LifeStream Rochester is a non-profit, professional educational corporation. Over the past 29 years, approximately 4,000 people have graduated from one or more of our programs; you probably already know someone who has attended a LifeStream program.

Hundreds of LifeStream Rochester graduates want as many people as possible to experience the same benefits they have by attending LifeStream seminars. As their part of 'Pay it Forward' they support LifeStream Rochester by generously donating their time, energy and talents to the support and delivery of LifeStream Rochester seminars. This commitment is how we keep tuition as low as possible. We enjoy giving back - helping our friends, family and colleagues to become happier, healthier and more successful. As any of our volunteers will tell you, we receive much more from volunteering, than the time and energy we give. Tuition is used to pay the facilitator and cover the cost of course materials, supplies and room fees.

We currently produce four Basic programs, two or three Advanced/IPI programs, one LeaderShape program and 12 Community Gatherings, and at least 10 Teen Connections per year. We have been in existence in various corporate forms since 1986, when the LifeStream Basic class was first delivered here in Rochester. Click here to learn about our History.

LifeStream Rochester is an integral part of a loose federation of organizations that produce LifeStream programs in various cities throughout North America including Jacksonville, FL; Cincinnati, OH; Toronto, Canada; and San Jose, CA.  Each city's organization is independent, self-organized and self-managed. Each LifeStream organization draws from a common pool of experienced facilitators. Over time, many of the cities have changed the name of the program, while continuing to deliver the same excellent content. Visit our Related Information page for links to the other LifeStream organizations.

Navigate these links to learn more:

Corporate Structure
Our History
Officers and Board Members
Contact Us
Facilitators
Related Information

Corporate Structure
We are organized as a private, non-sectarian, 501(c)3, non-profit, and tax-exempt professional education and services corporation, with Officers and a Board of Directors that are elected each year by the graduates of the LifeStream Rochester programs. Our Board consists of individuals who are each accountable for some aspect of our operation. We freely contribute experience and talents to keep the organization active and growing. The actual non-profit corporation that produces the classes is GrowthWorks, Inc., and LifeStream Rochester is its business name (dba).

LifeStream is a need-blind educational organization. We strive to find a way to make it possible for anyone who wants to attend our programs to do so, regardless of their financial situation. We have a second non-profit organization, Agape Club, which exists solely to raise and disseminate financial aid in the form of need-based scholarship grants and zero-interest, six-month loans. Many of our graduates were only able to experience LifeStream because of our financial aid program.
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Our History
Jim Quinn studied for several years under Alexander Everett, who founded Mind Dynamics. Alexander wrote several books including his most important work, "Inward Bound", lectured all over the world, produced many audio tape series, and led hundreds of workshops. He and Jim Quinn also co-led many seminars. Mind Dynamics spawned a variety of highly-impactful bodies of educational work, all focused on people overcoming self-imposed limitations in order to live their lives to the fullest.

In 1973, Jim Quinn left Mind Dynamics to design and deliver LifeStream seminars, a series of self-development educational programs. Jim incorporated what he had learned from Alexander Everett and separate, additional research he conducted along the way. He expanded the core content significantly, adding many exercises that reinforce the concepts of which nearly all are still used in LifeStream programs today.

During the 1970's, Jim and his wife Janet produced and delivered many LifeStream programs and continued to improve and refine each syllabus. They also trained many facilitators over the course of the 1970's and 1980's. 

In 1979, Jean Paul participated in a LifeStream Basic, then took Advanced/IPI in 1980, in Chicago. She was active as a team leader and volunteer office assistant in the Chicago LifeStream organization until 1985. In 1986, Jean and her husband Tom, along with Jake Nelson, produced the first LifeStream Basic in Rochester. Over the course of the next three years, Tom and Jean delivered LifeStream seminars through their company, Human Progress Enterprises.

During the 1980's, LifeStream flourished and spread to many other cities all over North America as well as Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Many additional Facilitators were trained as interest in the programs grew.

