Our Team
People You Can Trust
The Psyrcle is supported by a diverse team of professionals with backgrounds in science, medicine, operations, and community leadership. Each member operates within clearly defined roles and a shared Code of Ethics to ensure a safe, structured, and respectful environment.
Executive Board
The executive board provides strategic direction, oversight, and accountability across all aspects of the organization. This includes maintaining alignment with our mission, upholding ethical standards, and ensuring the integrity of our practices.
Darcy Pritchett
Co-Founder & President
Darcy Pritchett is Co-Founder and President of The Psyrcle, where he leads the organization's strategic vision, governance, scientific initiatives, and long-term development. He holds undergraduate degrees in Engineering Technology from St. Petersburg College and Business Administration with a specialization in Logistics from Saint Leo University, along with an MS in Biomedicine and Entrepreneurship with a minor in Clinical Research Organization and Management from Drexel University College of Medicine. He has also completed continuing medical education in managing medical risks for patients seeking psilocybin therapy through the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and earned a certificate in Psychedelic Science and Medicine from Johns Hopkins University.
Darcy's professional career began in aerospace engineering and manufacturing, where he spent 15 years as a systems and process engineer and executive leader, ultimately serving as the individual legally responsible for regulatory compliance under the FAA. His laboratory experience spans mycology, molecular biology, and analytical chemistry, and his current research interests focus on the intersection of psychedelic and cancer research. He also serves on the boards of CARD-USF and Scientists Inc. and has been published for his work in science communication and improving accessibility within the autism community.
Darcy founded The Psyrcle to demonstrate that scientific rigor, ethical governance, and biomedical ethics can coexist with spiritual tradition and responsible sacramental practice. He is passionate about building an organization that serves as a model for safe, ethical, and evidence-informed psychedelic communities while advancing meaningful scientific research. Outside of his professional work, Darcy enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and making science more accessible through education and public engagement.
Shaheer Hassan
Vice President
Shaheer Hassan serves as Vice President of The Psyrcle. He is a biomedical imaging engineer whose work spans clinical research, project management, and field service engineering. Holding dual bachelor's degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering from the University of Connecticut, along with an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Western Governors University, Shaheer operates at the intersection of medical technology and patient care, ensuring complex clinical systems function reliably.
Shaheer brings leadership experience from his service with spiritual organizations and nonprofits, where he has focused on process management, operations, and effective governance. A longtime social activist committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, he also contributes technical expertise and thoughtful leadership to the organization.
As Vice President, Shaheer draws on his experiences as a Muslim Pakistani American to connect with people from diverse cultures and communities while helping strengthen the organization's operational excellence. He was drawn to The Psyrcle's commitment to providing a safe and ethical environment rooted in care, integrity, and respect. He is particularly inspired by the organization's integration of scientific research, spiritual exploration, and responsible sacramental practice, believing that meaningful transformation is best supported within a safe, ethical, and well-governed community rooted in compassion, respect, and integrity. Outside of his professional work, Shaheer enjoys anime, gardening, volleyball, pickleball, and discovering great food.
Sarah Lewis-Mansour
Secretary & Director of Marketing
Sarah Lewis-Mansour serves as Secretary and Director of Marketing for The Psyrcle. She is a certified hypnotherapist, coach, and author whose work is grounded in both clinical training and a deep reverence for the unseen dimensions of personal transformation. She holds an AS in Substance Abuse Counseling and is a Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Life Coach, Certified Spiritual Coach, Certified Relationship Coach, Certified Recovery Coach, and Certified Mindset Coach.
Sarah founded Elevated Coaching & Hypnotherapy to support individuals in dissolving old programming and stepping into their most coherent, authentic selves. She is also a four-time published author whose work explores subconscious healing, shadow work, nervous system restoration, and personal transformation.
As Secretary and Director of Marketing, Sarah brings a perspective shaped by her work with individuals and families navigating addiction and recovery. She believes that, when approached within the proper container, plant medicines have the potential to help individuals awaken, reveal, and restore deeper aspects of themselves.
Sarah was drawn to The Psyrcle for its commitment to science and spirituality intertwined with reverence, and for its vision of fostering a community rooted in ethical practice, personal transformation, and responsible access to sacramental experiences. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys expressing her creativity through art, writing, fashion, coursework, and caring for plants.
Jocelyn Pritchett
Co-Founder & Treasurer
Jocelyn Pritchett is Co-Founder and Treasurer of The Psyrcle. She is a civil engineer specializing in transportation planning, environmental design, and public engagement. Throughout her career, she has worked to develop transportation infrastructure projects while helping communities better understand and engage with project designers and government leadership.
Jocelyn has held numerous leadership positions in the engineering profession, including serving as President of the Mississippi Engineering Society and the Jackson Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers. She has also contributed to national and international transportation initiatives through service on committees, professional organizations, and public policy efforts. In addition to her engineering leadership, Jocelyn was part of the advocacy team in Mississippi whose legal efforts ultimately contributed to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established marriage equality nationwide.
