Teaching Faculty

Sally Kempton is a widely respected teacher of meditation and spiritual wisdom, known for her capacity to kindle meditative states in others, and to help students work with meditative experience as a framework for practical life-change. A former journalist who

Sue Monk Kidd is a writer, novelist and memoirist. She was born in Albany, Georgia and raised in the tiny town of Sylvester, Georgia, a place that deeply influenced the writing of her first novel The Secret Life of Bees.

Jean Houston, Ph.D.,is a world renowned scholar, futurist, and researcher in human capacities, social change, and systemic transformation, and is one of the principal founders of the Human Potential Movement. She is also a founder of the field of Social

Caroline Myss is a five-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally renowned speaker in the fields of human consciousness, spirituality and mysticism, health, energy medicine, and the science of medical intuition. Caroline established her own

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. is known for her gracious presence, world-class sense of humor and brilliance as a speaker and workshop facilitator. Trained as both a cell biologist and clinical psychologist, Joan is a pioneer in psychoneuroimmunology, stress management, and women’s

Mark Nepo is a poet and philosopher who has taught in the fields of poetry and spirituality for forty years. A New York Times #1 bestselling author, he has published fourteen books and recorded eight audio

Poet David Whyte grew up with a strong, imaginative influence from his Irish mother among the hills and valleys of his father’s Yorkshire. He now makes his home, with his family, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

The author

Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer. Marianne has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, Charlie Rose & Bill Maher. Seven of her twelve published books have

Lynne Twist, global activist, fundraiser, speaker, consultant and author, has devoted her life to eradicating hunger and poverty, and supporting global sustainability and security, human rights, economic integrity and spiritual authenticity. She has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and

Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and

Jean Shinoda Bolen, M. D. is a psychiatrist, Jungian analyst, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco, a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and recipient of the Institute for Health and Healing’s "Pioneers

Andrew Harvey is an internationally renowned religious scholar, writer, and teacher, and the author of over 30 books, including the critically acclaimed Way of Passion: A Celebration of Rumi, as well as Journey to Ladakh, The Return of the Mother,

Miranda Macpherson is a contemporary spiritual teacher, counselor, and author of The Way of Grace: The Transforming Power of Ego Relaxation. Miranda, who also authored the spiritual guidebook, Boundless Love, has been teaching internationally since 1995. She is known for her depth

Lama Palden has been a student and practitioner of Buddhism for over 35 years, and of Comparative Mysticism for over 40 years. She is the founding teacher of Sukhasiddhi Foundation www.sukhasiddhi.org in Marin County, California, a Tibetan

Sera Beak is a Harvard-trained scholar of mysticism and comparative religion and an intrepid spiritual cowgirl who’s spent the last dozen years traveling the world exploring spirituality. She’s the author of The Red Book: A Deliciously Unorthodox Approach to Igniting

J. Goosby Smith serves as the University’s inaugural vice president for community belonging and chief diversity officer. Guided by God's call to unite God's people, Smith approaches her specialty areas of human diversity, inclusion, and belonging with intellectual rigor, methodological

Pat Mitchell is known for her leadership in the media industry as a CEO, producer and activist. Her career has focused on using media as a force for social change, with a special emphasis on the representation of women’s voices

Connie Numbers, PsyD, is an author, inspirational speaker, spiritual teacher and a psychotherapist who believes that the inner journey is by far, the most exciting and rewarding quest we can take in our lives. It is an adventure like no

Dr. Paula Reeves is a well-known workshop leader in the fields of psychology and women's spirituality. A therapist in private practice in Atlanta, GA, she has led retreats in Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, England, Canada and the US. She has taught

Peggy Rubin is Founding Director of the Center for Sacred Theatre in Ashland, Oregon. She is also the principal teaching associate of Jean Houston, Ph.D., in Dr. Houston’s worldwide multicultural transformational work and in her schools of spiritual studies, as

Ellen Burstyn’s illustrious acting career encompasses film, stage and television. She became a “triple crown winner” when she won an Emmy for her guest appearance in “Law & Order: SVU” (2009) to add to her Oscar win for “Alice

A pioneer in the field of empowerment, Gail Straub co-directs the Empowerment Institute, a school for transformative social change where her primary focus is women’s empowerment. For the last three decades she has offered her work to tens of thousands

