Our Team

At For Purpose Kids, we're a team of storytellers, educators, designers, parents and caregivers passionate about creating imaginative stories & toys that build empathy, connection and belonging. We know, first hand, how much our hearts have been opened by connecting with others around the world, and we want to share that experience, through play, with you & your littles.

Misty Castañeda

Misty is the Founder & Cultivator of Wonder at For Purpose Kids, a social enterprise that connects her passion of working with children and traveling the world with her background in sales & marketing and early childhood education. She lives in Orlando with her family but can often be found spending time at the beach, traveling to her favorite place, Hong Kong or back to her childhood home in Vermont.

Rachael Parker-Chavez

Rachael Parker-Chavez is an aspiring optimist, Social Impact Strategist and co-founder of Super by Design, where she uses Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design to support organizations creating civic and social change. She also has the privilege of mentoring social entrepreneurs and building impact initiatives at UCLA. Rachael is an advocate for youth in foster care, zealous fur-mom, self-appointed “cool aunt,'' and dedicated to creating a more equitable future for all people. You can find her between Northern Michigan and Southern California.

Gabriele N. Ward Almon

Gabriele is a writer dedicated to creating stories that inspire children and adults to feel brave, hopeful, and helpful in an ever-changing world. She leads a creative agency that specializes in story strategy and narrative shifting. Previously, Gabriele served as an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, domestic and international government agencies, and numerous humanitarian organizations on disaster and crisis efforts.

Maicol Parker-Chavez

Maicol Parker-Chavez is a Business Designer and co-founder of Super by Design, where he helps organizations build more effective solutions through inclusion and design. Maicol has been a designer for over 15 years and believes in bringing diverse perspectives into the development process to create shared understanding and build the foundation for more creative and equitable problem-solving. Maicol was born in Peru and raised in Southern California where he currently lives with his wife and three furry kids.

Jessica Bañuelos

Jessica is currently studying for her B.S. in Computer Science at Cal State University of Long Beach. She enjoys expressing herself creatively, whether it be through drawing, cooking or programming. She also loves to be active biking, rock climbing and trail running.

Melissa Monroy

Melissa Monroy is the Founder + Creative behind Mint and Merit, a heart-fueled and purpose-driven design studio in San Diego, California. She has a B.A in Applied Arts and Sciences from SDSU, and 15+ years of experience in branding and print design. Melissa is on a mission to create goodness, with honesty + love + typography. She loves turning a blank slate into a masterpiece and working with individuals & businesses who strive to create meaningful work. She is committed to doing good + loving people + making the world a better place, one design at a time.

Noah Nash

Noah Nash, EdD is an interdisciplinary leader using research, web development, and storytelling to thoughtfully move initiatives forward. His portfolio includes projects in children's rights, emerging technologies, and philanthropy. He is most proud of being a loyal brother to youth in foster care, dog-whisperer, and cool uncle. When not home in Los Angeles, Noah loves cooking with his family across the United States.

Richa Prasant & Teachers
at the Sunaayy Foundation

India

Richa Prasant is the Founder of the Sunaayy Foundation in New Delhi, India. “As a privileged middle class Indian, in my own journey to find purpose in life - beyond armchair philanthropy, I wanted to focus on providing the basics of learning and nourishment in a safe place for the out of school children. Charity should start at home but it should not stop there”, she said.

As Sunaayy has expanded, Richa has also begun to understand the importance of women led growth and empowerment. This is critical because a strong body of evidence, particularly from developing countries like India, shows that having strong female role models in the teaching staff and in educational management roles, as they do in Sunaayy, is positively associated with education outcomes, especially girls’ educational achievements.

“To partner with For Purpose Kids has been a new experience for many of our teachers and to share their culture with the world has brought a newfound sense of confidence and pride in who they are.”

Nyambura Wahu

Kenya

Nyambura Wahu was born into the impoverished neighborhood of Kawangware, Kenya. She remembers living for the day that she would be able to leave behind the squalor that surrounded. Daydreaming of a better life became a hobby…one she was determined to make a reality. By creating beautiful pieces of jewelry, she was able to save enough money to leave Kawangware behind and move to Lamu in 2012. She opened the African Corner Retail Shop in Shela Village, where she sells jewelry and art from all over the African Continent.

Selina Yu

China

An educator, a mother, and a person who loves to travel around the world.