team members
Canine Inspired Change is a small but mighty team of people! Meet those who are behind the scenes below! Want to see our board? Click here!
Danielle Graczyk
Founder | Executive Director | Dog Trainer
CIC began in 2010, when professional dog trainer Danielle Graczyk became aware of the role her dogs played in her recovery. Recognizing the support her dogs brought to her during this hard time, she felt called to share her experience with others. Canine Inspired Change developed organically from her dog behavior knowledge and personal evolution. On this path Danielle developed relationships with legal experts, behavioral analysts and education experts, all reinforcing the transformative nature of connection and community, inspired by the unconditional, non-judgmental love dogs provide.
Taylor Iverson
Program Director | Teacher | Dog Trainer
Taylor came to CIC while trying to find a Therapy Dog organization that was a good match for her Golden Retriever, Dory. Upon completion of the course and volunteering at CIC sessions, Taylor felt a deep connection with the mission of CIC. She started out her professional career in a nonprofit animal shelter. She attended the University of Minnesota and earned her BS in Companion Animal Science. Additional professional experiences include working in many doggy daycares/boarding facilities, vet clinics, dog rescue, and dog training at facilities. Taylor is Fear Free certified(FFCP), an American Kennel Club(AKC) approved evaluator for Canine Good Citizen, STAR Puppy, and Trick Dog programs, a member of the Association for Professional Dog Training International (APDT) organization, and is a certified Family Dog Mediator(FDM). Outside of the professional sector, Taylor enjoys crafts, hiking, and a good tv show.
Alyssa Boldischar
Director of Operations | Teacher
Alyssa met Danielle at a charity therapy dog calendar photoshoot in 2013. She instantly fell in love with what Canine Inspired Change does and how the organization brings people together to positively change lives. In addition to volunteering with her dogs she has also served on the Board of Directors for the last 10 years. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys spending time with family, friends and her dogs, creating pottery, fishing, crystal mining, and hanging out at the lake.
Kate McMullen
Finance Director | Teacher
Kate’s passion for community involvement and belief in the healing power of animal-human connections drives her work at Canine Inspired Change. Kate got her start at CIC as a therapy dog team with her yellow lab, Millie. As Program Director, she spearheads the day-to-day operations of CIC, connecting CIC therapy teams with schools and community programs and building relationships with people interested in learning how to “do good with their dog.” In her free time, Kate loves spending time with her family and exploring new places, preferably in the great outdoors.
Mara Winke
Development Director
Mara Winke joined CIC in 2024 to develop new sources of revenue through fundraising and grant writing. Mara has served as a fundraising consultant to nonprofits in the Twin Cities for over 20 years. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and holds an MBA in Nonprofit Management from the University of St. Thomas and a BA from St. Olaf College. A lifelong pet lover, Mara is passionate about the mission of CIC and the healthy impact that it is making in our community. When she’s not working, Mara enjoys running and being outside with her dogs, sun or snow. She is hoping to try skijoring with them this winter
Gina Landsee
Mental Health Advisor
Gina is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) who has been journeying with people for the last 15 years (12 years in rural Wisconsin and the last 3 years in the Twin Cities). Gina connected with CIC through CIC's partnership with Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities. Gina got a new puppy, Fozzie, in March of 2021 and immediately started training with Danielle to ensure that the best puppy human relationship would be developed. Gina and Fozzie became a CIC therapy dog team in March of 2022. Gina will be developing the therapist role at CIC as it is a new position and will be engaging with therapeutic curriculum development, leading classes, research, and data collection. Gina takes a person centered approach when working with individuals and is able to view people through a trauma focused lens. Gina is DBT, EMDR, and AIR Network trained. Gina loves walking alongside people as they move towards healing and growth. Gina spends most of her time hanging out with Fozzie, hiking, paddleboarding, and spending time with friends and family.
Mark Stary
Teacher
Mark Stary is a musician (singer/songwriter, guitar, harmonica) in the Twin Cities, MN, metro area. He performs approx. 250 + solo/duo/band shows annually for the last 20 years and has released 9 original albums. Mark has previously signed multiple single-song contracts in Nashville, TN, auditioned at Capitol Records and has opened for numerous national acts. Mark is also the creator and host of the “Mark Stary Music Podcast” which is available weekly on iTunes and most other places podcasts are available. Through interviews with musicians and other industry people, listeners get a glimpse behind the curtain of what life is like for a working musician. Mark and his golden retriever mix, Copper, and golden retreiver Barley are an integral part of the CIC team. Mark is also a life long professional pencil portrait artist. Emphasizing contrast between lights and darks, Mark tries to accurately capture the likeness of the subject while still keeping it a unique artistic interpretation.
