Our Team
CO-FOUNDER
Kyle Quincey
Kyle is currently the Vice President of the Colorado Avalanche Alumni Association helping NHL alumni transition to civilian life after hockey. While supporting this transition Kyle has witnessed the similarities between Professional athletes, Veterans, First Responders and those who adopt the Warrior Ethos.
Kyle, from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada played 14 years of Professional hockey living in every tie zone in America and even Europe. Kyle played for the Detroit Red Wings, LA Kings, Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild.
After suffering his 15th concussion, Kyle decided to retire from hockey. Through Kyle’s personal journey and working with multiple organizations he has learned the importance of camaraderie, connection, balance and overall health and wellness.
Kyle now dedicates his time educating, facilitating and connecting with the Network of Warriors providing accountability and the tools to assist with optimizing people’s Hero’s Journey.
CO-FOUNDER
Jeremy Widmann, PHD
Jeremy is a biochemist, entrepreneur, inventor and educator. Jeremy obtained his PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he focused on RNA evolution and function, studying patterns in RNA sequences across all domains of life. With a passion for natural medicine, biotechnology, and the human genome’s impact on health, Jeremy took a position at the molecular diagnostic startup, ArcherDx, developing a software suite used to design human cancer diagnostic tests.
With over 15 years of experience in cannabis cultivation, breeding, and extraction, Jeremy is also a Co- Founder of Boulder Hemp, working to develop natural health products and unique plant genetics. He combines his passion for cannabis, mycology, evolution, and human health to develop natural-based medicine. Jeremy has a passion for research and treatment of traumatic brain injury, and works with athletes and veterans who have experienced trauma.
As a dedicated educator, Jeremy enjoys sharing his knowledge in chemistry, biology, and philosophy. His love of biotechnology, natural medicine, and the human genome is rooted in a passion for the improvement of human health and well-being, with the ultimate goal to create a personalized, decentralized and democratized healthcare system. Jeremy loves to share the power of natural medicine and its potential to heal the body, mind, and soul.
Dr. Michelle Nixon, EdD, LCMHC
Dr Nixon is a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor who graduated with distinction, with a Doctorate degree inCounseling Education and Supervision. She accomplished academic achievement as a two-time Presidential Scholar. She has worked in the field of mental health for over 25 year in various capacities building programs to support individuals and communities in providing effective services for individuals with complex needs. Her primary area of expertise is in trauma focused interventions with over 10 years of experience as a trauma therapist in direct practice. Dr Nixon has worked in the development of systems of care models across the state and federal levels which approach mental health from a client centered, community base, culturally focused perspective. Her passion for cultural issues has led to working with unique populations such as: Native American tribes, fundamentalist religious groups, homeless populations, LGBTQ+, as well as other diverse communities.Dr Nixon works with children, adolescence and adults utilizing trauma-informed and trauma-focused strategies. Dr Nixon is also a Mom, Granny, and a Wife with a passion for horses, hiking and Southern Utah.
Dr. Jamie Kyei-Frimpong, DNP, FNP-BC, IFMCP
Dr. Jamie is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She is also certified in functional medicine through the Institute for Functional Medicine. After graduating from Columbia University in 2008, she continued her nursing studies at Duke University, where she earned her doctorate in 2020. Prior to founding Monarch Way, a virtual functional medicine practice based in Denver, she specialized in primary care and functional medicine within an array of clinics in the heart of NYC, including Parsley Health. She has also trained at Naropa University, completing their Psychedelic Practitioner Certification program.
Dr. Jamie is committed to assisting patients in discovering the root cause of their illness. Her mission is to assist her patients to not merely live life, but to thrive. She has developed a deep appreciation for the mind-body connection and works together with patients to personalize their care, implementing changes that allow them to function at their highest potential.
Tim Spalla
Tim enlisted in the military in 2005, after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Northern Iowa. He served as an Army Ranger Intelligence Specialist, completing multiple deployments to Iraq before transitioning to become a private military contractor providing Intelligence Support for US Special Operations Counterterrorism missions throughout the Middle East, Africa and Europe. In 2015, Tim launched a private company, focused on protecting endangered species in Africa. For several years, he spearheaded investigations and training support for counter-wildlife crime programs throughout the continent and internationally. In this work, Tim partnered with the National Geographic Society to lead several of their counter-wildlife crime initiatives, earning him recognition in National Geographic Magazine in Fall 2021. In parallel to his wildlife work in Africa, Tim attained a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree from Regis University where he completed a yearlong counseling internship with the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Throughout much of his time in the military and after, Tim struggled with unaddressed PTSD, Addiction, Suicide Ideation and Moral Injury. However, in 2019, he discovered the deep healing potential of psychedelic and natural medicines. Years of powerful personal experiences with these medicines not only helped him begin healing the wounds that couldn’t be reached with traditional therapy and pharmaceuticals, but it also led him to expand his professional focus from the work of mental health counseling and coaching to include educating other veterans, first responders, and their families - as well as other mental health professionals - about the deep healing potential of psychedelic-assisted therapies. Tim’s research, fieldwork and advocacy efforts in this realm earned him recognition as a Tillman Scholar in 2022.
Today, Tim is the owner of Agile Wellness Group, a Denver-based private therapy and wellness coaching practice. He also serves as Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Wounded Healer Project, a Colorado-based 501c3 with a core mission to provide pro bono mental health services, led by Veteran counselors, in support of Justice- involved Veterans navigating Drug and Alcohol treatment courts within the Denver-metro area. In the Fall of 2024, Tim will resume his Clinical Psychology Doctoral studies at the University of Denver.
