Women's PowerStrategy Conference

Monica Anderson TONE FITNESS

Monica Anderson started educating eons ago that Life is movement—movement of ideas, bodies, minds, spirits. Monica has been connecting with private clients for over 16 years in her co-owned studio, Tone. She has been teaching group movement classes for over 40 years and has spent 7 years cultivating new teachers sharing her wealth of observation and inquiry. Monica believes that Western and ancient methods of healing are tools. Healing happens naturally when there is a convergence of community, consciousness, relationship, information, respect, joy and hope. Monica has Degrees in Art, Biology, Education, Special Education and her Active Certifications include Personal Training, Pilates, and Yoga Therapy. Visit her website: http://www.tonefitness.com/

Linda Lee Askmepc

Linda Lee is a writer, speaker, educator, and website designer who demystifies the online experience. Whether you are a novice or veteran Internet user, Linda can help you optimize and monetize your website. Specializing in WordPress design, WordPress websites, instruction, and problem shooting, Linda and her team have built over 200 websites for clients on the WordPress platform. Linda is the founder of Askmepc-Webdesign, “Smart Women, Stupid Computers” and WordPress Total Training, a full WordPress training course and support membership site for WordPress. She offers remote training domestically and internationally, helping hundreds of people. Linda Lee is also one of the top webinar presenters for the Author Learning Center, a division of Penguin Publishing. Visit: www.askmepc.com

Judy Baker

Judy Baker is president of The Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA), the Program Chair for the Bay Area Consultants Network and the CEO of brandvines, an individualized coaching and marketing program that creates compelling visual identities for authors and speakers, service businesses and events. Judy works with entrepreneurs who feel overwhelmed by marketing and need help in getting their ideas out of their heads and into the world. Visit brandvines inspiring and informative blog at: yourmarketingalmanac.com and website at: www.brandvines.com

Sam Barry

Sam Barry is the author of the humor-inspiration book, How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons. He is the Marketing Director at Book Passage and has previously worked for the San Francisco-based imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, HarperOne. Sam is also a musician, best known for his harmonica and piano playing. He has frequently appeared on the national radio show West Coast Live, and currently plays with the Rock Bottom Remainders, an all-author rock band founded in 1992 by his late wife, Kathi Kamen Goldmark. Other members include his brother Dave Barry, Scott Turow, Roy Blount Jr., James McBride, Matt Groening, Greg Iles, Stephen King, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson and Mitch Albom. Sam will be on our men’s panel and performing at our V.I.P. reception. Visit Sam online at www.redroom.com/member/sam-barry.

Laura Berg

Laura Berg is president and founder of My Smart Hands Inc., one of North America’s leading Baby Signing companies. Her You Tube channel has over 21 million views and is part of Maker Studio, North America’s largest You Tube network. What began as a self-created curriculum for her students to better help them learn through ASL (American Sign Language), turned into an international company with over 200 instructors worldwide. My Smart Hands teaches parents and teachers how to sign with their babies long before they can talk and how to communicate with their hearing impaired children and students. Yahoo! Shine recognized Laura as one of the Top 7 Mom Entrepreneurs who made it big alongside J.K Rowling and Paula Dean. Laura’s book, The Baby Signing Bible was published by Avery Books in September 2012. For more about Laura visit: mysmarthands.com

Susan M. Breall

Susan M. Breall is a judge in the Superior Court for the City and County of San Francisco. Currently, she presides over a juvenile delinquency department. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2001, she was Chief of the Criminal Division of the San Francisco district Attorney’s Office for all crimes of violence against women, children, elderly and intimate partners. She prosecuted felony domestic violence cases for ten years, and was an Assistant District Attorney for seventeen years. Ms. Breall has done numerous trainings for police and prosecutors throughout the United States. Her special interest in the area of domestic violence is in working with underserved populations. She tried numerous cases in the seventeen years in which she practiced law involving undocumented battered immigrant women as victims of domestic violence.

Simona Carini

Simona Carini is a native Italian who was transplanted to the West Coast long ago. She credits her American husband and California itself as being the catalysts that broadened her horizons, but her journey is still ongoing. The soil in which she grew also includes her education in nursing, English and German literature, and computer science. Her roots are in Italy, while her branches are in creative cooking, cheese making, bread baking, photography, and writing at www.pulcetta.com. Last, but not least, she is an avid reader.