Martha Hoeppner
Teacher
Martha and her mini-Golden Doodle “Diggs" started volunteering with CIC in September 2021. Shortly after, she added another Doodle named “Moss" to her household. Martha has a degree in Occupational Therapy and a Masters in Special Education and has 10 years of experience working with children with physical disabilities in an educational setting. Martha also has a passion for health and wellness and worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer for 16 years at the YMCA. During COVID, Martha decided to transition to something new and found CIC. She immediately felt a connection with her love of dogs and children and the mission of Canine Inspired Change. Martha was so excited to use her skills to connect with people and animals in a therapeutic setting again. It is so rewarding to witness the transformation within a human when they develop a connection with an animal. Martha wanted to be a part of this type of community and is so excited to be a lead teacher for CIC. In her free time, when she’s not chasing her 3 teenagers, Martha can be found riding her bike, hiking with her dogs, traveling, and digging in the garden.
Meg Beisner
Dog Trainer
Bio coming soon!
Bethany Kratochvil
Teacher | Dog Trainer
Bethany first connected with CIC in 2023 to assist with teaching a therapy dog class (with program director, Taylor!), and, after a bit of a hiatus, she has returned as a more permanent member of the training team! She is a graduate from the University of North Dakota and earned her BS in Psychology, and has since earned the titles of CATCH Certified Dog Trainer (CCDT) from CATCH Trainer Academy, Family Dog Mediator (FDM), American Kennel Club (AKC) Approved Evaluator, and is a Fear Free certified professional (FFCP). Her aussie x coonhound mix, Pete, is also a therapy dog with CIC! Outside of dog training, Bethany enjoys creative writing, playing DND, and hanging out with Pete… okay, she really loves dogs!
Paige Kang
Dog Trainer
Bio coming soon!
Sydney Neal
Teacher | Dog Trainer
Sydney began working in the dog industry in 2017 and has been training dogs professionally for over four years! Along the way, she connected with amazing canine professionals like Program Director Taylor and trainer Bethany, who introduced her to the transformative work of Canine Inspired Change! Sydney is a Fear Free Certified Professional(FFCP), a Family Dog Mediator (FDM), and an approved AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. She is also currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, further deepening her understanding of behavior and the human-animal bond. With a focus on communication, consent, and emotional wellbeing, she specializes in helping families navigate real-life challenges with practical and compassionate solutions. Whether working with puppies, reactive dogs, or everything in between, Sydney meets each dog-human team with patience, empathy, and science-backed strategies! In her spare time, Sydney likes to spend her days sitting in the sun with her senior golden retriever, Ace. (Also pictured is Sydney’s former golden retriever, Cody.)
our board
Steven Freedman
Board Member
CEDES Chief Revenue Officer / President
Steven came to find CIC while searching for an opportunity to give back to the community in a way that fit closely to his passions and values. As a lifelong, neurodiverse dog dad, and as someone who spends part of his time in a wheelchair, he has seen first hand how dogs can help people with special needs through periods of anxiety and stress and how the unconditional love and acceptance a dog provides can be deeply meaningful in a world that can be challenging for many people. Steven is excited to bring his broad experience from the corporate world to help CIC reach and help as many of the most vulnerable members of our community as possible and strongly believes in the immense good that a dog and their human can do together in the world.
Jill Spencer
Board Secretary
American Indian Equity and Integration Liaison at Mounds View Public Schools
After getting a new puppy, Livy, in the Spring of 2021, Jill had a student that was struggling to communicate with school staff. Within one visit with Livy the student began to open up and communicate when Livy was by his side. It was then that Jill began to think about training for herself and Livy. Searching began and she found Canine Inspired Change, was impressed with the mission and felt it would be a perfect fit. Jill has worked in education for over 20 years in higher education, private and public education with people of all ages. Jill currently works for Mounds View Public Schools as the American Indian Equity and Integration Liaison.
Maisha Giles
Board Member
Experience in behavioral health leadership, systems change, and equity-centered practice. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Hamm Clinic, a community-based mental health clinic in St. Paul dedicated to accessible, culturally responsive care.
Maisha holds a master’s degree in Community Psychology, graduate certificates in Marriage & Family Therapy and Addiction Studies, and a PhD in Management and Public Service. She is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.
Maisha is honored to serve on the CIC board and deeply believes in the organization’s mission and the meaningful, lasting impact it has in the community.
Outside of her professional work, Maisha is a devoted dog lover and believes dogs have superpowers humans simply don’t have—unconditional presence, emotional intuition, and the ability to make any day better. She experiences this daily with her miniature dachshund, Coco Moon.
Ricardo Nakano
Board Member
Bio coming soon!
Jennifer Sauer
Board Member
Bio coming soon!
Stacey Rude
Board Member
Bio coming soon!
Want to join our board?
Send an email to Danielle@canineinspiredchange.org!
Joel Tauscher
Board Member
Vice President Accounting & Finance at Blaze Credit Union
Joel was looking for a way to give back by volunteering with a non-profit organization as a Board member. When he came across a posting about Canine Inspired Change, his search ended. After touring the facility and meeting with Danielle and the other Board members, Joel believed in the mission and joined the Board in mid-2025. Joel was impressed with the growth and progress the organization had made in prior years.
On a personal level, Joel is married and has two daughters. One is in college studying speech pathology at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, and the other is in high school. In 2020, Joel and his family adopted Sunny, a yellow lab mix. Sunny had been previously rescued from a dog hoarding situation.