Barbara Marx Hubbard is a visionary, social innovator, author, educator, and leader in the new worldview of conscious evolution which she describes as the awakening of the spiritual, social, and scientific potential of humanity, in harmony with nature, for the

China Galland, M.A., is the author of The Bond Between Women, A Journey to Fierce Compassion, one of five national finalists for the annual “Best Spiritual Book” award, as well as the critically acclaimed non-fiction, Longing for Darkness, Tara and

Helen LaKelly Hunt is one of a small army of women who helped to seed the women’s funding movement. She co-founded the Texas Women’s Foundation, The New York Women’s Foundation, Women’s Funding Network and Women Moving Millions. Helen was inducted into

Gloria D. Karpinski is a holistic counselor, spiritual director, teacher and author. For twenty-plus years, Gloria has taught all over the world for such diverse groups as psychotherapists, actors, and doctors, in venues ranging from large conferences to colleges, churches,

Dr. Lee Irwin is a scholar of world religions with an emphasis on Native American traditions, Western Esotericism, contemporary spirituality, and transpersonal religious experience — particularly as connected to dreams and visions. He is a Guiding Voice for

Carol Anderson toured a variety of shows nationally including “A Feather on the Breath of God: The Remarkable Life of 12th Century Mystic Hildegarde of Bingen.” which she presents here for us. Her one woman show on eating disorders, “A

Carolyn Baker, Ph.D. is the author of Love In The Age Of Ecological Apocalypse: The Relationships We Need To Thrive (2015) as well as Collapsing Consciously: Transformative Truths For Turbulent Times (2013). Her previous books are and Navigating The Coming

For more than 20 years, Nella Barkley has been helping people find their own personal career and life paths. Through strategic planning principles and her own innate drive to enable others, Nella has become a sought-after mentor, public speaker and

As editor-in-chief of Steiner Books, Christopher Bamford has introduced, edited, and translated many volumes of Rudolf Steiner. He is also a recognized authority on Western esotericism, the author of two books, and a lecturer. Two of his essays have been

Tater Beak moved to Charleston with her husband Bill in 2006 from the Chicago area. Prior to the move, Tater was a docent for twenty-three years at The Art Institute of Chicago. She was also a docent at the Terra

A self-described Mad Woman version of Mad Men, Charlotte Beers is the woman who broke the glass ceiling in advertising when she was named Chairman and CEO of Oglivy advertising and later chairman of J Walter Thompson, both multinational, worldwide

Linda Bender¹s love of the natural world began in her childhood back yard. From orphaned deer to blue jays prematurely bumped from their nests, animals in distress somehow found their way to her. Her rapport with animals inspired her to

Henk Brandt is the author of Sleeping with Sophia, a collection of poems, and The Heart of a Pilgrim, a spiritual memoir. Henk is part of a new breed of speakers and consultants who are working to bring soul into

Rick Brown is Executive Director of the Institute for Relationship Therapy. He offers national and international workshops and seminars for couples, as well as training for qualified therapists in the theory and practice of relationship therapy. Rick has trained hundreds

Mirabai Bush is a Senior Fellow and Founding Director of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society. Under her direction, The Center introduced contemplative practices into the fields of higher education, law, business, journalism, social justice

Nicole Campbell boasts a fiercely flourishing career as an entrepreneur, educator, and professional speaker. To this list she has now added ‘author’. Driven by a passion for empowerment, she represented Jamaica at MIT’s Junior Summit and was selected to address

Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB has been one of America's key visionary spiritual voices for more than 30 years. Sister Joan manifests herself in many forms: social psychologist, communications theorist, best-selling author, columnist, Benedictine nun, but the voice is

Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the most original and perceptive black voices today—“the single best writer on the subject of race in the United States” (New York Observer). Coates is the author, most recently, of Between the World and Me,

Stephen Cope is the Founding Director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living--America's largest yoga research institute. For many years, he has been Senior Scholar in Residence at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health--where he writes and teaches about

Tradd Cotter founded an 8-acre research farm and tissue culture laboratory near Clemson, SC creating spawn and kits for growers, teachers, and researchers. They maintain over 50 species of edible and medicinal mushrooms and are isolating new strains. Tradd helped

Judy Cornwell was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but now, with her husband, the novelist Bernard Cornwell, divides her time between Cape Cod and Charleston. On Cape Cod Judy was a founding board member of WeCan, an organization which helps

