Dance Smarter.
Host Better.
Stay Connected.

Annie Velez is a seasoned Latin dance instructor with over 30 years of experience teaching salsa, bachata, and other Latin dance styles across California and North Carolina. She’s traveled the world attending and participating in top Latin dance festivals, building strong connections within the global social dance community. With a background in business and entrepreneurship, Annie has owned a successful dance studio, a yoga-dance company, and organized countless Latin dance events.

Her extensive knowledge of the salsa and bachata scene combined with her strength in event planning and project coordination inspires her vision for MASHlife, a mobile app built to help Latin dancers discover and host the best events and classes nearby. As MASHlife’s Co-Founder and driving force, Annie wears many hats, overseeing everything from strategy and partnerships to content and community. Her passion for Latin dance and her love for bringing people together through community events is what inspired her to create MASHlife.

Sylvia Reitman is a graduate of Purdue University’s College of Engineering with over 22 years of experience in technical development, project management, UX design, and business strategy. A seasoned traveler and entrepreneur herself, Sylvia brings expertise in building scalable, user-centered platforms.

As Co-Founder & CTO of MASHlife, she leads the app’s technical vision, managing everything from architecture and security to innovation and user growth. Her passion for technology, Latin dance, and travel aligns perfectly with the mission of the app: helping dancers easily discover new adventures through salsa, bachata, kizomba, and other social dance events and classes, all through one seamless mobile experience. Sylvia is committed to creating a platform that not only performs beautifully, but also empowers the global Latin dance community to connect, move, and grow.

Sophie Hastings is MASHlife’s Global Social Media Manager, where she leads content strategy and digital engagement across all platforms. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sophie brings a background in global studies and digital storytelling to the MASHlife brand. She has spent meaningful time in Cali, Colombia, which sparked her passion for social dancing and involvement in the Latin dance community.

As a disabled creative and advocate, Sophie prioritizes accessibility and diverse representation in both digital and dance spaces. She is committed to amplifying the voices of dancers, hosts, and vendors, and to helping the social dance community stay connected, inspired, and inclusive on a global scale.

Kayla Samartin is Head of Digital Marketing at MASHlife, where she builds brand presence through digital updates, SEO/ASO, community outreach, and GTM strategies for the app. She represents the company at events, engages with the community, and collaborates with engineers to refine the app from a user perspective. With a background in software sales and marketing and an MBA in international marketing, Kayla brings a strategic mindset and strong execution to the team.

As a frequent traveler and social dancer who loves salsa and bachata, Kayla values how dance connects cultures and communities no matter where she is. Her passion for human connection and movement keeps her engaged in the dance community, where she works to make Latin dance events and dancewear more discoverable for dancers, vendors, and hosts worldwide.