ABOUT US

Based in Illinois, we collaborate with public institutions such as the Museum of Science and Industry, Old Town School of Folk Music, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago (United Nations Festival), Joffrey Ballet, Ogden International School, Interamerican Public Schools, and Rogers Park Montessori School.We are committed to fostering positive change through education, research collaboration, and environmental advocacy. By bridging tradition with innovation, we strive for a future where culture, sustainability, and community well-being thrive together.

OUTREACH

ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM - LAKE MICHIGAN

Pachacamak believes that nature give us everything without any trade or money charge. It is free. Nature only ask our protection.Learn More...

Thanks to all of the amazing guardians of nature! Your help cleaning Montrose beach is priceless. It was great to see you and connect with you and nature!

VISION

We envision a future where people, nature, and culture exist in harmony. Through our work with Yaku, we promote clean water, biodiversity, and sustainable communities for a healthier planet.

MISSION

Pachacamak Foundation supports circular economic growth and restores nature through water conservation and community-led action. We empower individuals and organizations to create a more sustainable world.

ART PROGRAM

Honoring Tradition, Inspiring InnovationPachacamak Art is a creative initiative dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich artistic heritage of the Andean culture while fostering contemporary expressions that honor tradition and inspire innovation. Through visual arts, music, dance, and storytelling, we celebrate the deep connection between creativity, identity, and the natural world.

ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM

Yaku Water Conservation Program: Water heals, let us heal waterWater is sacred, a source of life and knowledge. In Kichwa, “Yaku” means water, and through the Yaku Program, Pachacamak Foundation leads efforts in water conservation, restoration, and protection to sustain ecosystems and communities.Yaku is committed to raising awareness about microplastics and plastic pollution, emphasizing their impact on our sacred waters, human health, and biodiversity. Through education, advocacy, and grassroots, community-driven initiatives, we promote urgent action to reduce plastic waste and protect water ecosystems. By demonstrating how plastic contamination affects water, biodiversity, and human well-being, we inspire collective efforts toward a healthier, more sustainable future.Our mission is to forge a future rooted in resilience, wisdom, and deep respect for our sacred waters and all biodiversity. Through community-driven shoreline clean-up efforts, workshops, research, and advocacy, we cultivate a profound connection between people, water, and all living beings that depend on healthy ecosystems. By empowering communities through hands-on conservation initiatives, we highlight the urgent need to safeguard our water resources, restore ecological harmony, and protect the interconnected web of life.

FOUNDER

CARMEN EDITH PACHACAMAC FREEZECarmen Edith Freeze was born Carmen Edith Pachacama-Pachacama in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, South America, where the latitude is nearly 00° 00’ 00”—a place rich in traditions, magic, and love. Her family name, Pachacama, originates from Pachacamak, the name of the pre-Inca spirit leader god of the Indigenous people of what is now Peru. The Temple of Pachacamak was located in the valley south of present-day Lima, Peru. Pacha translates as “the world,” while camak is thought to mean either “spirit” or “animator.” The knowledge of Pachacamak was later integrated into Inca beliefs about the sun. In Inca tradition, the spirit leader was also called Pachayachachik, meaning “Teacher of the World.” Pachayachachik was sometimes depicted as the son of the spirit leader or as a human with miraculous powers who, as a cultural hero, was responsible for bringing humanity the arts of civilization following the mythological flood and the creation or recreation of humankind.

Carmen Edith began her artistic journey at the age of five, training with the Youth Ballet of Quito, and at eight, she joined the School of Youth Gymnastics of Pichincha. By age 11, she was deeply involved in Andean Afro-Ecuadorian folk art and attended Colegio Experimental Simón Bolívar, where she studied folk dance performance and choreography under Mrs. Susana Rosero. She has performed with the Simón Bolívar Theater and La Casa de la Cultura, with her primary Andean dance role being the “Aya Huma” or “Spirit Head.” In addition to her artistic training, she pursued studies in Science in Commerce and Administration and later attended Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial for two years of Financial Engineering.In 2000, Carmen Edith moved to the United States, where she attended Loyola University in Chicago to study American Culture and ESL. She is also a Northwestern University-certified trainer in the Children and Adolescents Strengths and Needs (CANS) system, which helps shape policies and practices at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS).

She directed multiple projects with Northwestern University's Mental Health Services and Policy Program, overseeing Integrated Assessment, the Child and Youth Investment Team, and Intact Families. She also served as a Research Project Manager in the Biostatistics Division, leading the GO MOMs study. In her current role, Edith works as a Community Scientist at Northwestern University’s Cancer Center Department.Carmen Edith's strengths lie in economics, research, and analysis, and she is passionate about economic development for Indigenous women, children, and natural resource protection. She has a strong background in economics, research, and development, holding a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics and a Master of Science in Economics and Policy Analysis from DePaul University.Her career includes impactful contributions, such as her research with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data, where she developed manual datasets linking policy changes to potential penalties in Illinois as part of her master's research at DePaul University.

