OUR CLIENTS
The Roster
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Mike Africa, Jr.
Mike Africa Jr. is a passionate advocate for justice, a motivational speaker, and the Legacy Director for The MOVE Organization. He is the star of HBO Max’s 40 Years a Prisoner, a documentary following Mike as he works to free his parents from prison after forty years of incarceration. He is also the author of ON A MOVE (Mariner/HarperCollins, 2024). Born in a Philadelphia prison amidst a police raid on his family's home, Mike's early years were marked by the activism of his parents, members of The MOVE Organization, a group founded by the visionary John Africa. MOVE aimed to address the suffering of all life, they advocated for animal rights, environmental protections, and an end to pollution. Mike's parents faced persecution for their involvement in the organization's activities, each ultimately receiving 100-year maximum sentences. The tragic turning point for MOVE came on May 13, 1985. At age six, Mike watched as the Philadelphia Police Department dropped a bomb on the house where MOVE activists and their families lived. The bomb resulted in a fire that claimed the lives of 11 members, including children. Once Africa Jr. was 13 and understood that both his parents were in prison, he started looking for ways to prove their innocence — a decades-long crusade for justice. Mike has shared many stages with activists and celebrities such as Marc Lamont Hill, Tarana Burke, Ramona Africa, Dead Prez, Danny Glover, Michael Franti, Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine and countless others, tackling issues such as mass incarceration, police brutality, climate change and many other social injustices. His journey, marked by persistence and resilience, showcases the ongoing struggle for justice and the relentless pursuit of a better world. Through his work, Mike continues to amplify his message and that of the MOVE organization, carrying forward the legacy and its commitment to life, justice, and freedom.
Azure Antoinette
Azure Antoinette is a commissioned poet, actress, TED Speaker, GRAMMY™ Considered recording artist, international DEI corporate advisor, self-taught developer and software designer, and the Founder and CEO of SymbAIo Inc.—a venture-backed healthcare AI company developing iMpatient™, a behavioral intelligence platform for chronic illness management. Named the “Maya Angelou of the Millennial Generation” in Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in the World Issue, Azure has spent nearly two decades transforming the intersection of storytelling, advocacy, and innovation into a force for systemic change. Discovered in 2010 by Oprah Winfrey on the World Stage of the Minerva Conference hosted by former First Lady Maria Shriver, Azure has since shared stages across the globe with personalities including bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert and opened for Lady Gaga. Her career as a performance poet and educator began in 2006 in Los Angeles County high schools, evolving into teaching creative writing and narrative essay recitation at prestigious institutions including Archer School for Girls, The Brentwood School, Yale University (in partnership with the Born This Way Foundation), UCLA, UCLA Anderson School of Management, and NYU. In April 2021, Azure made television history on the critically acclaimed hit series Grey’s Anatomy in its 17th season as Irene Hayes—the first character to portray Multiple Sclerosis on screen while also representing the LGBT+ community. Following this landmark role, Azure and co-star Kevin McKidd received GRAMMY™ consideration for their rendition of Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars, reimagined to amplify the fight for racial justice during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. A nearly 20-year survivor of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, Azure draws on her lived experience navigating complex chronic conditions to fuel her work as a global patient advocate and healthcare innovator. She has served as a brand ambassador, keynote presenter, and on-air personality for TED, SXSW, Genentech, Biogen, Johnson & Johnson, The North Face, Mumbrella360, Tourism Australia, GLAAD, L’Oreal, Clean & Clear, GAP, and Beats by Dr. Dre. Her commissioned writing portfolio includes work for the Girl Scouts of America, the California Arts Council, and the American Cancer Society. A leading voice on empathy, social intelligence, and emotional intelligence in innovation, Azure is also an early adopter of AI whose work lives at the intersection of human narrative and the technology designed to serve it. Today, she is channeling two decades of advocacy, storytelling expertise, and personal resilience into building the future of patient-centered care. As a self-taught developer and the creator of iMpatient™—powered by MONK™, a patent-pending pattern recognition engine—she is architecting the behavioral intelligence platform she needed but never had. Through the venture-backed SymbAIo Inc. and her boutique branding agency TELLER Ventures,Azure continues to advise organizations on equitable, empathetic brand strategy while leading the charge toward a healthcare system that truly sees the people it serves.
Paul Austin
Paul F. Austin, a prominent figure in psychedelics, has guided millions to safe and meaningful psychedelic experiences through his work as the founder of Third Wave. Featured in Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, Inc., and the BBC's Worklife, to name a few, he's curious about the convergence of psychedelics, personal transformation, and professional success and how they weave together to help form a meaningful existence. Paul empowers leaders, creatives, and pioneers to leverage psychedelics for profound personal and professional growth. He views utilizing psychedelics as a refined skill cultivated through mentorship, exploration, and purposeful use—critical for humanity's ongoing evolution. As the longest-standing and youngest entrepreneur in this emergent sector, Paul's focus on integrating psychedelics with professional development is evident in the Psychedelic Coaching Institute. PCI is training the next generation of impactful coaches to work with psychedelics in a transformative capacity. The core training program caters to individuals who wish to weave psychedelics into their business practices, under the guidance of one of the industry's most trusted leaders. In stewarding psychedelic transformation, Paul's mission is to help society transition from a competitive, zero-sum mindset to a collaborative, pro-social way of being.
Dr. Sarah Ballantyne
Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, PhD is the founder of Nutrivore.com and New York Times best-selling author of Nutrivore: The Radical New Science for Getting the Nutrients You Need from the Food You Eat. She creates educational resources to help people improve their day-to-day diet and lifestyle choices, empowered and informed by the most current evidenced-based scientific research. Dr. Sarah began her career as a science communicator and health educator when she launched her original website in 2011. Since then, Dr. Sarah has continued to follow the science—diving deep into immune health, metabolic health, gut microbiome health, nutritional sciences, and the compelling evidence for health at any size—while also observing the harm of healthism, diet culture, dogmatic misinformation and predatory marketing. With Nutrivore, Dr. Sarah has created a positive and inclusive approach to dietary guidance, based in science and devoid of dogma, using nutrient density and sufficiency as its basic principles: Nourishment, not judgment.
Doug Bopst
Doug Bopst is an award-winning personal trainer, the author of three books, and the host of the Adversity Advantage Podcast. He's on a crusade to inspire others to overcome adversity and become the best version of themselves. Doug is a former convicted felon and drug addict who spent time in jail for “possession with intent to sell.” While locked in a cell, he kicked addiction, slayed his personal demons, and reinvented himself. Doug has been in recovery since the day he was incarcerated in 2008. Doug has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, Men’s Health, People Magazine, Forbes, Rich Roll’s podcast, Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, The Skinny Confidential Him and Her podcast, The Genius Life and many other media outlets.
