Haley Henscheid (Omaha/Chickahominy)
Haley serves as President of Well-Read Native. She is a passionate educator, joyful disruptor, and fierce advocate for youth. With a globe-trotting spirit and a heart rooted in community, she has built a career across education, tourism, advocacy, and entertainment—always centering Indigenous knowledge and youth empowerment. Haley currently supports the Tribal Youth Resource Center where she provides resources and guidance to tribes, government agencies, and non-profits regarding best practices for Tribal youth. Her work is rooted in love, liberation, and the belief that joy is a powerful tool for change. She believes in the brilliance of our youth, the power of storytelling, and the radical possibility of a world full of thriving gardens, dance parties, and boisterous laughter (and without prisons).
Haley holds an MA in Education and Social Policy from NYU, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Business Management and Spanish from the University of Iowa.
Abigail Jackson Smith (Oglala Lakota)
Abigail is Co-Founder and VP of Well-Read Native and Chair of Literature & Liberation. She is a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Tribe and resident of the West Side of Chicago, where she's raising her two rescue pups, Sue Bird and Elgin Baylor. She obtained her B.S. from Dartmouth College and J.D. from Washington University Law.
A year into her DOJ honors fellowship, Abigail hit “pause” on her legal career to follow her curiosity (it’s been 9 years). In that time, curiosity's led her to some pretty cool opportunities. Over the past decade, she's developed expertise in people/culture, marketing, and creative strategy working with a diverse set of organizations—including nonprofits, law firms, tech startups, QGOs, design studios, a marketing agency, a medical device manufacturer, and more. In a “choose one power” scenario, Abigail would choose words (written and spoken) ten times out of ten. Few things make her happier than empowering people and ideas through language.
Abigail is also co-founder of Joyn x Design (www.joyn.design), a human-centered talent design firm. Outside of work, she enjoys adventuring with her loved ones, reading, befriending dogs, being a plant mom, playing and watching basketball, horses, traveling, and fashion.
Camryn Towle (Anishinaabe)
Camryn (Waba Makwa Ikwe) is Secretary of Well-Read Native. She is Anishinaabe from Northern Minnesota and a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Currently a second-year law student at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, her studies focus on the intersections of tribal sovereignty, environmental justice, and cultural preservation. Camryn also serves as the President of the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) at Berkeley Law. Under her leadership, NALSA supports Native law students, promotes campus dialogue on federal Indian law and issues impacting Indian Country, and cultivates a strong and inclusive community for Indigenous students and allies. Beyond her work in law school, Camryn is passionate about empowering Native youth to become leaders and storytellers, with a particular focus on mentoring those drawn to law and advocacy in Indian Country. When she’s not immersed in case law or community initiatives, you can find her reading, trail running, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Allie Redhorse Young (Diné)
Allie is Co-Founder and Treasurer of Well-Read Native. She is a passionate Diné (Navajo) activist and advocate for Indigenous youth empowerment and civic engagement. She is the founder of Protect the Sacred, a movement that mobilizes Native communities, particularly youth, to protect their culture, health, and voting rights. Through initiatives like Ride to the Polls, Allie has inspired Native youth to engage in the democratic process, while also bridging the gap between generations by reconnecting them with elders to preserve ancestral knowledge. She is dedicated to elevating Indigenous voices and advocating for Indigenous rights, culture, and sovereignty.