Meet Our Team
Our Team
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Lucia Bawot
Founder & CEO
Lucia is the brain behind SANA. She designed, executed, and partly funded the pilot program Beans to Minds, which laid the foundation for what SANA is today. With over a decade of experience helping leading coffee companies communicate the impact of their sustainability programs, she has engaged with more than 500 coffee farming families across Central and South America.Lucia is also the author of We Belong: An Anthology of Colombian Women Coffee Farmers. A passionate mental health advocate, she believes mental health is central to achieving gender equity. Lucia holds a BA in Photography, with specialized training in project management and sustainability, and is currently completing a certification in therapeutic photography.
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Carolina Pelaez
Lead Psychologist & Program Assistant
Carolina serves as SANA’s lead psychologist and program assistant, acting as the central liaison for participants and psychologists. She keeps each program on schedule, conducts phone-survey interviews, and moderates the virtual group spaces on a daily basis.
Carolina is a psychologist and is currently pursuing a master's degree in social psychology. She has experience in clinical, social, and educational fields, which allowed her to discover her passion for the social-community field. In her free time, she enjoys reading and watching movies. She also loves learning new things, spending time with loved ones, and enjoying the little things.
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Luisa Fernanda Montoya
Psychologist with Master’s Degree in Music Therapy
Luisa has over 12 years of experience specializing in humanistic and community-focused psychology. Her practice serves diverse populations, including children with special needs, women in vulnerable situations, and elderly individuals with neurodegenerative disorders.
Luisa was one of the psychologists of the pilot program “Beans to Minds”, program that inspired the creation of SANA. Luisa has been a certified yoga instructor for nearly a decade. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates therapeutic techniques with creative expression.
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Juanita Parra
Psychologist with Master’s Degree in Neuropsychology
Juanita has experience in mental health in community settings, private practice, and research in neuropsychology and neuroscience. Her therapeutic approach integrates tools from humanism and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
She supports processes of redefining the past, transforming thought patterns, and strengthening emotional resources to face the challenges of the present. She also works on neuropsychological rehabilitation processes for young people and adults with neurological or neurodevelopment conditions.
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Sara Hernández
Psychologist & Specialist in Clinical Psychology and Mental Health
Sara works from a cognitive-behavioral approach, adapting each process to the individual's needs and capabilities at the time. For her, therapy is about building a path toward well-being together, with honest questions, practical tools, and a deep sense of humanity.
Sara supports personal processes from a place of empathy, listening, and understanding. She believes that each person has their own unique rhythm for healing, understanding, and making decisions, and Sara's work consists of providing a safe space where this is possible.
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Maria Antonia Londoño
Psychologist & Specialist in Art Therapy
Maria Antonia is passionate about facilitating creative spaces for inner connection, using art as a language and a path to self-discovery and transformation. Maria Antonia supports individual and community processes from a sensitive perspective, integrating artistic expression with emotional and mental well-being, and promoting new ways of facing life's challenges.
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Luisa Gañan
Psychologist & Specialist in Art Therapy
Lina supports therapeutic processes from a human, creative, and evidence-based approach. She integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy, art therapy, and positive psychology to promote emotional well-being, self-discovery, and authentic expression.
She has experience in clinical, community, and organizational settings, and works with adolescents and adults from a differential approach that honors each person’s unique story, identity, and context. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Clinical and Mental Health Psychology.
Our Advisory Board
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Jessica Keenan
CEO and Brand President at Ascension Coffee
Throughout her career, Jessica has worked across the U.S. in specialty food and coffee, holding roles in cafés, roasteries, and brand leadership. Jessica is dedicated to supporting fair, thriving prices for coffee producers as a foundation for lasting food and economic security in coffee-growing communities. Her leadership approach is deeply rooted in advancing gender equity; amplifying underrepresented voices across the industry is integral to her work.
Jessica believes that a more inclusive and resilient coffee industry begins with shared values, ethical sourcing, and strong relationships from farm to cup. Outside of work, she finds inspiration in the outdoors and believes time spent in nature helps fuel thoughtful leadership and lasting impact.
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Victor Poiesz
Product Manager at Google
Victor goes to sleep every night excited about drinking coffee the next morning. His fascination with coffee's varied flavor possibilities led him to study all parts of the value chain, including a trip to Lucia Solis' fermentation training camp in Guatemala.
With a day job working in computer software, Victor brings tech support and data analytics expertise to SANA.
Based in Santa Cruz, California, Victor is also an avid surfer and gardener. He recently managed to grow a small caturra tree outside through the Northern California winter.
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Melanie Hayward
happy® Advocate CSR & Partnerships
Melanie is part of the founding team at happy® products, a coffee company committed to the wellbeing and mental health of coffee-drinkers and coffee-producers alike. In her role as happy® advocate, she's focused on all things corporate social responsibility and partnerships that bring shared values to life.
Prior to happy®, she spent over 18 years in the nonprofit sector before completing her MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler School of Business with dual concentrations in entrepreneurship and strategy. Her nonprofit work included development, strategic and operational planning, marketing, executive training, board management, and more. She worked at and consulted with a wide range of organizations, most recently spending 7.5 years in senior positions at Teach For America. She lives in Sag Harbor with her husband, Chris, and 2 children, June (8) & Max (5).
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Paula Arango
Founder & CEO Feliciana Specialty Coffee
Paula founded Feliciana Coffee, a purpose-driven brand based in Austin, Texas. Her journey began on her family’s farm in the Colombian mountains and has evolved into a mission to bring ethically sourced, single-origin coffee from women farmers to conscious consumers in the U.S.
With a background in finance and business development and an MBA from Columbia University, Paula blends her expertise in business strategy with her passion for coffee, entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment.
Outside of coffee, Paula is dedicated to mentoring business women, raising her two young boys, and building community wherever she goes.
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Rebecca McClain
VP of Retail & Supplier Partnerships at Tradecraft
Rebecca has been part of the coffee world for over 25 years. Her coffee journey started as a barista, and has led her through coffee retail management, operations, training & education, program development, and procurement.
She is passionate about volunteering as a small animal foster for a local rescue, and program support at the local teen center, and is so excited to now support SANA. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and two teenagers.
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Vicente Partida
Counselor in Private Practice Navío Counseling
Vicente is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). He holds an MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling and a BA in Sociology.
His approach is enriched by my multicultural background and extensive experience working internationally with individuals from diverse backgrounds. He is fluent in both English and Spanish, allowing him to connect with a wide range of people. Before pursuing a career in counseling, he worked in marketing and communications for various charities and educational institutions, experiences that have broadened his understanding of human interactions and organizational dynamics.