Tonia Caselman

Tonia Caselman, PhD, is associate professor at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma. Tonia has been a national speaker and is the author of numerous articles, books and therapeutic games. She and her daughters are co-founders of Estrofests, a blog “for women of all estrogen levels,” describing humorous aspects of women’s lives and offering girlfriend party ideas. Tonia is fascinated with how women’s humor and mirth bring life-affirming connections. Well, that … and she just likes to have a good time.

Kathleen Cha

Kathleen Cha is Director-at-Large for the American Association of University Women (Executive Committee) and past California AAUW state president, Women’s Intercultural Network (WIN), and Board Vice President of A Safe Place, shelter for abused women and families. She is an NGO delegate to the UN-Commission on the Status of Women 57th Session with a focus on issue of violence against women: international strategies to prevent.

Douglass Christensen

Douglass Christensen has a background in theater and dance and traveled extensively throughout the world while performing. When he and his husband Vincent were caregivers for Vincent’s mother, they started the blog Dementia-Mama-Drama.com. Written with a humorous, bittersweet perspective of their roller coaster ride during her battle with Alzheimer’s, Vincent and Douglass’s goal is to produce a documentary about dementia and gay caregivers, featuring Mama . Upon moving from NYC to Marin (where Douglass grew up) Vincent and Douglass also created a GLBT Facebook page “OUT in Suburbia: Gays Living in Marin,” to bring more visibility to the GLBT community in Suburbia. They wanted to blend in, but not disappear!

Patricia V. Davis

Patricia V. Davis is the author of the bestselling Harlot’s Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss and Greece, and The Diva Doctrine: 16 Universal Principles Every Woman Needs to Know. She is the editor-in-chief of the non-partisan HS Radio e-magazine and podcast in which her “Expert in Failed Relationships” advice column appears. Her latest work and first published fiction, “Chopin, Fiendishly” appears in Tales From the House Band: Volume I. Patricia holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing and Education, and has won several awards in education and women’s advocacy. She is the founder of The Women’s PowerStrategy Conference. www.patriciaVdavis.com

Kate Farrell

Kate Farrell earned a Masters degree from UC-Berkeley; taught language arts in high schools, colleges, and universities; founded the Word Weaving storytelling project in collaboration with the California Department of Education with a grant from the Zellerbach Family Fund and published numerous educational materials. She is founder of Wisdom Has a Voice memoir project and editor of the anthology, Wisdom Has a Voice: Every Daughter’s Memories of Mother, 2011. Kate is a member of Redwood Branch (CWC), Story Circle Network, and National Association of Memoir Writers, and Vice-President, Women’s National Book Association-SF Chapter. Website: wisdomhasavoice.com

Joy Friend

Joy Friend, LCSW, is a clinical supervisor for Green Country Behavioral Health Services and provides individual/family therapy to clients in foster care and in the adoption process. Joy has taught Play Therapy, Stress Management, and Dream Analysis classes at Tulsa Community College. She has facilitated girl empowerment groups in high schools, as well as women’s groups addressing self-esteem, relationships, and the power of having ‘girlfriends’. She is the founder of “It’s A Girl Thang,”a Facebook group that offers an open forum for women to discuss their joys and hardships.

Lorna Garano

Lorna Garano is the founder and President of Lorna Garano Book Publicity. She is a veteran book publicist with nearly fifteen years of experience working on non-fiction titles. She began her career at an independent Bay Area publishing house, and in 2007 she launched her own firm, which now includes a Speakers Bureau. Lorna is also the coauthor of three books, most recently An Intimate Life: Sex, Love, and My Journey as a Surrogate Partner.

Lee Goff

Lee Goff is a financial investor and adviser, life coach and author of The Thunder Trilogy. As a business owner in the financial services field, Lee served on the Small Business Advisory Council for Dun & Bradstreet helping small businesses to improve and utilize their business credit rating. Being able to track large loan portfolios showed him that female-owned businesses were succeeding in areas where others were failing.

