FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | DINÉ

Emma Robbins (she/her) is an artist, activist, and community organizer. She founded The Chapter House in 2020 while serving as the Executive Director of the Navajo Water Project. There she collaborated with communities to expand access to clean, running water to the one in three Navajo families without it on her reservation. Emma completed her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied Latin American Art History in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Through her artwork, she strives to educate viewers about issues like broken treaties and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. She has exhibited both in the U.S. and internationally. Emma served on the Arizona Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and is a senior Aspen Institute Fellow.
www.emmarobbins.com

PARTNERSHIPS LEAD

Annie Lascoe Palmer (she/her) leads fundraising strategy at The Chapter House. A fundraising consultant with experience across issue areas—including menstrual care, legal rights, housing, water access, and environmental and disability justice—her work is grounded in a deep commitment to expanding equity and opportunity. She first collaborated with Emma through their work together on the Navajo Water Project at DigDeep. Annie has built and grown development programs at both emerging and established organizations, always centering collaboration, strategic growth, and meaningful donor relationships. She sees fundraising as a joyful partnership that connects people’s passions with impactful giving. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Italian from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree from Columbia University School of Social Work.

PROGRAMMING & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR | DINÉ + QUECHUA

Nizhóní Begay (she/her) is Diné and Quechua from Tucson, AZ with roots in San Antonio and now based in Los Angeles. She is the Social Media Coordinator at The Chapter House. Nizhóní is also the Event and Grant Manager at the Lindy Waters III Foundation where she supports the Foundation’s work and leads the College Prep mentorship program for Native youth. She also does the communications for the Sage-Based Wisdom podcast with Indigenous comedians Jana Schmieding and Brian Bahe. Previously, she worked for four years at the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, where she graduated with a degree in Political Science and minors in Music and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. In 2020, she was awarded the Award of Excellence from the Stanford Alumni Association, recognizing the top 10% of her class for leadership, service, and extraordinary Stanford spirit. In her free time, Nizhóní loves to attend Star Wars conventions.

STANFORD INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES FELLOW

Dae Apineru is an interdisciplinary scholar and artist working to serve his Pasifika and other Indigenous communities through the fields of environmental justice and land-based knowledge systems. An undergrad at Stanford, he is grounded in a commitment to sustaining community wellbeing.

EXHIBITION COORDINATOR

Aza Quinn-Brauner (he/him) is an artist, maker, and museum professional with over fifteen years of experience in curation, art installation, and community-centered work. In addition to his role at The Chapter House, he serves as a coordinator, preparator and exhibition installation specialist for artists, collectors, galleries, and institutions throughout Los Angeles. Previously, Aza was Director of Exhibitions at Transformative Arts, where he supported community-based projects centering BIPOC artists and co-curated TCH x TA: a REZidency in DTLA, The Chapter House’s first pop-up. Originally from Chicago, he has worked at multiple museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum. Aza is a father of two and loves fashion, geology, and dinosaurs.

INDIGEPROV INSTRUCTOR | SICANGU LAKOTA

Benny is a Sicangu Lakota improviser and actor based in LA. He is the first Native on a house improv team at UCB LA where he performs weekly with his Harold team, "yikes!” He has performed Off-Broadway and across the country at various regional theaters such as Center Theatre Group, Berkeley Repertory Theater, et al. www.bennywaynesully.com

LUCKY BEAD TEACHER | JICARILLA APACHE

Gigi Modrich (Jicarilla Apache) just moved to Los Angeles to pursue her comedy dreams. She enjoys beading and wants to make sure everyone who wants to learn has that opportunity. She hopes you become more skilled than her so you can teach her new tricks. IG: @gigimodrich

STAND UP INSTRUCTOR | NAVAJO, HOPI, TOHONO O'ODHAM

Brian Bahe is an Indigenous comedian and writer originally from Phoenix, Arizona, now based in Los Angeles. He’s a writer for the CBS series "Ghosts." Before that, he was a writer for the Fox series "The Great North." He was named a “Comedian You Should and Will Know in 2023” by Vulture and he was a New Face at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in 2022. He co-hosts the podcast “Sage-Based Wisdom” where he and his co-host Jana Schmieding are joined by guests to offer sacred, Native advice to callers. Brian taped a standup set for Comedy Central’s “Stand-Up Featuring." He hosts the monthly standup show “Star F*ckers: Astrology But Make It Comedy” at the Hollywood Improv Lab.

YOGA INSTRUCTOR | DINÉ

Analisa Rockbridge (Diné) has been guiding our community in yoga for five years. She received her education and 500 hour certification through YogaWorks in Santa Monica, CA. Her personal yoga practice started in 2009 and helps her stay agile today. She welcomes all to join her to pause, breathe and connect with the earth as we root down to rise up.

