Speakers

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, Ta Mak’a Wast’e Win (Good Earth Woman), is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. A tribal historian, she has compiled the history of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. LaDonna was the first to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline with the Sacred Stone Camp, playing a major role in calling the world to stand with Standing Rock. She is an annual speaker at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, was on the Executive Board of The American Indian Alaskan Native Tourism Association, and was a Tribal Advisor for Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Events. She partnered with the Sitting Bull College to develop the National Native American Scenic Byway, worked with ATTA-Alliance of Tribal Tourism as the past and current vice-president and marketing manager, and was President of North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance. You can connect with LaDonna on the Sacred Stone Camp and Sacred Stone Village Facebook pages.

Seane Corn

Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism, unique self-expression, and inspirational style of teaching. Featured in commercials, magazines, NPR, and Oprah.com, Seane now utilizes her national platform to bring awareness to global humanitarian issues. Since 2007, she has been training leaders of activism through her co-founded organization Off the Mat, Into the World®. Seane has spent time in the US, India, Cambodia, Haiti, and Africa working with communities in need- teaching yoga, providing support for child labor and educating people about HIV/AIDS prevention. Her first book, Revolution of the Soul will be published in September 2019. You can learn more about Seane and her work on her website.

Valarie Kaur

Valarie Kaur is a seasoned civil rights activist who now leads the Revolutionary Love Project to reclaim love as a force for justice in America. As a lawyer, filmmaker, and innovator, she has won policy change on multiple fronts – hate crimes, racial profiling, immigration detention, solitary confinement, Internet freedom, and more. She founded Groundswell Movement, Faithful Internet, and the Yale Visual Law Project to inspire and equip new generations of advocates. A daughter of Sikh farmers in California's heartland, Valarie earned degrees at Stanford University, Harvard Divinity School, and Yale Law School. Valarie's new book Revolutionary Love expands on her TED Talk and hits the shelves in February 2020. You can learn more about Valarie and her work on her website.

Rev. angel Kyodo williams

Called “the most intriguing African-American Buddhist” by Library Journal, angel Kyodo williams has been bridging the worlds of spirit and justice since her critically acclaimed book, Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace. Rev. angel’s most recent book is Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation. Only the second Black woman to become a Zen “Sensei” or teacher, she applies wisdom teaching to social issues and is a leading voice for Transformative Social Change. angel notes, “Love and justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.” Whether in writing, teaching or speaking, her voice is unique. She was made for these times. You can learn more about angel on her website.

Christine Carter

A sociologist and senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Christine Carter, Ph.D., is the author of The Sweet Spot (2015) and Raising Happiness (2011). Drawing on the latest scientific research on positivity, productivity, and elite performance, Christine demonstrates a sweet paradox: by doing less we can actually accomplish more.

A sought-after keynote speaker and executive coach, Dr. Carter also teaches online classes and writes an award-winning blog, which is frequently syndicated on Huffington Post, PsychologyToday.com, Medium.com, and several other websites. You can learn more about Christine and her work on her website.

Jamia Wilson

Jamia Wilson is an activist, a feminist, a storyteller, a mediamaker, and a natural-born thought leader. As Executive Director and Publisher of Feminist Press at City University of New York, the former Women, Action, and the Media Executive Director, TED Prize Storyteller, and former Vice President of Programs at The Women’s Media Center, Jamia has been a powerful force in the social justice movement for nearly a decade. As a leading voice on feminist and women’s rights issues, her work and words have appeared in and on several outlets such as New York Magazine, The Today Show, and The Washington Post. She’s also a staff writer for Rookie and has contributed to several books such as Madonna and Me: Women Writers on the Queen of Pop, and I Still Believe Anita Hill. She’s currently writing a book about Beyonce and feminism. Jamia was named in Refinery29’s “17 Faces of the Future of Feminism.” You can learn more about Jamia and her work on her website.

Paula Stone Williams

Dr. Paula Williams is an internationally known speaker on gender equity and LGBTQ advocacy. She is the Pastor of Preaching and Worship at Left Hand Church in Longmont, Colorado. Paula has been featured in the New York Times, TEDWomen, TEDxMileHigh, the Denver Post, New Scientist, Radio New Zealand, The New York Post, NPR and Colorado Public Radio. Paula's recent TED talk with her son, Jonathan, has had over one million views, and her TEDxMileHigh talk on gender equity has had over 1.8 million views. With her son, Jonathan, she is the co-author of the book, She's My Dad. You can learn more about Paula and her work on her website.

Chantal Pierrat

Chantal's mission is to increase women's leadership across the globe. She founded Emerging Women, a global leadership and media platform that serves over 70,000 women worldwide and has advanced women's leadership within Fortune 500 companies such as HP, Oracle and more. Chantal's ultimate vision is to weave feminine leadership and authenticity into businesses, and to create a world where women have a strong voice in the shaping of our future. Chantal believes that dance is one of the most powerful ways to connect to our present experience and discover the truth of who we are. She created SoulSweat™, a dynamic dance program that combines structured choreography with wild abandonment. She taught for 12 years, and released SoulSweat, the DVD, in 2007. When she is not dancing or working to empower women around the world, Chantal enjoys family time with her husband and two sons in Boulder, CO.

Susan Piver

Susan Piver is the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including the award-winning How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life, The Wisdom of a Broken Heart, and Start Here Now: An Open-Hearted Guide to the Path and Practice of Meditation. Piver has been a practicing Buddhist since 1995 and graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004. She is an internationally acclaimed meditation teacher, known for her ability to translate ancient practices into modern life. Her work has been featured on the Oprah show, TODAY, CNN, and in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, MONEY, and others.  In 2011, Piver launched the Open Heart Project, the largest virtual mindfulness community in the world.  Her new book, The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships, is out now. You can learn more about Susan and her work on her website.

