Elevate With Kate Pilates + Wellness Talk Featuring Katelyn Hissong, Lucy Nystrom, Meredith Shumway, Erica Velasquez, & Vanessa Steil

James Lane Fest at Sound View Greenport included wellness programming on the morning of Saturday, October 19. Attendees enjoyed an “Elevate with Kate” Pilates class led by Katelyn Hissong, a wellness advocate and well-known content creator. The class was followed by a wellness talk featuring Hissong, Lucy Nystrom of New Moon Health & Wellness, Meredith Shumway, the founder of The Formula X Meredith, and Erica Velasquez, the founder of Evolveast Yoga, moderated by wellness advocate and digital media entrepreneur Vanessa Steil.

For the past four years, Hissong has been sharing the practices, people, and places that inspire her to live a healthy lifestyle. In 2023, she launched two passion projects: Elevate with Kate, a mental health app that transforms lives through a comprehensive well-being approach, and Love Over Fear, a collection of journals and mugs designed to cultivate gratitude, peace, joy, and love.

Meredith Shumway is a professional ballerina who studied under Ballet Master Maggie Black and later continued her training with The Kirov Academy of Ballet and the American Ballet Theater. She was born and raised in Southampton and has made a significant impact on the fitness communities of the Hamptons and New York City. With over 16 years of experience training clients privately and in the group fitness industry, Meredith has created her high-intensity, full-body workout method called The Formula X Meredith. Her method emphasizes injury prevention and is driven by beats.

Erica Velasquez of Evolveast Yoga is a Yoga Alliance-certified yoga teacher based in the Hamptons. Her latest teacher training was at the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in the Bahamas. The title Yoga Siromani was awarded to Erica in January 2019 for training rendered and meritorious services rendered in the field of propagation of yoga. She aims to make yoga, health, strength, and happy living accessible to everyone. She also runs the Yoga in the Vines program at Wölffer Estate Vineyard, offers yoga classes at Main Beach in East Hampton, and reformer Pilates classes at New York Pilates in East Hampton, Bridgehampton, and Montauk.

Lucy Nystrom launched New Moon Health & Wellness in 2022, a one-stop shop for all your health and wellness needs on the North Fork and Shelter Island. The mission is to create a resource for the community by supporting the practitioners and businesses in the community. Lucy is also a certified IIN Health Coach and Yoga Teacher. She teaches classes at venues and studios all over the North Fork and Shelter Island along with offering private yoga sessions as well. In her coaching practice, Lucy specializes in helping clients understand that they are bio-individual and discovering the best food and movement options to optimize their health. She helps clients overcome health barriers and issues, identify and achieve attainable goals, and eliminate and manage stress by adding more joy to their lives.

Vanessa Steil is a digital media entrepreneur, thyroid cancer survivor, and former millennial caregiver. Following her 2013 diagnosis, she launched Living in Steil (pronounced “style”), a successful lifestyle blog, and developed a thriving community on Instagram. Her story has been featured in prominent media outlets and the book “Tough: Women Who Survived Cancer.” Vanessa is the founder and CEO of In Steil Creative, a boutique consulting agency where she leverages her expertise in social media, public relations, and content creation to help individuals and brands tell their stories, advance their missions, and engage meaningfully with their audiences. In 2024, she was selected as a Caring Across Generations Care Fellow, furthering her commitment to improving the lives of caregivers by changing the way care is seen, valued, and supported in the United States. An avid equestrian, Vanessa can often be found at the barn, attending a workout class in the Hamptons, or taking her daily sanity stroll at her favorite beach. 

Guests enjoyed coffee from Buena Vida. Dr. Stephenie Pisacano, N.D., and Tulsi Naturopathics provided a refreshing post-workout hydration experience that included an assortment of adaptogenic alcohol alternatives and electrolyte sparkling beverages, and biodegradable shower sheets infused with 100 percent natural aromas.