CYDNEY CLEVELANDCHIEFCydney joined Pachacamak folk Foundation in 2007 and continue given the Chief Executive her annual evaluations regarding the performance in achieving Pachacamak Folk Foundation mission.

STEFANIE SHANEBROOKVICE CHIEFStefanie Shanebrook has been with Pachacamak Folk since 2007. She holds an MA in Art History and an MAT in Elementary Education. A former museum educator, she has been teaching kindergarten at Ogden International School, a Chicago Public School, since 2015. Although most of her dance experience is in ballet, she enjoys the collective experience of folk dance.

TRACY FEHRENBACHBOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERTracy Fehrenbach, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago where she serves as the Co-Director of the Center for Child Trauma Assessment and Service Planning. For the past 15 years, Dr. Fehrenbach has specialized in research, evaluation and clinical work.. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented nationally and internationally on these topics.

NINA SANDERSBOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERNina Sanders, Senior Fellow at the University of Chicago, Neubauer Collegium, is a curator, writer, and culture consultant. Sanders has done work for the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, NM, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, and the Field Museum in Chicago where she curated the groundbreaking exhibition "Apsaalooke Women and Warriors".

KATIE CONDONFLORA AND FAUNA ADVOCATE RESEARCHERKatie started in Pachacamak foundation in 2021: mostly being involved in the Saturday morning beach cleanups at Montrose bird sanctuary and becoming more and more in love with the water from there. Katie started becoming more interested in the natural world in college when joining a local CSA (community supported agriculture) and then traveling to work on organic farms through WWOOF which stands for World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming. Going on to teach at a nature school in Northern CA and studying herbalism. She is currently getting her masters degree in Chinese Medicine outside of Chicago and learning more herbal medicine from that tradition. Her mission with Pachacamak is to continue the clean ups while also learning about our local plants and animals and how to best protect and honor them.

LARA DUNBARLOCAL SUSTAINABLE ARTIST:
CREATIVITY WITH A CONSCIENCEMy name is Lara Dunbar and I have been a resident of Uptown since 2007. I have three boys, so I spend lots of time outdoors and in nature. One of our favorite places in the city is Montrose Beach, and we always try to leave it in better shape than when we found it. That means cleaning up any garbage that we come across, as well as participating in the Saturday cleaning efforts close to the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary. We also participate in cleaning up trash around our neighborhood. And we always bring our own water bottles and straws to help cut down on plastic waste.I’m excited to be part of the Yaku Program as a local sustainable artist. I have been making jewelry since I was very young, stringing together beads from broken necklaces and turning them into something new. Using recycled materials is a core part of my identity in trying to reduce waste to leave this planet in good shape for my boys.

JULIE BRANNENCONSERVATION ADVOCACY EXECUTIVEJulie Brannen's mission is to restore, rewild, + reunite humanity with nature via the avenues of creativity, community, education, health + wellness.Her greatest joy comes from guiding folks into an organic + compassionate practice of fiercely approaching vulnerability + embodying whole-hearted living. Her goal is to create brave, inclusive spaces in order to allow for radiant expression, courageous liberation, + uplifting connection.Currently, as a performing artist, she shares her self-love journey in the form of burlesque + erotic dance as persona Frann Fatale. As a somatic counselor + dance/movement therapist, she is the Founder of her own private practice Hues of Wholeness. As a trained birth doula, she supports mothers + families during pregnancy + childbirth. She also facilitates transformative festivals in the Chicago // Midwest area + hosts retreats, trainings, + immersions internationally.Additionally, she is the Founder + “Mama Wolf” of SheWolf Sacred, an intersectional, socially responsive, artistic community dedicated to honoring the embodied Divine Feminine.She is a Certified Reiki Master Teacher (Usui + Holy Fire), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Registered Dance/Movement Therapist, with a Master of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy + Counseling, + Graduate Laban Certificate in Movement Analysis from Columbia College

NICOLA LANCKIBIOSTATICIANNicola (Nikki Lancki) is a biostatistician and public health professional who collects, analyzes, and interprets data to inform interventions and practice.Nikki currently works at Northwestern University as a Senior Biostatistician in the Department of Preventive Medicine Division of Biostatistics and Informatics. She previously worked in public health settings as an Epidemiologist with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Tuberculosis Control, and with the Illinois Department of Health Refugee Health Program. She has also worked in HIV research including the Women’s Interagency HIV Study and the University of Chicago Center for HIV Elimination. Nikki has great appreciation for the value of community-based research and believes community driven collaborative work is vital to having meaningful impact.She is inspired by the mission of Pachacamak and the sharing of traditional values to foster care for the water, shared environment, collaboration, and community. She hopes to continue to learn from the community and apply this knowledge to be a better steward in her own life. She brings analytic skills and perspectives on data and analyses to inform and support the important work being done by the organization and advocate for positive change.

DAVID WALDMANDavid Waldman, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, is a dedicated consultant with a passion for advancing environmental and conservation efforts. As a regular participant in the weekly Montrose Beach cleanup, he finds fulfillment in fostering both personal and community connections to nature. His approach is grounded in the belief that healing the natural world ultimately leads to healing ourselves.

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