About Abby

Twenty years of working with youth have taught me how to love people deeply and live authentically. Teens crave honesty, presence, and shared life—and learning how to build community alongside them has helped me grow into a more genuine human.

I’m Abby Teal. I work with people who feel disconnected or dis-empowered, helping them build courage and connection. At ARK Farms, we flip the youth empowerment model: instead of adults leading top-down, young people identify where they want to make an impact. They lead restorative projects, gain skills, gather resources, and grow alongside their community. This isn’t just service—it’s mutual transformation.

Through these programs, we’ve discovered life-changing lessons that apply across education, social services, business, and beyond.

Personally, my family’s story is a mosaic of resilience. I’ve faced brain surgery that nearly silenced me, my husband survived a life-threatening tumor, and our kids grew up navigating trauma, addiction, and systemic bias. We’ve lived out of a car and overcome layers of pain—and those experiences drive the work I do now.

My multiracial children carry stories and scars from a divided world. I speak six languages, have served overseas as an ordained minister, and I know both the pulpit and the pain of being cast out.

I’m living proof that community can heal trauma. That’s why this blog and our upcoming book, How to Love Humans, exist—to help others build life together. Let’s grow ecosystems of support, because this moment in history is ours to shape.

Thanks for being here. Let’s build something real—together.