ABOUT
Academic & Wellness Coaching
Kaori Cierra Yamamoto, M.A.
Founder/CEO
TAMPA, FL
Kaori Cierra "KC" Yamamoto is an innovative Early Childhood Professional and a caring human being, who is committed to empowering children and families in creating fun, meaningful, and engaging learning experiences.
Kaori was given the opportunity to create AWC when COVID-19 shut down schools in LA, allowing KC to provide the support and community she had always dreamed of (virtually, at first). KC's inspiration grew from her passion to support children and families during these times of uncertainty. Providing them with a safe space to nurture the experiences of students and parents alike, she aspires to empower families with virtual learning by offering her expertise and connections with a variety of fellow educators who all share the same vision.
Emily Blackwell, M.S.
Co-Founder/COO
LOS ANGELES, CA
Emily is a passionate educator who has dedicated much of her time and energy towards expanding her knowledge in child development. She has her M.S in Child & Adolescent Developmental Psychology and her B.A. in Early Childhood Development. Emily started off as a preschool teacher, then moved to educational coaching with teachers, then finally landed her dream job, working alongside Kaori at AWC! She currently teaches 1st grade at a school for highly gifted children.
​
Emily and Kaori developed AWC with the intention to help bring families and educators alike a sense of relief, stability, and empowerment.
MEET THE FOUNDER & CO-FOUNDER
Lance Dayandayan, MS, BCBA
Behavior Specialist
Lance is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who specializes in working with children and their families to meet their educational and personal goals. More specifically, Lance has experience observing children in their natural environment and assessing their current skills and skill deficits. From there, Lance develops goals and lesson plans, uses the science of behavior to adapt to different individual’s learning styles, and arranges environmental variables to set children up for success in achieving their goals. With a BA in Psychology, MS in Behavior Analysis, and years of experience teaching children new skills in a one-on-one format, as well as training and supervising individuals (e.g., parents, teachers, and behavior therapists) to teach children new skills, Lance is excited to offer a behavioral perspective to the team at AWC.
MISSION STATEMENT
AWC exists to take care of those who are dedicated to taking care of others.
We empower educators and families through a wellness-based approach and are rooted in providing a safe space to reflect, learn, and grow.
Focusing on the whole person, we provide guidance to deepen and expand upon their strengths as parents and educators.
