Our Team

A person with short hair, glasses, and septum piercings taking a selfie indoors. They are wearing a brown leather jacket with a patch that says 'OKATIES' and have a slight smile. The background is filled with shelves of collectibles and toys.

Sage Nestler, MSW

Pronouns: He/they

Founder & CEO of Releasing the Phoenix

Sage Nestler, MSW, is neurodivergent and is a survivor of multiple serious mental and physical illnesses. He uses his personal experiences and identity as a queer person to guide his work. Sage applies a whole-person approach and diverse skills to continue growing Releasing the Phoenix as an essential mental health organization for queer folks.

Close-up of a young woman with pink eyeshadow, septum piercing, short hair with green highlights, wearing a black jacket, resting her chin on her hand.

A Wheeler

Pronouns: They/Them

Contributor & Partner

A Wheeler (They/Them) is a neuroscientist and public health practitioner in training. They graduated from Drake University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. They are pursuing their Master’s in Public Health and will graduate in May 2026.

A is passionate about dissociative identity disorder (DID) and autism.