Meet The Team

Kyrah Ayers is a community leader, author, wellness advocate, and co-founder of Queen Hippie Gypsy. A lifelong athlete and mentor, he is the founder of Actively Pursuing Goals, an organization dedicated to inspiring healthy living, personal growth, and purposeful action. He is also recognized as a founding leader of the Bay Area chapter of Black Men Run, helping create spaces that promote health, fitness, brotherhood, and community engagement. As an appendix cancer survivor, Kyrah's journey has deepened his commitment to wellness, resilience, and service. His experiences have inspired countless individuals to embrace healthier lifestyles, overcome adversity, and pursue their goals with determination. Through coaching, speaking, writing, and community leadership, he encourages others to recognize their strength and live with intention. Kyrah is also a published poet and storyteller whose work reflects themes of perseverance, healing, faith, and transformation. Whether leading a fitness initiative, mentoring others, sharing his poetry, or supporting the vision of Queen Hippie Gypsy alongside his wife, Lilliannia Ayers, he remains dedicated to uplifting individuals and strengthening communities. His mission is simple: help people move with purpose, live with intention, and become the healthiest version of themselves, mind, body, and spirit. ✨🏃🏾‍♂️📚🌿

Lilliannia Ayers, affectionately known as Oracle Lilly, is the founder of Queen Hippie Gypsy, Oakland's pioneering Black-owned crystal and wellness boutique. Born and raised in Oakland, California, Lilly has dedicated her life to creating spaces where healing, community, culture, and personal transformation can thrive. A spiritual entrepreneur, Oracle reader, Reiki practitioner, crystal healer, meditation coach, sound healer, yoga teacher, doula, and ordained minister, Lilly brings a unique blend of wisdom, intuition, and lived experience to everything she creates. Through Queen Hippie Gypsy, she has built more than a store. She has cultivated a sanctuary where people from all walks of life can reconnect with themselves, discover tools for healing, and find support on their personal journeys. Before becoming a business owner, Lilly built a successful career with Kaiser Permanente, earning recognition for her leadership and career advancement across multiple departments. Her journey from overcoming personal challenges to becoming an award-winning entrepreneur has inspired countless people throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Lilly is the recipient of numerous community honors, including a 40 Under 40 Award and recognition from the City of Oakland for her dedication to service. She is deeply committed to uplifting others through mentorship, wellness education, community programming, and creating opportunities for healing and empowerment. As a mother, grandmother, healer, and visionary, Lilly believes that everyone deserves access to wellness, joy, and transformation. Her mission is simple: to help people remember their power, embrace their purpose, and create lives rooted in healing, abundance, and possibility. Through Queen Hippie Gypsy, Lilly continues to expand her vision of building a world where wellness is accessible, community is valued, and healing is celebrated. ✨💎🌿 "Healing is not about becoming someone else. It's about remembering who you have always been." — Oracle Lilly

Wanqiu Chen is a certified Art of Living teacher, wellness facilitator, and engineering consultant based in California. She helps professionals manage stress, build resilience, and reconnect with inner self through practical breathwork and meditation tools designed for real life and demanding careers. Drawing from ancient yogic wisdom, modern stress science, and her own experience in high-pressure professional environments, Wanqiu facilitates grounded, experiential sessions that empower people with simple, effective self-care practices they can use anytime, anywhere. Wanqiu holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology. She has volunteered with organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers and the Art of Living, supporting both professional development and holistic well-being."

Leyla Dualeh is a sound healer, multidisciplinary artist, facilitator, and environmental justice practitioner based in Oakland. Her practice centers the belief that the reclamation of our bodies, minds, imagination, and the discarded, are all powerful tools for collective transformation and liberation. Lei's healing practice explores sound as a vehicle for transcendence. By tuning into the odyssey of vibrations that surround us and allowing the wisdom of our bodies to guide us, we can invite healing energies in through our many senses. Drawing upon the ancient wisdom of sound therapy, Lei offers a cleansing of the mind, body, and soul using 440 Hz crystal bowls. These sound baths combined with Kundalini + Savasana, invites deeper relaxation and encourages a greater sense of presence.

