Our members are comprised of herbalists, traditional healers, complementary alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, botanical medicine product makers, botanical tradespeople, herb farmers, gardeners, ecologists, students & others who are interested in the vital roles of plants in primary health and wellness, sustainable agriculture, trade, botanical traditions, and ecological preservation.
Herbalists Without Borders is an International Network
Meet the HWB Staff
Denise first joined HWB in 2015 and volunteered as website coordinator before moving into the full time volunteer Executive Director role in fall of 2017. Denise served as ED for HWB from 2017-2022, growing HWB membership by over 600%, fundraising by 1000%, and expanded HWB social media reach from 0-54,000 Instagram followers, 7,000-27,000 Facebook followers, and more! Denise started the Herbal Action Podcast and the Webinar series. Denise also developed the US Seed Grant program and the US Donation Distribution Network, and continues to work as HWB Coordinator for both programs from her farm. Denise is a clinical herbalist, certified aromatherapist, medicinal herb grower & plant conservationist, writer, artist, designer and brand manager, and Permaculture and Advanced Social Systems Designer (PDC). Denise lives at Wholly Rooted Farm, a botanical sanctuary in the United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary Network, where she grows and donates medicinal plants for the HWB seed grants, free clinics, and community outreach.
Sheri Kurdakul is a Community Herbalist, Shamanic Reiki Master Practitioner, and a published best selling author. She is passionate about herbal gardening, writing, building community, and helping people reconnect with the magic in life. She is the managing partner of Sheri Kurdakul LLC, a consulting and publishing business. Sheri was the Founder of EBinRA, Inc. dba VictimsVoice, legally serving victims of domestic violence. She currently serves as the Secretary for Dancing Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Board of Directors. Sheri is the co-Coordinator for the HWB Central Jersey Chapter (US).
Gianina is a community herbalist, Certified Life Cycle® Celebrant, and a program coordinator with 15+ years experience leading inclusive and mission-driven initiatives. She has worked across the non-profit, for-profit, and film sectors and has done everything from strategy to production to hands-on facilitation. Whether she is volunteering for her local HWB project, crafting custom ceremonies, or supporting the administration of HWB, her passion lies in creating thoughtful and detail-oriented experiences.
Gianina first found herbs with her mother’s guidance as a child in their family’s culinary garden. Since then, she studied Herbal Foundations through Mary Blue’s online course and Italian American Folk Medicine under Lisa Fazio. She became a certified celebrant in 2018 with The Celebrant Foundation and Institute and an HWB member in early 2025. Volunteering for HWB is a true joy as it allows her to use her skills to create a direct impact in the herbal community.
Meet the HWB Core Volunteers
Bekah is a dedicated-forever herbalism student, plant grower, and holistic wellness advocate with a passion for community care and accessible herbal education. After spending years working in HR and other corporate roles, she chose to step away from the corporate world to pursue a more aligned path focused on holistic health, herbalism, and connection to the natural world.
Her work centers around cultivating and caring for plants while deepening her studies in herbalism and traditional plant wisdom. She is especially passionate about accessible herbal education, sustainable practices, and supporting community wellness through compassionate service. She brings a heart-centered approach to her volunteer work, combining practical experience with a growing dedication to community herbalism and mutual care.
Deniz oversees operations and customer experience for Sheri Kurdakul LLC, making sure everything is done well and done with quality. He specializes in sales, operations and customer service with over 20 years of experience in the service industry. Deniz is a certified Master Practitioner in Shamanic Reiki and The Andean Sacred Arts. He holds a Master of Communication from University of Hartford.
Wendy is a community herbalist, grant writer, and editor, and has spent her professional career in the nonprofit field. She began studying herbalism in late 2019 at CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism (with Katja Swift and Ryn Madura) and is currently enrolled in their Community Herbalist Program. In 2023, she completed Michigan herbalist jim mcdonald’s 7-month intensive herbalism course lindera. She became a member of HWB in 2020 and began volunteering her editing and writing skills a few years later. She is excited to be a part of an organization that weaves together her passions for both social justice and herbalism.
Wendy has 30+ years of experience in international and community-based nonprofits in the areas of youth development, affordable housing, racial justice, immigrant rights, international violence prevention work, education access, health equity, and support for survivors of gender and political violence. Her roles have included accompaniment, nonviolent direct action, writing/editing, grantwriting/fundraising, and serving as a Director of Development for a community-based nonprofit.
Wendy is also a Reiki Master Teacher and a former Certified Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Practitioner.
Meet the HWB Board of Directors
Amy Fabrikant is a holistic nutritionist, clinical herbalist, reiki practitioner, accupressure and mindfulness based stress reduction practitioner with over 30 years of experience.
In her role, Penny is helping to maintain an accurate and updated database of social media and web pages created by HWB Chapters, Clinics, and Projects, and therefore ensuring consistent branding and messaging across all platforms. She is also aiding in addressing any issues or concerns with pages, helping HWB stay informed about social media trends and generating engaging ideas to ensure HWB's presence remains current and operating with the utmost compliance. Penny is also the Coordinator of our HWB Natural Health Ministry of Madison County, KY Chapter, which offers herbal preparations, workshops and educational resources to their community.
Lily is the founder and herbalist behind Brown Bear Herbs. Arati has 15+ years of experience offering plant medicine and herbal knowledge. Her healing focus is on trauma from sexual abuse and domestic violence, as well as addiction recovery support. She holds a BA from Smith College and received a Master of Nursing and Healthcare Practice degree from the University of Iowa and practiced as an RN for 10 years in the fields of non-vascular neurology and vascular access. This gave her a broad understanding of the human body and western medicine which is very helpful to be a conscientious herbalist. Lily joined HWB to get involved with the Healing Project under HWB.
Interested in Joining the HWB Board of Directors?
Are you an HWB active member interested in serving on the HWB Board of Directors?
HWB is a 501c3 nonprofit NGO. Our Board of Directors includes practicing clinicians, community activists, and those working In their own regions – all with experience as HWB Chapter, Clinic, or Project Coordinators or Community Organizers and Free Clinic Volunteers.
The direct experience of our Board with the HWB Community is critical to continue serving those in our communities that are most often excluded, marginalized, or unable to access healthy food or botanical health care. Our Board Members are not only actively engaged locally, but also can work to support the mission and vision of HWB into the future.
Please read more about the Board of Directors Duties & Requirements and the Board of Elections page where you can also download a Board Recruitment information Packet (PDF).
(Mobile download NOT recommended: 7.5 MB file PDF)