Beki Crowell has lived in the US, Canada and the Bahamas and since 1986 has made her home Charleston, SC where she owns and showcases her artwork in Utopia, Boutique and Gallery in the historic downtown district. She has exhibited

Joanna Crowell is the founder of Ascension Theatre and the Women Writing from Experience workshop series, where she facilitated creative writing workshops for women and teens and created a platform for them to perform/share their stories. She was a professional

Meghan Don is an initiate of the Sophian Lineage, and Founder and Leading Guide of The Gnostic Grace Circle. An award-winning author, spiritual mentor, and retreat presenter, Meghan’s work helps to raise the feminine consciousness and confidence in our world.

Carolyn Evans, MSW, has worked as a therapist and used to perform regularly as a singer/songwriter with her band. She continues to write songs, but instead of late nights singing in bars, she spends her days meeting with Beaders—online and

Carol Lee Flinders is a national speaker, retreat leader, and author of Enduring Grace: Living Portraits of Seven Women Mystics, Rebalancing the World, and one of our favorites, At the Root of This Longing: Reconciling a Spiritual Hunger and a

Erica Ariel Fox, J.D., is a Lecturer at Harvard Law School and the Founder of the Global Negotiation Insight Institute. She is internationally known as a pioneer in the integration of wisdom traditions and spiritual practice into the negotiation and

Rev. Matthew Fox, PhD, author, theologian, and activist priest, has been calling people of spirit and conscience into the Creation Spirituality lineage for over 50 years. His 38 books, lectures, retreats, and innovative education models have ignited an international

Nancy Swift Furlotti, Ph. D. is a Jungian Analyst in private practice in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, CA. She is past president of the Philemon Foundation and the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles, where she trained. She has

Richard Garcia is the author of Rancho Notorious and The Persistence of Objects, both from BOA Editions. A chapbook of prose poems, Chickenhead, came out from FootHills Publishing in 2009. His poems have appeared in The Georgia Review, Crazyhorse, Ploughshares,

Natalie Goldberg is an author, poet, teacher, and painter. She has written 11 books including the classic Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, which has been translated into 14 languages. Her most recent book, highly acclaimed, is Old

I have enjoyed a multifaceted career that includes professional work as a psychotherapist, chef/entrepreneur, author, poet and meditation teacher. I am married and have two grown children. I also enjoy a variety of leisure activities that include photography, kayaking, gardening,

Carol Graf was born in 1946, surrounded by the great plains of Oklahoma. Her father was an Army Air Corps instructor pilot based in Tulsa and her mother was a homemaker to Carol and her two brothers. Her childhood was

Barbara G.S. Hagerty is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. Her essays, columns, and poems have appeared in a wide variety of national and regional periodicals. She has written two books, plus a collection of poetry, The Guest House (Finishing

Joan Halifax is an American Zen Buddhist Roshi, anthropologist, ecologist, civil rights activist, hospice caregiver, and the author of several books on Buddhism, and spirituality. She currently serves as Abbot and guiding teacher of Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe,

Fr. Guerric has been a monk at Mepkin Abbey for the past 21 years where he has served as infirmarian caring for the sick and elderly monks, director of the gardens, store manager and currently serves as the Monastic Guest

Terry Helwig began life in 1949 on a farm near Glenwood, Iowa. Her mother, only fifteen at the time, struggled with the rigors of motherhood, farm life, and marriage. Terry’s mother divorced when Terry was two and moved Terry and

Bell Hooks is a social activist, feminist, author, professor, and Buddhist scholar. Born Gloria Jean Watkins in Kentucky on September 25, 1952, bell hooks explores gender, race, and class. She also writes on the topics of mass media,

Carly Elizabeth Howard is a registered yoga instructor and former yoga studio owner. Carly discovered yoga while practicing law in Miami, Florida. Yoga helped Carly balance her busy work life with her personal goals, both physical and mental. Carly is

Josephine Humphreys is the Charleston-born author of four novels: Dreams of Sleep, winner of the Pen/Hemingway award for best first novel of 1984; Rich in Love, a The new York Times Notable Book of the Year, with a movie version

Stephanie Hunt is Charleston-based writer and editor. A contributing editor for Charleston Magazine and a regular contributor to Skirt! Magazine, her work runs the gamut from personal essays to features, profiles and travel writing, to spinning copy for corporate and

“David’s keyboard artistry makes for very pleasant listening as well as moving you at the same time…” writes Soul Music HQ of Smooth Jazz/Classic Soul Artist David Anthony, whose musical journey began in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Accomplished early as a trumpeter,

Robyn Moreno is a curandera, life coach, and Emmy-nominated TV host. Her new book, Get Rooted, will be out April 5 2022 by Hachette Go!

