John Helmiere

Founding Co-convener

John Helmiere is Founder of Valley & Mountain who served in the role of Co-convener for over 10 years with Valley & Mountain. Before moving to Seattle, he lived in Florida, New Hampshire, Connecticut, San Francisco, and Edinburgh, and traveled the world living out of a backpack. He loves hiking, writing, and eating strange foods, but most of all loves to eat the nearly endless combinations of bread and cheese devised by the human mind. 

John studied religion, philosophy, history, and physics at Dartmouth College and Yale University. He learned life lessons from mentors, friends, activists, artists, intentional communities, and sidewalk saints. He is constantly being educated by his two daughters, Charis and Juniper, and his wife Freddie, who directs a training program for wellness professionals seeking to become certified psychedelic guides.

He is the co-founder and The Collaboratories, a network of social change incubators. John  is active with many local non-profits and social movements working on racial, economic, and social justice. John was the founding chairperson of the Interfaith Economic Justice Coalition. He has been awarded the Tweedy Prize from Yale, and fellowships from the Forum for Theological Exploration, The Beatitudes Society, and the Louisville Institute.