What We Do

Growing Minds makes well-being, mental health, and mindfulness concepts relatable and actionable.  By focusing on the abilities to pause and ground oneself in the moment, one can create space to savor the good, respond thoughtfully to the challenging, and feel more nourished and content throughout each day.
12
Years of life
4000+
Educators trained
taught
6000+ Students
10 online sessions
available
Our team

Meet our team

Susan Solvang
Founder and President
Susan Lubar is the President and Founder of Growing Minds. Susan is a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based practices to Milwaukee area schools and businesses. Her vision is to facilitate the cultivation of innate skills that increase your own wellbeing and have a more positive impact on your relationships, through self-awareness, compassion and reflection. She has trained with the most established programs, including Mindfulness in Schools Project .b and .b Foundations, Mindful Schools, Learning to Breathe, UCSD Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher training and Mindful Self-Compassion with Kristen Neff to develop the programs that would be useful to Milwaukee area schools.
Becky Fischer
​Director of Development and Integration
Becky has been working with children and families in the Milwaukee area for over 15 years. Becky has a heartfelt passion for weaving mindfulness and brain-based concepts into everyday life because she has seen, firsthand, the beautiful power these skills have to strengthen relationships and enhance well-being. Having been a classroom educator, job coach for individuals with special needs, and parenting consultant, she has gained valuable experience and insight across diverse fields within the community. Becky has a bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Early Adolescent Education and has trained under Mark Nunberg in Vipassana meditation and under Steve Hickman and Beth Mulligan in Mindful Self-Compassion.
Jennifer Vondracek
Business Development Manager + Instructor
Jennifer has been sharing well-being practices for over a decade. Her undergraduate and post-graduate work was done at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in the field of Gender and Women’s Studies, with an emphasis on endocrine health. A lifelong learner, Jennifer has extensive training in teaching mindfulness for all ages, therapeutic yoga, trauma sensitive yoga, nonviolent communication, sales and leadership. She has worked in Health Care, Social Services and Hospitality for over 20 years and has a passion for sharing skills around trauma-informed care and resilience.
Tiffany Mercer
Executive Assistant
As an executive assistant with 25 years of experience in all areas of office administration, Tiffany has been with Growing Minds since the beginning, managing the behind-the-scenes operations, including scheduling, accounting, and human resources. “I love creating the many graphics we use in our sessions to express our narratives. My favorite mindfulness practice is gratitude, it really keeps me grounded in appreciating the good around me”.
Izzy Solvang
Technology and Social Media Designer
With a degree in Art Education, Izzy has journeyed through a range of positions spreading her passion for expression and healing while exploring how to make a meaningful impact in the world. Teaching high school art in one of the most prestigious art departments in the country, to developing programming for youth rock climbers, as well as digital marketing, Izzy is fully committed at all times.​These experiences have coalesced into the opportunity to coordinate the e-learning here, at Growing Minds. 

Our Grantors

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United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
The David and Julia Uihlein Charitable Foundation.

United Way believes in making our four-county community stronger. By working together on critical issues,  we can move forward together to ensure everyone has a safe place to live, work, and play. United Way provides ongoing, programmatic funding on an annual basis to 230+ programs at over 110 local health and human services agencies..
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Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The Franz and Virginia Bidinger Fund and the John C. and Harriett Cleaver Fund.

For a century, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has helped individuals, families and organizations realize their philanthropic goals and make a difference in the community, during their lifetimes and for future generations. The Foundation consists of more than 1,200 individual charitable funds, each created by donors to serve the charitable causes of their choice. The Foundation also deploys both human and financial resources to address the most critical needs of the community and ensure the vitality of the region. Established in 1915, the Foundation was one of the first community foundations in the world.
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The Daniel M. Soref Charitable Trust
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Colectivo Coffee

As a locally-owned company, we recognize the importance of being supportive of the community that supports us! In addition to making in-kind donations, we’ve formed long-term, unique partnerships with various non-profit groups – primarily in the performing arts and environmental, health and social advocacy. Using creativity and collaboration, we are able to form meaningful relationships with organizations that enrich our community.

