TEAM

Lev Natan / Founder & Executive Director

Since 2010, Lev has been catalyzing breakthroughs for changemakers, as a leadership coach, organizational consultant, men’s group facilitator, & sound healer.  He founded AVF in 2018 as the breakthrough project in his MA in Organizational Leadership. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston University in Human Ecology. Lev is also certified as an Integrative Sound and Music Practitioner and Empowerment Life Coach.  Lev was raised in the Jewish tradition; his ancestors come from Kiev & Odesa in the Ukraine; and he sustains his connection to the lineage of Kabbalah, Chasidut and Jewish mysticism. He also practices the indigenous ceremonial way of life; including sundance, vision quest, and sweat lodge. Lev is a proud husband and father, and lives with his family in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

“The vision of interconnected circles of support, like the roots of a forest, has been inspiring me for the last twenty years. Now it is becoming a reality, and I am more inspired than ever before to support our growing community of changemakers in our northeast bioregion who care deeply about our collective future.”

Lisa Howard is a facilitator, coach, educator, and experiential learning practitioner with more than 20 years of experience creating transformational learning environments for individuals, teams, and mission-driven leaders. Her work centers on helping people deepen connection with self, others, and the natural world while building the trust, resilience, and collaborative capacity needed to navigate change together.

Lisa’s background spans special education, adventure education, team development, leadership coaching, mindfulness, and nature-based learning. She is a Certified Presence-Based® Coach, Kripalu® Outdoor Guide and faculty member, Kripalu® Certified RISE™ Facilitator, High 5 Adventure Certified Trainer, and holds an M.Ed. in Experiential Learning from Plymouth State University.

Her approach is experiential, relational, and deeply participatory. She creates spaces that balance challenge with choice, reflection with action, and individual development with collective care. At the heart of her work is a conviction that lasting change happens through relationship—and that the resilience needed for this moment is not simply individual, but collective.

Lisa first entered the Alliance for a Viable Future community as a participant in the Deep Roots Fellowship. Her evolving role within AVF reflects one of the organization’s core commitments: leadership grows from within the fellowship. As a Leadership Partner, Lisa now collaborates with AVF founder Lev Natan in shaping Deep Roots and the emerging Alliance 2.0 community, contributing to facilitation, curriculum development, coaching, community cultivation, and the design of relational learning experiences.

Together, Lisa and Lev are exploring what it means to cultivate a circle of equals—a council of peers who support one another in living into their commitments, strengthening their gifts, and bringing meaningful work more fully into the world. Their partnership also models the kind of culture AVF seeks to grow: shared leadership, mutual coaching, honest reflection, creativity, and right relationship.

Lisa brings particular depth to AVF’s work around experiential learning, leadership development, group process, collective resilience, and the creation of spaces where people can feel safe, supported, challenged, and empowered to contribute. Her presence within AVF helps bridge inner development and outward action—supporting people to become more rooted in themselves, more connected to one another, and more capable of acting with purpose in a rapidly changing world.

Mikelle Carver has been working with AVF since 2019. She is our trusted financial strategist, empowering the organization’s growth through numbers. She is a passionate advocate for agriculture and sustainable resources. To learn more about her, visit her LinkedIn page.

Yonah Sadeh has been creating documentary films since 2010, guided by a commitment to honesty, visual depth, and the power of storytelling to reveal truth. Whether behind the camera or in the editing studio, his work centers on capturing real, unposed moments that reflect the heart of the people and causes he documents.

Specializing in documentary filmmaking, promotional videos, and event coverage, Yonah’s cinematic style weaves together striking imagery and authentic interviews. His short-form promotional work often takes the shape of mini-documentaries, elevating the passion and purpose behind each story.

Deeply dedicated to environmental justice and community transformation, Yonah has produced videos on public housing reform and contributed to the work of the Jewish Youth Climate Movement—highlighting the intersection of storytelling and social impact. His work aligns with AVF’s mission to uplift regenerative solutions and build a viable future for all. Learn more about his work at sadehstudios.com.

Ashley Mateo is the founder of Claim Your Magic LLC, where she works as an Online Business Manager and digital systems specialist supporting spiritual entrepreneurs and coaches in building the backend systems that let them focus on their mission. She began her business as a life coach, and in 2022 transitioned into operations, applying what she'd learned launching her own coaching business to the world of virtual assistance and systems design.

Today she partners with AVF on operations support, tech stack strategy, CRM implementation, and community platform development, helping the team's vision run smoothly behind the scenes.

Ashley is based in Taiwan, with periodic time in Massachusetts. She believes changemakers do their best work when the systems supporting them are invisible, and that helping build those systems is its own form of mission-driven work. Learn more about her at claimyourmagic.co.