Meet the Team
Aimee Salmon
Founder and CEO, Positively Africana By Aimee Passionate Entrepreneur and Community Builder Cultural Wellness Leader and Mother Certified Group Exercise Instructor and Certified Personal Trainer Zumba Instructor | Strong HIIT Instructor | Functional Strength Training Instructor | Afrobeats and African Dance Instructor
Meet Aimee
Aimee Salmon is the founder and CEO of Positively Africana By Aimee, a founder-led destination where cultural fitness, community, and curated African retail come together. Based in Northampton, Massachusetts at Thornes Marketplace Level 2, and serving customers nationwide, she teaches movement that builds strength, joy, and belonging.
Aimee is trained in multiple forms of exercise and leads Zumba, Strong HIIT, Functional Strength Training, and Afrobeats and African Dance. Her classes are designed to strengthen the body and support mental well-being through rhythm, consistency, and community.
She is a Mount Holyoke College alumna with a degree in Psychology and Education and a minor in Entrepreneurship, Organizations and Society.
What You Can Expect
Aimee creates a space where your body is celebrated, not judged. You will leave feeling grounded, stronger, and more connected.
Her approach is built on three pillars:
1. Culture as strength
2. Mental well-being matters
3. Consistency over intensity
Community Builder First
Aimee is a community builder at heart. She does not just teach classes, she builds spaces where people feel seen, supported, and like they belong. Every class and every event is designed to strengthen community across cultures, backgrounds, and fitness levels.
Read her story: Community Changed My Life: How Loneliness, Isolation, and Postpartum Led Me to Build Positively Africana By Aimee
https://positivelyafricana.
Mantras
Be Grounded. Be Strong. Be Empowered in the Midst of All.
Stronger Together at Positively Africana By Aimee.
Stay Connected
Stay connected via Media By Aimee for African stories, founder updates, and community highlights. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop on new arrivals, events, and what we are building.
Quick Links
Media By Aimee: https://positivelyafricana.
Newsletter Sign-Up: https://positivelyafricana.
Explore Fitness Programs: https://positivelyafricana.
Join the Membership: https://positivelyafricana.
Learn More About Aimee: https://positivelyafricana.
Shop Handmade African Gifts: https://positivelyafricana.
Hind Elkalai
Zumba Instructor and Dance Addict
Meet Hind
In 2018, I made the decision that changed my life forever. I was ready to not only participate in a class but to lead it, so I got my license as a Zumba® Instructor. Zumba became part of my everyday life. I got addicted to exercise – in a good way: not to lose weight but to feel happier, I needed the increase of endorphins and serotonins in my body (key ingredients to boost your morale, happiness and well-being). Zumba made me accept who I am, confident and ready to conquer the world! Come get it with me!!!
Mantra
Love Yourself. Love your body. Together We Are Empowered.
Training Philosophy
I believe fitness is for everyone and that anyone can do it. There are no beginner or advanced levels in my classes. Just enjoy our fitness community and keep on moving. The power of togetherness in very powerful nowadays and we are here to Support you!
Personal Achievements
Certified Zumba Instructor
Cindy Soriano
Early Childhood Educator
Meet Cindy
Hello, my name is Cynthia Soriano. I’m a passionate and experienced Early Childhood Educator. I am also a caregiver with 20 years of service in Northampton Public Schools, Hampshire Regional YMCA, and Community Action and Development programs. In addition to planning and implementing many curricula. I do hands-on teaching which includes leading group programs while responding to individual children’s needs. Working with children brings joy to my workdays!
More about me: I’m Puertorican, fluent in English and Spanish. I am also a mother of a beautiful daughter. Some of the things that I enjoy most are hiking, swimming, dancing, reading, and being around friends and family. I am committed to diversity and inclusion.
SuSu Min Aung
Zumba Instructor, Chef, and Mother of Two.
Meet SuSu
Hello, everyone! My name is SuSu, and I am beyond excited to be joining the incredible team at Positively Africana as a Zumba instructor. This amazing community has been a significant part of my fitness journey, and it is an honor to now have the opportunity to give back and inspire others through Zumba.
