Staff
Will Straughan
Founder and CEO
Will has taught substance abuse prevention education to thousands of young people in over twenty states in the US and throughout Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He utilizes his personal story of addiction and fourteen years of healthy recovery to generate developmentally appropriate conversations about substance use with whole school communities.
Will attended New Trier High School in Chicago and Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. He went to Wake Forest University before graduating from Trinity College (Hartford, CT) with a B.A. in English Literature. In addition to his career in prevention, Will has served as Director of Annual Fund for Montreat Conference center and is a founding member of the Asheville based Americana music trio Red June.
Lee Bergeron, LMSW
Director of Program Development
In her work, Lee draws upon her educational and professional training as well as her own journey through a substance use disorder and recovery. This background has helped her understand the importance of using effective interventions in a manner that values individual and community strengths and needs.
Lee has been in the prevention field since 2016. Prior to this, she worked as a youth and family therapist in treatment foster care and public school settings in Baltimore, Maryland and surrounding areas. She has a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and BA degrees in psychology and art from St. Mary's College of MD.
Vanessa Raola, NBC-HWC
Prevention Specialist, Development & Communications
Vanessa's journey through addiction and her subsequent engagement in the recovery community uniquely position her to cultivate environments that promote well-being through education, prevention, and outreach.
Vanessa's background encompasses diverse areas, such as business development, account management, communications, fundraising, substance misuse prevention, and project coordination. She earned a B.S. in Mass Communication with a Minor in Psychology from Florida International University. Before joining Soundcheck in 2022, she accumulated 13 years of experience in the media industry, specializing in account management and business development.
A graduate of the Mayo Clinic Wellness Coach Training Program, Vanessa is a Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She is originally from Miami, FL and now resides in Asheville, NC with her partner and her three dogs.
Ian Groves
Prevention Specialist
Since 2016, Ian has committed his life to improving the health of young people through substance misuse prevention education. He has specialized in program delivery and consultation across 40 of the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia.
Ian attended Loyola Marymount University and where his studies included pharmacology, neurobiology, and adolescent development. After working alongside top addiction clinicians for several years in Los Angeles, he now devotes his energy to preventing addiction before it can begin.
Ian is originally from Manhattan Beach, California, and now resides in Redondo Beach with his two daughters. In his spare time he enjoys rock climbing, camping with his family, language, and culinary arts.