Believing that young women “can’t be what they can’t see,” Robyn has worked tirelessly

Paul Stone is a saxophonist born in 1951 in Chattanooga Tn. Starting out in Junior High Band at East Ridge, he studied with Ed Leamon, Bennie Wallace, and Jack Lindsey. Growing up in a home-loving Jazz and R & B,

Dr. Shefali received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University. Specializing in the integration of Western psychology and Eastern philosophy, she brings together the best of both worlds for her clients. She is an expert in family dynamics

ZANDRINA DUNNING is a Charleston-based professional singer/songwriter and event producer originally from Boston Massachusetts. Zandrina performs all genres of music ranging from opera to soul/funk to country. She is a mother to her beautiful 9 year old daughter, London.

Zandrina studied

V (Formerly Eve Ensler) is the Tony award winning playwright and author of the Obie award winning, theatrical phenomenon, The Vagina Monologues translated into 48 languages, performed in 140 countries along with many other plays. She is the author of a number of books including her latest best

Carolyn Sawyer

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Since 1996, this talented communicator has parlayed her mastery of multi-mass media into creating a company with capital sales having exceeded the multi-million mark. Her cutting-edge business practices have garnered attention from

Charleston native, Stephen Washington is arguably one of the most skillful piano virtuosos of his time. Born to musical parents, it's no surprise to hear that his first instrument was the drums at age 5. He began to teach himself

Marie Genevieve Pawlak is an executive coach and producer at Coach People Inc www.coachpeople.com, a global executive coaching company, celebrating 25 consecutive years of success! Coach People's talented coaches work with: individuals, teams, and enterprises across industries and levels

Angeles Arrien is an anthropologist, educator, award-winning author, and corporate consultant. She lectures worldwide, conducting workshops that bridge cultural anthropology, psychology, and mediation skills. Her work with multi-cultural issues, mediation, and conflict resolution has been used with the International Rights

Rachel Pastiloff is a certified coach living in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Rachel creates content on multiple platforms that reflect the work and ideas that she is most passionate about in society. Rachel has two sons, and her oldest

Harville Hendrix Ph.D. and Helen LaKelly Hunt Ph.D. are co-creators of Imago Relationship Therapy and a social movement called Safe Conversations. Internationally-respected as couple's therapists, educators, speakers, activists and New York Times bestselling authors, their 10 books, including the timeless

A native of Awendaw, SC, Charlton Singleton began his musical studies at the age of three on the piano. He would then go on to study the organ, violin, cello, and the trumpet throughout elementary, middle and high school. In

Pamela (P.J.) Browning became Senior Vice President with Evening Post Industries and President of Evening Post Industries Newspaper Division in July of 2013. She is also President and Publisher of The Post and Courier in Charleston.

Prior to Charleston

Gervais grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. After reporting and producing the news for both radio and television, she taught communications at The Citadel. When not writing, she works on local environmental and transportation issues. She lives in Charleston

Lorraine Stephens joined The New York Women’s Foundation in October 2016. Ms. Stephens brings over 30 years of leadership experience working for the advancement of women and their families in struggling communities in New York City.

At The Foundation she is

Andréa Bendewald is an actress, mindfulness coach, Council Carrier, and the founder of The Art of Circling: A group mindfulness program that uses ancient ritual in a modern setting to empower individuals, strengthen communities and enhance productivity.  

