Nicholas joined the Soltara team in 2022 and has devoted his life to learning and serving within the Shipibo healing tradition. His deep compassion extends to people from all backgrounds, shaped by a life spent in different places and by personal experiences of overcoming significant challenges. His connection to the plant world began in childhood in the rural mountains of upstate New York, where he spent his time snowboarding, fishing, hunting, and gardening. That relationship with nature continued to deepen in Colorado, where he began actively tending medicinal plants and learning from them.
Over time, this path led him to a profound appreciation for the importance of living the wisdom these plants can teach. Nicholas turned inward to support his own emotional and ancestral healing through the African plant medicine Iboga in the ancient Missoko Bwiti tradition. His personal healing journey inspired him to train in supporting others, which became central to his commitment to service. Later, life brought him to Chirripó Mountain in Costa Rica, where he fell in love with ayahuasca while spending time at his local medicine center. He values community building, mentorship, and participating in ceremonial gatherings across different traditions. Nicholas is especially passionate about creating a supportive space for addiction recovery, and he remains dedicated to the ongoing study of human potential, plant medicine traditions, and therapeutic paths for personal growth.