Chase Chewning
A Virginia native and Army veteran, Chase is a Virginia Commonwealth University alum, graduating from their Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science undergraduate program. He then completed his MS in Health Promotion Management from American University in Washington, DC and also is an ACE Certified Health Coach and TRX Certified Suspension Trainer. Living a life of wellness has always been a part of him - since growing up eating fresh food from his grandparents' garden, playing baseball in school and enjoying time in the mountains surrounding his family's southwest VA home. After six years of active duty, Chase was medically discharged due a string of injuries that ultimately required him to have bilateral reconstructive hip surgeries. After learning how to walk again, twice, exercise as medicine became his passion. Chase currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Linda Clemons
Linda Clemons is a nonverbal communications and transformational expert, an award-winning speaker, and a corporate consultant who has been educating people in this realm for more than three decades. Her role as an educator on nonverbal communication began when she was a highly successful sales manager, who leaders turned to for advice. Eventually the demand for her coaching services reached a tipping point, and after intensive training from top experts in the body language field, she began to teach full-time, and to develop her own method. Today, Linda has delivered thousands of presentations and training sessions to her clients, who range from celebrities, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and politicians to organizations including Coca-Cola, Southwest Airlines, Delta, Spanx, MGM, Major League Baseball, Nielsen, the White House, US Customs, the FBI, Aflac, Equitable, Microsoft, and Google. As a speaker, Linda has shared the stage with Oprah Winfrey, President Obama, Steve Wozniak, and Condoleezza Rice. She has appeared as an expert on The Black News Channel, and she has been featured in Forbes, Black Enterprise, and other publications. Linda is CEO of Sisterpreneur® Inc, an organization dedicated to educating and empowering female entrepreneurs. She attended Ball State University, trained with world-renowned expert J.J. Newberry, founder of The Institute of Analytical Interviewing, at the Body Language Institute, where she received her accreditation in Analytical Interviewing and Statement Analysis™, and went on to develop her signature method. She resides in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Scott M. Curran
Scott M. Curran has helped the world's highest profile change agents—from former Presidents and A-list celebrities to small nonprofits turned household names, and startup charities on the street corner in his hometown—design, build, grow, and pivot some of the most exciting, impactful, high profile, and scrutinized nonprofits and social impact initiatives of the 21st century. Through a combination of experience spanning corporate law, global philanthropy, and cross-sector social impact at scale, Scott has seen it all. More importantly, he's identified the common challenges and opportunities beneath these efforts, simplified the framework for understanding the most impactful work that results, created an approach and toolkit for taking action, and is on a mission to give it all away. Scott began his career as a corporate lawyer at a mid-sized law firm, an intensive training period that provided the foundation for all that came after. Following an unexpected detour to obtain a Masters of Public Service degree as a member of the inaugural class of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in 2005, Scott began his career in philanthropy. Soon after, as a 31-year-old, fifth-year corporate lawyer, he found himself with a summer internship at the Clinton Foundation. From there, he eventually became General Counsel and built the legal department of the Clinton Foundation during its most exciting and inspiring decade of growth, working with program teams, funders, and partners in over 40 countries around the world and over 35 states in the US. Long before the results of the 2016 election would be known, Scott set his sights on his next venture, Beyond Advisers, a social impact consulting firm combining the best services of in-house counsel, outside law firms, and top-tier consultants. Scott and his growing team at Beyond would expand their services to help the world's leading nonprofits, social enterprises, and cross-sector partnerships design, build, and grow their organizations, operations, and programs to achieve their originally envisioned work at scale. Scott also advises law schools in developing social impact courses and clinical practices, and he consults with law firms to develop Social Impact & Innovation efforts. He teaches a groundbreaking law school class, "Lawyers as Social Innovators," which Crain's Chicago Business called "one of the coolest classes for law students." His first book, Do (More) Good (Better), will be published by Simon Acumen.
Pinar Seyhan Demirdag
Pinar Seyhan Demirdag is a globally recognized thought leader redefining the way humans and AI collaborate, through her work as an entrepreneur, creative technologist and award-winning product developer. She is the co-founder and CEO of Cuebric, one of the first AI-native platforms purpose-built for professional film and visual storytelling workflows. Her projects include the first generative AI visual effects for a feature film and the first AI-driven commercial, which won a prestigious D&AD Award. Pinar teaches millions through LinkedIn Learning, and her course “What is Generative AI?” was LinkedIn’s #1 most popular course, globally, in 2025. Her counsel on AI strategy, ethics, and creative innovation has been sought by organizations including Dell, Canva, LinkedIn, ARAS, and TBWA. She regularly appears on global stages, including Harvard, MIT Media Lab, Bloomberg TV, SXSW, TEDx, and Siggraph, and has been featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes as a leading mind shaping the AI era. Her perspective is rooted in a rare combination of creative and technical expertise: as one of the first artists displaced by AI, she intimately understands both the risks and opportunities of intelligent technology. Pinar shows how AI can serve as a tool to amplify human vision, intuition, and agency, advocating for a future where technology extends, rather than replaces, our most essential human qualities. Bold, insightful, and magnetic, Pinar translates philosophy into action, helping creators, innovators, and organizations navigate the AI era with curiosity and impact. She builds products and platforms that prove human imagination is still the ultimate competitive advantage.
Pattie Ehsaei
Known as "The Duchess of Decorum" by her 985K+ TikTok followers, Pattie Ehsaei has established herself as one of the platform's leading financial experts. Pattie’s teachings on female equality in the workplace, financial literacy, workplace decorum, and financial independence for women have over 7.1 million likes—answering questions such as “How do I maintain financial independence in a relationship?” “How do I make and keep a budget?” “How do I maintain my power in the workplace?” “How do I ask for a raise?” or “How do I navigate male-dominated industries?” Pattie provides real and honest answers to these questions that keep her fans begging for more. She is the author of Never Date a Broke Dude: The Financial Freedom Playbook (Balance, 2025), a sought-after public speaker, and a contributor to Forbes.com. A lawyer by trade and currently a Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions Lending for a major national bank, Pattie created her TikTok account and started growing her public speaking and media profile as a way to provide education, advice, and techniques to help young folks, especially women, navigate work, finances, social settings, and more. Born in Iran, Pattie moved to Los Angeles as a youth and has spent the last 20 years in a multi-faceted career with a focus on finance. From relationship management, business development, investment banking, and raising capital from sovereign wealth funds in private equity, Pattie has seen all sides of the industry and is a highly respected authority in the field.
