Meet the Team

Mark Schultz, Co-Founder

Mark is cofounder of the NVC Academy. He was introduced to Nonviolent Communication in 1989, and has been enthusiastic about NVC ever since. Mark started a web design consultancy in 1995, and together with Mary, created the first online training site for Nonviolent Communication in 2006.

Mary Mackenzie, CEO & Co-Founder

Mary Mackenzie, M.A., is an author, trained mediator, and CNVC Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication. She holds a master's degree in human relations from Northern Arizona University and is the CEO of the NVC Academy, the only online school for learning Nonviolent Communication.

Mary teaches Nonviolent Communication and other spiritually-based programs to individuals, couples, families, organizations, and spiritual communities through a wide variety of workshops and retreats. Her book Peaceful Living: Daily Meditations for Living with Love, Healing and Compassion (translated to German and Korean and soon into Chinese (simplified) offers inspiring practical methods for creating peace in our everyday lives.

As a pioneer of online NVC training, Mary runs her company in harmony with what she teaches. She and NVC Academy co-founder, Mark Schultz, paved the way to NVC online training in 2006 and have been instrumental in alleviating the financial and geographical barriers to learning NVC skills.

One of her passions is facilitating critical dialogues between people, and she has spent more than 20 years learning a wide variety of effective processes she can draw on in a moment's notice. Known for her clear communication style, she is especially skilled in helping individuals within groups put aside their preferences and find ways to collaborate with each other that are in alignment with their values. Her ability to cut through the confusion in a group has helped many teams quickly move forward in their desired progress.

Melissa Pai Ling, NVC Library Editor

With a talent for developing creative solutions and bringing a high level of attention to both "big picture" and detail in her work, Melissa's background includes:

• Implementing over four years of NVC leadership, in various contexts
• Honing her seven years of writing and editing experience
• Applying collaboration and customer service in various organizations since 1996
• Developing and running entrepreneurial ventures since 2001, and
• Consistently incorporating NVC learning and practice since 2012

Besides deepening her NVC integration and questioning NVC culture, things that bring Melissa joy are dance flash mobs, improv games, mutual inspiration, empowerment, and daydreams of "being in a serene, cuddle-snuggle pile of chubby kitties and bunnies".

Ranjitha Jeurkar, Social Media Manager

Ranjitha Jeurkar manages NVC Academy's social media presence and is a Certified Trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication. She lives in Bangalore, India, where she shares NVC with individuals and organizations.

Ranjitha began her career as a communications professional, and has worked in the non-profit sector, in the space of mental health awareness, for the last six years. She brings her skills from both of these spaces to the work she does now. "For the last couple of years, I've been exploring ways in which I can make cooking extremely simple: how do you break down complicated-sounding recipes to clear instructions anyone can follow and apply? My approach to sharing Nonviolent Communication is similar; it's about how we can begin exploring and living these principles in our daily lives, starting from where we are now."

Robin O'Brien, Operations Director

Robin's current life roles include wife/partner, mother, homeschool teacher, caretaker, social activist, and student of life and love. Her 20 year relationship with her husband, Pat, has been a tremendous source of motivation and support for healing and growth. She is passionate about creating social change and world harmony through compassion, parenting, and community. Robin has worked with NVC Academy since 2014. Her role has evolved and grown and she is often heard saying, "It is amazing that I get to do what I love every day and get paid for it too!"

Sofie De Wulf, Promotion & Outreach Coordinator

Sofie leads the Promotion and Outreach program at NVC Academy, supporting the Academy’s mission through thoughtful communication, community-building, and strategic coordination. She is a Digital Project Manager specializing in Promotion and Communications, Community and Events Management, Fundraising, and Social Change initiatives, with a strong background in the arts. Sofie founded and ran the NGO MasterPeace México for 7 years, leading cultural projects that promoted a culture of peace among young people in Mexico City through art and community engagement. She is a CNVC certification candidate and offers Nonviolent Communication workshops for young people, social entrepreneurs, and organizations.

Vaneet Bajaj, Publisher

Vaneet has been associated with NVC academy since 2019. He is an IT professional with more than 12 years of experience playing different roles and helping multiple organizations worldwide. His core experience area is Online Marketing. He lives in New Delhi, India with his lovely wife, a 3 years old baby girl, and a dog. Other than working for NVC Academy, Vaneet's interests include investing in the stock market, traveling, technology, and movies.