Quayce Thomas is the Founder of Timsle, a social accountability network he built after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and psychosis while studying architecture. Through Timsle, Quayce explores how data and technology, combined with the support of friends and family can help others with mental health disorders functionally overcome their illness as well. Quayce graduated from Carleton University’s Born Social Fellowship, University of Ottawa’s Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Leadership program, and interned at IBM Center for Advanced Studies. Although he is usually coding, he maintains his health through running and biking (even in Ottawa winters!).
Keith Wakeman is an innovator, brand builder and social entrepreneur. He has led the development and launch of over $1 billion of new businesses and products in the health, wellness, and food industries.
Keith’s mission is to bring to the world broad-reaching science-based innovations to unlock whole-person human potential. He is currently leading the expansion of SuperBetter and its proven method for improving resilience and mental health.
He started his career in the food industry, growing brand portfolios, managing P&Ls and leading innovation and new venture development teams for top tier companies including Kellogg, Keebler & Nabisco. He then founded Cherry Street Innovation, a consulting company that he ran for a decade, developing new business and growth platforms for clients across a range of health, wellness and food markets. Keith co-founded the SuperBetter Company in Chicago and led the acquisition of SuperBetter in 2015.
Olivia Pennelle is a writer, journalist, and recovery activist. Her work has appeared in STAT News, Insider, Filter Magazine, Ravishly, The Temper, and Shondaland. She is the founder of popular site Liv’s Recovery Kitchen. She lives near Portland, Oregon.
Jesse is both a non-drinker and founder of The Mocktail Project, a mission based project helping to create a safer, more inclusive, stigma-free drinking culture. Jesse began his career in business consulting, helping streamline small business needs. In 2017, on his sobriety date, Jesse walked away from the comforts of his corporate life to start his newest journey in his professional career, The Mocktail Project.
In 2017, in conjunction with the start of his newly formed mission, Jesse traveled cross-country for more than two years. He achieved his goal of visiting all 48 lower states in early 2019. His personal goal during this time was to try new activities he once thought were impossible to do while sober. Professionally, he wanted to embrace new ideas and spark new conversations around sobriety and the alcohol-free community. Today, Jesse leads national campaigns in the alcohol-free community partnering with big spirit brands. This fall, The Mocktail Project will be introducing the first mobile mocktail bar in Bourbon Country. On 4.16.2020 Jesse celebrated six years of active recovery & three years since forming The Mocktail Project. In that time, The Mocktail Project has crafted and served more than 35,000 alcohol-free cocktails for those choosing not to imbibe.
Avery Nix is in long-term recovery from substance use disorder. Being in recovery means he is a proud father to his 7-year-old daughter and son who is almost 2 years old, and a loving fiancé who shares a similar vision for their life together. He serves his local community in several different capacities, as well as the state of Georgia at large, but his heart and soul rests in advocating for people in self-discovery and seeking long-term recovery.
He grew up in Clermont, Georgia, just north of Gainesville. In high school, Avery played football, wrestled, and ran track. He acquired many followers during these years and left an impact on his community. This began laying the groundwork for his journey to personal recovery and his career in the field of addiction recovery. Today, Avery finds himself advocating for high school athletes that struggle with substance use disorder. He has spoken on many different platforms, both nationally and locally, including WebMD, local newspapers and podcasts. Avery also arranges an annual flag football event to raise awareness for all pathways to recovery.
Avery has 5 years in continuous recovery. In that time, he has helped pilot and launch peer recovery coaching, with the GA Council on Substance Abuse, in the emergency departments of Northeast GA Medical Center. As of late September 2018, he took a position working with adolescents as the Director of Marketing and Clinical Outreach for Eagle Overlook Recovery for Adolescents.
He continues to spread as much hope and awareness as possible for those in recovery or seeking recovery from substance use disorder and mental illness. His priority is to support those who need it most.