Having been a client at Positively Africana, I can personally attest to the positive impact this place has on individuals. The supportive atmosphere, the diverse range of classes, and the infectious energy of the instructors have truly transformed my life. It is here that I discovered my love for Zumba and experienced the incredible physical and mental benefits it offers. Zumba has not only been a fantastic way for me to stay active, but it has also become my ultimate stress relief. The exhilarating music, the contagious enthusiasm, and the liberating dance moves have the power to transport me to a place of pure joy and self-expression. It is this profound connection to Zumba that motivated me to take on the challenge of becoming an instructor.
Now, as a certified Zumba instructor, I am thrilled to be able to share my passion for this incredible fitness program with all of you. I cannot wait to guide you through energetic and fun-filled Zumba classes at Positively Africana, where we can laugh, sweat, and dance together. It is my goal to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable and empowered to let loose and embrace their inner dancer.
So, whether you are a seasoned Zumba enthusiast or a beginner looking to try something new, I invite you to join me at Positively Africana. Together, we will embark on an exciting fitness journey where we will not only improve our physical health but also strengthen our minds and spirits.
I am truly grateful for this opportunity, and I cannot wait to meet each and every one of you. Let’s make some unforgettable memories and achieve our fitness goals together at Positively Africana! See you on the dance floor, ready to sweat and have a blast!
Book Susu (Fitness): https://positivelyafricana.com/fitness/
Memberships: https://positivelyafricana.com/product/fitness-membership-monthly/
Explore our collection: https://positivelyafricana.com/shop/
Professor Lauren Cox
Lauren is a storyteller, teacher, dancer, choreographer, educator, and traveler. She is a Professor of Jazz Dance and Pedagogy, Associate Director of Dance at UMass Amherst, and a mother of two.
Meet Lauren
Lauren Cox is a storyteller of many mediums, originally from the SF Bay Area. As Associate Director and Assistant Professor of Jazz Dance and Pedagogy at UMass Amherst, she is deeply interested in studying and creating spaces for communal sanctuary and recognizes these practices as a blueprint for radical reclamation and transcendence.
She has performed, researched and taught in over ten countries, seeing the world as a classroom. Using New York as a base, Lauren developed curriculum and traveled internationally for Joffrey Ballet School while also teaching at The Ailey School, Limón Company II, Broadway Dance Center and Peridance. Her immersive and site-specific work on “Spaces” with Kaimera Productions highlights themes of storytelling, dance and collaborative justice. With the company she has erected the show in Harlem, New York; Saint-Denis, France; Oakland, California; Albany Park, Chicago (2027); and has done adjacent work with Kaimera in Queens, New York with “Make Justice Normal”, on The Island of Jean Charles, Louisiana with the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe and on the Island of Mozambique with the Slave Ship Wrecks Project for the Smithsonian of African American History.
Notable works and performances include: TedX Asbury Park and the film “Edelweiss” (2026/27); featured dancer in the documentary “Mama Dancers” streaming on Amazon Prime; Principal Performer in Randy Weiner and Ryan Heffington’s immersive off-Broadway experience “Seeing You”; Associate Choreographer/Dance Captain and Swing for John Leguizamo’s “Kiss My Aztec” at Berkeley Rep; several performances on Saturday Night Live; and performances with Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Coldplay, Pharrell, Joey Yung and more across commercials, music videos and live shows, including resident host of Stories from The Basement and Brinda Guha’s “Wise Fruit: Celebrating the Feminine Divine”.
Lauren has been a long-time customer and supporter of Positively Africana By Aimee. In her own words: “I have been shopping at Positively Africana for years. I love Aimee’s products — they are rich with stories and artistry. I have earrings, clothes, and household decor from PA. The brand as a whole promotes the presence of the continent’s core values in community, and I am grateful for the example of activism in Western Mass.”
We are thrilled to have Professor Lauren join our team. She brings incredible energy, expertise, and a deep commitment to creating spaces for communal sanctuary — values that are at the heart of Positively Africana By Aimee. Her presence strengthens our mission to celebrate African culture, build community, and create meaningful experiences. Professor Lauren will be leading our new Family Jazz class and contributing to our fitness and cultural programming.
Book Lauren (Fitness): https://positivelyafricana.com/fitness/
Book Lauren (Events): https://positivelyafricana.com/events/
Memberships: https://positivelyafricana.com/product/fitness-membership-monthly/
Explore our collection: https://positivelyafricana.com/shop/