Dr. Stephanie Estima
Dr. Stephanie Estima has always had reverence and awe for the human body. Her undergraduate was the catalyst for her insatiable appetite for knowledge where she studied neuroscience and psychology at the University of Toronto. She began teaching fitness classes at the university as a fun hobby and through her enthusiasm and popularity became an exercise instructor and presenter at several CanFitPro conferences. She went on to pursue of doctor of chiropractic and became a personal trainer to support herself through school. Starting a clinic right out of college also meant long days of burning the candle at both ends and sacrificing her healthy habits like regular exercise and home-cooked meals. Outwardly, she was successful, but she felt awful. And, secretly for several weeks of every month, Stephanie was overwhelmed with the symptoms of severe PMS: intense cramping, headaches, and temperature dysregulation. She went to her medical doctor who prescribed her painkillers. They only worked temporarily and had negative effects on her gut and digestive system. It was only after a trip to Italy, where she was getting consistent sunshine, activity, and healthy food, that she realized she had been living out of alignment with her body and her core values. This was the birth of her first self-published book, The Betty Body, which details how to live in alignment with your menstrual cycle, which has since sold over 40,000 copies. She created The Estima Certification and led 300 practitioners through a curriculum focused on energy, metabolism, detoxification, female-centric issues like PCOS, endometriosis, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, cervical fluid changes throughout the cycle and arc of life, perimenopause changes, and how to care for women with a holistic, thorough approach. Today, Dr. Stephanie is an international speaker on female health, energy, and longevity. She represents something important to her 40+ audience of women – she is exactly where many of them want to be in their own lives. She can show and share the path forward – because she is on it herself – with precise scientific knowledge, context, and actionable steps. It's a vital part of the brand that Dr. Stephanie says, "I am doing this, come do it with me." vs. "I'll tell you what you should do." For women under 40, Stephanie represents what is possible if their hormonal health is taken care of NOW – by setting themselves up to navigate their coming perimenopause and menopause stages successfully. They can expect to have a life full of well-being.
Chef Amanda Freitag
After graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, Amanda began her career in some of New York City’s most esteemed kitchens, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Vong, Verbena, and Il Buco. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to co-open Cesca Enoteca & Trattoria in 2003, where she earned a reputation as one of the city's top culinary talents. Amanda’s culinary expertise extends far beyond restaurant kitchens. She has become a beloved household name for her dynamic presence on television, most notably as a longtime judge on Food Network’s Chopped. Known for her insightful critiques and approachable demeanor, she has been a trusted voice for aspiring chefs since 2009. Her television work also includes Iron Chef America, Next Iron Chef, and Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions. Her wildly popular social media series, EasyAF, has grown into a lifestyle brand spanning recipes, bottled cocktails, and spice blends. What began in 2019 as approachable cooking tutorials has evolved into a mission to empower home cooks with professional techniques made simple. Whether in a restaurant, on-screen, or connecting directly with fans online, Amanda's work reflects her belief that cooking is a joyful, shared experience. Food is joy. Food is community. Food is love.
Jonathan Goodman
Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon's been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men's Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. He is the author of 13 books, and his most recent is UNHINGED HABITS (HarperCollins Leadership, 2026). Originally from Toronto, Jon spends his winters exploring the world with his wife and two young sons.
Anu Gupta
Anu Gupta is a human rights lawyer, scientist, scholar of bias, meditation teacher, and the founder and CEO of BE MORE with Anu, an education technology company that trains corporate, nonprofit, and government leaders to advance inclusion and wellness by breaking bias. He is also the author of Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel them (Hay House 2024) with a foreword from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His work has reached 300+ organizations, training more than 100,000 professionals and impacting over 30 million lives. As a gay immigrant of color, he came to the work of breaking bias after almost ending his life due to lifelong experiences with racism, homophobia, and Islamophobia. The realization that bias can be unlearned helped lead him out of that dark point and inspired a lifelong mission to build a global movement for social healing based on principles of mindfulness and compassion. Anu has lived, studied, and worked globally, which informs his unique perspective on how different forms of biases – whether they are race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or class-based – use the same neural mechanism to create inequities and inefficiencies in different organizational and cultural contexts. A peer-reviewed author, his original research was supported by competitive grants from the National Science Foundation, American Heart Association, New York State Health Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Focus For Health Foundation, and Echoing Green. He has written and spoken extensively, including on the TED stage, the Oprah Conversation, TIME, Fast Company, Newsweek, Inc Magazine, People, and Vogue Business. Anu has a JD from NYU Law, MPhil in Development Studies from Cambridge University, and BA in Int’l Relations and Islamic Studies, summa cum laude, from NYU. Prior to law, he served as a Fulbright middle school teacher in South Korea, studied Spanish in Mexico, worked on international women’s rights issues at the UN, and founded an educational nonprofit in Myanmar/Burma. He is a lifetime Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute and a Systems Designer for Penn State Dickinson Law School’s Antiracist Development Institute (ADI). He is a student of Buddhism and Kriya Yoga and he has spent over 10,000 hours on retreat at meditation communities in the US and Asia. He is a 500-hour certified yoga and meditation teacher and has served on the boards of many nonprofits and social enterprises. He lives in New York City with his partner.
Isabelle Hof
Isabelle Hof, MSc, MSc, built and now advises the Wim Hof Method (WHM) Academy, is cofounder of the Icewomen community, and is a WHM instructor. She has been involved with Innerfire BV since its beginnings, including organizing expeditions, creating the instructor video course, and coordinating scientific studies. Isabelle holds an MA in Psychology and has a passion for guiding people on journeys of the body and mind. She believes that the WHM is one of the most potent tools in the field of self-actualization. Practicing the method will lead to becoming a more balanced, healthier, and fun version of ourselves.
Laura Hof
Laura Hof, MA, also known as "The Icewoman," is an accomplished wellness expert, speaker, and author, renowned for her expertise in breathwork, cold therapy, and holistic health. She is a Holistic Therapist, and a certified Wim Hof Method (WHM) instructor, following the practices pioneered by her father, Wim Hof, "The Iceman." She has held a number of positions within the company, moving from assistant to Head Academy, Social Media, Events, and organizing big events of up to 1,200 people. She now leads her own expeditions and also co-teaches with Wim. Laura co-founded the Icewomen Community, a global nature-dipping community led by women. She is also a holistic therapist, investor, businesswoman, and facilitator, moving between Asia and Europe to organize various activities and work as coach, co-facilitator in workshops, retreats and events. Cold training has been an integral part of Laura’s life, providing valuable lessons in emotional control, energy balance, endurance, mindset, and much more. She is proud to be able to share these lessons with the world.
Wim Hof
New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Wim Hof, a.k.a. "The Iceman," holds multiple world records for his feats of endurance and exposure to cold—such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro wearing only shorts and shoes, running a barefoot half-marathon in the Arctic Circle, and standing in an ice-filled container for more than 112 minutes. Having been taught by the majestic natural power of the cold, Wim is on a mission to share his discoveries with the world. Through decades of self-exploration and groundbreaking scientific studies, Wim has created the Wim Hof Method (WHM) a simple, effective way to stimulate deep and healing physiological processes and to realize our full potential. The benefits of the WHM, now practiced by millions and validated by multiple studies, include increased energy, better sleep, reduced stress levels, heightened focus, and boosting the immune system. Wim has been featured on the BBC, VICE Media, Discovery Channel, and Joe Rogan, Tim Ferris, and School of Greatness podcasts. He also starred in the BBC series 'Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof' in 2022. Wim's first book, The Wim Hof Method (Sounds True, 2020), has been translated in 35+ languages and sold over 1 million copies worldwide. His next book, Exposure, will be published in 2027.
