Our Story
Stephanie Payne and Dan Dissinger connected as professors, scholars, and coaches who hold a deep belief in holistic learning practices. Steeped in the teachings of bell hooks, Thích Nhất Hạnh and other contemplative practitioners, Dan and Stephanie have developed practices of belonging that expand beyond the classroom. Their mindful and humanity centered workshops and coaching practices have help individuals, educators, and organizations to become more self-aware, collaborative and purposeful in their work and personal lives.
About the Co-Founders and Facilitators
Stephanie Renée Payne is an Associate Professor in the Writing Program at the University of Southern California, a Board Certified Coach (BCC), and a mindfulness instructor at Mindful USC. Since 2014 she has honed the craft of cultivating mindfulness in teaching, coaching, and organizational spaces. Payne has engaged in numerous trainings, including at the Upaya Zen Center, and The Omega Institute, among others and continues to share her contemplative approach of belonging, productivity, and care.
Payne holds a doctorate in educational sustainability and leadership and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in creative writing. Payne is the author of ESP: Extreme Self-Pampering for the Soul, along with publications in numerous journals, including The Los Angeles Review, Hunger Mountain, and For Harriet, among others.
Daniel Dissinger is an Associate Professor in the Writing Program at the University of Southern California, host of the award-winning podcast Writing Remix, a poet, Kerouac scholar, and writing coach. Dan earned his PhD and MA from Saint John’s University as well as an MFA from The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. Dan’s poetry has been published in a variety of journals, and Shadow Mountain Press published his first chapbook, tracing the shape. In 2021, he co-created an international network of academic podcasters called The Humanities Podcast Network.
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