BIOS
SOPHIE MONPEYSSEN
CO-FOUNDER
Sophie is a graduate of the Sorbonne holding an MA in Musicology, Psychology and Pedagogy. She has devoted herself to the study of healthcare philosophies and practices that harmonize mind, body and spirit, including sophrology and massage.
Having become a certified instructor from Body Balanced University and Polestar School, Sophie taught Pilates from 2009 to 2016. She is also a certified instructor in Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis®.
In 2011, she created the French Professional Federation of Pilates Practitioners- since renamed FPMP- and served as President of this Federation for six years. Sophie remains an honorary member of FPMP.
Inspired by her training with Spiritual Elders since 2007, Sophie coaches companies and individuals to become the best version of themselves.
Sophie traveled across the world gathering twelve Masters from different Wisdom Traditions who met together for the first time in history at the United Nations in New York City in November 2017.
OLIVIER GIRARD
CO-FOUNDER
Olivier graduated in marketing and international business. He worked as a senior product manager in the Music industry for 10 years, than as a Video Game producer both in Los Angeles and Paris. In 2006, he finally walked away from corporate marketing and media to be fully aligned with his values, and thrived as a music producer, illustrator and freelance web developer.
In 2016, he went on to co-found Le Ciel Foundation, to embrace his life mission and full-time spirituality, as well as becoming a spiritual consultant and coach both for individual and companies.
Olivier started meditating and studying spirituality through the teachings of Buddhist master Tich Nath Han in his Plum Village monastery, then followed Maud Sejournant’s Tolteque training program. He was finally introduced to his actual Spiritual Path in 2005, into which he has been initiated through numerous rituals and ceremonies by diverse Spiritual Elders. This is a path which he pursues to this day.
His implication in Le Ciel Foundation covers the development of spiritual tools, coordinating structure and expansion models, global image, digital marketing, PR and active support in the Council of Twelve. He also joined Sophie and Peter in travels across the world to gather twelve Masters from different Wisdom Traditions who met together for the first time in history at the United Nations in New York City in November 2017.
Olivier co-directed the film THE TWELVE with Lucy Martens.
NINA LOUISA MARTENS
CO-FOUNDER
Nina Louisa Martens is a Freelance Director, Cinematographer and Editor for – International Documentaries, Commercials and NGO Films. Her work has been broadcast on BBC 3, BBC Storyville, PBS, ARTE and CNN. She shoots and edits films for UNHCR, UNICEF, UN World Food Program and National Geographic.
Her feature length documentary “Out of the Ashes” (BBC Storyville) was co-produced by Sam Mendes and won the prominent British Documentary Award “The Griersons” for Best Newcomer Documentary in 2011.
She was DoP of “Peace Unveiled”, one part of the four part PBS series “Women in War and Peace”, which won Best TV documentary on International Affairs for the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best TV documentary in 2011.
Nina Louisa is the DoP of the full length documentary “The Speed Sisters”, which premiered at Hot Docs in 2015, is currently showing at US cinemas and has been translated into more than 30 languages.
She spent two years filming the life and death of a Lakota medicine man on Pine Ridge reservation and is currently filming The Twelve, a feature length documentary that exposes the depth of knowledge and wisdom of twelve distinct indigenous and wisdom tradition elders from around the world, who united for the first time, at a historic meeting in New York in November 2017.
SAM EVITT
CO-FOUNDER
Owner of several successful companies, and founder of a re-wilding and permaculture organisation, Sam co-founded Le Ciel Foundation to create and be part of an ecosystem that could have a positive impact on the planet.
JESSIE BALFOUR LYNN
CO-FOUNDER
Jessie holds an MA in History of Art and Spanish from the University of Edinburgh and a MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development from University College of London.
She is passionate about contributing towards a more ethical, ecologically-minded and conscious global society and is a strong advocate of the role education can play in reshaping individuals and communities. Her Master’s thesis explored ways in which Indigenous Knowledge can be applied to school education to facilitate a shift towards greater environmental sustainability.
Inspired by her training with Spiritual Elders, Jessie co-founded Le Ciel Foundation with the intention of supporting a global shift towards harmony.
As an artist, her watercolour paintings portray the beauty of nature, as a representation of one’s own true nature.
She co-curated Wisdom and Nature, an art exhibition held in support and honour of the Wisdom Council that took place in November 2017.
PETER GIBLIN
CO-FOUNDER
Peter graduated from Eton College and holds a BA in American Studies and Film Studies from Yale University. He holds an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University. He also trained at the Three Doors Teaching Academy of Lama Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and is a founding member of the Yale Alliance of International Alumni.
Peter worked as an assistant for Merchant Ivory Productions on “Remains of the Day” and was a co-producer of the award-winning feature film “The Broken Giant,” and the student Oscar-winning “Tree Shade”.
He developed an interest in producing international conferences at an early age with the Young Presidents Organisation. He was a co-founder, curator and moderator for the Rising Tide Summit Series, a co-curator of Poptech Conference, co-founder of MLOVE Mobile Technology Conference, co-producer of WIRED Magazine’s first UK conference, producer of Innovation Lab at the Festival of Media, Montreux. From cross-pollenating the worlds of science, technology and art, his main focus now is supporting the growth of consciousness in all fields.
Inspired by twelve years of study and two years of teacher training under Lama Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and training with Spiritual Elders since 2012, Peter coaches individuals and companies to become the best version of themselves.
Peter traveled across the world gathering twelve Masters from different Wisdom Traditions who met together for the first time in history at the United Nations in New York City in November 2017
MACIEJ SIEDLAK
CO-FOUNDER
Maciej is driven by helping people reconnect to the true meaning of physical, emotional and spiritual health.
Pursuing different career paths in his own life has helped him to better understand his life purpose and goals. After working as a paramedic for many years his focus has now shifted towards mindfulness, energy healing and consciousness. Maciej, a reflexologist who has developed a unique approach by integrating meditation into the practice, is currently training as an osteopath at The London School of Osteopathy.
Maciej was responsible for many of the logistics involved in bringing together the Wisdom Council, as well as being the main point of contact for the elders, their assistants and translators.
SEBASTIAN CURTIS
CO-FOUNDER
An English teacher and writer, Sebastian’s passion for the environment and natural world led him to look within and teach meditation.
His call to reconnect Humankind with the universe has found a powerful echo within Le Ciel Foundation, which he is a co-founder of.