ABOUT US
Love can change the world.
Hi! Thank you for caring. Thank you for loving.
My name is Kseniya and this beautiful movement started out as an unprecedented and unified community effort.
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My desire to help our world's most impoverished started young, and intensified in college when I worked to start schools in slum settlements in India. Subsequent work in the poorest parts of Cairo, Mexico, Honduras, and then seeing the poverty of my backyard spread in 2020, inspired me to start the Nomad Alliance. In comparison to the plenty of the US, the fact that some have no shoes is staggering.
My background as a Finance Director for congressional and senatorial campaigns as well as the Director of Development for AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, Utah's umbrella organization for the state's civil legal aid nonprofits, has prepared me to create and lead this nonprofit, while also arming me with the skills that it takes to fund such an endeavor. A Masters in Economics bolsters my ability to manage the day to day operations and the financial paperwork of running an organization.
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But most importantly, this movement is very dear to my heart. Having spent time as a transplanted, Russian immigrant, homeless in a new land, couch-surfing, and also living in a domestic violence shelter coupled with a recent bout of Covid-driven homelessness in which I spent living in a motor home for most of 2020, and where I recently moved to continue this work, makes this effort an endemic desire to prevent such sorrow from continuing.
We can do better. We must. It takes a village. Thank you for joining us.
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Love can change the world. It already is.
Kseniya Kniazeva
Founder & President
The homeless crisis is solvable. Our goals are reachable.
We need to continue to be the voices for the homeless and
unheard.
Bradley Sahleen started QVS Marketing Inc in Sandy, Utah in 1997. QVS is a factory direct manufacturer’s representative firm and distributor specializing in
component and assembly supply for mass production requirements with an international presence. Traveling all over the world he's witnessed incredible beauty but also extreme types of poverty.
Back ahome, he always wanted to do something to help but wasn’t quite sure where to start.
Having the opportunity to volunteer at Nomad Alliance, he's never looked back.
He says: "Homelessness here in Utah continues to grow but this epidemic can be solved. People turn a blind eye to those living on the streets. They deserve dignity and respect, they are human. Taking a few minutes to help with the basics; food, clothing, hygiene and most importantly to
listen to their stories.
With dignity comes hope, with hope comes ambition, with ambition comes the spark to want to improve their situation. We need to be there on the streets where they need help the most.
We work directly with the homeless to earn their trust and accept our
help. Giving time is more valuable than money.
One of our goals includes providing the much-needed help of a Sanctioned Campground where those on the steets can have access to needed resources.
I am happy to be part of this journey and give back to my own community. Nomad Alliance truly works towards these goals, directly with the homeless on the streets.
Our hands-on approach is what I love so much.
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Brad Sahleen
Board Member
Working together in this loving community effort, we will be able to promote positive changes in the lives of many.
My name is Kelly Michelle. I lead a busy life as a single mom of two teenagers, and a spoiled dog named Spaz. Since I became aware of the homeless epidemic it has been a cause I've always felt drawn to help with in some way.
At first it was easier to turn a blind eye to, because it seemed like it only happened in other places. But over the past few years it's becoming apparent that homelessness really is an epidemic that is ever-increasing, and it isn't just affecting people in California and 3rd world countries. It is a global epidemic, and it is time to do whatever I can to help.
This world is becoming more and more a world of HAVES and HAVE NOTS, as the middle-class dwindles and becomes increasingly more difficult to survive in.
With my chronic immune disorder, multiple near death experiences, and various other circumstances I was raised with and survived through in my own life, I am so blessed to have had the little family support that I've had, because without it, I myself, would have ended up as a nomad on the streets. Giving to this effort is my way of doing what I can to help those who haven't been as fortunate.
Working together in this loving community effort, I believe we will be able to promote positive changes in the lives of many. I've already seen great things happening!
Kelly Michelle
Secretary of the Board
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has.
Kate is a trial attorney and partner at Conyers Nix P.C. Prior to that she worked as a public defender at Salt Lake Legal Defenders (LDA), representing hundreds of indigent defendants in plea negotiations and trial. In addition to her legal work, Kate provides extensive pro bono work, including extensive volunteer work at Clean Slate Utah and the VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center and for other efforts on behalf of people experiencing homelessness.
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As an attorney she cares and believes in the responsibility to help those in our community. "I feel like I have the unique ability to help people clear warrants and give them information on criminal court cases, and many unsheltered people have criminal cases because of how the state prosecutes what we define as "homeless crimes." including trespassing, camping, public urination, public intox, drug posession, etc. And when unsheltered people have warrants, it prevents them from taking advantage of community resources and services, including housing assistance, job opportunities, Medicaid, and other services. It hurts our entire community."
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Kate has been recognized with many national and state awards including the prestigious Sandra Day O’Connor Award for Professional Service by the American Inns of Court, Utah State Bar Young Lawyer of the Year Award, and the Utah State Bar Pro Bono Publico Young Lawyer of the Year Award. Most recently in 2018, the University or Utah awarded Kate with their Distinguished Alumna award.
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She sits on the boards of the Salt Lake County Bar Association, Clean Slate Utah, and the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center.
Kate Conyers
Treasurer of the Board
We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek.
I didn’t understand homelessness and I wasn’t kind about it. I was blind. I had been hardened by experiencing extreme amounts of death in my life by drugs and trauma by the toll of addiction. I have lost too many loved ones to count. I started going out with Nomad Alliance as a hearts mission to understand more. I saw a friends post on Social Media about Utahs homeless crisis, joined but I couldn’t stop coming out. My eyes were opened.
With a prior background in volunteering for non-profit seeking assistance for people in third world countries with Reach the Children, I had traveled afar but had been avoiding the actual poverty happening on our streets here in the states because I thought I understood. But I didn’t.
Hello I’m Kendra Thompson. I’m a mom of two incredible young boys and married to my best friend. Landscape design, real-estate renovating and natural beekeeping is my background.
As I see it the unity in community is needed now more than ever. We didn’t have much growing up, we lived in a trailer court but I had the most incredible family and people in my life. I’ve been blessed regardless of all I’ve been through and I know there’s others that haven’t been that lucky. I look forward to finding ways to pass it forward. I want to show my children through action that we all deserve to be loved.
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Kendra Fox Thompson
Vice President of the Board
Giving back to those in need is essential for a society to thrive.
I’m Harrison Smith, a passionate Software Engineer, IT Professional, Educator, and Community Advocate.
My journey began as a young person inspired by the possibility of making a difference. My commitment to giving back started early, as a young Eagle Scout organizing a winter clothing drive for families across the Salt Lake Valley. This formative experience planted a seed of empathy and action that has only grown stronger with time. Today, I am grateful to apply my technical expertise and vision toward making a meaningful impact in my community.
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My professional path includes nearly a decade in software development and IT, tackling complex issues and creating systems that serve diverse needs. Whether managing programs in education, supporting organizations with technology, or working with the Nomad Alliance to address homelessness, my goal is always to uplift, empower, and foster resilience.
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With a background in Computer Science and a love for problem-solving, I have had the privilege to lead and teach others, hoping to inspire the same spirit of giving that has been a part of my life since I was young. This work is deeply personal, rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a chance to thrive—and that together, we can build a more compassionate, connected world.
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Thank you for standing with us. Let’s continue to make a difference, one step at a time.
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Looking for an internship or how your skills can help Nomad Alliance grow? Email harrison@nomadalliance.org
Harrison Smith
Software Engineer & Tech Consultant
