Alexis Schulze

In 2017, Alexis went to Tanzania and it became a journey that not only changed her but changed the course of her life. Visiting the children in Tanzania taught a profound lesson about true happiness and what was really important in life.

The children who had so little were the happiest she had ever seen and it caused her to make some life changes and she knew it was part of her purpose to share what these children and the journey gave to her.

In addition to founding Sojourn Foundation in 2018, she also co-founded Nékter Juice Bar in 2010 and wrote a children’s book called Sneaky Spinach.

Alexis has over 20 years of experience working with children in both preschool and elementary school settings. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development, a Masters Degree in Cross-Cultural Education and has completed her Health Coach, Adult and Children's Yoga Teacher Certification.

It is her hope that combining her passion and experience will provide you a life changing experience of your own.

Danielle Slutzky

Alongside Alexis, Jody and Kristen, Danielle was also on that significant trip to Tanzania in 2017 which altered the direction that her life would take. It was a humbling and soulful experience that could not just be a one hit wonder! Danielle knew that what she saw with her eyes and felt with her heart, for the children of Mbahe Village, had to be something that she would share with her own children.

A year and a half later, she journeyed to Africa again to expose her own three children to the importance of global service and to the power of selfless giving. Seeing the boys and girls of Tanzania once more, mirrored in the eyes of her own children, Danielle knew that this “Do Good” ethic must continue to grow with the next generation.

Upon her return to the U.S. from Africa for a second time, Danielle became a part of the Sojourn Foundation in 2018. Focusing her time, talents and a greater desire to enrich her life through enriching others’ lives first, she looks ahead to a bright and meaningful collaboration with her co-founders.

Danielle has her Master of Education in Crosscultural Teaching with specialization in Linguistic Studies. Further continuing her education, she received accreditation in Bilingual Crosscultural Language and Academic Development in Spanish as well.

Jody Di Cesare

Jody Di Cesare has always valued the importance of culture and community nearby and in other countries.

Jody’s love for children led her to pursue a career in education. Jody earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Child and Adolescent Studies from California State University, Fullerton as well as a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential in Education from Concordia University. She was a primary school teacher in Orange, California. It was this experience that taught her the importance and value of education, community, and children.

While raising her three children, Jody worked with her former husband to co-found RVCA, a lifestyle brand based in Orange County, California. Additionally, Jody has owned and funded other community programs including the Art of Jiu Jitsu, which benefits the children of the community through teaching respect and self-control as well as offering positive role models. She participates in fundraising efforts whenever she can.

Jody has traveled worldwide, but it was her trips to multiple third world countries such as the Philippines, Mexico, Africa, and Indonesia that opened her eyes to the importance of outreach. It was traveling to Africa on an outreach mission in 2017 that she fully got to experience the absolute love and adoration of this work and gave her the desire to continue her efforts of volunteer work across the globe.

Kristen Hatfield

Throughout Kristen’s life she was taught to give back using her time and talents. She traveled extensively in her early 20s and saw first hand the needs of the most vulnerable among us—the children. When her two boys were young Kristen spent her time locally raising funds for causes dear to her heart: John Wayne Cancer Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Asante Sana. For 17 years Kristen helped her mother raise money and collect school supplies for the students at Mbahe Primary School in Tanzania.

It was Kristen’s journey to Africa in 2017 that grabbed her heart and changed her life. While in Tanzania, Kristen witnessed the immense needs that the children and the country had. She gave them her love, time, devotion, and promise to support them. She was particularly affected by the orphans at Light in Africa who are shunned by their culture. Kristen returned to the U.S. with the knowledge that one person can make a difference in the lives of others. She is taking all that she has experienced and now walks hand in hand with her teammates at Sojourn Foundation to make a difference in the world.

Kristen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a minor in Business Administration from UCLA. She has worked in sales for Quiksilver and Johnson & Johnson.