A Message from the Founder

Welcome! I'm Yvette “Evie” Trapani, founder of mPEAK Global and a proud member of this extraordinary team. But our mPEAK journey didn't start here. Not so long ago, I had the privilege of leading the first fully funded national mPEAK Program for the federal government. My team and I have worked with and learned from some of the leading experts in the fields of science-backed mindfulness, performance psychology & recovery. Together, we taught mPEAK to all levels and positions - executives, senior leaders, law enforcement officers, and support staff - transforming lives from east coast to west. Now we’re taking mPEAK global. We are going to guide you through your journey in the world’s most extraordinary places, for an experience that will continue to transform your life long after the retreat ends.

I invite you to meet the team that will guide you in uncovering how extraordinary you truly are in some of the most inspiring places in the world - calming the mind and body and elevating your spirit while discovering what it means to be fully present to your own limitless potential.

Mindful Hike site survey for mPEAK Washington DC

Yvette Trapani

FOUNDER/INSTRUCTOR

Yvette "Evie" Trapani is a certified mPEAK teacher and coach through UC San Diego's Center for Mindfulness, and the founder of mPEAK Global. She helps individuals, groups, and organizations unlock their potential through mindfulness-based resilience and performance coaching - cultivating greater presence, clarity, and agency over their wellbeing.

  • At the heart of her work is a simple belief: when we understand how our brains and bodies respond to stress, we can stop being run by it. That self-awareness is what lets us become less distracted, more present, and able to redirect our attention toward what truly matters. Yvette's gift is translating the science of mindfulness into practical, tailored experiences—from classes and coaching to full organizational programs built for real-world performance and resilience.

    A US Army veteran with more than 20 years of combined military and federal service, Yvette began her career as a non-commissioned officer in the Army Military Police Corps and has since designed and led national mindfulness, wellness, and resilience initiatives across the federal government - including a mindful performance program that has trained more than 800 officers and employees. She has done the deep, serious work in serious places - most importantly within herself and it's exactly what allows her to hold space for others to discover their own path to a more enriched life.

    Yvette holds a Master of Arts in War Studies from King's College London and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Plymouth State University. Her certifications include mPEAK (UC San Diego's Center for Mindfulness), Equine Facilitated Learning through the HERD Institute, and Organizational Mindfulness Facilitation.

Mindful Hike in Park City for mPEAK Salt Lake City, UT

Dr. Mark Denis

LEAD INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Mark Denis is a certified mPEAK teacher and coach through UC San Diego's Center for Mindfulness, an entrepreneur, and military veteran. He helps people, leaders, and organizations bring more presence, resilience, and clarity to the way they live, work, and lead.

  • Drawing on mPEAK, neuroscience, and more than 25 years of leadership experience, Mark creates learning experiences that are practical, grounded, and deeply human—the kind that reach well beyond the meditation cushion. His real gift is making mindfulness feel usable in everyday life, whether you're facing stress, uncertainty, big changes, or simply the ordinary demands of being human.

    That approach is grounded in hard-earned experience. Mark spent more than two decades in national security, military, and federal leadership—including service as an Army officer and as Headquarters Chief Learning Officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Working alongside leaders in high-pressure, high-stakes environments shaped his belief that sustainable performance begins with awareness, self-understanding, and the ability to meet life as it is.

    The founder of Mindful Learning and Development (MLD), Mark holds a Doctor of Education (EdD), a Master of Science in Integrated Homeland Security Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. His service has been recognized with numerous honors, including two Bronze Star Medals and the Meritorious Service Medal. He was also knighted into the Order of Saint George and, as an ordained minister, has officiated numerous wedding ceremonies.

Mark at Mindful Hike, mPEAK San Diego

Andrea Pierce

LEAD INSTRUCTOR

Andrea Pierce is a Certified mPEAK Mindfulness Coach, a Certified Professional Coach, and an ordained Interfaith/Interspiritual Minister. She uses mindfulness to help clients disengage from stress, regain their equilibrium, and reclaim their joy.

  • Andrea is especially attuned to the challenges facing harried professionals trying to find balance between their working and personal lives—a struggle she knows firsthand from more than 30 years across the federal government, higher education, and her own coaching practice. As a Professional Coach, she has worked with federal clients for six years and over 170 coaching hours; as a Mindfulness Coach, she has led more than 140 sessions for civil servants and private clients.

    Her work also reaches into life's most sacred moments. As a minister, Andrea specializes in bespoke weddings, memorials, and personalized rituals. As an End-of-Life Doula, she offers emotional, spiritual, and practical support for navigating the dying process and grief. And as a Certified Spiritual Coach, she helps clients harness their own intuition to reconnect with their passion and purpose.

    Andrea holds a BA in Theatre and Speech from Trinity University and is a graduate of One Spirit Seminary in New York and the USDA Executive Potential Program. She was mPEAK-certified through UC San Diego's Center for Mindfulness, certified as a Professional Coach by the American School of Professional Coaching, and certified as a Spiritual and Life Coach through the Life Purpose Institute. She trained as an End-of-Life Doula with the International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA) and is a two-time recipient of Vice President Gore's Hammer Award for her facilitation and communication work.

View from the Mindful Hike, mPEAK Laguna Beach