RaQuel Hopkins
RaQuel Hopkins is the founder of Success is Complicated. Known as The Capacity Expert on Instagram, her work (and popular viral videos) are focused on transcending traditional coping mechanisms to promote genuine thriving and capacity building in individuals and organizations. Her career journey began in the realm of HR, where she ascended to the position of VP of HR for a global telecommunications firm. She then transitioned into coaching and mental health, where she continues to make significant impacts. RaQuel holds a BS in Business, an MBA in International Business, and a Master’s in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling.
Dr. Paule Valery Joseph
Paule V. Joseph is a nurse scientist, clinician, entrepreneur, and writer who studies how the senses shape human health, memory, and resilience. Born and raised in Venezuela to Haitian parents, she grew up in a culture where food, scent, and memory were inseparable — and those early experiences planted the questions that would later define her scientific life. Trained at the University of Pennsylvania and Pace University, and holding advanced degrees in nursing, research, and business, Dr. Joseph has built a career at the intersection of biology, behavior, and prevention. She is the Founder and CEO of Anchor Health, a Senior Investigator at the National Institutes of Health, and the co-founder of the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research, a collaborative network spanning more than 70 countries. Through her laboratory, the Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism, her research examines how chemosensory changes influence nutrition, behavior, aging, and neurological health — and how the body's sensory signals may be among the most sophisticated and underused data points available to medicine. Her driving question is both simple and radical: what if the senses are not secondary to health, but among the body's earliest and most intelligent warning systems? Working at the frontier of neuroscience, AI, and virtual reality, she is building new tools for personalized sensory profiling — turning what the body already knows into intelligence that medicine is only beginning to read. Her contributions have been recognized with a Guggenheim Fellowship, election to the National Academy of Medicine, induction into the Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, a TED Fellowship, and a Presidential Leadership Scholarship. Her work has been featured in major media outlets and public forums at the intersection of science, health, and society. Through her writing and public speaking, Dr. Joseph makes the case that paying attention — to what we smell, taste, and sense — is not a soft skill but a survival one. Her North Star is to reawaken humanity through the science of the senses.
Jo Lorenz
Jo Lorenz is a writer, community organizer and communications professional. She is the co-founder of the political and sociopolitical social platform, The Progressivists, which speaks directly to more than one million people, and organizes with non-violent disruption non-profit, Climate Defiance. With more than 25 years of experience, Jo has worked in several international organizations, on political campaigns with high-profile U.S. politicians, with well-known non-profit organizations, and has written for several notable international publications. Yet, throughout her professional journey, she has consistently argued that institutional objectives only matter when they center collective liberation — a standard almost never met by today’s establishments. As a writer, she has by-lines with various international publications, including Vogue and Eco-Age, where she has written social justice pieces focused on collectivism and justice. Jo is also a speaker and moderator of events for conscious businesses, movements and educational institutions and was host of Spotify-acclaimed, The Progressivists Podcast, where she and her influential guests discussed how to use our collective voices to equitably serve people and the planet.
Pardis Mahdavi
Pardis Mahdavi is an author, educator, and entrepreneur. She has published seven non-fiction books and two edited volumes. She earned a BA from Occidental College, and two masters and a PhD from Columbia University. She is the author of the highly acclaimed Book of Queens: The True Story of the Middle Eastern Horsewomen Who Fought the War on Terror (Hachette Books 2023), Riding (Duke University Press, 2024), Hyphen (Bloomsbury 2021), Crossing the Gulf: Love and Family in Migrant Lives (Stanford University Press, 2016), From Trafficking to Terror (Routledge, 2016), Gridlock: Labor, Migration and Human Trafficking in Dubai (Stanford University Press, 2011) and Passionate Uprisings: Iran’s Sexual Revolution (Stanford University Press, 2008). Her work has appeared in, among others, Time, Ms. Magazine, Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post. Mahdavi is an expert on education, medical anthropology, and consciousness. Before stepping down from academia to found Entheon Journeys, she served as President at the University of La Verne, Provost and Executive Vice President at the University of Montana, as well as Dean at Arizona State University and the University of Denver after serving in multiple roles at Pomona College. She is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Young President’s Organization and has been a fellow at the Social Sciences Research Council, the American Council on Learned Societies, Google Ideas, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Mahdavi is on the board of directors for the Lumina Foundation, the Human Trafficking Legal Center, and the Global Religion Advisory Board. She currently lives in Arizona where she is working on her debut novel, HorsePower, a story about awakening through exposing the limitations of the education and other systems.
Tiffany Marie
Tiffany J. Marie is a content creator on Instagram and Substack, using her signature dry humor to spread awareness and positivity about living childless/childfree. She has leaned into the tongue-in-cheek as a way of calling attention to the extreme, and often vilifying or pitying, ways in which society generally talks about women who either don’t or can’t have children. After being diagnosed with infertility and choosing to pursue a life without children, Tiffany looked and was unable to find a positive place to connect with others going through the same thing as she was. She decided to create that space herself, an atmosphere for childfree and childless people to connect and engage with one-another separate from the negativity and accusations. Tiffany believes that being a parent is a calling and a choice. It is one that not everyone will make, and that not everyone needs to make in order to be a happy, fulfilled, and good person. What started as a small online community is now taking off as a movement. Tiffany’s Instagram following in over 150K, and she has been invited to speak at online summits such as The Childfree Collective and World Childless Week. She is a fitting and relatable leader for this movement, since she knows the experience of both being childless (by circumstance) and remaining childfree (by choice), and she aims to be a voice within the community encouraging those who've made the choice, supporting those on the fence and giving resources to those hoping to support or better connect with the childless/childfree loved ones in their lives. She lives with her husband Phil in Ontario, Canada. The soul of their home resides in their fur kid, Luna.
Karla McLaren
Karla McLaren, M.Ed. is an award-winning author, social science researcher, workplace consultant, and emotions and empathy expert. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages. Her lifelong work focuses on her grand unified theory of emotions, which revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, effective communication, and healthy empathy. Karla also developed the groundbreaking Six Essential Aspects of Empathy model that highlights all of the processes in healthy empathy and makes them easily understandable, accessible, and attainable for everyone. This fully realized model teaches people how to access, develop, and manage their empathy intentionally. It also explicitly welcomes people who have been exiled from earlier models of empathy (such as men, boys, autistic people, and people dealing with narcissistic or sociopathic conditions). Her applied work, Dynamic Emotional Integration® (also known as DEI) is a trailblazing approach to emotions and empathy that reveals the genius and healing power within the emotional realm. Licensed DEI Trainers and Consultants are available across the globe. She is also the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics Inc. and the developer of the Empathy Academy online learning site and community. Karla is the author of many books, audio learning programs, and research studies, including her popular guide The Language of Emotions (now in its second edition). The new Language of Emotions Workbook was released in 2024, and she’s currently working on a book about leaving her previous career as a psychic healer, Missing the Solstice. She also posts regularly at her On Emotions and Empathy column at Psychology Today. Karla lives with her beloved family in Northern California, and she volunteers as donations coordinator for Sonoma County Acts of Kindness, a tiny but mighty anarchist nonprofit that does direct street outreach and advocacy to support unsheltered folks.
