Our Team

Our team consists of experienced and dedicated professionals, passionate about supporting youth in their efforts to build independence and meaningful futures. Please reach out to us, we would love to connect.

A smiling man with dark hair and a beard sitting indoors near a window with wooden framing, surrounded by green potted plants.

NOAH ZIND

Partner and Mentor

noah@tradeforlife.org

  • Prior to working with The Trade, Noah spent years working with youth and young adults in a variety of settings, including Montessori schools, an international school in China, and youth programs in Utah. Throughout these experiences, he’s developed a passion for the profound impact of commitment to personal and professional growth through honesty and humility. In his work with The Trade, Noah is devoted to fostering meaningful connections between our everyday choices and what it means to live a fulfilling life. 

    Although he was born and raised in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Noah departed to explore as much of the country and the world as he could. He returned to New England in 2023 with degrees in secondary education and outdoor recreation leadership. He spends his free time attempting to nurture in his family the same sense of wonder, curiosity and adventure that has served him so well.

A smiling man with a beard and glasses sitting indoors near a large window of a wooden room, surrounded by green plants on a shelf and a table.

Myles Trifon

Partner and Mentor

myles@tradeforlife.org

  • Before The Trade, Myles gathered experience working at a residential treatment center and later an alternative boarding school as a mentor and coach. In these roles Myles worked intimately with families, guiding their path towards common goals for their children’s growth. He is certified in neurodiversity life and family coaching and has a breadth of experience in executive functioning skill-building, social and emotional learning, and deescalation.

    Myles grew up in California but has spent extensive time living abroad in Germany where he earned his degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. He later decided to leave academia to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a guitar-builder and woodworker. To do that, Myles himself engaged in a genuine apprenticeship experience like the one The Trade provides. Through these avenues Myles has come to recognize the true value of experiential learning and the idea that there is no cookie-cutter mold or prescribed path that works for everybody. He finds a lot of meaning facilitating opportunities for young people to explore what nourishes them, engage in trades and crafts, and learn the value of slowing down.

A woman with glasses smiling, seated in a sunlit room with wooden walls, surrounded by green plants, with a collection of windows showing trees outside.

Cristina Trifon

Partner and Mentor

  • Before The Trade, Cristina spent much of her professional life counseling students at the cusp of leaving high school. She worked as an Admissions Officer at an international university in Germany, and later switched to the other side of the landscape in an effort to focus more on supporting youth and their families as a college and career counselor in the Northeast. What she really considers herself an expert in are transitions. Through it all, Cristina earned the knowledge that extending opportunities for young people to really experience ideas and places may be the key to finding true inner motivation and clues to their path forward.

    Cristina was born and raised in Ecuador but has spent her entire adult life living abroad in various locations around the world. She has a background in literature, cultural studies and international politics, having earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Germany. She is also a dedicated beadwork, ceramic and basketry artist who finds a lot of meaning in working with her hands. She is a juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen for her beadwork, and is deeply interested in the ways that the arts and the trades amplify our engagement with the community at large.

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair smiling and sitting in a room with large windows, surrounded by green plants and natural wood decor.

SteFani Zind

Partner and Mentor

  • Currently, Stefani serves full-time as the Program Director for a residential therapeutic program for young adults, where she is deeply dedicated to fostering a supportive community. In addition to her residential work, she plays a supportive role for the homestead at the Trade and looks forward to inviting apprentices along for evening and weekend adventures with her family.

Contact Us

Submit the form to schedule a time to connect with our team and explore whether The Trade is the right next step.