A Father's Love Through a Child's Diagnosis

James Sylvan Russell is the author of a book now available on Amazon and other outlets called GREATEST DAD IN THE GALAXY: SHE SAID IT. It is about the caregiving journey with his daughter diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's at the age of 51. He's a retired community college dean. He and Carol Hosler, a retired priest and hospice chaplain, met through online dating four years ago and now together promote using "love teams" for caregiving to reduce stress and burnout and increase quality of care.  They live on a senior living campus in Seattle. Learn more here

Salvatore J. Tagliareni is a storyteller, writer, business consultant, and former Catholic priest. For over 30 years he has successfully engaged private and public companies in their search for outstanding strategic performance. A gifted speaker, he is blessed with a great sense of humor and can invigorate an audience with insights on life and leadership. Profoundly influenced by his relationship with Dr. Viktor Frankl, Sal's novels explore the intersections of faith, family, history, and the enduring bonds that shape who we are. With nine published books spanning historical fiction, memoir, and leadership, Sal continues to write with the conviction that stories have the power to change lives. sjtagliarenibooks.com

Dr. Deane's  dream is to make our healthcare system work for the patients. Based on his credentials, he has the chops to succeed. He was a practicing pediatric cardiologist for almost forty years, Chief at University of Chicago and University of New Mexico. He was also a Founding Director of the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange created by the Affordable Care Act. After he retired from clinical practice, he became Director of the Center for Healthcare Policy at Texas Public Policy Foundation. Dr. Deane has authored nearly 500 published articles and 14 books, the latest being the award-winning, "Become an Empowered Patient" https://empowerpatients.info/home

Learn more at https://beyondthefirstdance.com/   Susan McKeown BSN, APRN (ret), CPS, MFA is an author and speaker, and writes a biweekly blog. She worked with families as a nurse practitioner for over 40 years and is a Certified Prevention Specialist, educating and advocating on issues of mental health and substance misuse. Susan and her husband conducted workshops for over 4,000 engaged couples for four decades on issues affecting married life. They have been married 55 years and have raised four children and been blessed with two grandchildren. Her website is Beyondthefirstdance.com.  Today, Susan speaks to businesses and non-profits organizations, community groups, women's groups, men's groups, and church groups. She conducts lunch and learn sessions, half and full day workshops as well as keynote talks for conferences. Her focus is on building healthy relationships, strengthening life at home, and preventing divorce. In her workshops, Susan addresses the importance of self-care and finding a work/life balance. She believes that harmony at home affects not only an individual's well-being, but also job performance. The outcome is a win/win for the individual and the employer, as it increases job satisfaction and positively affects productivity and retention.  She is the author of Beyond the First Dance-A Guide for Couples to Think Beyond their Wedding Day.

Ellyn Hilliard-McLeod, PhD is an integrative health coach, educator, and holistic nutritionist with decades of experience helping individuals uncover the nutritional, emotional and spiritual roots of illness. Ellyn began her health journey with a Crone's Disease diagnosis that inspired her to find a holistic, nutritional and spiritual solution rather than the pharmaceutical and surgical remedy recommended by her gastroenterologist.  Drawing on her studies in holistic nutrition, communications, and Waldorf education, Dr. Ellyn Hilliard-McLeod brings a rare blend of scientific understanding, compassionate insight, and spiritual wisdom to her work. Dr. Hilliard-McLeod believes that true health begins with conscious living and connection—to self, to spirit, and to one another. Her book, It Takes More Than Carrot Juice reflects her life's mission: to awaken the innate healing power within every human being. https://sedonasolution.com/book

Emmy Hernandez is a human-centered AI educator, consultant, speaker, and Co-Founder of System + Soul AI Institute. After a serious health crisis left her feeling dismissed and overlooked by specialists, Emmy used AI to organize her symptoms, recognize patterns, ask better medical questions, and advocate for care that helped her avoid major surgery and saved her life. Today, she teaches responsible, practical AI use to leaders, educators, teams, and everyday people who want to make smarter decisions with AI. https://centralhealthcommand.com/ https://systemandsoulai.com/  

Rana Walker, M.Ed., RScP is an Emmy award winning life coach, mental health therapist, writer, producer, certified Yoga instructor, Head of Mindfulness and breast cancer survivor.  She has lectured and facilitated workshops domestically and abroad.  Her overseas travel to Europe, the UK, Asia, South America, Africa, the Caribbean and residence in Ghana,West Africa has laid the groundwork for her far reaching world view.  She received her B.S. in Psychology from Howard University and M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from Temple University.  Rana comes from a long line of healers and has over 20 years experience creating wellness venues for others. For speaking engagements, visit www.ranawalker.com

Randall Libero's media career began as a cameraman, editor, and producer of TV pilots, documentaries, TV talk shows and commercials in Los Angeles in the 1980s. During the 1990s, he was a news writer and media archivist for the International Broadcasting Bureau at the U.S. State Department in Washington, DC and later a breaking news journalist for CBS Radio and Westwood One Broadcasting.  In the early years of online media content (2000-2010) Randall designed media strategies and produced original content for such luminaries as Dr. Joe Dispenza, Eckhart Tolle, Dr. John Demartini, the Omega Institute, and many other celebrities, visionaries, and notable business influencers. He innovated ways of online production, distribution, technical design, and audience interaction and created thematic branded channels, entire online network platforms, and live streaming video pay-per-view events. He was also the executive producer for The Convergence podcast series for the Evolutionary Leaders Circle. Randall has worked and collaborated with companies and organizations such as the American Film Market/IFTA, Ernst & Young, the U.S. Marine Corps, UNITY Churches, Sounds True Publishing and many others. Currently, Randall is the writer and co-producer of the multi-podcast series Behind the Icon and the author of the forthcoming book Media:Expanded. He is developing documentary projects promoting inspirational and positive future visions through his company, Light on the Land Studios. Randall is also a speaker on subjects relating to the media's influence on society, culture, and human consciousness.  https://substack.com/@randalllibero337802?utm_source=global-search

Beth Leeds is a longtime activist who helped save Laguna Canyon, fought against other development in Laguna Beach and cheered people's hearts and souls this year by hanging hearts along many of the seaside town's streets. She has hung hearts on trees for Valentine's Day for decades, but this year's actions elicited even greater response from the community and Laguna visitors. https://bethleeds.com/

Jay Abbasi is a global keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, coach, and former Tesla leader who helps professionals thrive under pressure without burning out. At Tesla, he led national training programs for over 1,000 employees, and has since coached leaders at Google, Amazon, TikTok, Wells Fargo, and many more. He's been featured in Forbes Founder, Authority Magazine, and Medium, and is the host of the top-rated podcast Unstuck with Jay Abbasi. Blending corporate experience with deep expertise in mindfulness, resilience, and well-being, Jay offers a powerful message: success isn't about avoiding challenges, but mastering them with clarity, energy, and purpose. https://jayabbasi.me/