The Soulful Team
Our team of wellness and coaching professionals is dedicated to empowering every participant, regardless of age, background, or ability. We focus on individual strengths, helping each woman and girl tap into their authentic gifts and unlock their unique potential.
Meet Our Team
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Kristie Dean
Founder & Executive Director
Program Coordinator
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Christine McDonough
Operations and Marketing Manager
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Kaitlynn Norwood
Thrive (Soulful Women) Program Coordinator
Thrive (Soulful Women) Life Coach
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Lyn Fitzgerald
Soulful Girls Club Regional Coordinator
Soulful Girls Club Manager | Bridgewater Chapter
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Juliette Poulin
Soul Power Play Coach
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Sydni O’Connel
Soul Power Play Coach
Meet Our Teen Stars
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Kaylee Flynn
“I think it is so important for girls to have a safe space and people to support them and I am so glad that I can not only help others, but also receive the support I need. I look forward to spending time with all the girls every time and could not think of a better way to spend my time.”
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Eliana Downey
“A special moment for me was painting the girls’ nails. I’ve always loved painting nails, and it brings me so much joy to share that with the girls. I’ve always had a heart for helping others—whether through my own experiences or simply by showing kindness to everyone I meet.”
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Veronica Shenoy
“I really identify with what The Soul Project stands for—bringing women and girls together in a space that’s empowering, supportive, and authentic. I don’t have any sisters, so being part of this community has shown me just how meaningful and important these kinds of connections are. The Soul Project creates a truly positive space and I love giving my time to something that makes such a real impact.”
Meet Our Board of Directors
Emily DeMariano | President
“I’d tell my 12-year-old self not to prioritize being agreeable above all else. Kindness is important, but it should never come at the cost of erasing who you are. Don’t hide parts of yourself in friendships just to fit in—the right people will love the real you. At work, speak up even when it’s uncomfortable; your voice and perspective are valuable. In relationships, your needs matter, and love should never require you to silence yourself.
You can be both kind and assertive—your worth doesn’t depend on being easy to deal with.”
Rachel Kelley
Office Assistant for Easton Public Schools
Rachel's path to The Soul Project started the moment she met Kristie and Katie — and she knew right away she wanted to be part of what they were building. For Rachel, joining the board is also about leading by example, showing her own daughter the power of showing up for something bigger than yourself.
She's most energized by the programs for pre-teen and teenage girls — Soul Power Play and Soulful Girls Club — and is passionate about helping them grow and reach more young people who need them.
What she'd tell her 12-year-old self: "Hang in there. Life will get really hard through your teenage years, but you will find your path — with your strong, courageous mother by your side. Life gets really good, so stay true to who you are, always."
Daniela Bakes
Stay-at-Home Parent | Background in Economics & Finance | Nonprofit Leadership & Philanthropic Giving
Growing up as one of five sisters — each wonderfully different — shaped Daniela's deep belief in the power of women supporting one another. That belief brought her to The Soul Project, where the focus on women's growth and community feels deeply personal.
The program closest to her heart is Soulful Girls Club, where she volunteers alongside the girls and experiences firsthand the joy, freedom, and genuine friendships they create together. "Seeing their happiness and the love shared between the girls and their families is truly uplifting and inspiring," she says.
What she'd tell her 12-year-old self: "Be kinder to yourself. Emotions and changes are happening faster now than at any other time in your life — use this time to learn and trust that life is beautiful. Even the things that feel overwhelming right now will soften with time."
Where this all began…
from founder, Kristie Dean
I remember it vividly, it was a rainy day in the summer of 2019 when I found myself parked in my car at CVS, leaning into the steering wheel, crying uncontrollably.
There was nothing special about that day. I had just gone on my daily “sleepy ride” trying to get my two daughters under 2 to take a nap, when I had a devastating realization out of nowhere. Like a slap in the face, it hit me. I didn’t know who the hell I was. I was a mom in my 30s and I didn’t know what I liked, what I wanted, or how I got to where I was. Everything was “fine” but something was seriously missing. My whole life was like a blur before me. Images of me always doing and being what I thought I was supposed to do or be for others, raced through my mind. Me, always morphing myself to make others comfortable or proud and never speaking up for myself in moments that I should have. At that moment it all washed over me. I felt pathetic, lost and exhausted.
But I also had something shift within me that day. I was fed up with my own bullshit.
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Tired of excuses and playing the victim. I decided that night that I had to pull up my big girl pants and take some action to figure myself out. I decided I was going to start becoming the woman I knew I could be, a woman my girls could look up to, who I’d actually want them to emulate.
The following week, I started a creative project with no end goal in mind. I reached out to women I knew from different parts of my life and asked them a series of introspective questions, and then I met up with them for a photo shoot where I asked them to just show up as themselves. I put their answers together into a cluster of truth and shared these stories and powerful images on my new instagram page.
Soul Stories, our ongoing documentary was born, and for the next 2 years I shared a woman’s Soul Story every single week.
The project allowed me to connect deeply with other women, learn about different lived experiences and discover who I am in the process. Every week was pure magic as I watched a woman stand in her truth and be celebrated by loved ones and strangers alike, not for a promotion or for losing weight, but for being her whole self which included not just the highlights but also the messiness of the human experience that we can all find ourselves in.
The Soul Stories documentary continues to highlight and celebrate women of all ages and backgrounds. This project has been healing for so many people but it also changed my life.
It healed me and put me on the path to becoming the woman I am; a woman I’m really proud of. Since incorporating into a 501c-3 we have grown. We have thousands of online followers, a physical space and many programs that support women and girls. But at the heart of everything we do is the same original mission that pushed me to create Soul Stories; to create a space where women can be seen, heard, and celebrated for being their authentic selves. Because when women feel seen and heard they know they matter, and when women know they matter they do big things.
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SOUL POWER PLAY
Empowering girls ages 7-18 to embrace their innate worth and unleash their true potential.
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SOULFUL GIRLS CLUB
An empowering community just for teenage girls with intellectual and developmental differences.
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SOULFUL WOMEN
A place for women to step into their truth and unleash their potential.