Our Founders
The Sanctuary is co-founders, Stephanie & Etecia Burrell’s first brick-and-mortar. It is the home for their brands Worthy Beings and Letthemflourish.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
Stephanie Burrell, Co-Founder
Stephanie Burrell is a multi-spirited Graphic Designer, Artist, Maker and Educator. She enjoys seeing intangible ideas come alive through tangible objects. This inspires her creative pursuits such as developing apparel and home goods collections and challenges her to be the best designer she can be. Stephanie has been a freelance Designer and consultant helping small businesses develop their brand and strengthen their digital voice since 2012.
During Stephanie’s time as a graduate student at The New School’s Parsons School of Design, her eyes were opened to the limitlessness of creative communication. Stephanie believes that one of the best skills she has cultivated as a Designer is the ability to communicate concisely and in a way that fosters meaningful connection.
In 2013 Stephanie launched a lifestyle apparel and home goods brand called ItsMeAri. Later, in 2014, Stephanie launched a brick-and-mortar print shop in Brooklyn, New York , Thee Art Cave, offering custom screen-printing services to the local community. In 2016, Stephanie pivoted from ItsMeAri and re-branded her apparel and home goods business as Worthy Beings ® Worthy Beings offers the community mantras to adorn themselves and their homes with.
After practicing yoga for over a decade, Stephanie became a certified Yoga Instructor in 2024 specializing in meditation and breath work. As an Abòrìṣà (practitioner) in the Lucumí tradition of Ifà, Stephanie’s intentions in her yoga practice is to center African people and help to re-connect her community to these mindfulness practices that have their origins in our indigenous African spiritual traditions.
Etecia Burrell, Co-Founder
Etecia is Black, queer, a mother, 4th generation Bayview Hunter’s Point San Francisco native, and founder of Letthemflourish ® a holistic wellness brand and birthing temple. Etecia has curated a life centered around social justice and more specifically Black liberation.
Etecia has been a lifelong lover of plants and food based healing. Her radical approach to clinical herbalism is rooted in ancestral wisdom and practices. Etecia, also known as Iya Omioki, is an Ìyálòrìṣá (initiated priest) of Yemaya in the Lucumí tradition of Ifá. With the guidance and mentorship of her elders, Iya Omioki is studying ancient indigenous West African spiritual and physiological healing traditions.
Etecia Burrell is a trained Western Clinical Herbalist, Onìṣégún (Herbalist in indigenous Yorùbá medicine), and Ayurveda Health Counselor, with over 2,000 hours of classroom and clinical experience.
Etecia is currently studying Ayurvedic Medicine with the goal of becoming a board certified Ayurveda Practitioner. The focus of Etecia’s research and learning is on lifestyle, nutrition, and chronic disease management
In October 2016, Etecia completed a full spectrum doula training. Etecia has also been a certified Queer Preconception & Reproductive Health Counselor since 2016 and provides fertility doula support to people who are navigating their conception journey. In 2022, Etecia became a certified Peer Lactation Support Counselor.