Jen Pastiloff is an author, public speaker, coach and creator of the Shame Loss movement and course. She is the best-selling author of On Being Human. Before the global pandemic, she traveled the world with her workshop of the same name: a unique

Jacqueline Kabat has studied, written and performed with Second City’s Ann Bowen and Upright Citizen’s Brigade. She performs with New York-based troupe, Rash Behavior, whose sketches are featured in film festivals and television. Jacqueline also is also a writer for

Daryn Kagan is the creator and host of DarynKagan.com, an inspirational online community that features a daily Web cast of stories that “Show the World What is Possible.” DarynKagan.com has become a daily destination for thousands of Internet

Paula Todd King is a local writer currently working on both fiction and memoir. For years she longed to write but never developed an ongoing practice until she attended Natalie Goldberg’s retreat at The Sophia Institute. Since then she has

Kurt Lamkin, poducer of Living Proof: Contemporary Black Literature, a series of radio programs featuring poets and fiction writers, is a writer-in-residence at the New School for Social Research. Recently, he hosted a reading series called The MultiKultiMove, which involved

Bokara Legendre is a performer, writer and artist. Her long-time interest in shamanism, native traditions and Eastern spiritual disciplines has led her to investigate the wisdom of many cultures and inspired her long-running series “Lunch with Bokara”- interviews with spiritual

A former actor, print journalist, and radio broadcaster, Anne LeClaire is a memoirist and the critically acclaimed, best-selling author of eight novels published in twenty-four countries. She leads popular seminars and workshops exploring silence, creativity and deep listening, including, most

Heather Lyn Mann is a writer, Mindfulness teacher, and environmental advocate. She founded and directed the Center for Resilient Cities--a Wisconsin-based not-for-profit dedicated to supporting healthy, resilient people in healthy, resilient places. Battle-weary in 2007, Heather took a six-year time-out

Sharon Martin was born and grew up in the Deep South, where she developed an acute interest and sensitivity to the relationship between culture and gender. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree at Emory University in the Psychosocial

Rory McEntee, author, philosopher-theologian, educator, and contemplative activist, works at an intersection of spirituality, education, social justice and culture. He has been a leader in the new monastic movement, and serves as Executive Director of the Foundation for

Bill McKibben is the author of a dozen books about the environment, beginning with The End of Nature in 1989, which is regarded as the first book for a general audience on climate change. He is a founder of the

Lynne McTaggart is of the preeminent spokespersons on consciousness, the new physics and the science of spirituality. She is an award-winning journalist and author of five books, including the worldwide bestsellers The Field and The Intention Experiment. As editorial director

Ms. Merriam began working in the inter-faith movement in the late 1990s when she served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nation in New York in the year

Devaa Haley Mitchell is a spiritual guide, public speaker, and musician, offering Soulful Women programs and devotional music to support the feminine awakening of our planet. She Founded and co-hosts the Inspiring Women Summit, a virtual gathering of more than

Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life which won the Independent Book Publishers Gold Medal Award and Foreword's Bronze Medal. Her second book, Garden of Bliss:

Terry Monell received her BFA in Art Education from The School of Fine Arts at Boston University, she continued post graduate studies in Art History at Rice University in Houston.Last year she completed a Creative Solutions Certification with Art Therapist

Mary Alice Monroe is an award winning, New York Times bestselling author of 16 novels, including The Butterfly’s Daughter, Beach House Memories, The Beach House and others. She has won the S.C. Center for the Book Award for Writing, International

Pam Noble is a retired psychotherapist who creates healing experiences in the natural world. She guides earth-based workshops and vision quests. In 2005 she founded WomanQuest (www.womanquest.net) with Ann Linnea of PeerSpirit, and she has led Spirit

Kathleen Norris is the award-winning poet, writer, and author of The New York Times bestsellers, The Cloister Walk, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, and The Virgin of Bennington. Exploring the spiritual life, her work is

As President of the Women’s College Coalition, Michele brings a field-tested, global perspective to public policy analysis and thought leadership shaped by a distinguished career in nonprofit and academic leadership, strategic initiatives, and women-led philanthropy.  Her previous experience includes serving

Andrea Olsen is author of Body and Earth, An Experiential Guide, and Bodystories, A Guide to Experiential Anatomy with Caryn McHose. She is the John C. Elder Professor of environmental studies and Professor of Dance at Middlebury College in Vermont.