Deborah Grabien

Deborah Grabien had four novels published between 1989 and 1993, took a decade away from writing and then picked up where she’d left off with the five novels of her Haunted Ballads series being brought out by St. Martins Minotaur, and then Still Life With Devils, released by Drollerie Press, a stand-alone thriller about a serial killer who may not be human. Following these came Dark’s Tale, her first YA title, drawing on her experiences working with the SPCA’s feral cat program in Golden Gate Park. Her current series, the Kinkaid Chronicles, are the books of her heart. Narrated by aging rock superstar guitarist John “JP” Kinkaid, this character-driven mystery series not only takes the reader into the way rock and roll really works at the highest end, but illuminates what living with a chronic progressive illness is like. Like JP, Deborah herself has lived with multiple sclerosis for nearly a decade. Website: deborahgrabien.com

Bonnie Harvey

Bonnie Harvey was the Co-Founder and Vice-President of Barefoot Cellars for 20 years and is the co-author of The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. It’s a business adventure story that chronicles the humble beginnings and the lessons learned building the Barefoot Brand. Without paid advertising, they achieved the industry’s top awards for sales, including the Fast Track Growth Brand, Trend Setter, and Hot Brand. The famous footprint on the label is Bonnie’s footprint. Together with co-Founder Michael Houlihan, Bonnie helps small businesses, start-ups, corporations and non-profits improve their brand image, culture, and income. She speaks at conferences and universities, and co-authors weekly business blogs at www.barefootwinefounders.com and www.thebrandauthority.net

Lynn Henriksen

Lynn Henriksen, aka The Story Woman, discovered a profound way to keep our mothers’ spirits alive, after witnessing Alzheimer’s disease ravage her mother’s mind. She has helped hundreds capture in brief memoirs the memories and feelings they never thought they could record. Her award-winning book, TellTale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir: How to Tap Memory and Write Your Story Capturing Character & Spirit, is a journey through emotional terrain accessing the deepest spiritual truths of intimate relationships. Lynn is the founder of TellTale Souls™, former president of the Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco, and a member of the California Writers Club. www.telltalesouls.com

Barry Hessenius

Barry Hessenius is the former director of the California Arts Council, former President and CEO of California Assembly of Local Arts Agencies and former Executive Director for Lines Ballet of San Francisco. His former board affiliations include National Association of State Arts Agencies, United Statewide Community Arts Organizations, National Association of Artist Organizations, California Association Arts Educators, California State Summer School for the Arts and as Advisor for the President’s Committee on Arts & Humanities. He is currently on the board of directors of the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco. He is the author of Hardball Lobbying for Nonprofits (2007 MacMillian) and of Barry’s Blog, which offers news, opinion and advice for the arts administrator: www.westaf.org/blog.

Joe Klocek

Joe Klocek has performed at every major comedy club in the country, including in Alaska, and is a regular on the Bay Area Comedy Scene. He’s a square peg in a round hole sort of guy. Raised a Midwesterner, so he has manners, but living in San Francisco for 20 years, so he thinks he’s better than you. Joe does two things well ? tells stories and talks to the crowd. Joe has appeared on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” and was the commentator for Emmy Award winning documentary, “A Bridge So Far.” He is the co-creator of the critically acclaimed storytelling show, “Previously Secret Information” and has also been a runner-up in the “San Francisco International Comedy Competition” and a finalist in the “Seattle Comedy Competition.” Voted “Best Comic” in the 2011 SF Weekly Readers Poll. www.standupjoe.com

Sally Kuhlman

Sally Kuhlman is the blogger behind the popular Bay Area blog, “Sally Around The Bay.” She runs a successful Social Media and Virtual Assistant business. Sally is also the author of the upcoming book: “Heart Mothers.” The book is about a common thread of feelings found among women whom Sally calls “heart mothers”, who are women who feel they don’t fit in the “traditional mom” box and often feel like outsiders in the world of motherhood. Whether stepmothers or other, these moms have unique issues when it comes to raising children, which very few people talk about. Sally is a big supporter of marriage equality for all. She has been with her partner (now wife), Celia Graterol since 1995 and they have recently survived raising 3 teenagers. Website: http://sallyaroundthebay.com/

Vicki Larson

Vicki Larson is the Lifestyles editor and writer at Marin Independent Journal, a featured blogger for the Huffington Post and a contributor to Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in Our 40s, a fundraising anthology for breast cancer. She has appeared in the New York Times’ Room for Debate and on Minnesota Public Radio’s “The Daily Circuit.” Her writing can also be found at Mommy Tracked: Managing the Chaos of Modern Motherhood; Get Lusty for Couples and Single Edition. She is co-writing a book about reinventing marriage, The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Cynics, Commitaphobes and Connubial DIYers, and sometimes even writes something halfway intelligent on her own blog, the OMG Chronicles omgchronicles.vickilarson.com.

