On October 4, 2016, the trajectory of Jeff’s life changed with one phone call. Prior to that day, Jeff was living the American Dream. He had a great family, was a successful entrepreneur running a financial services firm in Iowa, and was seemingly coasting through life. The morning of October…
"Big Al" Szolack (born 1950) is a retired American basketball player best known for his time spent on the Washington Generals, the traveling exhibition team who plays against, and always loses to, the Harlem Globetrotters. He played for just the 1974–75 season, one in which the Generals lost all 245…
Aaron Reed accepted an International teaching position at a prestigious prep school in S.E. Asia, and in 2006, he and his wife relocated their lives to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Soon after the birth of his daughter in 2009, he found myself swallowed into the belly of the city's drug scene…
Dr. Tracy Strawberry is an international speaker, published author, CEO, and wife of baseball legend Darryl Strawberry. After many years of battling addiction, alcoholism and other life controlling issues, Tracy surrendered her life to Jesus Christ and experienced a radical life transformation through the power of God and the process…
Robert grew up in small town Georgia, admittedly more interested in sports and the outdoors than academics. He graduated high school in 1998, attended Marion Military Institute from 1999-2000 and earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy in 2003. Earning the rank of 2nd Lieutenant…
Author Peter E. Murphy looks forward to celebrating his 50th year of sobriety after waking up in a gutter when he was 21. He has since fashioned a life of service to others by leading hundreds of workshops for thousands of writers and teachers in the United States and abroad.…
Andrew Zimmern knew from a young age he wanted a career in food. After attending The Dalton School and Vassar College, he cooked in New York City restaurants for Anne Rosenzweig, Joachim Splichal and Thomas Keller, amongst others. Andrew helped open and run a dozen restaurants, and at the same…
Danny Strong is a multi-award winning writer, director, actor, producer who is the creator, showrunner and director of the hit Hulu series Dopesick, starring Michael Keaton and Rosario Dawson. He was also the co-creator, executive producer, writer and director for the hit FOX series Empire. He also wrote the screenplays…
Rick Mountcastle served as a federal prosecutor for more than 32 years, first at the Department of Justice and later at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia. As a senior trial attorney in DOJ’s Criminal Tax Enforcement Section, he prosecuted criminal tax cases throughout the United…
Ashley Bedsole: I am a stay at home mom to four kids, 3 boys and a little girl. I homeschool my oldest 2 boys and my two toddlers. I also run the household. I started my blog in August of 2021- a year after my father passed away. I started…
With the recent series on Hulu - Dopesick (based on the best-selling book by Beth Macy), Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family, and their criminal misbranding and lying to the public about the dangers of Oxycontin. We will be doing several panels, including intimately involved people in the battle against these…
Mary Sue is a film editor, filmmaker and video journalist. She specializes in Avid editing, and also shoots and produces her own independent films. Mary Sue has worked on feature documentaries as well as TV segments, news clips, ads, promos and online content. Mary Sue divides her time between Brooklyn,…
Pam Gaslow designed catalogs for J. Crew, performed stand-up comedy, even worked as Henri Bendel’s only female security guard. Pam Gaslow has had an eventful life -- including once being threatened by her family with disownment over her Depressed Hot Girl blog -- and it’s about to get even more…
Mike Grant, former Alcoholic Now a Therapist and using Running in Recovery Mike Grant recently published a book called (Re)Making A Sandwich. It's a creative nonfiction memoir that follows him for 6 years as he goes through treatment to fulfil the requirements of an intensive diversion program for habitual drunk…
BRIAN CUBAN is an attorney, author, and person in long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Recognized for his memoir, The Addicted Lawyer: Tales of the Bar, Booze, Blow, and Redemption, an unflinching look at how addiction and other mental health issues shattered his successful career, he frequently speaks on…
Beth Macy parsed her evolution from papergirl to ink-stained author with Longform Podcast host Evan Ratliff: literally being the only female newspaper deliverer in my small Ohio hometown, where she learned to roam around talking (interviewing, really) to all kinds of people. It’s still her favorite thing to do. Among…
Constance Scharff, PhD is an internationally recognized speaker and author on the topics of addiction recovery and mental health. She most recently served Rock to Recovery, a music-based addiction and trauma treatment program, as VP Business Development, and Science and Research Chair. Previously, Dr. Scharff was Senior Addiction Research Fellow…
My name is Tracy and I am a 54 year old single mom in CT. I was in a car accident in 2000 that resulted in back surgery, and subsequently the prescription of opioids which lasted 20 years. I took them as prescribed as I thought I needed them for…
Candace Plattor is an Addictions Therapist in private practice, where she specializes in working with the family and other loved ones of people who are struggling with addiction, in her unique and signature Family Addiction Counselling and Therapy Program. As a former opioid addict with 34 years clean and sober…
Leigh was born and raised in Los Angeles by his parents, a teacher and librarian. He obtained both his undergraduate and law degrees from Cal where he was student body president during each tenure. Leigh has represented many of the most successful athletes and coaches in football, basketball, baseball, hockey,…
Sandy Winnefeld Co-Founder Admiral James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld, Jr., U.S. Navy (retired) Admiral Winnefeld retired in 2015 after serving as the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was an instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and commanded a fighter squadron, the amphibious ship…
Dr. Camille Filardo-Kraft is an athlete, counselor, educator, and business owner who is passionate about collectively constructing positive concepts. The three fundamental elements that motivate Dr. Kraft are creativity, activity, and connectivity. When these three factors intersect, she is at the apex of her game. Her strong leadership practices are…
Joseph Carlucci Adevai is Senior Pastor and Founder of Grace Church of North Brunswick, NJ. He is also the former CEO of Serenity Springs Recovery a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Edgewater, Fla. He worked on Wall St. for 25 Years and retired in 2009 as SVP of a…
After spending almost 20 years struggling with addiction Paul finally made the conscious decision change. With 1 year left on his decade long prison stay he began to work on himself from the inside out. Through internal work and a shift in his mindset he has been able to stay…