Let’s start with the idea that we are each an innately resilient part of our collective communities and that when given access to the space and opportunities needed, we can thrive together and not just survive.
The co-founders of DBD began as a group of friends and family who made the collective decision to reject the normative social paradigms that define what ‘success’ and ‘health’ should look like. We strive to disrupt systemic barriers that further inequality and ignore the requirement of transformative justice. We center dignity and decent work as foundational in the future of work. We came together to share both our skills as professionals and a vision to build dynamic platforms that foster collaborative innovations for ourselves, our families, and our communities. We are not a single ‘exceptional’ individual who decided to start a business. We are an exceptional community moving together, as one.
Once we are rooted in love, we begin to believe we have the right to health and happiness. However, our desire for these ideals is not enough. Our desires need to be matched with actions to build our knowledge, skills, and inevitably wisdom.
We believe that every human is designed with love at our center. And love is the divine spark from which all other movements and spiritual fires begin. Until we feel it within ourselves we are constantly seeking it elsewhere. But all journeys begin with you. Believe you have a right to your dreams. Your gifts. Your happiness. And that you need to purchase nothing to achieve these things. You only need to love yourself enough to believe you have a right to thrive, not only survive and succeed. Anything is possible when you believe and begin from a place of love.
Look closely at the present you are constructing; It should look like the future you are dreaming. - Alice Walker
Now that your foundation and pillars are set it’s time to grow into what you already are. Move through your challenges to apply what you’ve learned and build what you’ve dreamed. Rethink your social and community paradigms and consider how to break the chains of what binds you.
As a co-founding group Divine By Design encompasses a dynamic mix of intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs who have a combined eighty plus years of experience driving change in our own businesses and within the organizations where we have served.
Sahlah’s dream experiences have always been exceptional. Lucid visions, waking dreams, and remote viewing were common occurrences through her formative years. However, growing up in a large family in inner-city Baltimore meant that she often minimalized her experiences in favor of tackling struggles with, what was then, the more visceral realities of poverty, homelessness, and exposure to substance abuse.
As she moved into adulthood and her dreaming experiences grew both in frequency and intensity, it became increasingly difficult to simply ignore the call for deeper spiritual work. Her journey led her to exploring immersive meditation practices, strategies for detoxification, and a profound understanding of the healing qualities of movement, song, prayer, and the elements of Nature. Opening her mind and heart to a new world view decimated her internal roadblocks and opened the door to experiences in mediumship and other innate ancestral gifts.
Like many of us, Sahlah is continuing on a daily journey to become a more authentic version of herself. Everyday brings new truths in her growth as a new mother, a leader, and an awakened dreamer. One of the lessons that will always ring true: when given the right space and opportunities, we can all heal the trauma of our pasts.
As a licensed mental health provider in the state of Maryland and father of three children, much of Aazim’s formal education and training has incorporated an approach that recognizes the importance of enhancing the overall well-being of communities and disadvantaged populations. A key focus of his career has been to empower the communities, families, and individuals he has served to raise awareness of and increase sensitivities towards cultural and ethnic diversity. All this has been with the motivation to make strides to one day end discrimination, systemic racism, poverty, and other forms of social injustice.
Aazim has extensive experience assessing needs of children, youth, and families in underserved communities and implementing techniques that promote equity and wellness.. Through advocacy and collaborative innovations with local educators and community leaders he has spear-headed initiatives to increase awareness of mental, social and emotional barriers while empowering others to embrace their innate resilience and achieve life goals.
Andrusa's formative years entailed an early exposure to inner city violence and poverty. For him, salvation came in the form of a profound love of the arts, both material and traditional. After years of channeling physical aggression into dynamic energy, he began a deep study of the metaphysical and a shift into techniques to enhance meditation and emotional introspection.
His continued passions for creative expression led to a career in Graphic Design. As a designer and artist, his initiatives dare to challenge reliance on mundane automation in favor of a more robust and intimate high touch model. His current projects seek to highlight the interconnectivity between individuals and recognize the organic patterns that exist in every form of transformative communication.
Jeff’s journey towards healing started with a trauma and an auto accident that nearly cost his life at the age of 18. It was not until he began a personal journey towards wellness in mid-life that he redefined the connection between the mind, body, and soul in a new light. He is now a proud father, an herbal practitioner, an educator, and an independent holistic health consultant with more than 20 years of experience in the collective fields of wellness and education.
In recent years, he has developed a platform which integrates herbal regiments into daily living and targets the spiritual, energetic, and mental well-being of clients. He is committed to do no harm and strives to build comprehensive and, most importantly, natural pathways which perpetuate health.
Megan pours her passions into everything that she does. As a deeply empathetic spirit she struggles with balancing the strong emotions surrounding the suffering of others. Kind and soft-spoken, this mother of three draws from a nearly inexhaustible well of inner strength that she often has difficulty acknowledging. As a survivor of sexual trauma, Megan embodies the struggle between personal empowerment and conformity. Her deep love of the arts inspires her on a constant journey of creativity and self-discovery.
Naturally inquisitive, Megan quickly becomes a pillar of stability in the lives of those patient enough to come close to her center. Despite the encroachment of a hereditary disease that will eventually claim her sight, Megan is constantly in search of ways to spread her light and vision to others. She has come to understand that at their core, the only way to prosper is by having people who care for one another bolster each other up through trust and love.
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