Our Partners

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Children's Hospital of Wisconsin 

The Take 5ive mindful awareness practice videos were created in partnership with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin as a part of their  e-learning Educator Resources, which can be found at HealthyKidsLearnMore.com.​Children's Hospital of Wisconsin believes that kids deserve the best. That belief drives everything we do, which is why with Children's as your health education resource, you gain a trusted partner in the effort of keeping kids healthy so they can learn. HealthyKidsLearnMore e-learning programs bring important health and wellness concepts to life for students in grades K4-8. 
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Share Collaborative

Professional development for Human Services. We simplify the implementation of trauma-informed methods by delivering tailored, culturally reverent, and practical trainings that are instantly applicable. Share Collaborative and Growing Minds support one another's mission to shift organizational practices to create more awareness and happier people.
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Blackbox Visual

Creators of amazing content that brought Take 5ive into being, Blackbox is a creative animation and design studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Markgraf Sports & Leadership Academy

Growing Minds is proud to partner with Markgraf Sports & Leadership Academy, a unique summer camp focused on empowering girls through experiential learning in soccer, drama, music, yoga and daily mindfulness practice with a lens toward service to community. MSLA is focused on developing leaders with confidence, compassion and emotional intelligence.
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Happ:y
Happ:y Wellness’ products empower people of all ages to understand how to do yoga and related exercises safely while accessing the maximum health benefits of these activities. Happ:y Wellness’ innovative exercise mats and digital tools facilitate communication between therapists and clients, teachers and students, and parents and children.

Our Partners

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Children's Hospital of Wisconsin 

The Take 5ive mindfulness videos were created in partnership with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin as a part of their  e-learning Educator Resources, which can be found at HealthyKidsLearnMore.com.​Children's Hospital of Wisconsin believes that kids deserve the best. That belief drives everything we do, which is why with Children's as your health education resource, you gain a trusted partner in the effort of keeping kids healthy so they can learn. HealthyKidsLearnMore e-learning programs bring important health and wellness concepts to life for students in grades K4-8. 
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Share Collaborative

Professional development for Human Services. We simplify the implementation of trauma-informed methods by delivering tailored, culturally reverent, and practical trainings that are instantly applicable. Share Collaborative and Growing Minds support one another's mission to shift organizational practices to create more awareness and happier people.
Drag to resize
Blackbox Visual

Creators of amazing content that brought Take 5ive into being, Blackbox is a creative animation and design studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Drag to resize
Markgraf Sports & Leadership Academy

Growing Minds is proud to partner with Markgraf Sports & Leadership Academy, a unique summer camp focused on empowering girls through experiential learning in soccer, drama, music, yoga and daily mindfulness practice with a lens toward service to community. MSLA is focused on developing leaders with confidence, compassion and emotional intelligence.
Drag to resize
Happ:y
Happ:y Wellness’ products empower people of all ages to understand how to do yoga and related exercises safely while accessing the maximum health benefits of these activities. Happ:y Wellness’ innovative exercise mats and digital tools facilitate communication between therapists and clients, teachers and students, and parents and children.

Our Partners

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin 

The Take 5ive mindfulness videos were created in partnership with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin as a part of their  e-learning Educator Resources, which can be found at HealthyKidsLearnMore.com.​Children's Hospital of Wisconsin believes that kids deserve the best. That belief drives everything we do, which is why with Children's as your health education resource, you gain a trusted partner in the effort of keeping kids healthy so they can learn. HealthyKidsLearnMore e-learning programs bring important health and wellness concepts to life for students in grades K4-8. 
Drag to resize
Share Collaborative

Professional development for Human Services. We simplify the implementation of trauma-informed methods by delivering tailored, culturally reverent, and practical trainings that are instantly applicable. Share Collaborative and Growing Minds support one another's mission to shift organizational practices to create more awareness and happier people.
Drag to resize
Blackbox Visual

Creators of amazing content that brought Take 5ive into being, Blackbox is a creative animation and design studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Drag to resize
Markgraf Sports & Leadership Academy

Growing Minds is proud to partner with Markgraf Sports & Leadership Academy, a unique summer camp focused on empowering girls through experiential learning in soccer, drama, music, yoga and daily mindfulness practice with a lens toward service to community. MSLA is focused on developing leaders with confidence, compassion and emotional intelligence.
Drag to resize
Happ:y
Happ:y Wellness’ products empower people of all ages to understand how to do yoga and related exercises safely while accessing the maximum health benefits of these activities. Happ:y Wellness’ innovative exercise mats and digital tools facilitate communication between therapists and clients, teachers and students, and parents and children.