ML Stewart
President
ML believes that all children, regardless of situation or circumstance, should have access to yoga and mindfulness tools to help them become strong, confident and resilient in the face of life’s stressors and adversity. With a background in business, finance, volunteer work and yoga, ML is passionate about expanding access to sharing the tools of yoga and mindfulness to as many children as possible.
Mary Beth Bender
Vice President
Mary Beth’s passion for yoga began in 1997. She’s been dedicated to teaching since the early 2000’s and founded Twist Kids Yoga in 2014. She brings creativity, an abundance of real life experiences and empathy to her classes.
Kinsey Fournier
Board Member
Kinsey brings over a decade of experience in the education and nonprofit sector. A trained clarinetist, she also performs in the Charlotte area, including the Charlotte Symphony. As an educator and musician, Kinsey understands the power and benefits practicing yoga and mindfulness have had in her own life and hopes to find avenues in which she can continue to share these practices with students in the classroom and her community.
Gabrielle Sorge
Board Member
Gabby brings to Twist Kids Foundation a B.A.S in Sociology and over six years of experience with children, teens, and families in the non-profit sector. She brings a passionate and trauma-informed practice of empowering children and their families to engage in nourishing coping skills, such as mindful movement and community-building. Deeply impacted herself by the power of mindfulness, Gabby believes in this work and its potential to alter others’ lives just as profoundly.
Ashley Reid
Treasurer
Ashley is passionate about the Twist Kids mission and is eager to offer her background in movement, dance and physical therapy to the organization. Yoga and mindfulness have been invaluable grounding forces in her life for over a decade, so she loves being able to share these foundational tools with kids.
Xiomara Livingston
Board Member
Xiomara is a passionate elementary school teacher with a strong commitment to fostering holistic student development. With a background in mindfulness and social-emotional learning, Xiomara integrates these practices into her teaching to support students' emotional and mental well-being. She is also a certified yoga teacher, blending her expertise in yoga with literacy through Li-Yo, an innovative literacy yoga fusion program. Her unique approach enhances independent reading and promotes a balanced, mindful classroom environment, helping students thrive both academically and personally.
