Dionne C. Monsanto is a grief coach, bestselling author, and mental health advocate who helps high-functioning, grieving women release the weight of loss and reclaim their joy-filled, powerful selves. After losing her 15-year-old daughter, Siwe, to suicide, Dionne left a 20-year financial services career and turned her personal tragedy into purpose. She became a full-time yoga and dance teacher, eventually creating Joyous Ocean LLC—a global healing platform dedicated to guiding others through the messy, sacred process of grief transformation.

Known as the Chief Joy Connector, Dionne has taught thousands of yoga and dance classes across six continents and has been featured on CBS News, PBS, Time Magazine, and Essence. Her signature approach blends movement, breathwork, storytelling, and mental health advocacy to support clients as they navigate loss and rediscover their innate joy. She believes grief and joy can coexist—and that healing is not only possible but inevitable when given space to unfold.

Dionne currently volunteers both locally and nationally with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), where she previously served as Board Chair of the NYC Chapter. She is also a member of the inaugural External Advisory Group for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), contributing her lived expertise to suicide prevention strategies across the U.S. and in Kenya, where she helped launch the country’s first International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day.

Whether she’s coaching, speaking, or dancing in her kitchen, Dionne brings her full self—compassionate, bold, and real. Her work is rooted in this truth: transformation is possible, and joy is your birthright.