Dotty E. LeMieux

Dotty E. LeMieux founded GreenDog Campaigns (www.greendogcampaigns.com) in 1998 and has successfully run campaigns for State, county and local office. She has done fundraising for the legislative campaign to bring Compassionate Choice (Death with Dignity) to California and consults with grassroots organizations on environmental issues such as the protection of open space and preservation of habitat, efforts against environmental exposure to toxic chemicals, and access to parks and open space. Dotty is a former chair of the Sierra Club, Marin Group, current Membership Chair of the Marin Women’s Political Action Committee (MWPAC) and active in the California Democratic Party (CDP), where she is a member of the State Platform Committee and co-founder of the CDP Progressive Caucus. Additionally, she has trained activists and those running for office, through the MWPAC, the Sierra Club, National Women’s Political Caucus, Emerge California and more.

Monique Lessan

Monique Lessan, M.F.S. is the owner of Eye Investigate, an international private investigation firm. She is a multi-lingual licensed private investigator with over fifteen years of experience conducting worldwide investigations to recover missing and abducted children and runaways. She is also a radio host on Revolution Radio and her show is called Private Eye/Xfiles. Monique has been called in on hundreds of missing children and adult cases, sex and human trafficking investigations, undercover operations and criminal investigations and has been featured on many television news and talk shows. Monique is an activist in the fight against human trafficking and an expert in child abduction recoveries. She has recovered missing children from San Diego, Singapore, Mexico, England, Saipan and Nicaragua. In 2009 Monique founded Teens Against Human Trafficking to help Fight Against Child Exploitation. Her Website is: eyeinvestigate.com and .net

Zakiya Mackey

Keynote Speaker Zakiya Mackey is a writer and director from the urban streets of Oakland, California and a recent graduate of Loyola Marymount with a degree in film production. While at Loyola, Zakiya wrote and directed many short films, including “No More” a film about domestic violence within the African-American family, which won the Golden Lion award at the Film Outside the Frame Film Festival in Los Angeles. “No More” is now being used by the Alameda County District Attorney’s office for domestic violence training for the Oakland Police Department. After her junior year at LMU, Zakiya took a position at Green Hat Films, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., in post production sound, alongside comedy director Todd Philips and she now works for KGO/KSFO radio. Zakiya eagerly brings her talent, skill and passion for others to the Eureka! Team and the Girls Inc. mission.

Gilbert Mansergh

Gilbert Mansergh is the psychological educator recently honored as a “Man of Action” for his decades of advocacy of children and families by the Canadian-based organization, “A Celebration of Women.” Author of over sixty non-fiction books, two syndicated film columns, and a movie blog, Gil is also the producer/host of the Word By Word: Conversations With Writers radio show on Sonoma County’s NPR station, KRCB-FM. Gil’s first novel, The Marvelous Journals of Miss Virginia Pettingill is fictionalized from true stories told by his mother and was released by Harper Davis Publishers in 2012. www.gilmansergh.com

Amanda McTigue

Amanda McTigue, author, director, and creative consultant, recently celebrated the release of her debut novel GOING TO SOLACE in 2012. Her stage works have appeared in Carnegie Hall, the Minnesota Opera and the Green Music Center. She spent years as an Executive Producer for Paramount Entertainment/Viacom coordinating multi-million-dollar productions including the Titanic™ World Tour, Entertainment Tonight™ Live, and Star Trek™: The Experience.™ A Yale graduate, Amanda draws on her background in both art and commerce as a creative consultant for such clients as Walt Disney Entertainment, Thinkwell Design and the Hettema Group, collaborating on development projects across the United States, Japan, Korea, Costa Rica and Dubai. Co-producer of the Aqus Literary Speakeasy Saloon, Amanda frequently appears at book clubs and writers’ events around the Bay Area. amandamctigue.com

Linda Joy Myers

Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., President of the National Association of Memoir Writers, & Co-President of the Women’s National Book Association, SF, is the author of Don’t Call Me Mother—A Daughter’s Journey from Abandonment to Forgiveness; The Power of Memoir—How to Write Your Healing Story, and a new workbook Journey of Memoir: The Three Stages of Memoir Writing. She co-teaches the program Write your Memoir in Six Months with Brooke Warner. She coaches writers, and offers teleseminars and workshops nationally. www.namw.org. Blog: http://memoriesandmemoirs.com

