The People Behind The Camp

Camp Cardinal Team

Meet the people who bring Camp Cardinal programs to life with care, creativity, and a strong connection to the community.

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Meet Our People

Our Camp Team

Select a team member to read their full bio and view a larger photo.

Portrait of Chelsey Dobbins, Camp Cardinal founder and camp director

Chelsey Dobbins

Co-Founder & Camp Director

Hi, I'm Chelsey, one of the founders of Camp Cardinal!

I'm a wife to my husband, Jon, and a proud mom to our three amazing daughters, Naomi, Joelle, and Kyla. We moved to North Carolina from California in 2015 and have loved calling this community home ever since.

Before starting Camp Cardinal, I was a third-grade teacher and have spent the past 15 years working in college athletics and coaching softball. Throughout my career, one thing has always remained the same—my passion for helping kids grow in confidence, build friendships, and discover what they're capable of.

As parents, we know how important it is to find a place where your children are not only safe but genuinely excited to spend their day. That's exactly why we created Camp Cardinal.

Our goal is to create a fun, active, and engaging environment; encourage creativity, teamwork, and curiosity; keep kids moving, learning, and making lifelong memories; and treat every camper like they're part of our family.

Whether your child loves sports, STEM, arts and crafts, outdoor adventures, or simply making new friends, we can't wait to welcome them to Camp Cardinal.
Portrait of Chelsea Doshi, Camp Cardinal co-founder and camp director

Chelsea Doshi

Co-Founder & Camp Director

Hi! I'm Chelsea, one of the founders of Camp Cardinal.

I thought I'd introduce myself since I'll be one of the faces you'll see around camp!

My husband and I live in West Cary with our four boys, ages 7, 6, 3, and under 2, and our two dogs. If we're not at home, there's a good chance we're at a sports field, a playground, or chasing kids around somewhere. Life is definitely busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

One of the biggest reasons I wanted to start Camp Cardinal is because I know how hard it can be to find a place where you truly feel comfortable leaving your kids. As a mom, I want my own children to be in an environment where every child is known by name, feels included, and parents have peace of mind.

That's also why hiring other moms has been such a priority. I know firsthand how much trust parents place in the people caring for their children, and I want our staff to treat every camper the way they'd want their own child to be treated.

My hope is that Camp Cardinal becomes more than just a place to spend the day—I want it to be a place where kids make friends, stay active, have fun, and parents feel confident dropping them off each morning.

I'm so excited to meet all of the families joining us and can't wait to get Camp Cardinal started!
Portrait of Andrea

Andrea

Hello—my name is Andrea. I’ve lived in North Carolina for 18 years now, but originally grew up in Michigan. My husband and I have an awesome teenage daughter, and we currently live in Apex.

My background and training is in art, and I have spent my whole life doing creative things. I love inspiring and teaching others how to tap into their creativity and make cool stuff. My other interests include camping, DIY home projects, thrifting antiques, and traveling. I’m so excited to be at Camp Cardinal, where I know we will make awesome memories and have great experiences every day.
Portrait of Lakshmi

Lakshmi

A little about my journey

My actual name is Lakshmipriya Pullarakattu Valsakumar. I know... imagine growing up with that name! What were my parents thinking? 😂 But you can definitely call me Lakshmi! I was born in Kerala, India 🇮🇳, and grew up in Bangalore, where I spent most of my childhood and early adult life.

I’ve been living in the United States 🇺🇸 for almost 13 years. My educational background is in Computer Science and IT. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in India and later moved to the beautiful town of St Andrews in Scotland (guess who shares an alma mater with the future King of England? Me! I went to the exact same university where Prince William and Kate Middleton studied, met, and fell in love). I earned my Master’s in Computing & IT from the University of St Andrews. After finishing my master’s, I eventually found my way into digital marketing.

My love for working with children actually started much earlier. My mom is a school principal, and whenever I came home from university, I would spend time at her school and help with the kids. I absolutely loved it! I’ve always found so much joy in connecting with little ones, listening to their stories, and seeing the world through their eyes.

I’m naturally patient and love listening to kids and getting to know their personalities. I also love reading stories, playing games, being silly, and joining in on whatever fun the kids are having.

I’m a trained Indian classical dancer, so I’m always ready to dance around with the kids! 💃 I’m also a proud bathroom singer... although I can’t guarantee the kids will enjoy that part. 😂🎶 But hey, I love to sing! My current playlist is ’80s and ’90s!

Life

I’m a mom to my 6-year-old son, Vikram, which means I have years of experience answering approximately 847 questions a day. 😂 I’m married to a wonderful man named Vishnu, who is a VP at Deutsche Bank. ❤️

Things I LOVE

  • 🎶 Music & discovering new songs
  • ✈️ Traveling & road trips
  • 🌿 Exploring the outdoors
  • 🏃‍♀️ Jogging
  • 🍳 Cooking & trying new recipes
  • 🧁 Baking cookies, cakes, and pretty much anything my son will eat
  • 📚 Reading & learning new things
  • 😂 Laughing way too much
  • 👦 Spending time with kids
  • 🤝 Meeting new people

What I’m looking forward to at Camp Cardinal

I’m most excited about meeting all the campers, getting to know their personalities, learning from the team, and, of course, having lots of fun! I hope to help create an environment where every child feels safe, included, confident, and free to be themselves.

I love watching kids discover something new, make friends, gain confidence, and get excited about the smallest things. I’m also very happy to jump in wherever I’m needed and help make camp a fun and memorable experience for everyone, although I may need a coffee first. 😂☕

Favorite superpower: Getting things done.

Current life motto: We’re all just trying to make it through the day with snacks and a sense of humor.

Something I’m looking forward to: Meeting all of you, making some great memories, and hopefully becoming one of the familiar faces your kids look forward to seeing at camp!

I’m really excited to be part of the Camp Cardinal team and can’t wait to get to know everyone.

Come say hi! I promise I’m friendly!
Our Team

How our camp team is organized

Lead Camp Counselors

4

One per group of up to 10 campers, leading activities all day.

Floater

1

Provides flexible support across every group wherever it's needed.

Team Culture

How we build our team

We look for staff members who are warm, energetic, dependable, and genuinely excited to work with children. Every staff member completes required screening and training before working with campers.

Our team creates an environment where campers feel safe to be themselves, try new things, and build friendships.

Kind & patient

Energetic

Collaborative

Always growing

Want to join our team?

We're always interested in kind, energetic people who love working with children.

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