In 1989, Jeanne and Tom Paul turned the production of LifeStream seminars in Rochester over to Don Sloane and Josie Estill.  The Agape Club was also formed to provide financial aid to people needing support in order to attend LifeStream programs.

Josie purchased the rights to LifeStream in Upstate New York in 1992, and formed Life Enrichment, Inc. to produce LifeStream programs in Rochester. In 1996, Josie turned the production of LifeStream Rochester classes over to GrowthWorks, Inc., a non-profit corporation formed and controlled by LifeStream graduates in the Rochester area, and run by a board consisting of Wanda Strother, Bill Smith, Carol Yacono, Gail Mahanger and several others.

Jim Quinn passed away in 1998, after living a very fulfilling and high-impact life, in which he directly and indirectly touched the lives of millions of people. Fortunately he had trained many new facilitators, who continue to carry on his legacy of transformation and growth today.

In 2000, Steve and Mary Aman teamed up with Chris and Sharon Arthur to take over LifeStream Rochester, and along with Don and Holly Vragel, immediately began growing and strengthening the organization into what it is today.

Over the past five years, the organization, its Board and volunteer staff, and the frequency of its courses have all grown - built on the solid foundation that was laid by the people that came before us. Currently, there are fourteen LifeStream Rochester Board members, each of whom is active in promoting, producing, and delivering LifeStream seminars in and around Upstate New York.

LifeStream in Rochester has been going strong ever since 1986. Every board and staff member is very proud of the impact we have made on the Rochester metropolitan area, as well as the many other communities whose residents have traveled to attend a programs.

Our recent growth is driven by the amazing dedication and commitment of our volunteer staff, and by the renewed interest many people have to find ways to be happier, more successful, and much more productive and balanced in both their professional and personal lives. We exist solely to support people in obtaining success.
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Officers and Board Members

Feel free to directly contact any of the above Officers and Board Members.

Agape Club
Agape Club is a separate non-for-profit organization established to collect and manage donations to the LifeStream scholarship funds. Its Board is a subset of the GrowthWorks Board, and consists of the officers of GrowthWorks (F. Dewey, D. Vanable, P. Tudisco and H. Vragel) plus J. Wagner who serves as the Manager of The Agape Club Financial Aid program.
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Facilitators

James Roswell (Ross) Quinn
Ross is a well-respected motivator and leader, international keynote speaker, leadership trainer, author, and success coach. Quinn's seminars go well beyond typical motivational speeches and workshops, as his leading-edge human development technology empowers people to overcome Fear-Based reactions and to identify and change their non-productive behaviors to become truly successful in all areas of their lives.

Since 1979, Ross has made more than 1500 presentations to over 150,000 people all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Thailand. His corporate clients include Remax, State Farm Insurance, Boise Cascade, and Walt Disney.

Ross is also the author of "Controlling Others For Love and Profit", and his new book, "Speaking Of Success", with co-authors Steven Covey ("7 Habits"), Jack Canfield ("Chicken Soup") and others. Ross has also produced an eight-CD audio seminar that captures the essence of his leadership trainings called "Get Over Yourself".

Ross graduated from University of Southern California. Prior to becoming a LifeStream facilitator, he was the Director of Marketing for Van De Kamp's Bakery Products in Los Angeles. He and his wife Christine live on a beautiful lake outside of Chicago.
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Therese Quinn
Therese is a well-known and successful entrepreneur, and a leading international LifeStream facilitator. She has been affiliated with LifeStream since 1984. and has been President/co-owner of LifeStream Learning Systems, Inc. for the past 14 years.  Therese co-founded LifeWorks of Jacksonville (FL) in 2000.

Therese has been an award-winning executive and leader in the insurance industry for more than 20 years. She also has owned and operated a highly successful nationally ranked golf sales and marketing company, has been a professional fundraiser for a non-profit organization, and is an avid competitive golfer who qualified for the 2008 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur.

Therese is a former student of religious studies from Immaculata College and currently is a lay Eucharistic Minister of Holy Family Church. Therese holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing Management from Barry University in Miami, Florida.
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Art Frisbie
Art and his wife Sally have focused their attention on our future, having co-facilitated LifeStream Seminars for Teen and Children over the past five years for LifeStream Learning Systems. Art has also led LifeStream Basic seminars in Florida, Canada and New York, as well as several other related leadership training events as his schedule permits.