As Co-Founder and Treasurer, Jocelyn brings extensive experience in project management, financial stewardship, and organizational leadership to help guide The Psyrcle's growth and long-term sustainability. She believes that every person's spiritual path is unique and that meaningful growth comes from discovering one's own understanding rather than having it prescribed by others. She values The Psyrcle's commitment to supporting that journey through community, ethical practice, and respect for individual experience. Outside of her professional work, Jocelyn enjoys growing herbs and vegetables, making soap and jewelry, and spending time with her family.
Governance and Deployment
General Board
The general board supports the organization's broader governance and development. Members contribute to planning, community engagement, and operational support, helping to ensure thoughtful growth and consistency across all offerings.
Lauren Searles
Director of Events & Ceremonies
Lauren Searles serves as Director of Events & Ceremonies for The Psyrcle. She is the founder of Solshine Wellness, where she creates personalized holistic wellness experiences through yoga, sound healing, Reiki, retreats, womb connection, and sacred ceremonies. Lauren holds a BS in Public Health from Syracuse University and is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. She is also a 500-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher, Usui Reiki Master, Sound Healer, and Sacred Ceremony Facilitator.
For more than 15 years, Lauren has worked in public health, beginning her career in the conventional healthcare system before following her passion for holistic wellness and disease prevention. Her diverse background includes serving vulnerable populations, volunteering internationally and within local communities, leading nonprofit organizations, and co-creating a community-centered plant medicine organization that offered ceremonies and integration circles focused on education, reflection, and connection.
Lauren was drawn to The Psyrcle through its commitment to creating intentional, structured, and ethical ceremonial experiences. She brings more than six years of experience facilitating sacred circles, both with and without sacrament, along with a deep appreciation for the role of live sound healing in supporting meaningful experiences. She is especially inspired by The Psyrcle's emphasis on intention, structure, and care as the foundation for creating safe spaces where participants can gain new perspective and engage in personal transformation. Outside of her professional work, Lauren enjoys hiking, backpacking, snorkeling, and spending time with her family and two nieces in New England.
Amir Mansour
Director of Technology
Amir serves as Director of Technology for The Psyrcle. He is a technologist and web developer with a background in physics and mathematics, specializing in HIPAA-compliant systems and custom application development for healthcare and nonprofit clients. He holds a B.S. in Physics with a Mathematics minor from the University of South Florida, and his technical foundation spans full-stack development, secure data architecture, and applied systems thinking.
Amir is the founder of Bivector, a development practice focused on building secure, regulation-sensitive software for clients navigating complex compliance landscapes. The name itself is a nod to geometric algebra, a mathematical structure he finds endlessly compelling, reflecting his broader approach to problem solving: finding the underlying structure beneath complexity and building systems that are both elegant and resilient.
As Director of Technology, Amir brings a security-first mindset to an organization entrusted with deeply personal data. He understands that the infrastructure supporting transformative, sacramental work must meet the same rigor as healthcare systems, protecting the privacy of individuals at their most vulnerable while ensuring the technology itself never becomes a barrier to care. His HIPAA-compliant development experience informs how he architects Psyrcle's systems from the ground up, and shapes his broader vision for how the organization's technology can scale.
Amir was drawn to The Psyrcle for its integration of scientific rigor and genuine reverence for the transformative process, and for the opportunity to build technology that serves something larger than efficiency alone. Outside of his professional work, he is a painter and lifelong learner with wide-ranging interests across physics, philosophy, and neuroscience. He lives in Clearwater with his wife, Sarah, and their two teenage children.
Kyle Wray
Director of Research
Kyle Wray serves as Director of Research and a member of the Board of Directors for The Psyrcle. He holds a BS in Biotechnology and brings a multidisciplinary background spanning organic chemistry, molecular diagnostics, laboratory technology, and engineering.
Kyle began his career in environmental organic chemistry before transitioning into molecular infectious disease, where he worked in both research and clinical laboratory settings. Those experiences fostered a deep appreciation for the intersection of science, technology, and process, ultimately leading him into engineering focused on laboratory automation and specialty instrumentation. In addition to his scientific background, Kyle has founded and managed several businesses, gaining experience in business development, marketing, and high-performing advertising campaigns.
Kyle was drawn to The Psyrcle by its thoughtful integration of traditional wisdom with scientific inquiry and its commitment to advancing responsible psychedelic practice. As Director of Research, he brings a systems-oriented perspective and a passion for applying scientific rigor, optimizing processes, and driving operational efficiency to support the organization's research initiatives. He is most inspired by The Psyrcle's mission to help people through safe, ethical, and evidence-informed approaches to personal transformation. Outside of his professional work, Kyle enjoys growing tropical plants, building drones, and tackling a variety of DIY projects.