Michelle works as a program manager for Insight Garden Program, an organization whose work lies at the intersection of environmental, criminal and restorative justice by building gardens with incarcerated people inside prisons throughout the state of California. As a consultant in the public health sector for nearly two decades, Michelle has managed multitude of projects, including evaluating the impact of rehabilitation programs on incarceration. She is dedicated to working with organizations that focus on community building and systems thinking.

Michelle received her Bachelors from University of California, Berkeley and Masters in Public Health from Boston University with a focus on International Health. An avid learner of all things, she holds certificates in Alcohol and Drug Studies from UCLA, Steiner’s Curative Education, Integrative Thanatology from the New York Open Center, Foundations of Contemplative Care from the NY Zen Center, and is presently in the Biodynamic Farmer Training in hopes of bringing the practice into prisons and other undervalued communities. Michelle was born and raised in the Philippines and currently resides in Southern California.