Bay Staters for Creative Well-Being is a grassroots nonprofit whose mission is to improve the holistic and financial health of our communities. By educating on plant medicines, plant-powered eating, community art, nature education, and community safety, we inspire people to live their best lives and become leaders in their own circles.

Akymia

Akymia (Kym) is a community-rooted entrepreneur, cultural steward, farmer and wellness practitioner with a background in nonprofit program management and mission-driven leadership. A mom of three, Akymia loves to grow herbs and vegetables with favorites including tomatoes, sorghum, and cottage roses

Alex

Alex was born in Oaxaca Mexico, and grew up in Boston since childhood. Coming from an unstable home as an immigrant, his work to dismantle systems we take for granted is grounded in access to education and this perspective. He loves cooking, baking, reading, biking, and spending time in nature and with his cats.

Bailey

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Bailey is a beekeeper, educator, and passionate steward of nature. Bailey helps lead local efforts in Maynard to phase out harmful rodenticide poisons, expand garden education, and protect wildlife. She believes small-scale collective action positively impacts the greater good.

Bianca

Bianca is passionate advocate for building community power, leading with love across a community of environmental justice orgs educating on urban heat, tree canopy, and healthful, local foods. She loves being outside, hiking, spending time with her people, reading fantasy and scifi, and dancing to reggaeton.

Brenda

Brenda is a Colombian American healing artist and creative facilitator based in Boston. Brenda has training in expressive arts therapy and a background in studio art, vocal performance, dance, and musical theatre. Her creative practice is deeply inspired by psychology, spirituality, mujerismo, and the natural world.

Cole

Cole guides nature events that are immersive and awaken sensory experiences, bringing participants into embodied presence and a deeper relationship with the everyday nature that exists in urban green spaces. He is a certified nature therapy guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.

Colomba

Colomba is a Chilean muralist and fine artist, serving as a board member of Bay Staters. Colomba dedicates her art and events to all animals who call our planet home. She loves plant-based cooking and baking, hosting thrift and clothing swaps, listening to psychedelic rock, and painting endangered species.

Darren

Born and raised north of Boston, Darren is hobbyist of hiking, trail running, mountain biking, fungi foraging, and photography that captures nature's beauty. His favorite mushroom is the Beefsteak Polypore, with Chicken of the Woods a close second. He recently embraced an exciting new adventure in life of becoming a father.

Derived

From age eight, Derived's disconcertment for the natural-world — us and every other species — began from learning about littering and human impact. He sees us as guardians of the land, dedicating himself to Mother Nature so we better understand our traditions, consumption, wants and needs to achieve change.

James

Originally from Kansas, James founded Bay Staters and serves as board chair because he loves nature and plant medicine. A forager, grower, and policy advocate, his goal is to mentor and empower leaders. James loves singing, guitar, Spanish, Chinese, foreign films, dancing in the rain, all things animals & painting.

Kelly

With roots back five generations in Massachusetts, Kelly is a practicing herbalist, a brave cancer survivor, and our newest board member with Bay Staters. She helps decriminalize plant medicine and protect local women from structural violence. She loves mushrooms, learning, her friends, and reading manga.

Kanaya

Born and raised in Boston, Kanaya is a herbalist, creative and poet, radiating her light, remedies and love. Bringing heart crafted and intentional herbal medicine and aromatherapy to community, she also loves time with friends and family, traveling to new places and cooking delicious meals,

Kimmy

A scientist and community organizer, Kimmy empowers others to build a more resilient and just community. She leads education campaigns on plant-based foods, amplifying global efforts for a food system kind to workers, the earth, and animals. She loves running along the Charles and bouldering at the gym.

Megan

A mom to two kiddos, Megan serves as a board advisor to Bay Staters to build a healthier, safer world. A long-time advocate for survivors and foster care youth, after growing up in that system, she has successfully co-led efforts to improve services for at-risk youth. She loves cats, hiking, dancing, and making psychedelic art

Louise

Louise is an environmental scientist and sustainability designer whose work sits at the intersection of art, research, and storytelling. She translates complexities of the natural world and biomimicry into murals, events, and installations that spark environmental action. She invites people to reconnect with and protect the natural world.

Ryan

Ryan is a dedicated canvassers for campaigns, serving as a delegate for Bernie Sanders in 2020 and supporting local candidates. He is passionate about plant medicine access because, just as it gave him self-understanding, he wants to empower other to have their chance to have similar fulfilling journeys as well.

Tyler

A debate educator, Tyler joined the Bay Staters Board to help build a sustainable future. In his work out of Taipei, Taiwan, he has helped introduce innovative cash transfer policies similar to Universal Basic Income. He loves reading self-help books, dancing with friends, travelling the world, and discovering delicious eats

Tran

Tran is a Vietnamese artist, cultural organizer, and strategist whose work brings together storytelling, community engagement, and creative visioning. She leads 1975: A Vietnamese Diaspora Memorial, a community-driven public art project honoring the resilience and histories of Vietnamese refugees and families

Where does our funding come from? With the exception of a major 2023 grant, all of our donations have come from grassroots supporters (93% in absolute terms).

Where does our funding go? This year, we are hiring our first part-time staff for CREATE 2026. Before this, 100% of our funding has gone to website hosting, event promotion, materials, and supplies for the community

2020

2021

2022

2025

2024

Volunteers hold first video call to contact Somerville City Councilors together after meeting via LinkedIn

We successfully pass our first measure in Somerville, which becomes the first city to decriminalize mushrooms east of the Mississippi. Shortly thereafter, we decriminalize Cambridge too

Our group successfully ended arrests for growing and sharing mushrooms in Northampton in April and again in Easthampton in October

As pandemic measures loosen, we began holding in-person cook outs and grow trainings

Bay Staters events grow in scope with its Party Against Imperialism and Plant Medicine Palooza, bringing hundreds of people into our growing, decentralized education movement

We successfully pass a measure in Worcester, the second largest city in New England, as well as Amherst

2023

Our coalition files eight state bills to legalize psychedelic treatments, allow home growing, and roll back the "War on Drugs," building on our legacy as the first to ever file such legislation in Massachusetts in 2021

We successfully pass a measure in Salem, securing the right to grow and share mushrooms in our sixth city. This is shortly followed by successfully passing our coalition measure in Portland, Maine and Berkeley, California as well

Bay Staters Festivals and Forages continue to grow and we officially recieve notice of our nonprofit status

We successfully pass another measure in Medford, decriminalizing our tenth community across the U.S.

Bay Staters officially celebrates its 100th event, commemorating four years of bringing together over 5,000 people to learn about plant medicines & nature

Bay Staters launches its facilitator network, mentoring thousands in the safe and reverent use of plant medicine

Our Timeline

We launch the CREATE 2026 cohort to empower and train community organizers

2026