Mana Siti is a grad student studying Somatic Psychology at CIIS whose practice blends indigenous ritual traditions with Western science. They teach Kundalini, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin yoga, and Authentic Movement and are training in craniosacral therapy. Their work focuses on helping foster a relationship with the Divine, approaching the body as a place of worship/devotion to inspire personal growth and communal healing.

Kelli Hubbard is mother, Oakland Native, graduate of several schools in the Bay Area with a BA from San Francisco State University and a current social worker with the local county in addition Kelli is assistant supportive staff at Queen Hippie Gypsy Kelli History at Queen Hippie Gypsy's After being a customer of Queen Hippie Gypsy for many years, she saw an a job posting at the store and decided to apply, She got the job and become part of team as an an event hostess. Despite the challenges with the economics of the Downtown Oakland area. Kelli has remained faithful and has consistently worked with the Queen Hippie Gypsy Team since July 2023.

Originally from the Midwest, she made her way to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2024 and quickly found a sense of home within its vibrant creative and wellness communities. A lifelong learner with a passion for both art and personal growth, she brings curiosity, compassion, and creativity into every aspect of her work. With a background in Political Science and a deep appreciation for community building, she believes in the power of connection, shared knowledge, and collective growth. Whether exploring herbalism, studying the mind, creating art, traveling, or enjoying meaningful conversations, she is constantly seeking new ways to learn and inspire others. As a tattoo artist, her mission is to create a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming experience for every client. She is dedicated to providing a safe space where people from all backgrounds, identities, and skin tones feel seen, respected, and celebrated. Her approach to tattooing is rooted in authenticity, intention, and self-expression. A deeply spiritual person, she views tattooing as more than body art. She sees it as a meaningful ritual that can mark transformation, healing, personal milestones, and spiritual growth. She values building genuine connections with her clients and helping them bring their stories, intentions, and visions to life through art. Looking ahead, she hopes to expand her offerings by integrating spiritual practices such as Tarot readings and birth chart analysis into her creative work, creating even more opportunities for personal reflection and empowerment. She is honored to be part of the Queen Hippie Gypsy family and looks forward to sharing her gifts, creativity, and passion with the community.

Porsha Jackson is a Spiritual and Holistic Wellness Practitioner based in the East Bay. She supports Black, Brown and Indigenous communities in aligning the mind, body, and spirit through intuitive, ancestral, and energetically grounded healing practices. Her work is shaped by her own transformative healing journey after a major health challenge, which led her to embrace holistic living, plant-based nourishment, mindfulness, and ancestral wisdom. What began as personal healing became a calling to help others reconnect with their wholeness. Porsha integrates Reiki energy healing, meditation, plant-based nutrition guidance, and astrology-based insight to offer a deeply personalized approach to wellness. She believes true healing emerges when intuition is honored, the body is listened to, and the spirit is nourished. Through one-on-one sessions and group experiences, Porsha creates sacred spaces for clarity, balance, and self-remembrance. When she’s not working, she enjoys exploring nature, immersive art, plant-based cooking, and time with her soul tribe.

Dr. Thomishia "Mishi" Booker is the founder of Hey Carter!, the complete early childhood wellness solution for children and the adults who love them. Born and raised in San Jose, Dr. Booker began her career supporting early childhood mental health at a local nonprofit before launching Hey Carter! after feeling disheartened by the lack of representation of Black boys in children's literature. Hey Carter! was born from a love letter and inspired by her son Carter and daughter Truly. Today the brand has grown into a complete 360 degree ecosystem of books, workbooks, curriculum, trainings, and community experiences trusted by families, schools, and organizations nationwide. Dr. Booker holds a Master of Social Work and a Doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology and is a licensed therapist. She partners with schools, districts, child care centers, corporations, and community organizations to support their wellness, training, and education goals through a healing-centered, culturally grounded approach.

Jim has been teaching Yoga in the SF Bay area for over 25 years, first in the Iyengar community (yoga asana), but engaging a number of settings beyond the yoga studios: -- with a team of mental health professionals under the SF Dept. of Public Health; -- Harborside Health Center, a pain clinic during the "medical marijuana" period (2006-2018); -- in the setting of Kyoto Buddhist temples (site-study tour). A graduate of the Berkeley Yoga Room Advanced Studies Program, Jim continues to engage yoga's connections with Zen, Vajrasana, and Vipassana meditation traditions.