Lacey Leone McLaughlin
Called the “rage coach” (Insider), “cancel-culture consultant” and “go-to underling whisperer” (The Hollywood Reporter), executive coach Lacey Leone McLaughlin was, until recently, a best-kept secret of the Hollywood elite. As an executive coach and talent management professional, Lace has more than 20 years of experience coaching fortune 500 CEOs, high-level aerospace and automotive engineers, and elite Hollywood directors, showrunners, and producers. She initially received a flurry of media attention as the coach Hollywood executives turn to in order to keep from getting canceled, but her work is so much bigger than that—coaching leaders in becoming better and more successful people, who are able to empathize with their employees and treat them like human beings. She advises all level of leaders with a particular emphasis on leadership transitions and leadership effectiveness coaching. Lacey was selected as a member of Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches. She has been interviewed or had her writing featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Times, New York Magazine, Business Insider, The Daily Beast, The New York Post, and more, and has co-authored articles on Employee Resources Groups (Diversity and Inclusion) and Leadership Development. Her popular podcast, Unfolding Leadership, is currently in its second season. Season 1 guests included Lacey’s high-profile friends, colleagues, and clients, including Academy, Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer, director and writer Jeff Hassler, actress and former Ms. USA Ali Landry, Oscar winning documentary film-maker Shannon Dill, criminal defense attorney Armilla Staley-Ngomo, and award-winning CNN journalist John Vause. Lacey is the President of LLM Consulting Group, Inc., where she helps leaders deliver business results by focusing on clearly identified personal and organizational goals. She was previously the Director of Executive Education at USC’s Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) in the Marshall School of Business. Before joining CEO, Lacey managed the Los Angeles region’s largest portfolio of business and clients as a human capital consultant for Personnel Decisions International. She holds a BA from Whittier College and an MBA, with a focus in Leadership and Management.
Danny Morel
Danny Morel is a life coach and spiritual leader guiding millions throughout the world to awaken, heal and transform their lives. He guides his audiences through profound internal transformations resulting in healing lifelong limiting beliefs and removing protective inner barriers that block abundance from entering their lives. The external transformation that follows is remarkable, as people regularly overcome struggles associated with work, relationships, health, and finances. His podcast, The Higher Self with Danny Morel, became the number one spirituality podcast within six months of creation, and his event, Awaken Your Highest Self, is the world's leading spiritual awakening event and a masterclass in unlocking your highest potential by healing your deepest subconscious wounds. His social media channels, already in the millions, are growing organically by the thousands per month as his followers share his daily content, extending his heartfelt messages to their family and friends. His mission is to help people Awaken, Heal, and Transform their lives. His first book, AWAKEN YOUR HIGHEST SELF, will be published by Hay House in 2026.
Jason Nemer
Jason Nemer is a world-champion acrobat and the Co-Founder of AcroYoga. Jason’s work was featured in New York Times Bestselling author Tim Ferriss’ book, Tools of Titans. He has coached Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin, actress Ashley Judd, and many other top performers. Jason has also brought AcroYoga’s team-building methods to companies like Google, FourSigmatic, Summit Series and TrueX. By age 16 he had won silver and bronze medals at the World Championships of Sports Acrobatics. At 21 he realized his dream of performing at the Olympic Games. When he discovered yoga and Thai massage, he began fusing the key elements that would one day become this global practice. Since then Jason has dedicated his life to uniting communities through the power of AcroYoga. His motivation is rooted in the belief that through fun and connection, AcroYoga can empower all people no matter their ability, age, race or background.
Allycin Powell-Hicks
Dr. Allycin Powell-Hicks, known as Dr. Ally, is a distinguished Relationship and Growth Expert, a prominent television personality, and the visionary founder of the DOUX Consulting Group. With a remarkable career dedicated to helping individuals unlock their potential and thrive in various aspects of their lives, she has made significant contributions at the intersection of mental health and media. As the driving force behind the DOUX Consulting Group, Dr. Ally leads a team that specializes in providing consulting services that bridge the gap between mental health and media. Her agency is known for its transformative work, offering guidance and support to celebrities and executives seeking personal and professional growth. Dr. Ally's unique approach centers on empowering her clients to embrace self-acceptance, improve their mental and physical well-being, and harness the power of creativity as a catalyst for personal empowerment Dr. Ally’s research on minority women, cosmetic surgery, and the impact of media on body image has been presented at conferences around the world and featured in books like The Ways Women Age. Through this research, she has directly impacted and improved others' lives through workshops, radio, television articles, and hands-on coaching. A go-to mental health expert, Dr. Ally has appeared on national television shows including Love and Hip Hop Hollywood, Family or Fiancé, Access Live, and more. Her first book, The Problem with Pretty, will be published by Legacy Lit in 2026.
Sarah Prout
Sarah Prout is a bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, spiritual mentor, intuitive speaker, and voice of sacred manifestation. With over 200,000 books sold, a devoted global audience, and features in Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, and The Daily Mail, Sarah is known for her soul-led approach to transformation and the energetics of manifestation. Through her podcast, courses, Substack, and digital offerings, Sarah blends grounded wisdom with intuitive insight to help people return to their truth, raise their energetic frequency, and manifest the next chapter of their lives. Her work supports those navigating transitions—guiding them to reconnect with purpose, unlock creative power, and embody spiritual sovereignty. Born in New Zealand, raised in Australia, and now based in the United States, Sarah shares her insights through speaking engagements, digital platforms, and private workshops, offering a presence that is thoughtful, inspiring, and impactful. Her work goes beyond information—it’s designed to spark clarity, inspire transformation, and support meaningful personal growth.
Don Saladino
Don is a coach & fitness expert known for his work with celebrities & athletes. With a passion for helping individuals achieve their best selves, he emphasizes the importance of strength training, especially as we age. He opened his first NYC Gym in 2005. After operating brick & mortar gyms for 15 years, he expanded to a global online fitness business. He has developed a reputation for training some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Chip & Joanna Gaines, Sebastian Stan, Annie Hathaway, Matt Bomer, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Liev Schreiber, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Drew Powell, & David Harbour are among his roster of clients. He has been tapped as a fitness expert in publications such as Men’s Health, Women’s Health, & Muscle & Fitness. He has also been featured in People, US Weekly, Origins, In Touch, Cosmo, & Shape; and has made appearances doing live fitness demos on The Golf Channel,The Today Show, Good Morning America, Page Six TV, People NOW, E News, Fox News, & WebMD. He sits on the advisory board of Men’s Health Magazine. In March 2018, October 2021, & November 2023 it was his great honor to shoot the cover of the iconic Muscle & Fitness Magazine. Don lives in New York with his wife, Mel, and their two children, Amelia and Donny Jr., & their pups Sambuca, Rigatoni, & Zeppole.
