Perspective: A New Mother 18 Years Later
Perspective – gaining it (“please get some…”), holding onto it (“let’s have a little…”), letting it go...
1 articles
Leya Simmons Samiloglu
Leya Simmons Samiloglu is a passionately articulate advocate for causes and entities sharing her commitment to advocacy, social justice and wellness. After working as a private art dealer, gallery owner and art consultant for over fifteen years, Leya turned her focus to various nonprofit causes that she had enjoyed supporting in myriad ways. Throughout her art consultant career, Leya served on several nonprofit committees and boards, among them the Austin Museum of Art board of advisors, the Texas Film Hall of Fame and the Art Association of Jackson Hole board of directors. In 2011, Leya began working full-time for nonprofit and issue-driven causes. For Be One Texas, a donor alliance championing progressive causes, Art Alliance Austin, Community Yoga Austin, Anthropos Arts, Austin Recovery, and University High School, among many others, Leya has been a fundraising and event consultant, served as Executive Director and has worked to create social justice change in Austin by advocating for artists, the arts and socially marginalized populations. Following a 14 year old passion for Ashtanga yoga (a practice that got her thru a difficult marriage and her first round of babies), Leya is also a 500-hour RYT yoga teacher. She teaches vinyasa flow and mindfulness-based yoga in various studios around Austin and for Community Yoga Austin, as a part of their recovery yoga program. Proudly, profoundly and most importantly, Leya is a mother, step-mother and wife to her greatest teachers. With 4 kids ages 17-10, her 8 month old baby, Bastion, and 10-year old Jack Russell terrier, Dolce, Leya and her partner, Tunc, hold court to the mayhem, chaos and love that is their Austin home.