Our Team
Liam Pfeiffer is the Founder and Executive Director of Woosaa Wellness. He developed The Woo Way Method inspired by the practices that transformed his health. He assembled a team of individuals who are passionate about transforming jails into places for healing and growth.
Jaleel Gary is a Youth Mentor who draws on his personal experiences at Crossroads and Horizons detention centers to connect with youth. As Woosaa’s Re-entry Services Manager, he provides court-involved youth with consistent mentorship, practical guidance, and a clear pathway toward positive development.
Rudolph ‘Smitty’ Smith is a Woo Way Basketball Coach and Re-entry Mentor with over eight years experience with NYCDOC coaching fitness & basketball programming. Smitty leads Woosaa’s Referee Training Program, helping young athletes develop leadership, confidence, and a deeper understanding of the game.
Margherita Tisato is a Woo Way Yoga & Meditation Teacher in-detention. They have been dancing since they were a child and teaching since they were 17, leading yoga, movement, and meditation classes, workshops and teacher trainings since 2011. They started teaching in prisons and recovery programs in NYC in 2015.
Mimi Visser teaches Woo Way Yoga on Riker’s Island. She has been practicing Iyengar Yoga since 1998 and has been a teaching since 2012, in studios and privately throughout New York City. Mimi believes a good practice brings greater awareness and a feeling of peace; she loves sharing her practice the people in Riker’s, connecting with them through yoga.
Dr. Mark Li, born into a lineage of Chinese internal arts grandmasters, combines centuries of authentic martial arts knowledge with a Ph.D. in economics to teach mindful, holistic movement practices. He trains community members at Bronx Legends Boxing Academy, to cultivate focus, inner strength, and mind-body connection through Tai Chi, Qigong, and Internal Martial Arts principles.
Torrence Ested is a passionate Bronx-raised basketball player and Woo Way Basketball Coach who has spent over a decade developing athletes through discipline, mentorship, and a deep love of the game. He was a national champion at Berkeley College - a model of self-matery and dedication. He now inspires the next generation to pursue excellence inside the classroom and on the court.
Brandon Santos serves as the Reporting, Data, and Evaluation Coordinator, supporting community programs by tracking outcomes. Experienced in youth development through roles at AmeriCorps, Legacy Summer Camp, and YouthBuild, Brandon brings strong communication and organization skills; he is passionate about using data to improve program impact and help empower youth and communities.
Aron Myers is an advocate for at-risk and court-involved youth who rose from the foster care system at The Children’s Village to become its Director in Yonkers, using his lived experience to design leadership programs grounded in accountability, responsibility, and personal agency. Now a Teen Leadership and Staff Trainer with Woosaa Wellness, he equips young people with practical, actionable steps that drive behavioral change and empower them to lead with purpose.
Noël Graupner is Woosaa’s Brand Manager and Creative Director. She is responsible for the branding, copy writing, graphic designwork, photography and social media. She is passionate about capturing the creative expression of Woo Way facilitators and practitioners to tell the story of Woosaa Wellness.