Founder

S. Ram is the founder and executive director of Healing in Movement. As a survivor of CA/ SV/ DV, Ram is committed to creating spaces that empower survivors to speak their truth and express their stories freely. Ram has taught in North Lawndale on the West Side of Chicago for 5 years starting in 2018 where they learned about love and the power of community organizing. Ram created the first Community Organizing class in the district for two years to educate young people on learning about 20+ community organizations and methods of grassroots organizing and systematic change tools. Ram found healing not just in community organizing, but also through dance as a political tool of resistance. Ram has been in performance teams for 2 Chicago teams and performed 20+ shows such as the Bulls Game, Urbanite, etc. Ram became an independent contractor and solo choreographer for 10 Chicago shows grounding their dance in storytelling about survivorship, healing, and collective building. Ram is a 250 certified trauma informed yoga instructor and has done the following: DV Apna Ghar Marathon runner, DV Apna Ghar 40- hour training participant, City Colleges Project S.A.F.E. peer educator, Rebels for a Cause Fighter, consent team member in Interfusion Dance festival for two years, and proud board member for two Chicago Black woman-led organizations, WOKE Chicago and Liberated Arts Movement. Ram continues to heal by staying grounded in breathing, creativity, organizing and movements that disrupt the linear cycles that try to victimize us. We are together as we honor our authenticity and humanity. Survivors are limitless.

Founding Board Member

David Springer is an attorney currently working on corporate data privacy and open source software policy. They spend their days navigating complex contracts and designing scalable legal solutions. They were admitted to the Illinois Bar in winter 2018 and immediately founded their own solo law firm while also working high-volume contract analysis gigs. Their legal background includes large-scale contract data management, contract drafting, and litigation. David thrives on bringing structure to chaos in both the boardroom and the community.

David graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law with a Juris Doctor in 2017, with a certificate in mediation and alternative dispute resolution. They graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. Aside from their legal work history, David has worked as an auto shop secretary, apartment leasing agent, jury researcher, hospital patient transporter, Chicago lifeguard, and chocolatier. They moved to Lawndale on Chicago’s west side in 2022 in the hopes of finding community and building their future, after a lifetime of living in Evanston and various north side neighborhoods. When not lawyering, they spend their time guerilla gardening, fixing up their home, reading sci-fi at local cafes, playing guitar and ukulele, and enjoying Chicago’s immense performance art scene. They believe the best is yet to come for all of us.

Founding Board Member

Danielle Williams is a harpist, harp technician, experimental singer-songwriter, and private music teacher based in Chicago. In 2014 she graduated with a BA in music with an emphasis in harp from University of Missouri - St. Louis. In 2020 she finished her internship at Lyon & Healy harps and became a self-employed harp technician in 2022 - believing in the importance of artist independence and entrepreneurship. She now travels nationally and internationally serving the harp community and artists.

Danielle sees practicing and performing music and movement as a profound form of self-love. As a survivor of SV/DV, she finds that sharing this act of self-expression, empowerment, and passion cultivates healing not only for herself but for other survivors and builds community by connecting on a deep emotional level. Throughout her career, Danielle has witnessed the traditional western idea of the harp in mostly classical settings, but she is determined to bring the harp to a multitude of accessible spaces to be played in unexpected ways. She aspires to share the explorative and healing properties of the harp with communities on the west side of Chicago. Music, art, and healing is for everyone

Founding Board Member

Based in Detroit, Michigan but born in New Haven, CT, Jabari Lane (they/them) is a reparationist, nonprofit strategist, & healer. Jabari’s first passion is to live out ancient ways of being as liberation medicine. Jabari’s other passions include being a strategic catalyst and developer for nonprofits who are doing good, but want to do even better. Jabari has done this in various capacities since they were 18 years old, as an intern, employee and entrepreneur, after having founded their practice, Kula Consulting, in 2023. Through integrating key digital assets and creative vision, Kula Consulting supports founders, executives, philanthropists, and other nonprofit leaders to diversify their revenue streams, raise awareness of their cause, and more confidently attain sustainability.

Founding Board Member

Michelle A. Ramos is a dedicated early childhood educator and community advocate with a passion for fostering positive learning environments for young children. Currently a General Education Preschool Teacher with Chicago Public Schools, Michelle develops and implements engaging curriculum based on Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies GOLD standards. She is adept at utilizing observational data to inform instruction and create a nurturing classroom culture. Michelle is also pursuing her PhD in Early Childhood Education at Concordia University, building upon her Master's degree in the same field from Dominican University.

Her experience includes teaching Pre-Calculus and Calculus at The Noble Network of Charter Schools, where she focused on data-driven instruction and student growth. Prior to this, she served as a Head Montessori Teacher/Co-Teacher at The Montessori School of Englewood, integrating Montessori and Head Start curricula while providing social-emotional support to students. Michelle's commitment to education extends beyond the classroom, as demonstrated by her experience as a Test Prep Tutor with Leewood Learning and her leadership roles at YMCA Summer Camp.

A Teach For America alumna, Michelle holds a Professional Educator’s License in Early Childhood Education with Bilingual and ESL endorsements. She is a Gates Millennium Scholar and recipient of the Teach for America Leadership Award, reflecting her dedication to educational excellence. Michelle's commitment to her field is further evidenced by her achievement of highest rating in her network for her Preschool Program in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and her DRW College Prep Core Value Award for Humility & Self-Awareness. She is eager to contribute her skills and experience to the board.