Shivan Sarna
Shivan Sarna is the author of the bestselling Healing SIBO, a TV host, and award-winning health educator. She is the creator and producer of the SIBO SOS® Summits and Community, The Digestion SOS™ documentary series, The Gut & Microbiome Rescue Summit, the Liver and Gallbladder Rescue Summit, The Lymphatic Rescue Summit, The Dental Health Connection Summit, The Fascia and Chronic Pain Rescue Summit (Co-Producer), The Gut Rescue Summit, The New Science and Wisdom of Menopause Summit, and Chronic Condition Research, a 501(c)(3) non-profit to further research under-funded medical conditions. After a lifetime of struggling with health issues, Shivan made it her mission to demystify her own health struggles – and to share that information with others who are struggling. Her personal mantra is “SOS: Save Our Selves.” And that's what she has helped thousands of people do!
Amish Shah
Amish Shah is an award-winning filmmaker, visionary entrepreneur, and modern mystic dedicated to bridging ancient wisdom with future-forward innovation. As the creator of The Natural Law, a transformative documentary and global movement rooted in Ayurveda, consciousness, and elemental harmony, Amish inspires audiences to realign with nature, purpose, and personal power. With a background that spans Wall Street algorithmic trading to building multi-million dollar digital ventures, Amish’s journey reflects a bold fusion of intellect and intuition. He has led companies in eCommerce, wellness, and media, generating over $100 million in collective ad spend and scaling impact-driven startups from concept to community. Today, Amish is expanding The Natural Law into a global wellness ecosystem—encompassing retreats, books, a podcast, a wearable wellness platform, and a forthcoming yoga documentary that explores the soul of yoga across continents. His mission is to awaken humanity to its highest potential through storytelling, healing, and sacred entrepreneurship. He lives at the intersection of science and spirit, serving as a bridge between worlds—honoring the ancient while building the new.
Dr. Jordan Shallow
Dr. Jordan Shallow (“The Muscle Doc”) is a clinician, founder, speaker, and problem solver. A global leader in sports performance and education, he works with elite athletes, professional teams, and corporations, offering innovative strategies to improve human performance. With years of experience working with world-class athletes and sports organizations, Dr. Jordan Shallow has cemented his role as a trusted voice in the fitness and performance industries. His expertise spans multiple domains—biomechanics, strength and conditioning, and injury prevention. Jordan’s unique approach blends scientific rigor with practical, real-world application, allowing him to tailor strategies that optimize both athletic performance and longevity. Beyond his work with professional sports teams, Jordan is an educator, empowering coaches worldwide through Pre-Script™ and RX'D RADIO. His commitment to advancing the fitness industry has made him a sought-after consultant and speaker, known for his ability to distill complex topics into actionable insights.
Dr. Ishan Shivanand
Ishan Shivanand is a globally acclaimed Acharya (Vedic educator), yogic scholar, and mental health researcher based in California. Born into a revered lineage of yogis spanning twenty-one generations, he spent his early years in Indian monasteries and the Himalayas, immersed in intense yogic grounding by his father and mentor, Dr. Avdhoot Shivanand. From breathwork to ancient martial arts, Ayurvedic medicine to deep meditative practices, Ishan mastered the long-guarded sciences of the Indian Knowledge Systems for over 20 years. For centuries, these teachings remained hidden, passed down to only a select few. But Ishan chose a different path—one of sharing, healing, and transformation. His journey has taken him across the world with a singular mission: to make timeless yogic wisdom practical and accessible to all. Through the creation of Yoga of Immortals (YOI)—a set of revolutionary, evidence-based meditation protocols—he has helped millions overcome trauma, mental health conditions, and even life-threatening situations, empowering individuals and communities to reclaim vitality and redirect to their life purpose. His mindfulness programs have reached corporate leaders, veterans, athletes, healthcare providers and everyday seekers alike, with Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Meta, Boeing, and Microsoft turning to his expertise for mindset-performance enhancement and resilience. Beyond his role as a yogic master, Ishan is a true polymath of our time—a singer, a martial artist trained in Kalaripayattu and Muay Thai, a graphic novelist, and a speaker fluent in five languages. The Practice of Immortality is his most personal work yet, chronicling his journey from the sacred halls of the ashram to the global stage, while offering readers a profound, practical guide to lasting transformation. In an era of distraction and disconnection, Ishan Shivanand is a bridge to an ancient legacy—one that inspires individuals to rise, heal, and thrive. He is the author of the upcoming The Practice of Immortality: A Monk’s Guide to Discovering Your Unlimited Potential for Health, Happiness, and Positivity.
Dr. Tracey Shors
Dr. Tracey Shors is a Distinguished Professor in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology and the Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers University. With over 150 scientific publications, and her popular trade book Everyday Trauma, Dr. Shors studies why we are inclined to ruminate on the past and how this process can interfere with our everyday lives, while making still more stressful memories in our brain. She is also focused on identifying effective tools for reducing repetitive thoughts that reinforce our everyday traumas. Her brain fitness program, known as MAP Train My Brain combines mental and physical training with silent meditation and aerobic exercise to decrease trauma-related and repetitive thoughts, as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety. By understanding how and why our brain tend to ruminate, while training them with new mental and physical skills, we are better equipped to leave our pasts behind and live in a brighter future.
Gin Stephens
New York Times bestselling author of Fast. Feast. Repeat., Clean(ish), and Delay, Don’t Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle (now in its second edition), Gin Stephens has been living the intermittent fasting lifestyle since 2014, losing over 80 pounds and maintaining the loss even as she went through menopause. She coined the phrase “the clean fast” in 2016, and has been teaching others about the magic of the clean fast ever since. Gin is the host of 2 top-ranked podcasts: Intermittent Fasting Stories and the Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life podcast (w/cohost Sheri Bullock), and she manages a thriving online intermittent fasting community. Gin graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition’s Health Coach Training Program (2019). She earned a Doctor of Education degree in Gifted and Talented Education (2009), a Master’s degree in Natural Sciences (1997), and a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education (1990). She taught elementary school for 28 years, and has worked with adult learners in a number of settings. She lives in Surfside Beach, SC. Gin is also a mother to two adult sons (and she is thankful every day for the intermittent fasting lifestyle that makes her life easier).
