Karl is a co-founder of Peace House. He is a long-time resident of Cambridge, father of four children in a blended family, with his wife, Farley. After a long career in the investment business at Wellington Management, Karl has been working toward a master of divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School. Teachers and friends from HDS, including Peace House’s resident monks, are the inspiration for this experimental, contemplative space.

Professor Hallisey is the Yehan Numata Senior Lecturer on Buddhist Literatures at Harvard Divinity School. His research centers on Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, Pali language and literature, Buddhist ethics, and literature in Buddhist culture. His most recent book is Therigatha: Poems of the First Buddhist Women (Harvard University Press, 2015). He is currently working on a book project entitled Flowers on the Tree of Poetry: The Moral Economy of Literature in Buddhist Sri Lanka.

Kristyn Willis, LICSW is a clinical social worker with a special interest in the integration of mindfulness practices with psychotherapy. She previously worked at Brigham and Women's Hospital where she learned from people who had cancer and heart failure about the ways in which their illnesses provided them with both life challenges and new ways of relating to themselves. She also worked as a clinician at Brookline Community Mental Health Center before transitioning to private practice. Currently, Kristyn works as a school counselor at Middlesex school in Concord, MA in addition to continuing her private practice. She has obtained certificates from the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis and the Inward Bound Mindfulness Education Teacher Training Program. She has benefited greatly from silent meditation retreats and daily, informal mindfulness practice. She is married with three young children and a cat named Pickles.

Nancy Dempze is a partner at Hemenway & Barnes LLP, and serves as a professional trustee, executor, and estate planner for individuals and families. Nancy also represents nonprofits in connection with planned giving and development. Nancy helps clients develop and implement tax-efficient, wealth-transfer strategies for a variety of complex assets in ways that are consistent with the client's overall goals and values. Her training and experience as an oncology nurse, leadership in land conservation work, and service on nonprofit boards has made Nancy more sensitive to the needs and perspectives of her clients.

Chadwick Stokes is an accomplished musician and songwriter who grew up on a small farm outside of Boston. Through his many years of working independently within what can be a difficult industry, Chadwick has been continually motivated by his love of music and the people he makes it with. A songwriter since early adolescence, his many projects have woven together music, art, history, and activism. From Dispatch, which he started in his early twenties, to his politically driven band, State Radio, to his solo project, Chadwick Stokes and the Pintos, Chad has committed himself to using music as a vehicle for social and political change. Along with his wife, Sybil, he founded Calling All Crows, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting music fans with feminist movements for justice and equality. Recently, through Calling All Crows, Chad has worked to create the Unlocked Voices campaign with Senator Raphael Warnock and Rev. John Vaughn. This campaign’s goal is to change the hearts and minds of Americans to bring mass incarceration to an end.

Bill Ogrodnick is a member of the Cambridge community and a supporter of the Peace House. He is grateful to be connected to the Peace House and the wonderful people who are part of its community. Bill's interest in contemplative thought and self growth has led him to a variety of life experiences, including a profession in investment management, as well as interests in meditation, Buddhism, and the pursuit of a meaningful existence (easier said than done). Bill is a partner at Wellington Management, where he is a global industry analyst and portfolio manager, with a focus on industrial companies. While his wife jokes that his passion is excel, Bill also enjoys attending classes at the YMCA, ambitiously training for a half marathon, tinkering on bikes, and exhaustive research of everyday items.