About our Work.

The purpose of The Epicenter is to empower people. We envision a world in which every person lives up to their full potential.

Our work empowers people to question, explore, and connect with themselves, each other, and nature with true curiosity and joy. Through mindfulness practices, artistic self-expression, and by creating a space free of judgment and full of freedom and trust, The Epicenter provides students with a unique experience of self-exploration and self-discovery. This experience calms, centers, and grounds students.

We offer sessions (classes) in California and Michigan and will begin holding sessions in 2023 at our retreat (coming soon). 

We primarily work with students ages 7 -22, and the parents and teachers who support them. Together we are transforming ourselves, our relationship with each other, and the planet. We are The Epicenter.

About Our Team.

Connor Maliesky graduated college as a Mechanical Engineer and worked in the field for 3 years. He taught himself to make guitars during this time and fell in love with the process of turning raw timber into something that lives on to express emotions and feelings. He then began to work at an art-centered makerspace. While there, he learned the ins and outs of LED art and began to appreciate how hi-tech tools such as laser cutters and CNC machines could be used in a creative way. Aside from making things, Connor is fascinated with human behavior and how creativity plays out in the human experience. He's assisted in developing daily readings and reflection questions for an online spiritual community, led group meditations, and aided in retreats online and at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA. It was during this time that Connor began to realize the importance of allowing youth a space to create from the source of their authentic selves. 
Allison Paradise is the founder and CEO of The Epicenter and author of the children's book The Mistake. Prior to founding The Epicenter, Allison was the founder and former CEO of My Green Lab, a non-profit organization with a mission to create a culture of sustainability through science. Under her leadership, My Green Lab became a global leader that has transformed the life sciences industry to be more sustainable. Allison worked as a research scientist and imaging consultant before founding My Green Lab. Allison holds degrees in neuroscience from Brown and Harvard. She is a frequent keynote speaker and in 2019 was invited to give a TED talk about her work in sustainability.​

Read Allison's full bio.