The Lotus Project began like the Lotus flower...rising from the "mud."

Founded by Susan Cherin and Kayla Piscatelli, the idea for The Lotus Project came from a shared dream of changing the world through the arts...one human at a time.

Prior to founding LOTUS, Susan and Kayla had spent 15 years working together to build a vibrant, wonderful, arts community in which they produced 5+ musicals a year, ran a performing arts summer camp with over 80 children, taught classes to both tiny humans and adults, and much more.

Then...they fell in love. Oops ;).

They were told they could not continue to work together in the community if they were to pursue a romantic relationship.

However, the magic of what they had built only existed because they had built it together.

So, they knew there was only one, brutiful (brutal and beautiful - thank you Glennon Doyle) choice to make:

let all they had built go and begin again..

And thus, The Lotus Project was born. 

Kayla and Susan have spent the last 4 years creating a new community in which love, inclusion, acceptance, belonging, empathy, and kindness are at the forefront. Where the voices and stories of those whom society tries to silence are amplified. Where every human, of every age, gender, sexuality, race, cultural/ethnic background, religion, and socio-economic status can come to feel not only included, but celebrated EXACTLY AS THEY ARE. 

With over 40 years of combined professional experience in theatre, dance, and music, Susan and Kayla knew they had both the skills and the passion to make something beautiful out of a terrible situation - and so they worked tirelessly to build a life that is truer and more beautiful than the one they had before. 

4 years ago, they could never have imagined the road ahead and the challenges they would face. 

Today, they are happily married, have a goofball puppy named Navi who causes mayhem on the daily, and continue to dream big about all the ways art could change the world.

And as difficult as some of it has and continues to be (because isn't that life?), they would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Thank you for reading our story, we are thrilled to have you as part of the LOTUS family!