the rights of those who need it most. She is a one-of-kind human being and is a very special soul. Mary has been a friend of The Academi of Life since its inception and we are deeply grateful for her continued support.

She is a former stockbroker and financier on Wall Street and all round amazing, funny and generous human being. After raising two children Mary went back to New York University where she obtained an advanced degree in Social Work. She was a Divsion 1 track athelete at Southern Methodist University. Her passion is running.

Chinua Green

A tireless supporter and a very special human being, Chinua is a former intern at The Academi of Life. His humor, kindness and intellect have added so much value to the overall well-being of the Academi’s attendees.

He is a graduate of Tufts University and has a BA in Spanish with a minor in Communications. He currently works in music publishing and communications in New York City and is currently the Rights Manager at INDMUSIC.

A lover of diverse cultures and music, he co-founded Forced Triple DJs and DJ’s in his spare time. He is also very knowledgeable of new and trending music, exceptional knowledge base of Electronic Dance Music.

Alexander Dunlop

Alexander Hamilton Dunlop born in London and raised in Fort Lauderdale is the founder of the Center for Spiritual Nutrition in New York City. He is a former Evangelical Protestant Minister and trained as a Roman Catholic Priest and earned a master’s degree in Roman Catholic Theology from a Jesuit Seminary.

He is a Harvard graduate, author and former Wall Street Consultant and is a Spiritual Life Coach of many entrepreneurs. A serious nutritionist and well-being evangelist, he rode his bicycle 1,800 miles from Vancouver to Los Angeles along the Pacific coast. Alexander is a Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and a certified Yoga Teacher.

Ayse Birsel

Fulbright scholar and award-winning designer Ayse Birsel strives to design the life she wants to live. She is the co-founder of Birsel + Seck and teaches Deconstruction:Reconstruction at the new Products of Design Program at The School of Visual Arts. Ayse has taught at Pratt Institute. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. She has received numerous design awards, including the IDEA Gold Award, ID Magazine Excellence Award and Athena Award for Excellence in Furniture Design from RISD.

Ayse received her undergraduate degree at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, graduating as class valedictorian. In 2011, METU recognized Ayse for her professional contributions to her country. She graduated from Pratt Institute with a master’s degree in product design.

Jennifer Hamady

Jennifer a performance and voice coach who maintains that we’re all singers—because life is a journey of finding our voice, and it is the deepest of human desires to clearly, powerfully and authentically share who we are with those around us.
She is the author of the two books, The Art of Singing: Discovering and Developing Your True Voice and Learning to Sing: A Transformative Approach to Vocal Performance and Instruction. She has performed alongside Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Patti LaBelle, Wyclef Jean, Def Leppard and others.

She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Classical Vocal Performance & Pedagogy and Psychology, respectively and is an active member of The American Counseling Association, Actors’ Equity Association, The International Association of Counselors and Therapists, and The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. She writes regularly for Psychology Today and The Huffington Post.

Sarah Brokaw

Sarah Brokaw (daughter of Tom Brokaw) is the author of the New York Times bestseller Fortytude: Making the Next Decades the Best Years of Your Life—through the 40s, 50s and Beyond, and a licensed therapist specializing in relational dynamics.

Sarah’s belief that education is a lifelong pursuit within and outside the classroom, has led her to achieve some of the highest accolades in her profession. Sarah graduated from Duke University and earned a Masters in Social Work from New York University. She studied at the esteemed Ackerman Institute and finished a postgraduate program at Fielding University for Executive Coaching and is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Additionally, she is a graduate of the National Institute for Psychotherapies’ one year psychoanalytic training.