Who are we?

Claire Shope, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Harvesting Hope

Claire has spent her career working at The Aspen Center for Environment Studies (ACES), the White House Council on Environmental Quality and various technology companies. She currently leads a team of Solution Engineers at Salesforce. 

Claire grew up on a farm where she took care of pigs, chickens, turkeys, cows, peacocks, an emu, an orchard, and vegetable crops. She then spent time building the student farming program at The Hotchkiss School. Claire believes that mental health is deeply tied to our ability to interact with the natural world and our local community. 

Nicole Gonzalez Smith, Co-Founder and Resident Therapist for Harvesting Hope

Nicole specializes in working with children, teens, young adults, and caregivers around trauma, grief,  anxiety, depression, ADHD, emotional regulation and behavioral challenges, family and peer conflict, relationships, identity,  migration, and life transitions. 

• Licensed Social Worker, Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Mental Health

• Masters in Education with a concentration in Human Learning and Development

• Bilingual K-5 School-Based Therapist 

• Community Mental Health Therapist for individuals of all ages

• Intensive In-Home Family Therapist at an urban non-profit agency serving children and families with trauma

• Professional development in Pediatric Anxiety, Trauma-Focused CBT, EMDR, Neurodivergence (Dyslexia, ADHD, Sensory Processing, Executive Function), etc.

• Classroom Teacher & Learning Specialist (3rd-8th grades in both public and private educational settings)

• Volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for children of neglect and abuse