VoiceYourself is more than a website. It is an expression of our collective commitment and diversity to serve the community. It is a team of people who put their hearts and minds to work to support the mission. Here is a glimpse of the crew that gets the job done.

Woody Harrelson
Founder

I spent much of my life following the path, hot on the trail of the American dream. I dreamed of seeing my name in lights and hoped one day everybody would know my name. I later came to realize it wasn’t all about me. Which is why this site is called Woody and Laura’s VoiceYourself. I began to focus less on acting and more on activism. VYS, along with my two daughters, represents the ultimate product of my life’s work.

Laura Louie
Co-founder, Creative Director

One of my first memories of "what I want to be when I grow up" was wanting to be a marine biologist and to swim and work with dolphins and whales all day long. I refer to the sea as my "church" and these days I feel more at home in the water than out. It's where I go to relate to myself and the rest of the world. Her majesty teaches me gratitude, humility, courage, flexibility, patience, playfulness and awareness. When I was in high school, I wanted to become an architect and build sound, functional structures. I am excited about the opportunity to soon design and build our house and am better equipped since I am educating myself about bamboo and other sustainable and recycled materials. We are planting some construction grade bamboo so that we can build our house out of it just three to five years from now. My career dream to become a television news broadcaster came to an abrupt end when my university studies revealed the corporate driven, sensationalism of the field. Coupled with a few first amendment courses, my skepticism about the mainstream media was born. Now, VoiceYourself brings to fruition the dream to communicate about real issues, to activate and inspire people and to create community!

I love to create the space for art of all realms, dynamic philosophical discussions and great food to flow and my kitchen tends to attract all of the above. It gives me tremendous satisfaction to feed folks fresh from our garden. I feel the interconnectedness of us all with our environment and try to live it, understand it and be it. I love to paint and draw (can never do enough), am an avid yoga junkie and waterfall fan and dig on experimental living. I love life!

I feel blessed to be part of this dream team of visionaries that is growing by the day (and that includes you). As the partner of an extraordinary human being, activist and cosmic cowboy, I am thankful for the experiences that each day brings and I so appreciate the laughs! Our deal is he keeps me laughing and I keep him smiling. When I met Woody back in 1987, on the set of "Cheers" (I was in the audience and he was looking for a part-time assistant to help him type up a screenplay. I got the job...), I had no idea of the wild ride that laid before us. Being on a studio lot and seeing all the waste and wood being used for sets (due to obscenely enormous budgets) fueled my fire and his to become activists and explore more sustainable ways to do business. We are both teacher and student to each other in so many ways. Traveling the world and the decades as best friends and partners, our greatest work together that will probably never be topped is our children.

My most treasured and honored position on this planet is that of being a mother. I never knew it would give me so much. I continue to marvel at the beauty, wisdom, humor and love our girls share with us so freely, openly and willingly. They constantly remind me how important it is to always come from the heart since that is all they know. Watching them run to free a butterfly from a spider's web and marvel at a leaf as it gently falls from the sky reminds me of the reverence for Grandmother Earth and Mother Nature that we all have within us. It's up to us to take this mission to heart...to cultivate, maintain, support and protect the environment for our children and the generations to come to know peace and community. The children hold so much hope for our future as a viable healthy society living in harmony with our surroundings and each other. I feel it and I know it. I am looking forward to connecting and being with all of you here at VoiceYourself. Thank you for being a part of my dreams!

Tracy Harshman
Executive Producer

Joe Hickey
Executive Editor/ Moderator

When Woody joined our Kentucky efforts in '94 to legalize hemp as an alternative to tree-paper, it was the beginning of an adventure that's been outrageously fun, comically dangerous, wonderfully enlightening and an inspirational journey of the heart. People often ask...so what exactly do you do? The answer is...because I enjoy trying new things, accomplishing challenging goals and the friendships they create...”whatever needs to be done!" As the fourth of nine kids, I was
always in the middle of things getting the posse together, listening to diverse opinions, settling disputes and hatching a little tomfoolery. All of this prepared me for our challenging work at VoiceYourself of bringing people together, finding the right balance, sharing ideas, making things happen and scattering a little humor along the way.

Growing up I remember repeatedly hearing, "Show me your friends and I tell you who you are." Well...I can't think of a better group of friends to be measured by than my friends here at VoiceYourself.

Barbara Moss
Producer/Moderator

Almost nothing in my peripatetic life as a film/TV/special events producer of documentaries, news and drama could prepare me for this challenging ride called VoiceYourself. It is a mission possible only because of the passionate risk takers that Woody and Laura have trusted to collectively pursue this dream. I couldn’t have known it then but the first time I worked with Woody during his jury trial for planting 4 hemp seeds in KY, would be a pretty good litmus test of what life would be like in the company of these eco-warriors.

The next day, the relief of victory was pumping our adrenaline and for no one more than Woody who was to go live for a Court TV interview. I was in final prep, just minutes to air when Woody and Joe pulled a wickedly funny practical joke on me. Joe called to say, “ Woody’s not coming.” My blood ran cold, I responded with ”well I have to go, I have some work to do.” I took a deep breath and as I turned, there walking in the door, were the perpetrators having a good laugh. A few minutes of fun tested my quick thinking to say nothing of my composure.