From life as a homeless teen to coaching A-List celebrities, from having abs of steel and the Miss Galaxy to weighing over 200 pounds after having babies, Emotional Age and Communication Expert,

Nancy Qualls-Corbett is a practicing Jungian analyst from Birmingham, Alabama. She is a diplomat of the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich and the author of The Sacred Prostitute: Eternal Aspects of the Feminine and Awakening Woman: Dreams and Individuation. She

Diana Whitney is a global social entrepreneur. She is founder and President Emeritus of Corporation for Positive Change, a global consulting cooperative; a founder of the Taos Institute, an international think tank dedicated to relational processes in business, education, families

Known as a mystical physician, Dr. Christine Page was immersed in spiritual mysteries from an early age. In the search for true healing, she has over 30 years of experience in the caring professions as doctor and homeopath receiving her

Ana L. Oliveira became the President & CEO of The New York Women’s Foundation in 2006. Under her leadership, The Foundation has grown in several dimensions, establishing a new strategic plan,

Robert Powell, PhD is an internationally known lecturer, author, eurythmist and movement therapist. He is founder of the Choreocosmos School of Cosmic and Sacred Dance, and cofounder of the Sophia Foundation of North America. His published works include: The Sophia

Dr. Christopher Pramuk is the author of Hope Sings, So Beautiful: Graced Encounters Across the Color Line (2013), a sustained meditation on race relations in society and church, and two award-winning studies of Thomas Merton: At Play in Creation: Merton’s

Scotti Holloway is the founder/owner of SP Divine Explorations in Charleston SC and an International tutor for Accolade Academy, South Wales, UK. She is a spiritual teacher, visionary and intuitive with a worldwide client base. She enjoys guiding and empowering

Jewell Parker Rhodes is the author of six novels: three historical tales, Voodoo Dreams, Magic City, Douglass’ Women, and the mystery trilogy, Season, Moon and Hurricane. Her first children’s novel, Ninth Ward, was selected as one of the “Best Books

Stephaney Robinson-Abilon is dedicated to bringing the sacred to life through movement and dance. Utilizing a body-centered approach, she guides others to self-discovery and healing through classes, workshops, retreats and teacher trainings. As a member of the Nia

Anne Rivers Siddons’ writing on Southern culture and places is shaped by her observations of human nature and human yearnings. “All my books are about women taking journeys they might not want to take,” she told interviewer Bonnie Mason in

Melanie Smith is one of the most sought-after Energy Medicine practitioners and teachers in the country, highly respected for both her sessions with patients and her powerful workshops. She is dedicated to helping people restore and optimize their health through

Elayna Shakur has been an artist all her life - it’s a way of life. Her choice to become an art teacher is her way of sharing the joy and wonder of the art spirit she loves so much. From

Rita Littles Scott was born in High Point, North Carolina. Her career in the broadcasting field began in sales with WGHP Television, Greensboro/High Point, North Carolina. Rita has held numerous positions in television sales including positions with WJW in Cleveland,

Simran Singh, #1 rated, syndicated host of Voice America’s 11:11 Talk Radio and publisher of award-winning 11:11 Magazine is The New Thought Channel Host of 11:11 InnerViews TV. SIMRAN is also the author of IPPY Gold Award winning Conversations With

“If anyone can find the silver lining in a mushroom cloud, it’s this astounding thoughtful filmmaker.”— The National Post.

Acclaimed filmmaker Velcrow Ripper creates powerful, cinematic documentaries that deal with the central issues of our times. His more than thirty films

Carlos César Rodríguez is a musician of brilliance and versatility recognized as a virtuoso pianist who not only generates excitement in the Hispanic and Spanish repertoire, but also displays an extraordinary flair for Mozart, the romantics, and the avant-garde scores.

Katherine Woodward Thomas Thomas is the national bestselling author of Calling in “The One”, a licensed psychotherapist, and the co-creator and co-leader of the Feminine Power transformative courses for women, and the co-founder and co-leader of the Feminine

A world-renowned authority on the inner science of Buddhism, Robert A. F. Thurman, Ph.D., is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University. He co-founded and is the president of Tibet House New York, a non-profit dedicated to preserving and

A highly regarded healer, teacher, and artist, Anna Schalk is a former teacher at the acclaimed Barbara Brennan School of Healing. She has a private practice in energy healing for 22 years in NY and SC. Prior to that,

McLean Sheperd is an artist and physician living and working in Charleston, SC. She was born in 1969. She is self-taught as an artist and began painting at the same time she began her studies in medicine and dermatology in

Jane Sloane is Vice President of Programs with the Global Fund for Women. The Global Fund advances the human rights of women and girls worldwide through an international network of women-led organizations. It supports and funds trailblazing and

If the name Monique Spence sounds familiar…it should, she’s done a little bit of everything, from making Thanksgiving Dinner on the Steve Harvey Show, and hosting a show on the oldest black talk radio station in the country, to speaking

