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, also known as Yoko, is a multi-spirited Graphic Designer, Artist, Maker and Educator. After practicing yoga for over a decade, Yoko became a certified Yoga Instructor in 2024 specializing in meditation and breath work. As an Abòrìṣà (practitioner) in the Lucumí tradition of Ifà, Yoko’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. Yoko enjoys seeing intangible ideas come alive through tangible objects. She develops apparel and home goods collections around mantras that help people see themselves.
Yoko has been a freelance Designer and consultant helping small businesses develop their brand and strengthen their digital voice since 2012. During Yoko’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. Yoko 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, Yoko launched a lifestyle apparel and home goods brand called ItsMeAri. Later, in 2014, Yoko 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.
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 is also known as, Iya Omioki, she is an Ìyálòrìṣà (initiated priest) in the Lucumí tradition of Ifá. She is also a Yaya Nganga /Ngangankisi (initiated priest) in the Palo Mayombe tradition of Kongo.
Iya Omioki is a trained Western Clinical Herbalist, Onìṣégún, and certified Ayurveda Health Counselor, with over 2,000 hours of classroom and clinical experience. Iya Omioki is began studying Ayurvedic Medicine in 2023. During her graduate studies Iya Omioki has continued to deepen her wealth of knowledge and experience with herbal formulation, rejuvenative and detox therapies, bodywork, acupressure, yoga, meditation, and breathwork.
In October 2016, Iya Omioki completed a full spectrum doula training. Iya Omioki 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, Iya Omioki became a certified Peer Lactation Support Counselor.