Laurie Lazar, Executive Director

In response to requests from incarcerated graduates, Laurie committed to taking Authentic Relating programming throughout the prison system. In 2018, she co-founded Realness Project. She brings a rich tapestry of corporate experience spanning IT, finance, HR, and recruiting, all seamlessly interwoven with her educational background in teaching and curriculum development. With her steady hand guided by reason and compassion, Laurie has charted the course for Realness Project, steering it through the ebbs and flows of its noble mission.

For Laurie, true vitality is found in the company of those who embark on the profound journey of self-discovery, embracing their humanity as they seek growth and forge connections. She is an unwavering advocate for the indomitable human spirit and the profound healing that comes from being truly witnessed, known, and acknowledged for one's authentic self. In the grand tapestry of existence, Laurie believes in the power of genuine connection to mend the soul and kindle the spark of transformation.

Max Brandel | Facilitator

Max is an authentic relating facilitator, registered and practicing psychotherapist and father to a 6-year-old girl. Max has been professionally involved with therapy and growth communities for more than 20 years. More than any other area, Max has always been fascinated with the psychology of healthier relationships. Through a painful divorce, multiple experiences watching high minded communities fail, and through many experiences with his clients, Max has been consumed with learning real, practical tools for making any relationship better. Max was trained as a facilitator with ART International, and began working with Laurie and the Realness project in March 2020. 

Wes Williams | Chairman

Dr. Wes Williams joined the WellPower in 2007 and now serves as vice president and chief information officer, overseeing WellPower’s information systems. Wes was a 2020 Denver Business Journal C-Suite Award honoree and was also awarded the 2020 Colorado CIO of the Year Corporate ORBIE, honoring chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.

Prior to joining WellPower Wes was at Mental Health Partners in Boulder, Colorado, working as a child and family psychologist before switching from clinical practice to health IT to implement MHP’s electronic medical record. Wes graduated with a bachelor’s degree and honors in psychology from Stanford University. He earned his master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is a licensed psychologist in Colorado.

Vanessa Carmean | Treasurer

Vanessa is a co-founder of Boulder Health Tech Meetup, Denver Digital Health Meetup, and focuses on health system partnerships at KeyCare, a virtual care company. Vanessa is passionate about using health care technology to improve access to care, patient experiences, and outcomes. She has worked with organizations from Fortune 100 companies to the start-up/entrepreneur community at the intersection of science, technology, and health care. Prior to her roles at health tech companies, Vanessa led strategic sales teams at Zayo and earned a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Colorado.

Richie Kendall

Richie joined the Board in April 2021. He is the co-founder and CXO of Goodworld and former CEO with a successful exit. Richie has 12 years of tech, sales, UX design, film, media, identity, and storytelling experience. He has directed, produced, and edited award-winning documentaries and branded content. Richie has worked with industry-leading brands including Mastercard, Forever21, Canon, New Belgium, Pentax, Marmot, Rawlings, Fruit of the Loom, Frontier Airlines and more; he has collaborated with some of the nation's leading advertising agencies, including CP+B and Space 150. He envisions a world powered by generosity, collaboration, and compassion where Corporate Social Responsibility, Influencer Marketing, and Next Generation Philanthropy collide.

Carrie Paycok

Carrie Yasemin Paykoc is a Managing Director at Innsena, a health care technology go-to-market consultancy. Carrie works closely with health tech companies, policy makers, not-for profits that include health information exchange organizations to identify, design, and implement strategies and solutions for unmet health and tech needs.

Last- but not least she is an advocate for tribal health and digital equity and worked closely with Colorado and Alaska leaders to ensure broadband investments for rural and tribal areas.

Jurney Poland

When introduced to the Realness Project, its’ mission resonated deeply with Jurney. As a Criminal Justice major, she had first-hand knowledge, and realized how fraught the criminal justice system was and at the time wanted no part of it. Instead, she became a paralegal to appease her interest in the legal system. Twenty years later and nearly as long ago, she transitioned to the study of alternative health care. At long last – her passions have merged. The work of the Realness Project helps to heal relationships and her work with individuals helps to heal physical, emotional and spiritual imbalances. Jurney is ecstatic to be working with this organization volunteering and on the Board. She is living a life of balance between her dreams and her reality.

Scott Reardon

Scott assists Realness Project on a variety of strategy-related items. He started volunteering with RP driven by his interest in helping inmates and former inmates, an issue that is often neglected but for which he believes improvements can have an outsized effect on many parts of society. In the private sector, Scott has a consulting practice, Value Path LLC, focused on the communications infrastructure sector. Previously he was an executive at Zayo Group, responsible for acquisitions, corporate finance, investor relations, and other functional areas. His prior experience includes roles at Level 3 Communications and Salomon Smith Barney. In addition to advising for Realness Project, Scott is very active with the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) in Boulder. 

Floris van Vugt

Floris is an assistant professor of psychology at the Université de Montréal. He was born several meters below sea level in the Netherlands and studied in exotic places such as Paris, Pisa, Los Angeles, Hanover and Lyon. He originally pursued mathematics but then retooled to become a cognitive scientist and theoretical linguist, in addition to working on neuro-rehabilitation using music. Floris plays the baroque oboe and Armenian duduk and is also passionate about Jungian dream psychology and interpersonal communication. What Floris finds so beautiful about the Realness Project work is that it reconnects with those people who are at the fringes of society, bringing them and their gifts back to the rest of the world.