Our Team & Partners

Charis Executive Team

Rory McEntee

Charis Foundation President;
Executive Director;
Co-Founder;
Board Member
PhD in Theological and Philosophical Studies in Religion from Drew University; PhD (ABD) in Applied Mathematics from the University of Southern CA; author and teacher.
Full bio

Netanel Miles-Yépez

Charis Foundation President;
Co-Founder;
Board Member
Pir of the Inayati-Maimuni Order; Chair of Wisdom Traditions at Naropa University.
Full bio

Samantha Krezinski

Charis Vice-President of Operations;
Ex Officio Board Member
M.A. in Contemplative Religions from Naropa University; yoga instructor.
Full bio

Alejandra Warden

Director of Charis Circles
Charis Board Member;
Partner in Charis Interspiritual Formation;
Partner in Charis Circles
International teacher on the Sacred Feminine; author and founder of Essential Oneness.
Full bio

Charis Advisory & Executive Boards

Pannavati Bhikkuni

Charis Advisory Board;
Partner in Charis Interpiritual Formation Program
Co-Founder and Co-Abbot of Embracing-Simplicity Hermitage and Co-Director of Heartwood Refuge.
Full bio

Brenda Salgado

Charis Advisory Board;
Partner in the Charis Snowmass Dialogues
Founder of Nepantla Consulting; and former director of East Bay Meditation Center.
Full bio

Joshin Byrnes

Charis Advisory Board;
Partner in Charis Interpiritual Formation Program
Zen priest and teacher in the White Plum lineage; founder Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community.
Full bio

Chris Maddox

Charis Advisory Board;
Partner in the Charis Snowmass Dialogues
Founder of the The Wild Woman Project and New Moon Circles.
Full bio

Tricia McEntee

Charis Advisory Board
Director of Finance and Operations for Challenge Success; former CEO and CFO of the Esalen Institute.
Full bio

Deepa Patel

Charis Advisory Board;
Partner in the Charis Snowmass Dialogues
Executive Director of the Zenith Institute.
Full bio

Edward W. Bastian

Charis Advisory Board;
Partner in the Thomas Keating Interspiritual Seminars
Founding president of Spiritual Paths Foundation; Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies.
Full bio

Anna Wolfe

Charis Advisory Board
Founder of The Mandala Center.
Full bio

Jamelah N. Zidan

Charis’ JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Consultant
Inclusive Community Manager at Naropa University: M.A. in Education from Sarah Lawrence College.
Full bio

Carson Warden

Charis Board Secretary;
Charis Legal Advisor
J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Full bio

Allison DeHart

Charis Board Member
MS Ed in Human Services from Dayton University; MA in Contemplative Religions from Naropa University; Circle of Trust® Facilitator, Enneagram Teacher.
Full bio

Yasha S. Wagner

Charis Board Member
Founder of Worldchangers Organization, HeartFire Festivals, Sanctorum Ecovillages; Trained in several interspiritual lineages; Doctoral candidate in Psychology.
Full bio

Our Partners

Fetzer Institute

We are honored to work closely with The Fetzer Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on its Shared Sacred Story project, as well as their Sharing Our Spiritual Heritage projects.

Naropa University

We are excited to be partnering with Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, developing new interspiritual opportunities for students and staff through the Keating-Schachter Center for Interspirituality.

Spiritual Paths Institute

We are proud to collaborate on the Thomas Keating Interspiritual Seminars and publishing projects with the Spiritual Paths Institute of Santa Barbara, California.

All Souls Interfaith Gathering

We are thrilled to be working with All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne, Vermont, on the Thomas Keating Interspiritual Seminars and Charis Snowmass Dialogues.

Kalliopeia Foundation

We are also honored to receive support for various Charis initiatives from the beautiful souls at Kalliopeia Foundation in San Rafael, California.

Worldchangers Organization

We are proud to team up on the HeartFire Festivals, held at different venues
nation-wide, with Worldchangers Organization at Sanctorum Ecovillage in Ellicott, Colorado.

St Benedict’s Monastery

We are please to continue our long relationship with the Retreat House of St. Benedict’s Monastery is in Snowmass, Colorado, the home of the late Father Thomas Keating, where we hold yearly retreats for our Charis Circles training.

The Desert Foundation

We are grateful for our long-standing relationship with Tessa Bielecki and David Denny of The Desert Foundation in Tucson, Arizona, for sharing their 50 years of monastic experience with us.

Mepkin Abbey

We are grateful to Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, for exploring interspirituality with us, and hosting numerous retreats for our Charis Snowmas Dialogues over the years.

Osage–Forest of Peace

We are grateful to Osage Forest of Peace in San Springs, Oklahoma, for continuing its tradition of dialogue and hosting numerous retreats for our Charis Snowmas Dialogues over the years.

The Abode of the Message

We are grateful to The Abode of the Message in New Lebanon, New York, for hosting retreats and HeartFire Festivals.