Ragnhild Bruland

Ragnhild Bruland serves as co-founder and board member of a nonprofit she launched in 2014, focused on providing free dance mentoring sessions to youth in and out of juvenile detention centers. She partners with the Administration of Children's Services to deliver programming at foster care facilities and other sites, while also conducting community-based work in schools and centers. With a PhD in psychology from The New School and a master's in clinical psychology from the same institution, she integrates research, program evaluation, and her background in dance and musical theater to support healing and personal development through movement. Bruland began her work in psychology and dance prior to founding the nonprofit and attributes her success to persistence, hard work, and not giving up despite challenges. She values showing up as her authentic self, managing emotions, and striving to be the best version of herself, particularly as a mother setting an example for her son. In her role, she handles outreach, meetings, events, and team coordination, while navigating cash flow issues common to nonprofits, especially since COVID, with a small team of artists.