Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, Ashley Ellis is a daughter, sister, lover, auntie, mentor, and sista friend to many! She has a mission to be a conduit of healing and transformation with young people. She is a restorative justice practitioner and trainer. Ashley is currently the Founder and Co-Keeper for B.R.E.A.T.H.E Circles, where she is pioneering New York City based Peacemaking Circle Keeper Trainings that are accessible for youth, schools, community members and credible messengers. She is a also a youth advocate for young people involved with the juvenile Justice System. Using her experience working with system involved young women, along with the foundations of restorative justice and Peacemaking Circles, Ashley envisioned a program called B.R.E.A.T.H.E: Circles for My Sistas where she strives to provide sacred healing and restorative space for black and brown girls to be Balanced, Restored, Empowered, Affirmed, Transformed, Healed, and Embodied. Ashley has attained her Master of Arts in Urban Youth Ministry at New York Theological Seminary in May 2017. Using a womanist integral spirit centered approach and pedagogy, along with circles, she strives to create holistic spaces that communicate a message of Love, Connectedness, Hope, Faith, Restoration and Transformation with the goal of bringing healing to not only our youth, but to our communities locally and globally in a profoundly dope way!