A divine balance of passion and peace, this triple fire sign Goddess uses her energy and gifts to heal the collective. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Ciara grew up knowing she was intuitive. During her first tarot reading it was revealed and confirmed that she too would be a tarot reader. In 2015, she began practicing with her first deck. With a background in nursing and years of studying all things metaphysical, tarot and esoteric among many different spiritual healing modalities, Ciara continues to share her gifts to be ready and willing to do her part in uplifting the positive holistic well-being of the planet. Ciara specializes in guided mediation, tarot and oracle readings, reiki, chakra balancing, shadow work and overall being a safe space for the collective.

Ayodele Kinchen is the founder and creative visionary behind DUAFE Designs, a wellness and lifestyle brand rooted in African culture, feminine empowerment, and holistic healing. A native of East Palo Alto and graduate of Howard University, Ayodele brings more than two decades of experience in youth leadership development, cultural education, community service, and entrepreneurship. As a self-taught artist and designer, she specializes in handcrafted waist beads, natural shell jewelry, fashion accessories, and wearable art that celebrates the beauty, strength, and sacred journey of women and girls. Through her work, Ayodele creates meaningful pieces that encourage self-love, confidence, healing, and personal transformation. In addition to her artistry, Ayodele facilitates waist bead ceremonies, sister circles, youth empowerment workshops, and rites of passage programs that honor African traditions while nurturing mind, body, and spirit. Her passion for culture, wellness, and community shines through every experience she creates. As a valued partner and collaborator with Queen Hippie Gypsy, Ayodele helps cultivate spaces where healing, creativity, and empowerment come together, inspiring others to embrace their authentic selves and walk confidently in their purpose.

Renee Cage is a licensed mental health therapist, coach, international speaker, and author with over 23 years of leadership experience. Renee’s extensive experience and unique approach make her a sought-after speaker for corporate and conference events. Renee’s unique approach is based on her E.M.P.O.W.E.R. Mindset Formula, which has helped countless clients conquer self-doubt, cultivate unwavering confidence and clarity, and achieve their goals. As a keynote speaker and trainer, Renee is known for her engaging, interactive, and inspiring presentations that leave audiences feeling motivated to take action. Her book, The Art Of Choosing Yourself Unapologetically, is a powerful resource for anyone looking to design the life they dream about. As the CEO of Empowered by Courage, Renee is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations alike achieve their full potential.

Shakari Designs is an Oakland-based jewelry artist and creative entrepreneur known for crafting beautiful, handcrafted pieces that celebrate culture, individuality, and self-expression. With a passion for wearable art and community connection, Shakari transforms natural materials, gemstones, and inspired designs into meaningful jewelry that tells a story. As a valued partner of Queen Hippie Gypsy, Shakari Designs helps lead interactive jewelry-making workshops that invite participants to explore their creativity while learning the art of handcrafted adornment. Through a welcoming and engaging teaching style, Shakari empowers students of all skill levels to create unique pieces infused with intention, beauty, and personal meaning. Whether designing one-of-a-kind creations or guiding others through the creative process, Shakari Designs is dedicated to fostering artistry, confidence, and connection within the Oakland community. ✨ Partner Instructor ✨ Jewelry Artist & Designer ✨ Community Creative ✨ Workshop Facilitator ✨ Oakland, California Join Shakari Designs at Queen Hippie Gypsy and discover the joy of creating jewelry that reflects your unique spirit.

Brandily Quintell is a proud Bay Area native whose journey with Queen Hippie Gypsy began through the youth workforce development program at New Door Ventures. Through her dedication, professionalism, and welcoming personality, she quickly became an important part of the team and was hired as a permanent member of the Queen Hippie Gypsy family. Brandily is known for her positive attitude, strong work ethic, and genuine passion for helping others. She enjoys creating meaningful connections with customers and supporting the warm, community-centered environment that makes Queen Hippie Gypsy such a special place. Outside of work, Brandily enjoys playing softball, caring for animals, and spending time outdoors. She has a special love for raising animals and appreciates the patience, responsibility, and compassion that come with nurturing them. Her connection to nature and community reflects many of the values that Queen Hippie Gypsy holds dear. As she continues to grow both personally and professionally, Brandily remains committed to supporting the mission of Queen Hippie Gypsy and helping create memorable experiences for every person who walks through the door. ✨💜🌿🐓🐐🐰