Founding.
It has been said that no one finds themselves in California’s Santa Ynez Valley by accident, that one’s soul seeks out this place, recognizing the Valley, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, to be a safe place to learn and explore.
We have found this to be true.
Roundbarn Ranch and Co. was founded in Californina’s Santa Ynez Valley by Justine Schreyer Lewin. Her vision materialized after she met Tori Fertitta Mortensen, with the women bonding over their shared experiences of personal loss. Recognizing the limitations of traditional frameworks for self-discovery, Justine, who began her career as a Clinical Social Worker, and Tori, a brand strategist, came together seeking an alternative path. Their collaboration led to the creation of a first-of-its-kind program hosted at Justine's family horse ranch, centered on the well-researched practice of connecting people with horses to gain a deeper understanding of the human experience. The propriety process provides people with practical, applicable, interchangeable tools for navigating emotions and experiences. It also allows them to document their discoveries and plan for their futures.
The horses, the humans, the land and the lessons of Roundbarn Ranch have collectively become known as THE ROUNDBARN WAY.
The women are led by the principle that while this program may not be for everyone, it should be available to anyone interested in exploring the powerful lessons horses teach us about the experience of being human.
As such, they founded RBR as a 501(c)(3)—to provide these joyful self-discovery experiences to ALL without concern for the individuals’ ability to pay.
Justine’s Story
“Everyone who comes here for any amount of time leaves an indelible mark on this place. We can sense their energy even after they have left. It is one of the best things about this ranch, the spirit of its visitors.”
After tapping into her past in search of direction for the future, mom, wife and philanthropist, Justine, revisited her childhood passion for horses. She came FULLCIRCLE, following a journey that led her through transformative equine experiences, introducing her to Devon Combs, who would become a mentor, and rekindling her deep appreciation for the horse-human connection. She wanted to teach everyone what she had learned.
Trusting her intuition, the Santa Ynez Valley and the horses that call this place home emerged. She would say that the ranch and its horses found her rather than the other way around. She and her family took a leap of faith and relocated to a 70-acre equine ranch on the Central Coast, now known as ROUNDBARN Ranch. Everyone dove headfirst into ranch life, getting their hands dirty with everything from construction to animal husbandry, learning and adapting to the ways of the ranch, and throwing their full support behind Justine’s most recent role as a full-time founder.
Tori’s Story
“The Roundbarn Way, a philosophy for navigating life, was inspired by loss. A vision that came forth in the face of challenge, we created what we needed believing that it could be helpful to others.”
Tori likes to say she spent the last 30 years “failing at therapy so you don’t have to.” Following the sudden loss of her mother (and #1 fan) in 2022, and considering her self-proclaimed “crummy” track record with traditional therapy, Tori was on a mission to find a different way to do the work she knew would be necessary to move through her deep grief. She didn't find one. But she did find Justine. Together, they began the process of creating something new. With a background in branding, having specialized in storytelling and strategy for a decade, she leaned into her understanding of the value of words and imagery— recognizing the power they hold for people. Tori’s work is now centered around developing and sharing strategies and systems to help people “turn their thoughts into things.”
Tori, her husband, Ky, and their two sons found themselves in the Santa Ynez Valley after having also followed the horses. Still deeply connected to her Southern (and Sicilian) roots, she divides her time between California and her family’s home in Louisiana, always bringing the spice back to the West Coast with her.
