Vivian Williams-Kurutz is a vision-driven founder and executive director of Harlem Wellness Center, health activist, community organizer, speaker, yoga and meditation teacher, writer, and business owner based in Manhattan. Through her two decades of work at the intersection of racial, health, and environmental justice, and as co-owner with her husband of Plowshares Coffee, she is committed to contributing to the vibrancy, health, and stability of her community and the world.

Vivian draws on her training in mindfulness, psychology and the arts, to lead initiatives that amplify healing, race, identity, equity, belonging and joy. In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream for a beloved community, she delights in bringing diverse groups of people together in ways that foster understanding, connection, empathy, personal healing, and social change.
 
Prior to her current areas of focus, Vivian maintained a career in the arts that encompassed performance, direction, stage management, producing, writing, music, and teaching. She is a longtime union member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity. A 2016-2019 Columbia University A'Lelia Bundles Scholar, Vivian has maintained her scholars project by continuing to build bridges between Columbia University and the Harlem community. Vivian is a proud member of the Omega Women’s Leadership Center’s Juno Leadership Collective. In February 2021, she was awarded a proclamation from the New York Senate, in recognition of service to her community and the city of New York.