Our Team
Kari Vernon
Founder & Lead Instructor
Kari began her professional career as a middle school teacher for the Austin Independent School District (Texas). After having devoted a decade in the classroom, she found that beyond instilling knowledge in various subject areas, she was even more passionate about helping students become more confident, empowered and independent—equipping them with real-world social-emotional skills that would serve them for a lifetime.​
Following this discovery and a move to Central Ohio, Kari founded Family Mentor Foundation in 2013. A nonprofit organization whose mission is to create services and partnerships that help fill in the areas lacking in a child's life, Family Mentor Foundation helps meet the nutritional needs of children throughout Central Ohio, so that they can reach their full potential. Since 2013, more than 1,600 students across 36 schools have been served.
Then in 2023, Kari launched her second venture, The MEE Company. Her participation in a local social enterprise accelerator resulted in a $5,000 award in seed money from local foundations. Today, Mee Co. has several offerings for both youth and adults, which educate and empower learners of all ages on developing personalized strategies to promote overall social-emotional well-being, with a special focus on managing exposure to technology.
Kari lives with her husband and children in Worthington, Ohio. She obtained both her Bachelor’s and Master of Education from Wright State University, and received the Novice Teacher of the Year Award from Austin Independent School District.
Additional certifications and training include:
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Certified Six Seconds EQ practitioner
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Transcendental Meditator™
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Heart Math
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Creating Calm and Primal Trust by Dr. Cathleen King
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The Gupta Program- Advanced Brain Retraining
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The Dynamic Neural Retraining System Course by Annie Hopper
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Polyvagal Trained
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SeaChange
