Lauren Chaitoff, Founder & CEO
Yogi Beans is the brainchild of mind-body-fitness expert Lauren Chaitoff who founded Yogi Beans in 2007. Lauren found herself teaching yoga to hundreds of kids, attending numerous trainings, workshops and lectures, and designing the Yogi Beans curriculum "sprouting" from her innate ability to connect with children and her knowledge of yoga. Yogi Beans has since become one of the top rated children's programs in New York City and beyond.
Lauren oversees and trains the stellar Yogi Beans’ Bean Team, leads regular teacher trainings, and creates and teaches weekly classes to beans of all ages at a range of venues. Lauren holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theater from Northwestern University and is a registered E-RYT Yoga Instructor through the Yoga Alliance. Lauren continuously evolves Yogi Beans' programming from her extensive experiences in the classroom, on her mat, and through her love of her own beans, Vivienne Bell and Juliette Rose.
Lauren's Heart Light: Lavender with Yellow Polka Dots!
Brian Chaitoff, Founding Member
Brian is the yin to Lauren’s yang. Having a front row seat since the inception of Yogi Beans, Brian has worked to sprout Yogi Beans into a giant beanstalk. Brian is an avid yoga practitioner.
Most recently, Brian leads the multichannel, multisegment marketing and data insights business at Placer.ai, a mobile geolocation data analytics firm. Previously, Brian Chaitoff spent time at 7Park Data, an alternative financial data startup in New York, NY, where he led the firm's research-insights business through a successful exit. Brian previously served as a competitive intelligence director at New York City law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP where he developed his career roots in data analysis in research in support of client acquisition and retention strategies, and growth marketing. Brian graduated from Boston University in 2004 with a degree in finance.
Brian’s Heart Light: Indigo Beams
Carolina Lindoff, Lead Teacher Trainer
Carolina Lindoff began to teach for Yogi Beans in 2016. Taking the Yogi Beans Teacher Training truly opened up the world of kids’ yoga for her, and she now teaches children of all ages. Since 2018, Carolina has become more integrated with Yogi Beans, leading Teacher Trainings and supporting new instructors. Teaching kids’ yoga brings her so much joy and she’s grateful for being able to share yoga with her little Beans.
Carolina is from Sweden where she received her Masters Degree in Dance Education. During her studies she did a semester, and later on a full year, at Steps on Broadway in New York, and after working as a dance teacher in Sweden she returned to New York in 2012. In 2013, Carolina decided to take a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at YogaWorks, and in 2015 she completed her 300-hour Teacher Training mentoring with Laurel Beversdorf. Carolina is also a certified Pre & Postnatal Yoga Teacher through Maha Mama. When Carolina is not teaching Kids’ Yoga she’s teaching Hatha, Vinyasa and Pre & Postnatal Yoga at various studios.
Carolina’s Heart Light: Passion Flower
Anne Davison, Lead Teacher Trainer
Anne Davidson began teaching for Yogi Beans in 2016. She has always had a passion for working with children and after working full-time as a teacher and as a yoga instructor, she knew that combining her two loves would be best of both worlds. In 2016, she took the Yogi Beans Teacher Training and has been teaching yoga to kids ever since.
Recently, Anne’s dedication to the Bean Team has grown deeper as she’s become more involved behind-the-scenes and has also started to lead Teacher Trainings. By practicing and teaching yoga, Anne is able to understand a deeper connection with herself and through that she is able to better connect with others. Anne is also a full time 3rd grade ESL teacher for the New York City Department of Education who applies the principles of yoga daily so that her students can share a part of what she loves. Anne received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Penn State University and St. John’s University, respectively.
Anne’s Heart Light: Purple Sparkles