Paul is a Baptist pastor from England, who was a part of the team that helped to develop the missional ‘Lifeshapes’ tools that are used in Uptick and many other missional initiatives.

He was the lead pastor of Network Church Sheffield, UK, which developed innovative models of mission and discipleship. He then went on to found 3DM Europe before coming to the USA in 2014 to lead 3DM North America.

Paul spoke for Uptick retreats numerous times over the last decade and served as a member of the Uptick Board. In 2021, he joined the Uptick team as a program convener, and in 2023 he assumed the role of Uptick leader.

Paul is married to Elly, and they have two adult daughters, Grace and Hannah.

Sonya is an ordained minister gifted for equipping the saints, proclaiming God’s Word, and enabling God’s people to embrace the “aha” moments that enlighten lives.

She holds a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary (Washington D.C.), Advanced Management Graduate from Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from North Carolina A& T State University (Greensboro, NC).

She has served in churches for many years, preaching, teaching and leading ministries (Christian education, young adults, community-based outreach & grant writing).  

Sonya began her ministry at Uptick as a guest teacher with Uptick Voice and served on Uptick's board for several years. In 2020, she joined the Uptick staff to help Uptick strategically expand and grow as it reaches high-capacity young Christian leaders around the world.

Alongside her gospel calling, Sonya is a retired Fortune 500 Executive with numerous years of executive leadership and business expertise. 

Archie is a minister and missionary at heart. She holds a BA from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in Christian leadership from the John Leland Center for Theological Studies.

Prior to joining Uptick, Archie served as an associate pastor and later as the senior pastor of a multicultural church in Arlington, Virginia. She also trained and led church groups to serve globally and locally, preparing them to work cross-culturally while loving people in the name of Jesus. Her greatest desire is that pastoral leaders trust God in their calling and become experts on their communities so they can proficiently bridge the inequities that hinder people from thriving and experiencing His great love for all. Archie lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, Miguel, and their two children, AJ and Olivia. 

Shaped by both hardship and hope, James has spent his career equipping leaders across churches, nonprofits, and organizations. With experience in pastoral ministry, nonprofit leadership, and global initiatives, he now serves as associate director of Uptick Catalyst and founder of Second Wind Leadership. His work focuses on resilience, clarity, and leadership across difference, helping leaders navigate change and flourish in their calling.

The Reverend Dr. Laura McDaniel is an ordained minister, attorney, entrepreneur, mentor, wife, and mother who is passionate about identifying and investing in young leaders, particularly those who are women.

Laura helped to create Uptick and retired in 2025 after launching Uptick Global three years earlier. She currently serves in a volunteer capacity, assisting the team in developing new global networks.  

Laura and her husband, Henry, live on Síth Farm (Gaelic for ‘person of peace’), located in Amherst, Virginia. Their son, Patrick, serves with the Austrian Baptist Union and resides in Vienna.

Pauline resides in Nairobi, Kenya, with her husband, Rev. Marvin Esonga, and their teenage children, Pazel and Tehilla. 

Pauline is a counseling psychologist and teacher of God’s Word. Her background includes more than 14 years working with churches and parachurch organizations, more than a decade mentoring adolescents, and six years as a professional counselor.

She is an alum of Uptick Global: BWA Women and the Uptick Apprentice Program. Pauline also volunteers with the children’s ministries at Ridgeways Baptist Church.

Ashley is an alum of Uptick Catalyst. Born and raised in Philadelphia (a proud Eagles fan!), she moved to Virginia in 2017 with her husband, James, and their three amazing daughters—Karis, Kelsey, and Kyla. 

She has decades of experience working with children, having previously served as a children’s ministry director, leading volunteers and building impactful programs. Ashley also started and led a thriving homeschool co-op, serving as its president. In 2024, she played a role in helping launch a new campus with Freedom Life Church in Norfolk.

Her passion is encouraging, equipping, empowering, and elevating others, finding joy in seeing “lightbulb moments” as people grow and learn.   

Minda has served as the administrative assistant for Uptick since 2019. Having grown up in a pastor’s family, she understands the importance of Uptick’s mission to strengthen ministry leaders for the long haul. She brings to Uptick her experience as an English teacher and church administrative assistant, her love of learning new things, and her enjoyment of helping others. Minda is married to Jack, and they have a young adult daughter, Emilee Grace.

Amie Burkholder is a business strategist and entrepreneur with a passion for equipping leaders to integrate their faith into their work. A graduate of Uptick Entrepreneur in 2018, she has remained deeply engaged with the Uptick community, serving on multiple task forces before stepping into a cohort leader role in 2023.

With over 14 years of experience in business ownership, Amie built, scaled, and successfully exited her own company. Through that journey, she learned firsthand the challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs face in aligning purpose with leadership. She now focuses on helping others navigate that intersection, leveraging her expertise in digital strategy and operations to empower faith-driven leaders to lead with clarity, efficiency, and impact.

Amie believes that entrepreneurship is a powerful expression of leadership, and she is committed to guiding others as they pursue their calling in both business and ministry.

Van-Neisha was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She is a graduate of Virginia State University and Liberty University. Van-Neisha's career started as a teacher in the Richmond public school system, followed by Henrico County public schools in the office of Family and Community Engagement.

Van-Neisha has a heart to build legacy and to be an example to other women, specifically helping them to live out their purpose and to walk in their gifts to build legacy.

She is the creator and voice behind the Well Talk podcast. She is a top producing realtor and investor in RVA, where she is dedicated to helping families build wealth and legacy through homeownership.  

She is the proud wife of a Richmond police officer, who is also dedicated to the community he serves, and she is mother to Kaiden and Zhuri. Daily, Van-Neisha's goal is to grow deeper in God and to love people well, helping them know that they are called, equipped, and loved.