Shasta Nelson

Shasta Nelson is the CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com the only online community that matches new friends offline by connecting women to other local women seeking friendship in 35 cities across the U.S. and the author of, Friendships Don’t Just Happen! The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of GirlFriends (Turner Publishing). Shasta Nelson has been interviewed on the subject of friendship by the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, Martha Stewart Radio, magazines such as Essence, Parents, More, Redbook and Glamour. She has appeared on The Early Show, the Today Show, ABC7 and more. Shasta believes that good friendships might just save the world. Learn more about all the fabulous work she’s doing at: www.shastanelson.com

Mary O’Neill

Mary O’Neill’s two decades as a licensed psychotherapist have enabled her to provide many with greater insight into the understanding of how people and teams function and how they can co-exist more harmoniously and successfully. Mary’s professional journey began with a career in public relations on Madison Avenue working with renowned Fortune 500 companies. Her curiosity about the vital link between psychological hardiness and professional success, led her to pursue a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and to later become a psychotherapist in private practice, in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.maryoneill.com

Patty O’Reilly

Patty O’Reilly is the artistic director of the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance and a message of hope for her work with the Restorative Justice Program. Patty’s tragic journey and remarkable recovery began when her husband was killed at the hands of a drunk driver. By arrangement with the state’s Victim-Offender Mediated Dialogue Program, Patty confronted her husband’s killer while he was in prison which paved the way for true healing for herself, her children and even the offending prisoner. Patty will tell her story during an interview with author Amanda McTigue. She is pictured here with her daughters, Erin and Siobhan. For more about Patty and the Restorative Justice Program, read this article in the Press Democrat.

Linda Loveland Reid

Linda Loveland Reid is immediate Past President of Redwood Writers, the largest branch of California Writers club. Her first novel, Touch of Magenta was published in 2009; her second will be available in spring 2013. Linda has a BA in History and Art History from Sonoma State University where she is currently an instructor for an art history class she designed for Osher Lifelong Living Institute. Linda is a board member with the Sonoma County Literary Art Guild and Book Festival. Other activities include figurative oil painting and theater directing. Linda is semi-retired from an insurance business that she founded with her children. Website: www.lindalovelandreid.com

Rebecca Rosenberg

Rebecca Rosenberg is a writer, product designer and co-owner of Sonoma Lavender who by combining her creative talent and marketing savvy has been able to produce a number of successful ventures, one of which was her marketing and advertising agency. Specializing in retail, it provided her access to several top retail chains where she was responsible for brand and advertising campaign development. Rebecca recently created an extensive line of unique lavender and beneficial products for Sonoma Lavender which can be found in over 4,000 stores throughout the United States and around the world. Her book, Lavender Fields of America, is now available and her debut novel, “Matchless” has just been completed. See her beautiful website at Sonoma Lavender.

Joan Steidinger

Dr. Joan Steidinger, CC-AASP is a licensed ports psychologist, Certified Consultant in Sports Psychology by the Association of Applied Sports Psychology and a member of the USOC Registry of Sports Psychology. She taught at UC Berkeley Extension for over 15 years and wrote “Dr. Joan’s Sports Psych” for SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle website and Psychology Today with the online column “Blood, Sweat, and Cheers,” that focused on female athletes, relationships, and sports performance. She’s currently writing a book, “The Girlfriend Instinct: Relationships Do It for Female Athletes.”A former competitive ultra runner and ultra distance cyclist Joan has begun running ultras again to raise educational funds for Nepali children. She has climbed two mountains, Mt. Kilomanjaro in Africa, and Stok Kangri in Laddakh, India and has run three 100 mile races. Learn more about Joan and her work at: http://www.powerzonephd.com

Cynthi Stefenoni

Cynthi Stefenoni is classically trained as a dramatic soprano with a degree in vocal music education. She founded the critically acclaimed summer stock theatre company Sun Company Ltd., where she served as Musical Director, Company Manager and Co-Artistic Director for six years, before she moved to LA and began work as a live event producer. Her credits include the original LIVE AID, Hands Across America, and the Soviet American Peace Child Tour, among others. In 1989, Cynthi began a 20+ year career as an Assistant Director in television and film, working at Nickelodeon, SONY, Warner Bros, Paramount and Universal as well as many independent studios. Among her credits are the television series “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Sisters”, “Any Day Now,” “JAG,” “Earth 2,” “The Trial of Rosie O’Neill,” “Boston Legal” and more. Since 2005, she has been President of Namaste Productions and has produced various independent narrative features and documentaries. Visit her Linkedin profile for more information.

