Founder - Jill McDonald

Jill McDonald is an entrepreneur, experience designer, and creative. She is a certified Yoga teacher and lifelong student of spiritual practices from around the world (meditation, buddhism, Vippasana, TM). She holds a BSSc in Development Studies, and a BFA in Industrial Design from AAU, San Francisco. In 2014 she launched Deep House Yoga, offering pop-ups and retreats focused on the healing power of yoga, music, sound healing and community. After many years experience in event production and contributing to multiple corporate Yoga and Retreat programs (Lyft, Academy of Art, Chronicle Books and more), she is excited to be combining her creativity, knowledge and passion into the co-creation of Lacuna Wellness. Jill was born in Europe, and now calls SF home with her son, Luca-Amine, and life-partner Najib Hadir (their family name is McHadir). She is a first-generation immigrant to the USA. She aims to be graceful and humble with herself and others as a life-long practice.

Founder - Brittany Tilleman

Brittany Tilleman is founder of The Waking Hour, a Bay Area company that produces wellness-inspired festivals, seminars, and corporate events. She has a BA in Holistic Health, Psychology and Eastern Philosophy from SFSU. She has been a serial entrepreneur in the San Francisco Bay Area since the late ‘90s when she established her entertainment marketing firm, YBR Promotions. In 2015 she partnered with All Day I Dream to begin throwing biannual festivals in Golden Gate Park and the Port of Oakland, producing The Waking Hour: a yoga, meditation, and sound healing experience. After two decades of working with numerous brands such as the SF Giants, Live Nation, and Intel, Brittany saw first hand how taxing the corporate environment could be. This led her to begin developing her own program for C-level executives based on self-care and creating work-life balance, inspired by her own journey towards wellness as a mother and business owner. In 2019 she began teaching her program, the T.H.R.I.V.E. Method at conferences such as World Forum Disrupt alongside executives from Twitter, Google, LinkedIn and Lyft. From team training to event production and public speaking, Brittany strives to educate others in way that supports diversity and inclusion. Her BeSpoke workshops include sharing stories of vulnerability and personal evolution, self-care tools, exercises in empathy building, meditation, creative visualization, and various healing art therapies, all in a safe and professional environment.

A little back-story on how the pandemic brought us together to do this work…

Jill became a new mother in May 2020, at the height of the first wave of the pandemic. She was separated from her partner who went on a quick business trip to Germany, and 9 weeks later after getting caught up in the COVID travel ban, he made it back with just 5 days to spare before baby Luca-Amine, arrived, at home. She was made furlough from her events role at her company, and was unable to create or host any of her own brand DHY in-person events. Literally, everything in her world changed in a matter of weeks.

Similarly, Once the pandemic hit, Brittany’s event marketing company, YBR, was dramatically impacted, as a result of the prohibition of large-scale in-person gatherings. In addition to the challenges of a shuttered company and home schooling her daughter, she lost her father and step-mother, and began suffering from an unknown neurological disorder: Her life was in upheaval. But having spent decades researching, learning, and practicing various wellness and spiritual traditions, Brittany used this transitional time to reflect and heal, eventually leading to her decision to move fully into the wellness sphere with The Waking Hour and use her experiences and challenges to help others.

Then in January 2021, Jill’s son was diagnosed with a rare, and chronic illness, and after a year of intense and failed medical treatments, she and her family navigated a very complex surgery and recovery. These challenges were profound, and have forever changed the course of her life and her work. She credits her life-long Yoga practice for continuing to help her through this extremely challenging experience.

Having worked together professionally, Jill and Brittany developed a bond during the pandemic, both sharing their struggles and providing wisdom and support for the other, encouraging self-care, optimism, and strength amidst the uncertainty, stress, and emotional turbulence. In their open communication and empathy towards one another, they also realized how much they share in common and how their various skill sets and passion for wellness could allow them to create something worthwhile for others. They are both passionate about sharing their stories and what they learned and are still learning, and to be of service to those navigating challenging times. It is now their life’s work to provide healing spaces, places, and offerings to help people de-stress, heal, and grow despite, beyond, and through the heart of challenges. They are studying meditation and compassion training with the Compassion Institute, and look forward to sharing this wisdom and other healing practices with the world.