Get to Know Us
mission, values, photos, and the ariser team
At Ariser, we believe that all kids already embody greatness - and it is our mission to support, honor, and nurture them as they grow through childhood, so they never lose sight of how amazing they are. With an emphasis on teaching through connection (what we call heart-based mentoring), we focus on the whole child to nurture authenticity, self-awareness & acceptance, resilience, collaboration & leadership skills, and social-emotional intelligence. ​
How we do it
We are taking education to the next level by empowering kids with mindfulness, life lessons, life skills, and boosted emotional intelligence.​ Our heart-based program ensures each one of our students feels unconditionally loved, accepted, supported, and encouraged by our mentors. We do this by staying centered and present with our students, fostering connection and respect with one another, and honoring who our students are and what they’re feeling.
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Whether it's one-on-one mentoring or leading Bright Knights adventures, the underlying values behind everything we do - our guiding lights - are our Polestars. These virtues and principles help us lead with love and aim to bring out the best in everyone we work with.
NOUN [pohl-stahr]
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Something that serves as a guiding principle
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Something that is the center of attention
At Ariser, Polestars serve as the ideals each student and mentor strive to embody. Compassion, gratitude, humility, perseverance, and other values are at the core of all we do and teach. As with mindfulness, these values are a practice that we cultivate in mentoring sessions, Bright Knights adventures, and everyday life. They are universal and benefit not just the student, but their communities and the world beyond.
Polestar
what we offer
Bright knights, mentoring, special events, and more!
From one-on-one coaching to immersive mystery-adventures, our program
offers guidance in life skills, mindfulness, social-emotional intelligence and more.
Offering classes and mentoring both in-person and online.
Photo Gallery
Click on the images below to see some of our favorite Ariser & Bright knights moments
Jimmy
Jimmy Murn is the Founder, CEO, and lead teacher of Ariser. With a curiosity and passion for education and thinking outside the box, Jimmy has created a unique curriculum based on his 14+ years of experience working with kids, his specialized knowledge of social-emotional care, and his mindfulness practice of 25+ years,
His mission to be a positive force in the lives of kids became his signature program - Life Champions. Drawing from his own experiences of going from an enthusiastic A-student to feeling lost and unseen in the conventional education system, Jimmy created a program dedicated to supporting the whole child that strives to ensure each student feels seen, heard, and accepted.
His love of writing stories and a childhood of building forts in the Wisconsin Oliver Woods fostered a love of nature and learning through play that has influenced his work with Ariser. He loves going on adventures with Ariser students and seeing them learn and grow in their own unique ways.
Meet The ariser Team
Alberto
Alberto is an invaluable Ariser team member with a background in acting, music & film production, as well as various roles in the Los Angeles Public Unified School District and private school sector. Born in Ecuador and raised in Los Angeles by a family of educators, musicians, and school administrators, Alberto offers a broad perspective and unique skill set that make him particularly equipped to foster connection, imagination, critical thinking, curiosity, and kindness with his students.
Alberto has many roles at Ariser, including teacher, one-to-one mentor, and character actor in Bright Knights. He loves connecting with kids and helping usher their minds and hearts into new and unexplored realms. When he isn’t bringing Bright Knights characters to life, mentoring, or teaching our Ariser Pro Life Skills classes, he loves going on road trips. He’s well on his way to achieving his goal of visiting every US state - only 30 more to go!
anais
Anais’ incredible empathetic and caring nature make her an amazing addition to our team. With a degree in social work, certifications in yoga for kids and teens, and coaching, she brings an amazing inclusive, calming, and nurturing energy to her work as an Ariser Mentor and Bright Knights instructor.
Early in her social work career, she understood the importance of being in contact with one’s mind, body and soul for a healthy life. Throughout the last decade, she has practiced multidisciplinary techniques such as dance, mindfulness, and meditation in both her personal and professional life. In addition to her work teaching parenting classes, tutoring, and behavioral intervention with kids on the autism spectrum, her wide range of experience and rich background makes her an incredible mentor and instructor.
When she isn’t following her passion for working with kids and families, she loves dancing, yoga, painting, meditation, reading, traveling, and going to the theater
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Erin
Erin’s love for helping others and working with kids makes her an incredible Bright Knights co-teacher consultant and lead admin.
In addition to her ASC Teacher Training certificate, Erin is a Board-Certified Doctor of Audiology who specializes in working with children. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Erin moved to Los Angeles to begin her career helping people to hear and communicate better in the world around them. She is also a professor at California State University, Los Angeles, mentoring doctoral students and guiding them on their path to become grounded and compassionate audiologists.
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Gaby
Gaby, born and raised in New York City, has been working with children of all ages in the greater Los Angeles area for the last several years. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Technician, specializing in one-one-one Applied Behavioral Analysis for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and related disorders, and she is currently studying Early Childhood Development.
From one-on-one mentoring to appearing in character to support the immersive narratives told through Bright Knights Adventures, Gaby is dedicated to the careful art of nurturing a fun, safe and connected space for kids to be themselves and grow along the way!
Mr. G
Josh Galitsky has a Master of Arts in Theatre Education, and he is a passionate, empowering, and empathetic instructor and mentor. Josh creates safe, creative, and vibrant playgrounds using imagination, original story narrative, and unique character play to help guide children into confidently exploring their joys, strengths, and skills.
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As a support character in Bright Knights Adventures, Josh fully immerses himself in his characters and brings great energy to the missions. .
He says, “Nothing fulfills me more than helping children grow and explore through using their imaginations.”
Amanda
Amanda is our newest addition to the Ariser Team. Working behind the scenes, Amanda brings her versatile background of experience as a creative business owner, artist, and mother to help Ariser with everything from web design, marketing and photography to customer service and day-to-day operations. A recent graduate from Cal State Long Beach, her degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality allows her to bring an empathetic, loving, and diverse background to her work at Ariser.
As a mother of three kids who love Bright Knights, Amanda has a special place in her heart for the work Ariser does to foster kid’s imaginations, authenticity, and mindfulness.