Our Mission
Our goal is to uplift, empower, and assist seniors, especially those who suffer from various forms of dementia, in expressing their feelings through art. We visit elderly homes with our art program so that they may find joy and a deeper understanding of themselves through art as we hold their hand along the journey.​
About Us
Branching HeARTs is a non-profit organization that hosts art classes at seniors centers, aiming to provide joy and cognitive stimulation through painting, drawing, and so much more. Our goal is to expand our heART classes to as many senior centers as we can, so that the elderly community can reminisce about the joys of their past while living life to the fullest in the present.
Meet the Team
Elise Fowler
Founder & President
Elise is a high school student that has a passion for art and helping others. She has been studying art since elementary school, and has previously volunteered as a teaching assistant at a local Art Center. She's passionate about serving her community and hopes she can give back to those in need.
Sophia Zhang
Head of Fundraising
Sophia is a high school student and an art student who has been taking art classes since kindergarten. The classes are advanced and range through different mediums such as charcoal, paint, and sketch pencils. She is happy to be able to teach others art in a more relaxed way. Sophia also has experience working with seniors.
Avani Khanvilkar
Head of Social Media and Marketing
Avani is a high school student with a passion for both community service and art. In her spare time she volunteers at a senior care center, playing Bingo with the residents. She finds it exciting to integrate art classes into her interactions with the seniors.
Sophie Li
Chief of Operations
Sophie is a high school student and has taken art classes since before kindergarten: realism, charcoal, creative expression, etc. She loves doing art and she's also very passionate about using her skills and insights to give back to the community, whether that's through tutoring, mural painting, or making a meaningful impact on the lives of elderly through Branching Hearts.
Taylor Williamson
Head of Volunteer Coordination
Taylor is a high school student that loves to serve her community and help others. She has extensive experience with youth and is looking to extend her experience to working with seniors.
Tehya Williamson
Senior Outreach Manager
Tehya is an upcoming high school student that loves helping others. She has experience working with youth and seniors. She also loves art (especially 3D art), and has participated in several summer art programs.
Suravi Bhattulla
Junior Associate
Suravi is a middle school student who loves helping her elders. She has participated in multiple community service projects, and has experience teachings kids how to paint.
Advisors
Shengi Fowler
Shengi Fowler is an intrapreneur, innovator, strategist and global leader at Roche Pharmaceuticals. She is passionate about social impact and is an advisor to several social enterprise startups and non-profits. She’s a graduate of UCLA and Harvard University. We are thankful to have her as an advisor.
Heberly Rosario
Heberly Rosario is a senior Engineering Manager at Northrop Grumman. Heberly donates hundreds of hours per year working with disadvantaged youths, tutoring and mentoring and teaching. She also leads a co-ed scouting club, the Sunnyvale Pathfinder club. She's a graduate of Purdue University and University of Michigan. We are thankful to have her as an advisor.