James Gustave Speth currently serves as dean and professor in the practice of environmental policy and sustainable development at Yale University's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. He is a visionary leader and scholar, with an extensive understanding of the

Margaret Starbird holds BA and MA degrees from the University of Maryland and did further graduate study at the Christian Albrechts Universität in Kiel, Germany and at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, TN. A "cradle" Roman Catholic, she taught religious

Susan Finch Stevens’ chapbook Lettered Bones was chosen by Kwame Dawes as a winner in the South Carolina Poetry Initiative Chapbook competition. Her poems have appeared in various publications and in handmade books exhibited in nationally juried and invitational book

John Tarrant, Roshi, is Director and Senior Faculty for Pacific Zen Institute and Senior Teacher for Desert Lotus Zen Sangha in Phoenix, AZ. He has a PhD in psychology and is the author of Bring Me The Rhinoceros & Other

Ann Kidd Taylor is the coauthor of Traveling with Pomegranates, a memoir written with her mother, Sue Monk Kidd. Published by Viking in 2009, it appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the New York Times, and has been published in

Roslyn Dawson Thompson is the President and CEO of the Dallas Women’s Foundation, and Vice Chair of the board of the Women's Funding Network, the organization representing the 165 women’s funds worldwide. Dallas Women’s Foundation is a trusted leader

Kelly Tomblin has worked for more than twenty-five years in the energy industry in various leadership roles throughout the United States, the U.K., Latin America and the Caribbean. Throughout that time, Kelly has studied leadership and power and its

Mary Evelyn Tucker is a Senior Lecturer and Research Scholar at Yale University where she teaches in a joint master’s degree program between the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Divinity School. She directs the Forum

Prior to founding Hermitage Heart, Bonnie Myotai Treace, Sensei served for many years as Vice-Abbess of Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, NY and in recent years as Abbess of Fire Lotus Temple in Brooklyn, NY. She received Dharma Transmission

Daphne Tse is a multifaceted artist (musician, painter, photographer, and poet) with her first love being singing. Originally from Texas, she started singing at a young age and explored different genres of music through her college years. After graduation from

Ellen Watson is celebrating her 26th year on staff at Esalen Institute, where she studies, practices, and teaches various modalities of moving meditation practice. A veteran teacher of Esalen(r) Massage & Essential Touch, Gabrielle Roth's 5 Rhythms(tm) and Spirit Dance,

John Welwood, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, teacher, and author. He trained in existential psychology and worked closely with Eugene Gendlin at the University of Chicago, where he received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He has also been a

Actress Lindsay Wagner is also an advocate, mother, humanitarian and author. Her workshops and retreats focus on creating a shift in perspective and the powerful effect that can have on one's life. The programs are experience-oriented and include activities that

I have always wanted to be out in the world and curious about its workings. I eagerly studied in many different disciplines, including science, history, literature, systems thinking, organizational behavior, social policy, cosmology, archeology, geology and theology. I value what

Marion Woodman, LLD, DHL, PhD (Hon), is a Jungian analyst, teacher and author of The Owl Was A Baker's Daughter; Addiction to Perfection; The Pregnant Virgin; The Ravaged Bridegroom; Leaving My Father's House; Conscious Femininity; Dancing in the Flames: The

“The Sophia Institute is a kind of loom upon which a whole community can weave together its colorful diversity into an organic, riotous cloth of beauty. Out of the creative tension here, much art emerges. Songs to the earth, poetry

Carmen Williams, a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, and health and fitness instructor, awakened to her spiritual magnificence and her interest in the healing arts through her efforts to address the personal emotional wounds that resulted from her own experiences of

Len is an educational consultant, play theorist, and sound training specialist who offers the Solisten™ Training Program, the portable application of the 55-year old Tomatis® Method, both in Charleston, her original home, and Scottsdale, AZ, her current home. A Doctorate

Claire Zammit is the co-creator and co-leader of the Feminine Power courses for women and the co-founder and co-leader of the Feminine Power Global Community. Claire a highly trained specialist in transformative education with a unique gift for designing and

Ingrid Zimmer is the Associate Director of Word Dance Theater. After receiving a B.A. in Dance/Theatre from Pomona College, trained in the Limon Technique, Ms. Zimmer lived in Europe where she toured, performed and studied dance at the Folkwang Hochschule