hit living foundation’s BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Founder of the HIT Living Foundation, Heather Crowe founded HIT in 2018 because of a Bahamian Potcake named Kesa who was in need of a forever home. Having graduated from Columbia College of Chicago with a BFA in Art + Design and a Photography minor in 2011, Heather had just shut down her handmade home decor company (realizing she was a better artist than selling her art), recruiting the help of her Bahamian friends and was able to bring Kesa back to L.A.. Kesa was adopted her out to her furever family just three days later. Kesa was the one dog that turned into three, that turned into hundreds.

Drawing images of Noah’s Arch as a child, researching St. Francis and exploring Assisi, Italy, Heather’s passion for animals has always been deep rooted. Engaging in the ability with the help of her incredible team and village to save one dog’s life and change a person’s forever, is something that keeps her heart tank full and soul grateful.

Bethany attended Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BFA in photography in 2006. Bethany moved to New York to pursue a career in photography and set design. Bethany began working with Anna Conway on Found My Animal in 2007 whose branding speaks about their core values encouraging people to Rescue over purchase. The Found My Animal online platform is dedicated to raising awareness for homeless animals.

Bethany has a passion for good design, dogs, animal rescue and joined the HIT Living board in 2021.

Alyssa Wasko is the Founder and Designer of Los Angeles-based lifestyle brand DONNI. Following the passing of her father Donald, and in search of a creative outlet to cope with grief, Alyssa started DONNI in 2009. A brand rooted in comfort and known initially for their signature oversized scarves, DONNI has since grown to include an expansive, yet curated offering of ready-to-wear, accessories and jewelry.

Alyssa is passionate about giving back and supporting the LA community, which serves as DONNI’s home. Since the brand’s inception, DONNI has donated proceeds from each product drop to various organizations, raising thousands of dollars for charitable initiatives in the last year.

Alyssa sits on the board for the HIT Living Foundation, is a proud alumna of University of Arizona and was honored to be named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Art & Style category in 2019.

Will serves as the Director of Finance and is responsible for all aspects of Finance and Accounting at the HIT Living Foundation. While attending Tulane University in New Orleans, he witnessed the devastating impact that floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters can have to shelter animals. After being inspired by HLF's response to local wildfires, Will found the perfect opportunity to bring his financial acumen into the non-profit sector while helping to save as many animals as possible along the way. When not working for HIT, Will works as the Director of Capital Markets for Nautilus Solar Energy, a solar energy developer focused on bringing a reliable and equitable source of clean energy to local communities.

Jaimee serves as the Coordinator of Events for the HIT Living Foundation. From a young age, she as always been an avid animal lover feeling the need to save all living creatures. Being Native American and growing up on a reservation she feels a deeper spiritual connection with them. Experiencing the abuse and neglect of pit pull dog breeds is what kick started her drive to take action. The increasing rate of illegal dog fighting rings and the rate of euthanization was unbearable. She worked endlessly to rehab and re-home pit pulls to give them a chance so it wasn’t selfishly taken from them due to owner abuse. From that day on she knew this would always been a fight she was willing to stand up for and found a home at HIT Living Foundation helping to save as many animals as possible. With her background founding a company in Event Design, she can not only help foster, but also help raise the monies needed through various fundraisers to continue saving the helpless lives of deserving animals.

Justin is an animal lover with a passion for contributing to and actively working for the betterment of society. Utilizing his background in law, he began working with The HIT Living Foundation in 2020, where he bore witness to the unprecedented surge of animal adoptions and the tireless selfless work of the HIT Living team. Outside of HIT, Justin is a musician who owns and operates a boutique record label called Dune Altar in addition to working as the Director of Sales for So Cal Dab Tools.

Seana joined the HIT Living board in 2022 after she became introduced to the organization through the adoption of her own HIT Living Alumni pup, Piper. In addition to her board service, she serves as the Associate Director, Events, Donor Relations & Stewardship for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.

She has over 12 years of experience advocating for social justice issues within the non-profit sector, with a proven track record of leading diverse teams, managing events and volunteers, and exceeding fundraising performance targets while promoting a positive culture in work environments. Prior to her work in non-profits, Seana was a professional musician and musical theater actress.

Seana received a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in mental health from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with a minor in creative writing from Birmingham-Southern College.

Dr. Lisa Newell was born and raised in Santa Monica, CA and expressed an interest in being a veterinarian at a very early age, telling her mother she was going to be a “Doggie-Doctor” at age four. She started in veterinary medicine by volunteering at local animal hospitals when she was just eight years old.

Dr. Lisa graduated with an Associates of Arts degree from Ventura College. She then took a long break, which included a period of ten years spent working as a technician in this office before it was Malibu Coast Animal Hospital, prior to going back to school to pursue her dream. Dr. Lisa was accepted to Ross University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 1997 after the completion of her clinical training at the University of Missouri Columbia.

She is currently a board member for the California Wildlife Center, a local non-profit organization that works to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife. She also serves as a board member for the World Dog Alliance in addition to being the President of their American Chapter.

Dr. Lisa has served on the advisory board for K9 Connections, an organization, whose programs in continuation high schools offers teens the chance to break through learning and life barriers by training and bonding with homeless dogs.

​​​​​She lives with her husband Christopher, eight cats and their belgian malinois. Dr. Lisa enjoys baking, movies, music, playing poker and volunteering her time for non-profit organizations.

Fueled by a lifelong passion for animal welfare, and a background in holistic health, Sarah has empowered individuals worldwide to embrace natural wellness approaches, and brings the same to canine companions as an adviser to global pet brands Dr Marty Pets and Ultimate Pet Nutrition. Her expertise in communication and community-building has driven impactful engagement in her professional endeavors, as together with her husband, Sarah co-founded the ReImagine Community, supporting conscious entrepreneurs in making meaningful differences. Sarah is a dedicated philanthropist, advocating for causes such as charity: water, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Freedom Service Dogs, and Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project.

As an investor or advisor to many notable wellness and web3 projects, Sarah brings expertise in both marketing strategy and holistic living. She looks forward to contributing her passion and expertise to HitLiving’s mission of leaving no dog left behind.