Luke Storey
Metaphysics Educator, Speaker, Philosopher, Host of The Life Stylist Podcast Luke Storey is a motivational speaker, writer, philosopher, and teacher of metaphysics. He is the creator and host of the top-rated Life Stylist Podcast, which has amassed over 14 million downloads since its inception. Widely regarded as a pioneer in personal development, Luke’s passion lies in articulating transformative principles of spirituality, addiction recovery, and mental, emotional, and physical wellness. Luke’s teachings combine timeless spiritual practices, contemporary psychology, primal health principles, and cutting-edge natural healing and consciousness-expanding technologies. Through lived experience, he has triumphed over tremendous adversity, including childhood trauma, adolescent criminality, and chronic drug addiction. His journey has informed three decades of recovery and a steadfast commitment to inner work and healing. As a speaker, Luke has shared the stage with wellness leaders such as Dr. Joe Dispenza, Tim Ferriss, Dave Asprey, Gabby Bernstein, and Deepak Chopra. He has been a featured presenter at prominent events and venues, including Soho House, Mercado Sagrado, Bulletproof Upgrade Labs, Paleo f(x), and Neil Strauss’s Society. Luke has also led intensive workshops on breathwork, Kundalini Yoga, and meditation at luxury retreats like Cuixmala in Mexico and RA MA in Mallorca, Spain, New York City, and Venice, California. In 2019, he served as the MC and keynote speaker at London’s Health Optimisation Summit. Luke’s work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Podcast Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Magazine, and Men’s Fitness. He has also appeared on major TV networks, including VH1, Style Network, and MTV. Before becoming a thought leader in health and wellness, Luke enjoyed a successful Hollywood career as a musician and celebrity fashion stylist. In 2007 he founded School of Style, which was acquired in 2023 by The Only Agency, and has served as an instructor of fashion styling at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). He has also guest-lectured at The School of Fashion at Parsons, Woodbury University, and The Art Center College of Design. Additionally, he is the creator of Gilded by Luke Storey, the world’s first fashion-forward blue-blocking eyewear brand. Today, Luke empowers people worldwide to transcend limitations and suffering by sharing strategies for mindfulness and tools for achieving physical and emotional vitality. He resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Alyson Charles Storey—author of the Animal Power book and card deck—and their dog, Cookie.
Vicky Mara Story
Vicky Mara Story is sunshine, and like sunshine, she is a powerful force of good, shining on all she encounters. As a first-generation American-born Filipino girl growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Vicky faced many adversities but prevailed. She shattered stereotypes and overcame limitations in various areas of her life, gracefully becoming the woman she is today. Vicky Story is an executive producer, real estate broker, investor, philanthropist, wife, mother, and co-founder of the Hollywood storytelling empire The Story Company, where she serves as Chief Operating Officer. With 25 years of experience across diverse industries, Vicky has emerged as an author with the release of her upcoming book, Sunshine Revolution.
Kyle Sullivan
Kyle Sullivan is a model, writer, and popular content creator on TikTok and Instagram, where he has built a community around his spooky aesthetics, quirky humor, personal growth, unique path to sobriety, counterculture art, and musings on life, death and mortality. Originally from Los Angeles, Kyle moved 26 times before landing in Northern California. Shortly, after graduating high school, he won the TV gameshow Wipeout—a win that came with a cash prize of $51,000. It sounds like a cool story and achievement, but it was also a turning point for Kyle, one that catapulted him into partying too hard and falling into drug addiction and, eventually, alcoholism. Kyle’s next big turning point was several years later in 2016, when he hit his self-described rock-bottom, a moment that almost cost him his life. But he was able instead to do the scariest thing he could imagine and admit that he was an alcoholic and start taking steps to get sober. As an atheist, he did not find community or support in typical AA 12-step programs, which rely heavily on finding God as part of the sobriety journey, and eventually learned to make his own program. It worked. Kyle went on to start powerlifting and competing, making YouTube content about his sobriety journey and how he achieved it through secular means, and trying to help others see the benefit of putting the bottle down. He started his TikTok during Covid, and his content took off, rapidly gaining viral popularity. Now, he creates content on a variety of topics, including sobriety, but also religion, comedy, horror, self-help, mortality, and—as he puts it—anything else that falls into his head.
Ben Swire
Ben Swire is one of today’s most innovative thought leaders on company culture and workplace belonging. Something of a creative platypus, Ben’s diverse background in psychology, physics, film, marketing, literature, and philosophy is not a standard pedigree, but that mix-and-match lineup of expertise has given him a uniquely multifaceted perspective. An award-winning designer, writer, and former Lead Strategist at the iconic innovation firm, IDEO, Ben co-founded Make Believe Works, a team building company that uses creative activities to accelerate connection, deepen trust, and fuel collaboration. His imaginative and insightful methods have helped organizations from Fortune 500 companies to public school districts build healthy and productive workplace cultures. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Carol Tan
Carol M. Tan is a spiritual healer and licensed reflexologist who has become a favorite guru amongst elite Hollywood celebrities and athletes. Her healing talents have earned her a word-of-mouth reputation as one of the very best at what she does, and she currently travels all over the world to meet with her illustrious clientele including Sir Paul McCartney, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gabrielle Union, Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, and many, many more. Carol was born in Cambodia during the early days of the Khmer Rouge, the regime responsible for one of the worst mass killings of the 20th Century, which took the lives of up to two million people. Her family fled Cambodia when she was 5 years old, sponsored by an Episcopalian church in Seattle. Determined that their children would have successful live in the US, Carol’s parents emphasized education heavily. In Cambodia, reflexology was considered the practice of beggars, and Carol’s parents couldn’t fathom that it might be her path to success in America. Though she felt her calling in her soul, Carol also struggled to do what was considered “right” by her family. Over the years, Carol was a shop girl, waitress, bartender, massage therapist, business owner (of several small businesses), she did a brief stint in nursing school and even worked in finance on Wall Street. As Carol puts it, “I have worked on Wall Street, I have worked the restaurants feeding everyone on Wall Street, and now I have helped relieve the stress of everyone on Wall Street.” Carol discovered her ability to heal through massage therapy, and eventually through reflexology, when her clients consistently told her that she was giving her more than a massage, that her gifts were greater than that. Now that she has been able to fully embrace her calling, she knows that her purpose is the healing of humanity through touch. Though she frequently travels to New York and London for work, Carol lives in London with her three children.
Dr. Catherine Tan
Catherine Tan is an associate professor of sociology at Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY). She holds a PhD in Sociology from Brandeis University. Her research focuses on health, wellness, and medical knowledge. She is author of the award-winning book, Spaces on the Spectrum: How Autism Movements Resist Experts and Create Knowledge (Columbia University Press 2024), which investigates two movements that take issue with mainstream understandings of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her research has also been published in a number of high-ranking peer-reviewed journals, like Social Science & Medicine, Social Studies of Science, and Ethnic and Racial Studies. In her public-facing work, her op-eds on healthcare, autism, and vaccines have been published in Newsweek, CNN, Time, and Boston Review. Catherine spends her week horseback riding, creating stained glass lamps, hiking with her dog, hosting dinner parties, and discussing current issues as a regular panelist on Northeast Public Radio.
