Annemarie Rossi
Founder & Executive Director
In 2011, after more than 2 decades of mindfulness practice, AnneMarie founded the nonprofit organization Be Mindful. Our mission is to provide communities, regardless of their resources, with access to customized, highly qualified instructor-led, Applied Neuroscience and mindfulness courses, while contributing valuable research to the field.
AnneMarie has taught thousands of individuals of all ages and backgrounds the knowledge and tools necessary to transform their lives. From the world’s largest airline, Fortune 100 executives, first responder agencies across the United Stares, public school districts, Universities, homeless youth shelters, refugee centers, rescued sex trafficking victims and more. She is a sought after public speaker and has given much lauded Keynote addresses across the globe. Her TEDxMileHigh talk, “Why Aren’t We Teaching You Mindfulness,” has more than 400,000 views. In 2019, her collaboration with Colo. Sen. Rhonda Fields lead to the appropriation of $3 million for mental health services, including mindfulness training, in Colorado’s public schools.
AnneMarie is committed to engaging in rigorous scientific studies. She has served both as primary and co-investigator on multiple research projects in partnership with The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical school, The University of Denver, The University of Memphis, Eastern Virginia Medical School, The National Police Foundation, and The Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre. Her most recent work, “The paradoxes of smartphone use: Understanding the user experience in today’s connected world” was published July 10, 2022 in the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
AnneMarie graduated with Distinction as the Outstanding Undergraduate from The University of Colorado with her BA in History with duel minors in Sociology and Educational Studies. She went on to obtain her Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Neuroscience with Distinction from King’s College London. She has completed both the Mindful Schools curriculum training and is a certified Mindfulness in School (.b) instructor. She is also the author of “First, Just Breathe: A Guide To Having Slightly Less Regret In Your Life.” which has received much praise from readers. Earlier in her career she was an award winning stock trader and financial advisor.
Chris Mindenhall
Board Member President
Chris Mindenhall serves as member of the Be Mindful board and our corporate advisor. He brings a wealth of experience from a broad set of disciplines, including organizational design and excellence, innovation and strategy consulting, design thinking/human-centered design, enterprise architecture, systems engineering, big data analytics, AI/machine Learning, kaizen/continuous improvement, behavioral economics, human cognition, human potential/mentoring, and mindfulness practice.
Chris has spent the last 15 years as a solutions consultant for more than 50 of the top retailers on the Forbes 500. In the 90’s, he co-founded a B2B e-commerce startup in the pioneer days of the Internet. Before that, he was a composer, bandleader, studio player, and instructor in New York City while studying jazz guitar at the Manhattan School of Music and The New School.
He has formal training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Interpersonal Mindfulness (Insight Dialogue), Mindfulness-Based Habit Change, Transcendental Meditation (TM), and Sōtō Zen. His mindfulness practice began over a decade ago with studies in the spiritual tradition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace (Do Ngak Kunphen Ling) in Redding, Conn., where he served as treasurer and member of the board of directors.
Chris lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife, three step-daughters, and dog, Louie.
Jessica Ashdown
Board Member
Jessica D. Ashdown lends her professional expertise in business administration, marketing, and law to the Be Mindful board. Jessica’s passion and experience lies in the intertwining of the creative and design aspects of marketing and the analytical and strategic aspects of business and intellectual property. Her diverse background includes contract review, intellectual property strategy, digital marketing, branding, licensing and project management.
She received her undergraduate degree in business with minors in entrepreneurship and marketing from Miami University of Ohio. She has a master’s in Business Administration in both marketing and management from Loyola University Chicago, obtained her Juris Doctor with a certificate of intellectual property law, along with her master’s in intellectual property law, from The John Marshall Law School and is the founder and designer of Jessica Diane, a high-end handbag company.
Jessica lives in Chicago, is obsessed with family, loves fabulous food, good wine, and great company, and believes in the beauty of life.
Phuong Phan
Board Member
Phuong joined the Be Mindful board in 2021. She has work with youth serving non-profits for over a decade in the Denver Metro area. She lends her professional expertise and thought leadership in grant writing, Be Mindful’s social media presence, and strategic partnerships.
Phuong received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. In 2007, she received her MSW from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work with an emphasis in child and adolescent mental health.
Phuong was born and raised in Denver where she currently resides with her partner and dog, Cola. They all enjoy spending time together outdoors and traveling.