The show aired on time, Woody delighted the host, Tom relayed the facts brilliantly, Joe was in the background in his usual supportive role and it was a grand success. Woody finds a way to make us all laugh and feel that together we can work things out. When I joined VoiceYourself I had the unexpected gift to find myself working some incomparable women; Laura, Tracy, Mariko, Sonia and Renee. As always it is a privilege to work with people who expect the best from one another. Now we all have some hard work to do but we are doing it together, with a clear vision. Pinch me when it’s over. What could be better?

Hai Ng
Chief Technology

Just call Hai a modern mage who wields technology as his staff and carries wisdom on his shoulder to light his path. Hai started his first technology company at the age of ten and never looked back. With over twenty years of experience in the field of technology, Hai has never met a piece of equipment he cannot figure out but his true skill lies in his ability to understand people. Apart from being a technologist, Hai is also an artist with accolades in music and dance. He is always working to apply his passionate creativity to the logic of technology to create better solutions to everyday problems. With this broad spectrum of knowledge, Hai develops solutions that are as unique as the individuals they are designed for.

Winner of multiple international awards for his work in multimedia and user interface design, the Museum of Modern Art in NYC has also honored Hai with a commission to be part of a team who built the work environment of the future for an exhibition in New York City.

Apart from being part of Neomancer , Hai is also volunteers his time as a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University’s Office of Scholarly Resources of the Faculty of Medicine providing technological consultation to develop teaching solutions for Columbia’s prestigious College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Sonia Farrell
Mothership co-ordinator , researcher, team rabble rouser

Certainly, I am one of the Children At Play. Every day is an adventure and as anyone who knows Woody knows, just about anything can happen at any time. I feel very privileged to be in a position I love, that allows me personal growth (in fact requires it!) and affords an overall feeling of contributing something to something. I see my role as functionary in helping Woody and other like minded people who come together, to realize their dreams. Whether it may be building a bus, building a web site, greening our world, our sets, or, our concerts. I assist in the general day to day operations of communications and press, liasing between the many different organizations and entities, and last but not least, my personal favorite, I take care of scheduling and calendar. Hard to keep up with that man, let me tell you, around Woody, the dust never settles! I hope to be around for a very long time and look forward to taking a more active role in VoiceYourself and to growing alongside the site and it’s SOL Mates. Let's kick some ass!

Renée Loux Underkoffler
Chef, Contributing Editor, author, illustrator

Vibrant, Independent Woman seeks symbiotic relationship with the world. 5’9", green eyes, blonde, makes wicked chocolate mousse. Culinary mastress and teacher of Integrated Nutrition and Health. Currently lives off the grid in Maui, Hawaii. Travels extensively domestically and abroad. Diligent daily yoga practice. Reading junkie. Author of 2 books. Regularly indulges in endorphins from running to aerobic activities, especially in gorgeous venues with clean air. Dabbles in all religions and spiritualities. Eats organic living food and fresh juice or coconut water everyday possible. University studies in Comparative Religion and English Literature. Founded a raw food restaurant on Maui. Sun-dancer with the Lakota Sioux. Lover of language. Horrible Italian conversational skills. Respectable Kung-fu. Founder of Euphoric Organics. Sports sexy hemp clothes. Game for a good debate. In love with nature. Excellent oral health. Seeking like-minded people for transforming the world. Must be passionate and compassionate. Deep-breathing and mind-expanding activities encouraged. Inquire within.

Dave Frankel
Contributing Editor/Moderator

Business and public interest lawyer, college teacher, healer and activist -helping people, projects, and companies that promote environmental sustainability, social justice and heightened consciousness. Woody and Laura call me "Jesus." Public interest demonstration projects including biofuel and veggie oil cars, off the grid sustainable living (domes, solar, water systems), urban sustainable living (urban earthship) and lightfootprint living which means making conscious personal choices to reduce the ecological footprint. Other work in: industrial hemp, sustainable forestry, non-wood pulp and paper, carbon sequestration/emission reductions, global warming issues, independent film and multimedia production.

Appreciating and celebrating Music, Film, Yoga, Cycling, Travel, Swimming, Floating, Snorkeling, Whale Watching, Organic Vegan Raw Food, Activism, Email, Surfing (Web and Waves), Hiking, Running, Dancing, GD, Phish, String Cheese, All Bob Marley, Moe, and all diverse manifestations of the Divine :)

Tom Ballanco
Contributing Editor/Moderator

In the spirit of one of the great poets of our time ("I am whatever you say I am, If I wasn't then why would I say I am"--Eminem) Tom Ballanco inthe words of others:
Timothy Leary: "Tom keeps up the great West Point tradition of creative thinking, he is an evolutionary agent."
Alice Walker: "Tom amazes and amazes, such adventure, such deep capacity for friendship."
Peter McWilliams: "Tom is brilliant." "Tom is incompetent." "Tom is brilliant."
U.S. Government: "Tom is irrelevant to our decision-making process." "Tom presumably lives in California."
Airline Ticket Counter Agents: "Tom is randomly selected for further screening."
The CIA: "Who?"
Disgruntled People from the Past, Present and Undoubtedly Future: "Tom is an asshole!"
High School Wrestling Coach: "Tom is a late-bloomer."
Everyone Who's Known Him Since: "Tom is late."