Joey Thurman
Joey Thurman is a health and nutrition expert, celebrity trainer, television personality, fitness influencer, and author of The Minimum Method. He has trained the likes of Terrence Howard, Chef Robert Irvine and Wunmi Mosaku, and is a frequent guest on including Good Morning America, TODAY, Live with Kelly and Ryan, the Harry Connick Jr. show, and his local Windy City Live on ABC Chicago. He has also been featured in and contributed to top health and fitness publications such as Shape, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, People, Livestrong, Parade, The New York Post, Thrive Global, and more. Named the best trainer in Chicago by the Chicago Sun Times in 2015 and NEWBEAUTY.com’s top 3 favorite celebrity trainers, Joey is best known for helping his clients take inventory of their lives – helping them to hold on to positive aspects while eliminating toxins ranging from empty calories to from negative, self-limiting emotions and people who create negative energy. Joey is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES), Fitness Nutrition Specialist (FNS), Certified Sleep Science Coach (CSSC), Certified Stress Management Coach (CSMC), Barefoot Training Specialist (BTS), and a Functional Integrated Training Specialist for Everlast. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and their adorable son.
Mickey Trescott
Mickey Trescott is an author, recipe creator, and holistic nutrition professional, widely recognized for her expertise in living well with autoimmune disease. A certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner through the Nutritional Therapy Association, Mickey has been working in private practice as a functional nutritionist since 2013. Her interest in autoimmune disease stemmed from her own diagnosis of celiac disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis when she was 26. After experiencing her own healing using dietary and lifestyle modifications, she decided to use her background as a personal chef to create recipes for those who wanted to do the same. Mickey is the author of three books: The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook, and The Nutrient-Dense Kitchen. The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook has been recognized as a nominee in the Books for a Better Life Awards, and the Nutrient-Dense Kitchen was a silver winner in the 2019 Nautilus Awards in the Food, Cooking, and Healthy Eating category. As interest in the Autoimmune Protocol has spread worldwide, her books have been translated into Spanish, German, and Polish. As a speaker, Mickey has presented at conferences geared towards healthcare providers such as the Ancestral Health Society Conference, The National Association of Nutrition Professionals’ HealCon, and the Annual National University of Natural Medicine Conference, among others. For the public, she has taught cooking classes at Bastyr University and the Natural Gourmet Institute. Beyond her authorship, Mickey is the leading voice in the AIP community through her influential website, Autoimmune Wellness, her podcast The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, and associated social media channels which have collectively served millions of wellness-seekers. She is a co-creator of the AIP Certified Coach Practitioner Training Program, which has instructed over 1,000 providers. Mickey has also been involved in efforts to raise awareness and support charitable organizations supporting those with autoimmune disease. She served on the board of directors for Hashimoto’s Awareness from 2014 to 2018, and currently serves on the advisory board of the AIP BIPOC Network. In addition to helping found and sustain the AIP movement, Mickey has been involved in furthering research on dietary interventions and autoimmune disease. She currently consults and collaborates with medical research teams working on future AIP efficacy and case study publications in medical journals. Her latest book The New Autoimmune Protocol, based on this research, will be published by Rodale in 2026. Mickey lives in the Portland, Oregon area where she is perpetually working on a sustainable home renovation, playing pickleball, and developing an edible suburban yard with her husband, Noah.
Dr. Keegan Walden
Dr. Keegan Walden is a psychologist and executive coach who works with startup founders and corporate executives on the inner work of company building. This means using the immense strain of the role as a vehicle for personal and leadership growth, looking within to identify and resolve challenges that may have originated in childhood. His first book will be a practical guide that shows founders how to go through the death and rebirth process of a startup, working with their psychological defenses and challenging personality traits to make the most of the founder hero’s journey. It is due to be published by Simon Acumen, the business imprint of Simon & Schuster, in late 2026. Keegan is an alumnus of Y Combinator, the world\'s leading technology incubator. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical and Personality Psychology from Northwestern University and a B.A. in Psychology from Yale University. Keegan lives in Northern California with his wife, Ann, two children, and at least one Rhodesian Ridgeback at all times.
Dr. Sarah L. Webb
Dr. Sarah L. Webb launched the global initiative Colorism Healing in 2013 to raise awareness and foster individual and collective healing through creative and critical work. Dr. Webb’s myriad efforts to address colorism include designing college courses, hosting an international writing contest, publishing books, teaching workshops, and mentoring students across the world from Sacramento, California to Sydney, Australia. Because of her work and expertise on colorism, Dr. Webb has written and contributed to several academic and non-academic articles, presented at numerous conferences, and been featured on regional NPR stations, Fox Soul TV, the Illinois Times, Forbes.com, The Tavis Smiley Radio Show, MTV, and the TEDx stage. One of Dr. Webb’s favorite pastimes is providing edutainment on social media, and her content creation landed her among the first 100 members accepted into LinkedIn’s Creator Accelerator Program. She has previously taught high school as well. In addition to teaching, Dr. Webb has managed online content for local news and TV stations, and done freelance writing and editing for blogs, small businesses, and local magazines. Dr. Webb was recently an English Professor in the MidWest before jumping off the tenure track to blaze her own trail.
Sergey Young
Sergey Young is the bestselling author of The Science and Technology of Growing Young (Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller), visionary, and investor with a mission to accelerate and democratize futuristic technologies that serve to make human lives healthier, longer, and happier. Sergey founded Longevity Vision Fund in 2019 and co-founded Bold Longevity Growth Fund with Peter Diamandis in 2023. The focus of both funds is on technologies that target the leading causes of aging and improve clinical efficiency and safety by a magnitude of 5-10 times, thus reshaping medical practice. Sergey is on the Board of Directors of the American Federation of Aging Research (AFAR), one of the co-creators of the XPRIZE Healthspan global competition, and Innovation Board Member at the XPRIZE Foundation. XPRIZE is an impactful non-profit co-founded by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil, with Board Members including Sergey Brin, Larry Page, and Arianna Huffington. To date, XPRIZE has raised $250M to fund incentives that change the world – including the Google Lunar XPRIZE and Elon Musk’s Global Learning XPRIZE.
Ray Zupp
Ray Zupp is an LGBTQ+ author, illustrator, and designer. Raised in the American South, they have spent eighteen years as a Creative Director and Production Designer, shaping immersive worlds for theme parks, haunted attractions, theatre, film, television, and exhibits across the U.S. and Europe. A lifelong fascination with history, mythology, folklore, and the paranormal inspired their debut series, Into the Ether, an epic dark fantasy saga reimagining folklore and family legacy. Drawing on their background in film and television, Ray has also adapted the first book into a dark, adventurous scripted television series.