Building community in relationships that focused on developing good humans left an indelible mark on them both, and inspired the creation of Sanctum: a space for the wisdom of great scholars and practitioners to be shared, and for a worldwide collective of Caregivers to come together to foster resilience and growth in individuals and communities.
Raquel Hugo (Nan Ix Rana Abaj) is a cultural practitioner of Curanderismo, traditionally initiated enthogentic facilitator and full spectrum doula who works with individuals and collectives on her path as a Medicine Woman and consultant. She is a carrier of direct transmission healing lineages of the Mexica, Maya and Aymara tribes, focused in the fields of consciousness transformation and holistic wellness from the indigenous perspective. Founder of Integrative Indigenous Medicine, a Portland, Oregon based practice offering opportunities for people to weave traditional wellness and ceremonial healing ways into their experience as collaborative care patients, working with individuals and families facing transitions from birth to end of life. A seasoned non-profit administrator who has worked to develop programming to transmit indigenous wisdom for the past 16 years as part of her leadership role of Earth Peoples United, a California based 501c3 Indigenous Church, and The Earth & Spirit Council, 501c3 cultural media group producing documentaries to preserve traditional wisdom. Bridging the practices from traditional lineages into models of collaborative care to create opportunities for whole healing within nature which she continues as her life's work today.
Akira Chan is a documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Rare Media, known for creating compelling narratives across health + wellness, and tech + educational sectors. His diverse portfolio includes “The Bloom,” a docuseries on global festival culture, and contributions to documentaries such as “Neurons to Nirvana” (Elevate films) and “Embrace” (Dir: Taryn Brumfitt) on Netflix. His debut directorial film “Black Star” won the Audience Best Short at the Illuminate Film Festival 2018, raising significant funds for addiction recovery. His follow up film “Igniting Impact,” showcased at the United Nations in 2019, highlighted global sustainability goals. More recently, Akira launched "Earth Speed with Adrian Grenier," a web series focusing on innovative sustainability practices and connection to nature. In addition to film directing and producing, Akira serves as a creative advisor on various boards and working groups. He is based in Southern California with his wife Renee and their son Osiris.
In Loving Memory of Shannon Thompson
We'd like to acknowledge this prolific human who dedicated her life to the art and science of transformation and made her transition Spring of 2024. She left a profound impact on the world and was a pioneer in her advocacy for feminine-based leadership and led her own non-profit, Shakti Rising for 25 years. Shakti served as Sanctum's fiscal sponsor, as Shannon served on our initial Board of Directors and played a pivotal role in helping uplift our organization (and so many others). Shannon's bold and unwavering dedication to service left a ripple of impact around the globe. She is greatly missed and her legacy will carry forth both in the hearts of all those she touched and in the form of spreading her innovative leadership methodology. We aspire to continue to embody what she stood for in our efforts to curate a culture of care for ourselves and the future generations.
Back To Top