Ania K. Duensing

Founder and President, Women Of Wellness

Ania Duensing, founder of Women Of Wellness, was born in Katowice, Poland raised in the Midwest and now lives in Santa Barbara, CA. Ania is a domestic violence survivor and has experienced the challenges of living in a low-income situation, trying to make ends meet with little to no support, and often experiencing feelings of discouragement on many levels. By continuing to introduce spiritual, emotional, physical and mental wellness into her life, she is now able to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Ania knows that the basic needs of life, when unmet, can affect a woman’s self esteem.  Ania’s hope is to assist women who have no place to turn and are in need of emotional support. Ania has been helping women on a spiritual and emotional level for several years, and is now able to bring that help to the community on a larger scale. She utilizes a vast network of people with whom she has formed relationships through her company or otherwise. Her goal is to bring support to women who are struggling with the stress that life presents by supplying emotional balance and fully utilizing the resources which are available in this day and age. In addition, Ania plans to assist women in the working world by providing training, career development, and employment through her own company, The Elite Concierge.

Ania currently volunteers with women who are struggling with addiction on all levels, and is the founder and CEO of The Elite Concierge, a personal concierge company which provides services to Santa Barbara residents and visitors alike. Prior to her current position, she was a Human Resources and Operations Manager for a large retailer, traveling throughout the US and giving new stores support by hiring, training and developing the staff and managers.  Ania enjoys the simple things in life such as reading, writing, meditation, hiking, beach walks with her dog Toby, and spending time with her family and friends. You can contact Ania directly at ania@womenofwellnessinc.org

Arielle Dewey

Co-Founder and Secretary, Women Of Wellness

Arielle Dewey is the co-founder of Women of Wellness. A Santa Barbara native, she is dedicated to the empowerment and health of underprivileged women. As a single mother and domestic violence survivor, Arielle has directly experienced many of the life challenges which are often specific to women. A balanced focus on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness have allowed her to break the cycles of low self-esteem, high levels of stress and diminished self-concept often resulting from intimate partner abuse and single parenting on a low-income, freeing her to focus on her son, her goals for the future, and living a more joyful life.

Arielle’s educational background is in business administration and financial analysis, but after a re-evaluation of her life goals, she is pursuing a teaching credential in a high-need field. Arielle is active in the community and works on a volunteer basis with women suffering from their struggles with addiction. She is committed to honoring the courage of the many women who are facing astronomical challenges on a daily basis, and helping them achieve balance and a sense of peace in their lives. When not working, studying, or chasing after her 14 month old son, Johnny, Arielle enjoys dancing, writing, meditation, vegetarian cooking, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends. Due to family circumstances Arielle is not actively working with Women Of Wellness at this time.

Sonja Cutner

Treasurer, Women Of Wellness

Sonja Cutner is a Santa Barbara/Goleta native.  She graduated from UCSB with a degree in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting and a minor in Spanish.  She is currently in the process of obtaining her CPA license and works as a Senior Accountant at Bartlett Pringle & Wolf, LLP Certified Public Accountants and Consultants.  In her spare time she enjoys running, hiking, crocheting and baking as well as numerous other artistic and physical activities. You can contact Sonja directly at scunter@bpw.com 

Katie Cleary

Chair of the Board, Women Of Wellness

Katie Cleary walks into a room with her heart first.  She moved to Santa Barbara in 1990 after attending Xavier University in Cincinnati and has been working in the holistic health field for almost as long.  Graduating from the Body Therapy Institute started her on her path as a massage therapist and seven years later, she started school at the Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine.  Shortly thereafter, Katie moved to Oregon to complete her master's degree at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and to be a stepmom to her stepdaughter, Kaya.  In 2005, Katie moved back to Santa Barbara where she soon began working as a licensed acupuncturist for the past eight years and a massage therapist for the past 18 years, locally.  After the Tea Fire, Katie started SBCHOP (Santa Barbara Community Health Outreach Project), which provides free and discounted services to those dealing with tragedy and catastrophic, life-changing events.  During the Jesusita Fire, she organized a team of six practitioners to setup a healing station at Earl Warren Showground’s for emergency workers.