Bobi Conn was born in Morehead, Kentucky, and raised in a nearby holler, where she developed a deep connection with the land and her Appalachian roots. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at Berea College, the first school in the American South to integrate racially and to teach men and women in the same classrooms. Bobi’s debut memoir, In the Shadow of the Valley, explores the beauty and struggle of life in Appalachia, with a deep love for this unique landscape and its complex people. In addition to writing, Bobi loves being in the woods, attempting to grow a garden, and spending time with her incredible children.
Dan Peres is the author of As Needed for Pain. He was editor in chief of Details for fifteen years, starting in 2000, when the title relaunched under his leadership. During his tenure, the magazine won many awards, including two National Magazine Awards. Before taking the editorship of Details, Dan spent nine years at W magazine, overseeing bureaus in Paris, London, and Milan. While in college, he worked as a copy boy at the New York Times and later as a research assistant at Esquire. He is the author of Details Men’s Style Manual. He lives in New York and has three sons.
Lisa Smith is an IACPRC Certified Recovery Coach, SHE RECOVERS® Coach, speaker, consultant, and former practicing lawyer and law firm executive. She is the author of the acclaimed memoir, Girl Walks Out of a Bar. The book recounts her descent into and recovery from “high-functioning” alcohol and cocaine addiction in big New York City law firms. Lisa’s story launched her to the forefront of the movement to advance wellbeing in the legal profession. She is passionate about smashing the stigma around mental health and substance abuse disorders so that more people are comfortable asking for the help they need. Lisa speaks frequently at law firms and other organizations on these issues. She consults with firms to structure and implement wellbeing initiatives that are both meaningful and practical. As a recovery coach, Lisa helps clients define and work toward achieving goals to support recovery and improve their personal and professional lives. She also co-hosts the podcast, Recovery Rocks, an inclusive discussion of issues affecting people in all kinds of recovery.
At the age of 19 years old, Seth became severely addicted to heroin and other hard drugs. After three years and nine overdoses he decided he was going to get clean. After kicking this habit cold, he addressed the underlying emotional issues that spurred the addiction and never used again. That was 22 years ago. Seth Leaf Pruzansky was born with the ability to interpret profound wisdom from his soul. Throughout the course of his life he has learned how to masterfully articulate this knowing in a way that benefits those who are looking for real answers to the big questions in life.
Seth has spent countless hours in meditation since he was a child, including a “forced” and extended meditation retreat in federal prison. He has faced and survived severe opiate addiction, childhood bullying, chronic illness, financial collapse, and so many other hardships, eventually going on to thrive.
He has taken the development of his inner state and applied it successfully to the world at large through “conscious-preneurship.”
Co-owner/founder of Tourmaline Spring-the highest quality most ethically produced bottled water on earth. www.tourmalinespring.com
Co-owner/founder of the certified organic raw food snack company Living Nutz www.livingnutz.com
A soon to be published author of the book “The Fight to Enlight” and Editor of a blog dedicated to transforming human consciousness www.imawakenowwhat.com
Hi, we’re Em and Kate, sisters behind the wellness blog Two Being Healthy. While to the outside world we appear as healthy, active young adults, in reality we both suffer from invisible and chronic illnesses. Our health complications really began when we were each diagnosed with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) at age 17. We have since been diagnosed with multiple other chronic illnesses, including, but not limited to, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), MCAD (Mast Cell Activation Disorder) and Chronic Migraines.
Over the past 10+ years, we have discovered all the ups and downs of living with a variety of autoimmune and autonomic issues. At first, it was very difficult to cope, but we have now adapted to our realities and are able to live our lives fully. Throughout our journey we have learned that if something is inhibiting our health, all avenues towards improvement should be explored and, in doing so, we have gained a passion for wellness and nutrition.
Our blog, Two Being Healthy, deals with managing invisible and chronic illness in a positive manner. It was created with the intention of sharing our health journey, including products we have found beneficial, tips we have gained along the way, documenting of new discoveries, and interviews with professionals in related fields. It’s inspired by our own experiences and is a true passion project for us. Two Being Healthy focuses on a proactive approach aimed towards healing and helping the body. We strive to be advocates of invisible illness and to change the perception of what “sick” looks like!