Ann Steiner

Ann Steiner, Ph.D., MFT, CGP, FAGPA served as an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California Medical School, San Francisco for over 14 years. She is a pioneer in working with individuals derailed by chronic physical illness. She is on the faculty of The Psychotherapy Institute and on the Board of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. She works with individuals, couples, and leads therapy groups focusing on life challenges, relationships and transitions. She is a nationally recognized professional speaker for consumers and mental health professionals. Currently she is completing her book, “The Rollercoaster of Chronic Illness: How to Add Joy to the Ride,” a guide for individuals, family, and friends whose lives are affected by chronic pain and illness. Dr. Steiner has personal and professional experience with chronic pain and is a charismatic teacher who enjoys sharing her wisdom and humor. Learn more about her at: http://www.drsteiner.net

Lee Stewart

Lee Stewart received her formal fine arts education and then turned her focus from interpreting the beauty of the human form to enhancing the beauty of each individual through the power of makeup. An established makeup professional, Lee draws on her background in fine arts and practical experience gained in more than a decade of painting faces in film, print, and for events to create looks unique to the needs of every client. Lee Stewart Make up Artistry offers full service makeup and hair appointments for all special occasions, as well as film, commercial and editorial clients. In studio, at home or on location. Clients include, Mondavi, Witness 11 (film), Sega and more. http://leestewartmakeup.com

Jennifer Tacheff

Keynote Speaker Jennifer Tacheff is the Senior Director of Development & Communications at Girls Inc., where she implements fundraising initiatives and handles marketing and communications strategies for the agency. Jennifer and her team are responsible for raising a combined $11 million as part of their ongoing capital and annual fundraising campaigns. Jennifer was also instrumental in the exhibition launch of Bill Nye’s Climate Lab, an interactive campaign surrounding climate science education and sustainability solutions at Chabot Space and Science Center. In addition to these accomplishments, Jennifer co-developed a company, called LifeMoxie that offered financial literacy and entrepreneurship education for women. She is also affiliated with other life-changing organizations including the Association of Institutional Advancement and Development Professionals, Women of Impact, AFP, Cultural Engineering, and more. She was recently awarded a LEAD fellowship with Women Unlimited. In her spare time Jennifer enjoys outdoor sports, as well as Just Dance battles on the Wii, and smiling often with her daughter, Maya.

Alex Vargas

Alex Vargas is a Writer, Director, Producer, DoP,Editor and Composer. Alex is a natural born storyteller with the competence and talent to handle every facet of moviemaking, from script writing to editing and musical compositions. He was an actor in the Uruguayan national theatre and a professional musician, recording artist and a painter in Denmark (until he moved to the US in 2003). His artistic medium of choice is movies, where his “canvas” allows him to paint visuals, sounds and words to tell his stories.His latest work in progress is RICE the movie at: www.ricethemovie.com

Cristina Zaccarini

Dr. Cristina Zaccarini is Professor of History and Co-Director of Asian Studies at Adelphi University. She was born in Italy, and raised in New York City. She has authored publications in the field of U.S.-China inter-cultural exchange, with a special interest in gender and healing in China and the United States. Her most recent work is a chapter entitled “Connecting Histories of Gender, Health, and U.S.-China Relations” in Pamela S. Nadell and Kate Haullman (Ed.), Making Women’s Histories: Beyond National Perspectives, New York University Press, January 2013.

Vincent Zappacosta

Vincent Zappacosta background is in graphic design, photography and interior design. He’s been a caregiver for his mother with dementia and has become a fierce advocate for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s. Since moving from NYC, he has produced two popular blogs: nyc2suburbia.com, about being a displaced New Yorker trying to survive Suburbia with his sanity, sense and style and Dementia-Mama-Drama.com, a blog he and his husband Douglass Christensen started while being caregivers. Both felt a need to bring more visibility to the GLBT community in suburbia, so they also started a GLBT Facebook page “OUT in Suburbia: Gays Living in Marin.” Vincent was recently published in Barbra Memories, a tribute to Streisand’s 50 years in show business and he also guest blogs for The Alzheimer’s Association and for The Women’s PowerStrategy™ Conference, maintaining his presence through social media with a diverse following from all over the world.