Board Of Directors
Stacy Berry, ERYT500 | she/her
Founder & Executive Director
Yoga Teacher, Artist, Empowered Spaces Advisory Circle Member
Stacy’s yoga journey began in 2003 and she became a yoga teacher in 2009 in Charlotte, NC. In 2013, Stacy was the first African-American in the city of Charlotte to launch a Yoga Alliance 200-hour registered yoga school. For nearly three years she supported Dr. Rose LeDay and her team of therapists at TranscendED by teaching yoga to their clients recovering from disordered eating. During that time she successfully completed her advanced yoga studies training with Shari Goldstein to become a RYT500. Also in 2015, Stacy trained in Philadelphia with Dr. Melody Moore of Embody Love Movement, a female empowerment non-profit for adolescents and adults. In 2016 Stacy created Yoga Pipeline, a social justice initiative that establishes yoga programs in economically depressed schools around the St. Louis area and contracts other yoga teachers to support her in this important work.
Malissa Luckett, MSW
Trustee
(she/her)
Malissa found yoga in 2014, a year after finishing her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. She had been working as a behavior therapist for the previous 6 years and was feeling the burnout from graduate school and her profession. A friend invited her to a yoga class, and at the end of that class she felt some discomfort in her mind and body but kept going back. She realized it was the first time, possibly ever, that she actually felt her mind and body connect. Within 6 months she was attending classes 6 days a week, and yoga moved to the top of her priority list for herself. As much as she loved the movement of her body she quickly discovered yogic practice was more than just the asana (movement). In 2016 she completed her first 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) and dove headfirst into teaching. She loves the self discovery that comes with being both a teacher and student and the ability to hold space for others no matter where they are on their personal journey. Malissa hopes to facilitate an environment in which everyone who attends her classes - no matter their background, age, or gender - can tap into the magic, love, and power we all possess inside, no matter what we have been led to believe about ourselves. Malissa's belief in accessibility is what connected her to Stacy and the vision of Yoga Pipeline Foundation: providing opportunity and access to yoga in communities and individuals to whom this practice has not always been accessible, while creating safe spaces to discover yoga and how that translates into their own lives. Malissa’s approach to yoga is to ‘get in where you fit in’. There is no one size fits all approach to this practice just like in life. There are 8 limbs in yogic practice and asana is just one. She believes if you allow surrender in your life, everything can change. In addition to her MSW, Malissa is pursuing further YTT training through Yoga Pipeline Foundation, as well as continuing her education hours toward her career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LSCW) and Yoga Therapist. Follow her on Instagram @shifting_simply_mal
Liz Allen Giordano
Trustee
(she/her)
Liz has been practicing yoga since 2002 and has been a certified yoga teacher since 2010. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in French and Anthropology from the University of Kentucky and a Master’s in Ethnology from the University of Paris V Descartes. She previously worked in education research for the International Institute of Education Planning (UNESCO-Paris) and authored a book on School Clusters and Teacher Resource Centers for the same UN agency. She is also a certified Montessori teacher. Liz is passionate about increasing access to yoga, the connection between yoga and social justice, and using yoga as a tool to improve the well-being of educators.
Tiger Rahman
Trustee
(he/they)
Tiger Rahman has been practicing yoga for over 6 years. He completed his 200-hour training with Yoga Pipeline in 2019 and is currently completing requirements for his 300-hour training with Susanna Barkataki. His teaching project, Live Your Own Life, centers on practices to help individuals reject narratives of hatred and oppression, develop as anti-racist leaders, and pursue human liberation for themselves and their communities. Outside of practicing and teaching yoga, Tiger works in a large education-focused non-profit organization in program evaluation and organizational improvement. In this role, Tiger supports sites around the country in improving how they work with students and schools. Tiger completed a Masters of Education in Organizational Leadership and Learning in 2019 and looks forward to bringing these skills and knowledge to support Yoga Pipeline and students who practice with him through Live Your Own Life. Follow him on online @liveyourown.life and www.liveyourown.life.
Erin Vehige
Secretary
(she/her)
Erin Vehige has been teaching yoga since 2014 and specializes in Yoga for All Vinyasa, Restorative Yoga, and Meditation. In 2018, Erin joined Yoga Pipeline’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training as adjunct faculty and has stepped into the role of co-lead trainer starting in 2021. Erin is also a certified Holy Fire Reiki Master. Her yoga classes are designed for all levels to create an atmosphere of non-judgment exploration of the body, mind, and spirit through movement, a little humor and the universal energy within each of us to be able to gain access to our own inner knowing. In addition to yoga, Erin has a master’s degree in English, teaches and tutors writing and writes professionally as a freelancer. It is Erin’s goal to create an environment that is welcoming and will ease people into a better mind/body connection through movements and stories that resonate with everyday lives. (Fun fact: Erin was her high school valedictorian!)
Bryan Berry, AAI, AI
Treasurer
(he/him)
Bryan Berry has been in the insurance industry for over 25 years. Bryan’s career has included working in many facets of the insurance industry including sales, claims, sales management, and underwriting. This gives him a broad base of knowledge and experience, which provides a unique perspective to risk. For the past 18 years, Bryan has worked hand in hand with business owners, municipalities, and public entities as a broker with the Charles L. Crane Agency where is currently Vice President. He has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Banking from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is also dedicated to serving the community by serving on boards of directors, including the Greater St. Louis Safety Council, Vision for Children at Risk, and the St. Louis Business Resources Center. In addition, he has worked with the Urban League’s Save our Sons program, and being a resource for organizations that promote entrepreneurship within the African-American community. Bryan also voluntarily leads a yoga for teens class every Wednesday night through @lifewisestl. Bryan and his wife, Stacy, have a blended family of six children and one granddaughter between them. He enjoys hiking, kayaking, and serving with his church in his free time. (Fun fact: Stacy and Bryan were high school sweethearts in St. Louis but her family moved out of state. They found one another 27 years later and were married in September of 2018.)