Christian Macklin
Christian Macklin has dedicated over three decades to emergency response, beginning his career as an EMT with REED Ambulance in Denver, Colorado, in 1991. He completed his paramedic training at St. Anthony’s Hospital Paramedic Program in 1992, later serving as a Denver Paramedic from 1996 to 2006. During this time, Macklin took on leadership roles, becoming a Field Instructor and Senior Paramedic in 1998, while also serving in specialized roles such as Bike Medic and Denver International Airport Medic.
In 2002, Macklin transitioned to a suburban fire department, where his career evolved further. He served as a Firefighter/Paramedic and armed SWAT Medic before becoming an Engineer in 2010 and a Training Engineer in 2016. By 2017, he was appointed Wellness Manager, and later, Employee Services Executive Officer in 2021. In 2022, he became the Health and Wellness Director, leading initiatives to improve the well-being of his peers.
Macklin’s commitment to responder wellness is exemplified by his work with IAFF Local 2164, where he helped establish a comprehensive wellness program after a series of catastrophic events. By 2021, he had expanded the program to include a team of 12 staff members serving 810 South Metro Fire Rescue employees. He also serves as a Director for the South Metro Professional Firefighter’s Foundation and a Trustee for the Colorado Firefighter Heart, Cancer, and Behavioral Health Trust.
Macklin’s personal journey in trauma healing has been deeply influenced by his response to the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, a pivotal experience that drove his commitment to mental health advocacy. As the coordinator of the Peer Support Team since 2012, he has focused on addressing the cumulative effects of trauma on emergency responders. His own healing path took a transformative turn after participating in a plant medicine ceremony, which brought him peace, sobriety, and a deeper understanding of trauma.
With the passage of Colorado’s Proposition 122, which decriminalizes the therapeutic use of certain plant medicines, Macklin is now committed to exploring and normalizing plant-based healing for trauma recovery. Through sharing his own experiences, he hopes to inspire others in the emergency response community to seek holistic healing approaches, while continuing to advocate for their overall well-being.
Marlaina Williams
Marlaina Williams is a dedicated Holistic and Functional Healthcare Practitioner and the visionary founder of Creative Fire Alchemy. Having served as a Fire Control Technician in the United States Navy, she brings a unique perspective to her practice, seamlessly blending discipline and resilience with compassion. Her journey into healthcare began after her military service, where she faced significant challenges navigating life post-deployment. Experiencing complex trauma and feelings of disconnection fueled her determination to find healing—not only for herself but also for others who have faced similar struggles.
As a Registered Nurse (BSN), Yoga Instructor, Energy Worker, Wellness Innovator, and Functional Nutrition Consultant, Marlaina integrates Eastern and Western healing modalities to empower individuals. Her holistic approach focuses on helping clients awaken to their full potential, heal from past traumas, and transform into their true selves. She has discovered how Sacred Plant Medicines can profoundly impact healing while fostering resilience.
Marlaina’s motto—“Awaken. Heal. Transform.”—reflects her dedication to guiding individuals toward personal growth and self-discovery. As a facilitator at Do Good Ranch (DGR), she is particularly passionate about supporting Veterans, First Responders, and MST survivors. By creating an environment of support and encouragement, Marlaina inspires those around her to embrace their journeys toward health and happiness.
Nicole Fox
Nicole Fox brings a compassionate perspective to her role, drawing from her experience as the daughter of a US Army Veteran. With an understanding of military family dynamics, Nicole provides Preparation and Integration Coaching, ensuring a nurturing environment for healing at our wellness retreats. Grounded in her own journey of seeking truth and wisdom, Nicole integrates holistic modalities such as meditation, somatic embodiment, trauma-informed yoga, and Breathwork into her practice. Nicole’s journey as a Medicine Guide is enriched by her initiation into the Missoko Bwiti tradition, grounding her practice in ancestral wisdom and reverence for nature.
Since 2021, Nicole has served as the Director of Medicine Operations for a non-profit organization, where her leadership and dedication have been instrumental to furthering the organization's mission. Recognizing the longing for meaning and connection in many, Nicole views sacred plant teachers as spiritual allies and believes in their power to help cleanse and heal the spirit, fostering inner harmony and restoration.
As a devoted mother of three, her nurturing presence infuses our retreats with strength and compassion, guiding participants on a transformative journey of mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical healing. Committed to helping individuals rediscover their true path and ancestral roots, Nicole embodies the spirit of healing and transformation
Yvette Velasquez
Yvette initated her journey in wellness spaces through Transcendental Meditation, in the mountains of Colombia. After leaving her career in fashion in 2009, she dedicated herself to teach yoga full time & lead retreats internationally.
Upon returning from her first plant medicine experience, she has since pivoted how she approaches wellness through integration of somatic yoga practices, breathwork, entheogenic medicine and ancient rituals .
Yvette continues to actively provide resources to many tribal communities in South America which include Peru, Guatemala, Brazil, and Colombia, this by design has allowed her to be initiated in various traditions and lineages. Yvette’s is deeply influenced by this work as well as Egyptian mysticism, The Rose Lineage, she walks the Red Road and goes to Mexico annually to Moon Dance, in which she is an active participant alongside 400+ women.
Yvette founded and actively runs her own wellness concierge company, which works closely to build therapeutic wellness programs for a wide range of networks. As her passion for mental health advanced so did her training.
Yvette is a peer, trauma informed, coach specializing in harm reduction, psychedelic integration, addiction and recovery, supported by a wide range of modalities she approaches through her experience working in the field. She believes wellness is the foundational framework to finding our way back to ourselves, ultimately we each are fully capable of, and responsible for, our own individual healing.
“In my life’s work, my role is not to be the “healer” for anyone else, rather to always be in service of others on their healing paths”