Art is the Behavioral Interventionist for the Excel Program at Paxon Middle School in Jacksonville FL, dedicated to helping children become all they can be. Art's career in this field began in 1987 and includes professional work in Georgia, Japan, Florida and Maryland. Art spent two years in Japan with Interact International, a program with Japanese Business and Industry and the Department of Education.
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Sally A. Frisbie

Sally and her husband Art have focused their attention on our future, having co-facilitated LifeStream Seminars for Teen and Children over the past five years for LifeStream Learning Systems.

Sally is the Director of the Excel Program at Paxon High School for Advanced Studies, has co-authored the Exceptional Student Educational Manual for Duval County, and is a Professional Crisis Management Trainer for Duval County teachers. Her professional experience includes work with all ages in the classroom, from elementary through college. A dynamic presenter, Sally is an instructor in alternative games, ropes courses, and Outdoor Wilderness Adventures.
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Nancy H. Altman

Nancy has been affiliated with LifeStream since 1984, and has facilitated seminars (including IPI/Advanced), special programs, and encounter group work in her 30+ years of experience with individuals, teens, couples and children. Nancy's extensive instructional experience and workshop presentations have made a difference in thousands of lives.

A professional educator and businesswoman since 1974, Nancy has worked in all facets of education: college, elementary, middle school (co-founder of award-winning Mandarin Farm School and Learning Center) and nursing school. Nancy has also served as a College Administrator, Curriculum Designer; and a Marriage and Family Therapist.

Nancy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a minor in Psychology from University of Florida; a Masters of Administration, with Specialization in Social Service, from Georgia Southwestern University; and a Master of Arts in Counseling, Jacksonville University.
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In Loving Memory of Several Life-changing Facilitators

Dr. James H. (Jim) Altman, 1942 - 2008

Jim's affiliation with LifeStream began in 1984, and in 1999 he became co-owner of LifeStream Learning Systems, Inc. In addition to personally leading more than a hundred LifeStream courses, Jim also trained many of the current LifeStream Facilitators. We miss his wisdom, sublime sense of humor, and positive outlook on life. The contribution that he made both to his students as well as the people to whom they in turn contributed cannot be measured.

Jim worked as a professional educator for over 30 years, and was the Director of the ESE Program at the S. P. Livingston School, a program for 177 emotionally challenged children. He also developed and co-owned the award winning Mandarin Farm School and Learning Center with his wife Nancy.

An international speaker and facilitator who presented in Canada, British Columbia, Taiwan, and Japan, Jim presented at the United Nations regarding international education. In addition to his busy LifeStream schedule, Jim's work in the business community included charter membership in two Rotary organizations; he was also a member of the Episcopal Board of Regents of Florida. Jim held a Bachelor of English from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida and both a Masters of Education and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Florida.
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James H. (Jim) Quinn, LifeStream Founder, 1927 - 1998

Jim created LifeStream and the Basic seminar, first presenting it in Chicago in 1973. Since that time, LifeStream has shown hundreds of thousands of graduates all over the world how to be much more effective both at work and at home, in their relationships with each other as well as with themselves.

Prior to founding LifeStream, Jim researched the very best personal growth and development materials and techniques. Jim discovered and became a trainer for one of the original human development companies "Mind Dynamics" and incorporated some of these ideas along with many of his own to develop what he would call LifeStream Basic.

A man committed to transforming the way people interacted with each other to optimize our results and happiness, Jim was born in Washington State and served in the U.S. Corps of Cryptographers in China during World War II. He worked in sales for JC Penney Inc. in Los Angeles and then owned and operated a successful clothing store in Los Angeles, California, before inventing LifeStream Basic.

Through Jim's LifeStream work he has directly and indirectly (through graduates of his programs) transformed the lives of millions of people. His legacy will live forever, and we honor him for the contribution that he made.
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