Instagram: @motherofsageyoga

YouTube: @motherofsageyoga5587

RESIDENT PHOTOGRAPHER | CHICANO/LAKOTA

Anthony (he/him) is Chicano and Lakota, originally from Los Angeles. He is a photographer and videographer specializing in telling compelling stories. He is known for having a keen eye for genuine moments and keeping the creative process light and collaborative. He is anchored by a deep commitment to community, artistic expression, and urgent work of social justice.

SOUND PRACTITIONER | PONCA, JAPANESE, NAVAJO

Desiree Belone is an artist and founder of Juniper Breez, born and raised in Los Angeles and a nurse of 16 years. Juniper Breez offers adornment handmade jewelry rooted in culture, story, and intention. Desiree is also a certified sound practitioner, offering sound experiences with singing crystal bowls and chimes.

LAKOTA

BOARD PRESIDENT

Jana Schmieding is a Lakota comedian, writer and performer who starred as the lead next to Ed Helms and Michael Greyeyes on Peacock’s Rutherford Falls, created by Mike Schur, Sierra Teller Ornelas and Ed Helms. She also served as a writer on the series, which debuted its second season on Peacock in 2022. Her performances can also be found on Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu), Spirit Rangers (Netflix) and in 2023, on Echo (Marvel) and Clone High (HBO Max). She has been featured in various publications including New York Magazine's Vulture, NPR, Paste, Bustle, Bon Appétit and Vanity Fair, where she describes her trajectory from struggling artist to her co-leading role in the first Native American sitcom. Jana is a vocal advocate of Indigenous visibility and social justice and she discusses these issues regularly in her comedy and writing.

APSÁALOOKE

BOARD VICE PRESIDENT

Beck (she/her) is an enrolled member of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Tribe and a Creative Development and Monetization executive at Emblematic Pictures. A seasoned community organizer and industry connector, she co‑founded Warner Bros. Discovery’s first Indigenous BRG, IndigeNext, and launched the Indigenous Affinity Collective — a grassroots, cross‑industry community linking Native leaders from Nike, Chase, JPL, UnitedHealth, and beyond. Beck also co‑founded Laughs Back, producing Native‑forward standup comedy shows that spotlight Indigenous talent in Los Angeles and beyond. Her work sits at the intersection of culture, creativity, and community, championing Indigenous representation while helping storytellers turn bold ideas into reality.

BOARD TREASURER

Katie Janss is currently the Development Coordinator at the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI). Formerly, she was the Development Manager at Clockshop, where she ran the individual giving program; and was Program Operations Manager for the Navajo Water Project at DigDeep, where she started and managed the Water Is Life Fund, a microgrant program aimed towards funding community-led grassroots water access projects on the Navajo Nation. She was also the Director of Operations at The Chapter House from 2020-2025. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

DINÉ

Sierra Teller Ornelas is a comedy writer, showrunner, screenwriter, and proud member of the Navajo Nation. Her TV credits include: A Man on the Inside, St. Denis Medical, Loot, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Superstore, Happy Endings, Splitting Up Together, Surviving Jack and Selfie. She is the co-creator and show runner of the Peacock show Rutherford Falls, starring Ed Helms, Jana Schmieding and Michael Greyeyes. Sierra’s writing has been featured on This American Life, the New York Times and Washington Posts' Opinion Sections and the Hollywood Reporter’s Guest Column. A graduate of the University of Arizona, she previously worked as a film programmer for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, helping to create wildly entertaining programs about Native film and media. She currently serves on the NMAI's Board of Trustees. Raised in Tucson, AZ, she is also an award winning sixth generation Navajo tapestry weaver, a fairly good mom, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

COWLITZ

Joey Clift is a comedian, Emmy nominated producer and TV writer, and enrolled Cowlitz Indian Tribal Member. Writing credits include Spirit Rangers on Netflix, New Looney Tunes on Cartoon Network, Paw Patrol on Nickelodeon and Molly of Denali on PBS. He created, wrote and directed the Shorty Impact Award winning Comedy Central digital series "Gone Native" and his short films have screened everywhere from Just For Laughs to The Smithsonian Museum. Most importantly, he started the LA Underground Cat Network, which is a 16,000-member strong online community for Los Angeles comedians to share pictures of their cats. He's kind of a cat guy.

Alyssa Musket (she/her) is an award-winning communications and creative leader. In her current role as Vice President of Strategic Communications at DigDeep, the human rights nonprofit working to close the U.S. water access gap, she directs storytelling and creative production across all platforms. It was there she first joined forces with Emma Robbins, then Executive Director of DigDeep's Navajo Water Project. Prior to DigDeep, she co-founded Sesh, a therapist-led group support platform. This work earned her a place on Forbes' "30 Under 30" in Social Impact. Across all of it, Alyssa works from a simple belief: that human connection is essential to community health, and that art and storytelling are how people find their way to one another.