Meet Our Team

Bailey Merlin, President

Bailey (she/her) is the author of A Lot of People Live in This House, the co-host of the podcast Bisexual Killjoy, the founder of the growing global phenomenon Bi+ Book Gang, and a dedicated bi+ activist. She holds an MFA in fiction from Butler University and an SM in Media, Medicine, and Health from Harvard Medical School. Her writing and activism investigate the intersection of community and health, especially as it pertains to bi+ populations. When her Google Calendar allows, she loves to play video games and plan parties.

Noël S., Vice President

Noël (they/she) joined the BRC’s board of directors in 2021. They are a social worker who is passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ youth, and advocating for the rights of all queer and trans folks. In their day job, they provide training and education on partner abuse in LGBTQ+, kinky, and polyamorous communities. In their free time, they enjoy reading queer romance, watching horror movies, and attending as many concerts as their bank account will allow.

John Lapsley, Treasurer

John (he/him) is a nonprofit accountant and freelance illustrator who takes pride in helping nonprofits devote fewer resources to operations and more resources to their mission. He joined the BRC board in 2025 and is excited to support efforts to increase bi+ community visibility, mutual support and health outcomes. Away from laptops, John enjoys DIY publication, pinball, and listening to music with his partner & their poorly-behaved cat.

Brooke Lindley, Clerk

Brooke (she/her) has been part of the BRC since 2018. She is primarily responsible for email correspondences, sharing and building resources. Outside of the BRC, Brooke resides in Michigan and works in Nonprofit Organization leadership as well as, operates a small business. In 2021, Brooke was featured in the New York Times: The ‘Double Closet’: Why Some Bisexual People Struggle With Mental Health. Hobbies include streaming video games on Twitch, writing, playing ukulele and being a proud dog mom!

Laura Days

Laura (she/her) is an estate planning and conveyancing attorney who has been practicing law in the Boston area for over twenty years. She brings years of experience working on various non-profit boards and a passion for raising money to the BRC. In addition to being a proud small business owner, Laura judges synchronized skating and has served in multiple leadership roles for US Figure Skating and The Skating Club of Boston. She is a former Rotarian, and is a member of the Massachusetts LBGTQ Bar Association and the Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cycling, cooking, and doting on her cats.

Jade Johnson-Brown

Jade (she/her) is a jane of all trades—working in brand strategy, development, social media, & programming.  Intent on expanding the BRC’s reach to the BIPOC community, she sits on the DEIJB & Communications committees respectively. In addition to BRC, Jade is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and also holds the position of NAACP-Akron Chapter LGBTQ+ subcommittee Co-Chairperson. The things she loves are as follows: film, beauty, champagne, cooking, and spending time with her wife and Shiba Inus, Raekwon, and Shaolin.

Lauren A. Mariolis

Lauren (she/her), ‘“Lo” to her community, is an environmental professional dedicated to justice for people and the planet. She works at the intersection of community, climate, and coasts—connecting people to the ideas, resources, and networks they need to drive change. Lo joined the BRC Honeycomb in 2023 on a quest to live her bisexuality out loud. In 2025, she joined the board with a new mission to spread the magic of bi+ joy and belonging. Known for her strategic optimism and organizational wizardry, Lo brings these skills to everything she does—whether developing programs for the BRC, co-designing flood resilience projects, or planning the perfect pal vacation. To recharge, Lo loves quality time with her chosen family, a good boogie on roller skates, and afternoon tea with the flora and fauna on her back porch.

Zori Paul

Zori (she/her) joined the BRC in 2025. She is a licensed professional counselor, counselor educator, and researcher. Her research focuses on the experiences of bisexual+/queer people of color and their mental wellbeing. In 2022, she defended her doctoral dissertation entitled “Bisexual+ Women of Color and Microaffirmations,” which looked at the impact of small but meaningful bi+ affirming experiences on women of color. As an educator and mental health counselor, Zori is dedicated to improving mental health professionals’ training and competencies when it comes to working with bi+ individuals. In her free time, Zori likes playing story-driven RPG video games, drinking tea, and reading fanfiction.

Sara Schmieder

Sara (she/they) joined the BRC as a volunteer in 2023 to assist with social media content creation and joined the board in 2025. She has been involved in bi+ research since 2018, when she started her undergraduate research thesis on biphobia and aphobia on Tumblr at The College of William and Mary, ultimately leading to her master’s degree in the same subject from Brandeis University. Sara presented her research at the International Bisexuality+ Research Conference in 2022 and 2024. When she isn’t making graphics or writing copy for the BRC, Sara can be found at the local independent non-profit art house cinema, an independent bookstore, knitting on her couch, or at a basement punk show.

Jessica Haggett Silverman

Jessica (she/her), “Belle” to her friends, is a nonprofit professional passionate about leaving her communities better than she found them. Her career started in ecology, where she discovered her love for categorizing invertebrates. She has developed expertise in a broad range of nonprofit management at a variety of organizations, both big and small. She loves creepy crawlies, food, and music, and lives with her partner and her dog, Rosie. She loves hearing stories about how the BRC has impacted the bi+ community that has nourished her her whole life, and contributing her nonprofit know-how.