Founder, Lead Facilitator

Jess is a certified yoga teacher, functional health coach, lululemon Ambassador, and entrepreneur. She has been practicing yoga for 17 years and teaching for nearly a decade, since completing her 200-hour certification with CorePower Yoga in Chicago. Trained in Vinyasa, Hot, Sculpt, and Yin Yoga, Jess is currently pursuing her 300-hour training with Awakening Yoga Academy, where she continues to expand her studies in breathwork, mobility and mechanics, effective sequencing, and more.

With a bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Illinois, Jess spent the early part of her career in corporate America as an educator in the professional skincare industry—designing curriculum, leading brand trainings, teaching continuing education for adults, and presenting at large national tradeshows. This background in teaching, curriculum development, and professional presentation laid the foundation for creating Collective Flow Yoga Academy and continues to shape her approach to training new teachers.

As founder of CFYA, Jess aims to share the ancient and traditional practice of yoga with humans of our modern-day world, making it accessible and relevant to everyday life. She believes strongly in using the many limbs of yoga as tools for everyday wholeness and health. As Lead Facilitator, she blends her passion for movement, mindfulness, and functional health with authenticity and preparedness, creating a space for students to grow as both humans and teachers.

Lead Facilitator

Paula is a certified E-RYT 500 yoga teacher and licensed Physical Therapist Assistant with a lifelong passion for movement and healing. She holds a BA in Dance and Holistic Health from Prescott College and an MFA in Dance from UW–Milwaukee, where she studied Iyengar Yoga and shortly after completed a mentorship in the Iyengar tradition. Her early years as a dancer, swimmer, and tumbler gave her a deep appreciation for the body’s wisdom, which naturally grew into a career teaching yoga and therapeutic movement.

Since taking her first formal yoga class in 1997, Paula has explored many traditions including Anusara, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Power Yoga,  Yin, and Restorative yoga. She has trained with teachers such as Christina Sell, Janet Lily, and Baron Baptiste, and completed certifications through Kanyakumari Yoga and Ayurveda School and Yoga Renew. In addition to yoga, she is certified in classical Pilates and Personal Training and earned her degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant in 2013, specializing in outpatient orthopedics and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. 

Paula’s teaching blends her clinical knowledge with the heart of classical yoga. Her classes are rooted in alignment, accessibility, and care, helping students find strength, balance, and stillness in their practice. She is passionate about guiding students toward resilience and self-awareness, creating space for both healing and growth on and off the mat.

Facilitator

Emily is a dedicated yoga instructor with a strong academic foundation and a passion for living a balanced lifestyle. She began practicing yoga in 2016 following her high school graduation, having been a three-sport athlete and dealing with a knee injury. It was during this time that she began exploring gentle, low-impact approaches to nurture her body and foster mindfulness.

In 2021, Emily graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a B.S. in Neurobiology and a Studio Art Certificate. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Capella University.

Emily holds a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (200RYT) Certification from Dragonfly Hot Yoga in Madison, WI (2018), and a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (500RYT) Certification from Pranaluz in Costa Rica (2021). Emily has accumulated over 2,000 teaching hours and has an E-RYT500 Certification. 

Emily’s desire to support individuals in developing and personalizing their yoga practice led her to become a Yoga Instructor at Dragonfly Hot Yoga in Madison, WI in 2018. There, she taught weekly classes and led the aromatherapy segment of Dragonfly's Yoga Teacher Training program the subsequent year.

Upon moving to Milwaukee in January 2022, Emily worked as a Yoga and Mindfulness Provider for a community mental health facility, Ascent Wellness Program, through April 2023, where she taught 1:1 yoga sessions for people with mental health disorders.

Also in January 2022, Emily joined Collective Flow MKE as a yoga instructor and was later hired on as the Studio Manager in January 2023. Emily deeply enjoys her time building community and developing her teaching skills at her yoga home, Collective Flow MKE.

Emily brings a holistic approach to her yoga practice and teachings, emphasizing creative sequencing, themed classes, and the importance of mindfulness. Her classes extend beyond the mat, leaving participants rejuvenated and empowered.