Meet the Team

The Founder

  • Somaly Prak-Martins is a transformative leader and advocate who has dedicated over three decades to disrupting cycles of violence and fostering collective healing. A refugee and survivor of the Khmer Rouge Genocides, Somaly immigrated to the United States with her family in January 1981, seeking asylum from a war-torn country. Having lost everything, her family instilled in her the importance of education as a non-negotiable path to rebuilding and thriving.

    Despite facing significant barriers as an English learner, Somaly earned a Master of Education in School Administration and became a certified Turnaround Principal in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Georgia. With nearly two decades of experience in education and a robust background in business, she has built a career rooted in creating transformative change.

    Through her leadership roles—Executive Director of 2-Thrive LLC (www.2thrive.org), Director of Prevention at the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ricadv.org), and Founder of the nonprofit Healing 2Gether - www.healing2gether.org - Somaly partners with organizations to strategically and authentically build communities and environments that center on humanizing individuals and the collective. Her work focuses on disrupting psychological, systemic, racial, physical, and self-inflicted violence, creating spaces for healing and justice.

    Somaly’s work is anchored in love, trauma-informed practices, and restorative approaches that aim to restore individuals and communities while advancing social justice. A strategic leader, trainer, and practitioner, she is committed to fostering resilience and achieving meaningful change by breaking cultural, institutional, and organizational trauma cycles.

    Her story and dedication continue to inspire individuals and communities to embrace healing, rebuild connections, and create environments where everyone can thrive.

The Board Members

  • Nancy Xiong is a child of Hmong genocide survivors and was born in Providence, Rhode Island. As a multilingual learner, Nancy navigated the education system mostly alone. These life-changing experiences instilled trauma in her life and enabled her to develop resiliency as a first-generation college student. Nancy is empowered to create pathways for her and her community to break the cycle of poverty and intergenerational trauma by cultivating a space for us to heal.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.Nina Lary is an educator and restorative practitioner with over 10 years of experience in public schools. She received her Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice Practices from Suffolk University’s Center for Restorative Justice to further support her professional goal: to work within educational and criminal-legal systems to shift the way we think about harm and accountability and proactively consider how to build stronger communities that meet people’s needs. In Nina’s personal life, she strives to be an active member of her own community as a foster parent and advocate for children with disabilities and their families. Nina lives in Medford, Massachusetts with her partner and daughter. She and her family enjoy attending concerts and theater performances, trying new restaurants, and traveling.

  • As an advocate for all youth, John has brought his natural talent of connecting with youth from various backgrounds to The Providence School Department. John first realized his passion to work with the youth & the community at 17 yrs old, when he became a part of the outreach ministry in his local church. Traveling the state with his ministry team to engage & foster new relationships with communities throughout. John has 8+ yrs of experience working in the non-profit sector; he has given motivational speeches to local elementary schools, supervised group homes with behavioral challenges, along with autistic children in home-based settings. John spends his off time with his 4 children, and his wife. As they love to travel, looking for new learning opportunities for their children, trying new adventures and new restaurants.

  • Lisandro Torres is passionate about the power of technology. He believes that technology can connect people across communities, bridge cultural gaps, and provide  solutions to the challenges of the modern world. He sees technology as a tool for building stronger, more resilient communities through collaboration, education, and resource access. Lisandro has volunteered in community engagement with various local organizations, driven by his belief in positive changes. Through his volunteer work, he strives to support individuals from his community, support local initiatives, and make positive changes within his community.