Jenna Hollenstein

Jenna Hollenstein, MS, RDN, CDN, is a non-diet dietitian who helps people struggling with chronic dieting, disordered eating, and eating disorders. She uses a combination of Intuitive Eating, mindfulness techniques, and meditation to help her clients move toward greater peace, health, and wellness. Jenna is on the board of The Center for Mindful Eating, and is the author of Understanding Dietary Supplements, a handy guide to the evaluation and use of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and botanicals for both consumers and clinicians, and more recently of the memoir Drinking to Distraction. Her third book, Eat to Love: A Mindful Guide to Transforming Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Life, was released in January, 2019. You can learn more about Jenna and her work on her website.

Leslie Booker

Leslie is a co-founder of the Yoga Service Council at Omega Institute, and the Meditation Working Group of Occupy Wall Street. She has spoken at Mind&Life Institute’s International Symposium, Contemplative Minds in Higher Education, and Mindfulness in Education conferences, as well as at universities across the country. Booker is a co-author of Best Practices for Yoga in a Criminal Justice Setting, a contributor to Georgetown Law’s Center on Poverty and Inequality’s report on Gender & Trauma, YOGA: The Secret of Life, and Sharon Salzberg's book Happiness at Work. Booker is on faculty with the Engaged Mindfulness Institute and Off the Mat Into the World. She is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Mindful Yoga and Meditation training (2012), Community Dharma Leaders’ Training (2017), and will complete Spirit Rock’s Teacher Training in 2020. You can learn more about Booker and her work on her website.

Claudia Chan

Claudia Chan is a recognized author, leadership and culture change expert, and entrepreneur dedicated to activating individuals and organizations to accelerate diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and world. She is the CEO of S.H.E. GLOBL, and their award-winning leadership conference S.H.E. Summit that has made advancing women and workplace inclusion both accessible and actionable. Claudia is also the author of the leadership book THIS IS HOW WE RISE: Reach Your Highest Potential, Empower Women, Lead Change in the World. Claudia was also recently named 1 of 8 UN Women Champions for Innovation. She has been referred to as “the change-agent maker” and Fast Company has called her the “Richard Branson of women’s empowerment.” Claudia is a lifelong New Yorker, proud alumnae of Smith College, mom of two and an equal partner with her husband, John.

Suzanne Sterling

Suzanne Sterling is a dedicated musician, ritualist, activist and social innovator who has been performing and teaching transformational workshops for over 20 years. She is the founder of Voice of Change, a co-founder of Off the Mat into the World, and Director of the Global Seva Challenge. An award winning musician, she has released 5 solo albums and numerous DVD soundtracks. Her life work is dedicated to inspiring others to find their unique voice and to use self-expression as a tool for community building and conscious evolution. You can learn more about Suzanne and her work on her website.

Crystal McCreary

Crystal McCreary is a yoga and mindfulness educator, speaker, and writer. Crystal participates as a curriculum developer, consultant and lead teacher for research studies on yoga and mindfulness conducted by CUNY-Hunter’s public health department and also serves on the Yoga Alliance Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Advisory Committee. She is involved with organizations that impact youth including Mindful Schools, New York based Bent on Learning and Little Flower Yoga, and the Lineage Project. Crystal’s programs emphasize the importance of self-care as the gateway to social justice and community healing in the world. Crystal graduated from Stanford University with a BA in African and African American studies and completed The American Conservatory Theater’s Master of Fine Arts program in Acting. She is registered with Yoga Alliance as an ERYT500 and RCYT. You can connect with Crystal on her website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Linda Kay Klein

Linda Kay Klein is the founder of Break Free Together—a not-for-profit organization that uses story exchange to help people claim themselves, their stories, and their bodies—and the author of PURE: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free. Her work has been featured by NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, CBS News, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Chicago Tribune, New York Post, and more. Connect with Linda on her website.

Julie Daley

Julie is an educator, consultant, and transformational leadership certified coach for people who are done leading the old way and are ready to discover the power, love, and creativity within that will can engender a world of connection and thoughtful innovation. In her work, Julie illuminates the practical wisdom and deep insight necessary to support the personal and organizational growth truly needed in our world today. Julie has a BS in Interaction Design from Stanford University. You can learn more about Julie and her work, watch her TEDx talk, visit her website, or check out her writing on her blog or on Medium.

Susie Rinehart

Susie Rinehart is a TEDx speaker, champion ultrarunner, a mom, and a brainstem tumor survivor. She began writing her blog from her hospital bed and quickly became an inspiration for those facing adversity. Susie now co-runs The Brave Over Perfect Project, coaching people & organizations to proactively pursue risk and overcome perfectionism. She lives with her husband and children in Boulder, CO. Her new book Fierce Joy: Choosing Brave over Perfect to Find My True Voice is available for pre-order now. To connect with Susie, watch her TEDx Talk or visit her website.

Janet Solyntjes

Janet Solnytjes is a practitioner of mind-body disciplines since 1977, Janet completed a professional training in MBSR with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli in 2002 and is a Certified MBSR Teacher. She is on the faculty of the UMass Center for Mindfulness and leads silent retreats for MBSR teachers-in-training and corporate leaders. She taught extensively as an Adjunct Professor at Naropa University offering undergraduate and graduate courses in meditation.