Michele Borba
Michele
Borba, Ed.D., is an educational psychologist and author of 21 books
including 12 Simple Secrets Real
Moms Know: Getting Back to Basics and Raising Happy Kids;
Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me!;
No More Misbehavin’: 38 Difficult
Behaviors and How to Stop Them;
Don’t Give Me that Attitude!;
Building Moral Intelligence,
cited by Publishers’ Weekly as “among the most noteworthy of 2001”;
Parents Do Make A Difference, selected by Child Magazine
as “Outstanding Parenting Book of 1999”; and Esteem Builders, used
by 1.5 million students worldwide. Dr. Borba serves on the advisory
board at Parents magazine and appears as a frequent guest on
national television shows including
Today, The View, The Early Show,
and CNN American Morning.
Lolita
Carrico
Lolita Carrico, founder
of Modern Mom LLC, believes that balance is the key to having it all
and she wants to spread the word! Her flagship effort is
ModernMom.com, a leading online publication and destination site
featuring advice, tips, inspiration and news for today's busy women.
The company also organizes Modern Mom Clubs, networking and support
groups across the country that give women the much needed
opportunity to meet and mingle offline. An expert on just about any
issue faced by a modern mom, Lolita has been featured on hundreds of
television and radio programs and in a variety of newspapers and
magazines discussing topics such as parenting, shopping trends,
relationships career and balance. Lolita lives in Los Angeles with
her two sons - Jaden, 5, and Jack, 2.
Cheli
Cerra
Cheli
Cerra, M.Ed., has helped thousands of children achieve school and
life success. When it comes to real world experience and techniques
that truly work, Cheli is the premiere authority on education and
child development. A co-author of
Parent Talk! The Art of Effective
Communication With the School and Your Child, Cheli has
been branded as "The Right Choice" for education according to
Woman’s Day Magazine.
She brings over two decades of "in-the-trenches" experience as a
teacher and school principal at all levels of education. In 1999 she
founded one of the first K-8 public schools that earned the highest
educational rating among all of the schools within the State of
Florida. Cheli is a wife and a working mother of two. She also
is the founder of Eduville and co-author of the School Talk!
Success Series.
Cheryl
Dellasega
Cheryl
Dellasega, NP, PhD, is a relational aggression expert, and the
author of four books on issues affecting women:
Mean Girls Grown Up,
The Starving Family,
Girl Wars,
and
Surviving Ophelia. Dr.
Dellasega's writing and teaching offer essential insights into the
different conflicts that arise in female-to-female relationships.
She has appeared as an expert on national and local television and
radio shows and in print to discuss breaking news items and the
every day challenges facing women today.
Mimi
Doe
Mimi Doe has written six
books, including 10 Principles
for Spiritual Parenting,
Nurturing Your Teenager's Soul;
Busy But Balanced: Practical and
Inspirational Ways to Create a
Calmer, Closer Family; and
Drawing Angels Near. She
also has a Masters in Education from Harvard in Children’s TV. She
reaches over 50,000 parents through her online newsletter.
BJ
Gallagher
BJ
Gallagher is a dynamic workshop leader and charismatic keynote
speaker, as well as a much-published author of books, including the
international best-seller, A
Peacock in the Land of Penguins: A Fable About Creativity and
Courage,
currently published in 19 languages. Hew newest book is
YES Lives in the Land of NO: A Tale
of Triumph Over Negativity. In addition to writing books,
BJ writes and produces animated videos. Her newest production is a
mixed-media video, "YES Lives in the Land of NO," scheduled for a
Fall 2006 release. BJ also writes women's books, including
Everything I Need to Know I Learned
from Other Women, and
Friends Are Everything.
She recently published her first children's book,
What's the Matter with Henry? The
True Tale of a Three-Legged Cat. BJ Gallagher conducts
seminars and workshops for women's groups, as well as professional
organizations, conferences, and corporations.
Betsy
Hart
Author of
It Takes a Parent: How the Culture
of Pushover Parenting is Hurting our Kids and What to Do About It,
Betsy Hart is a columnist for the
Scripps Howard News Service. Her column on cultural, family, and
political issues, "From the Hart," is distributed nationally each
week to newspapers across the country. It regularly appears in the
Chicago Sun-Times, Denver Rocky
Mountain News, San Diego Union-Tribune, Boston Herald and
many other publications.
Rachel
Hamman
Rachel Hamman
is the author of Bye-Bye
Boardroom; Confessions from A New Breed of Stay-At-Home Moms.
She has been named one of the “Most Remarkable Women” on
Barbara Walter’s ABC show, The
View. Rachel has been featured in
Glamour magazine for her
philanthropic advances and has also been recognized for her ongoing
community endeavors by being tapped as one of the “Eckerd 100
Outstanding National Volunteers.” She co-founded
The Golden Rule Foundation, a children's charity dedicated to
providing elementary school
children with hands-on community service projects, so they could
realize the pivotal role they are capable of playing in our
society. Rachel
now shares her sage advise with millions of women as an expert for
ClubMom.com
Carole
Hankin
Dr. Carole Hankin is the
Superintendent of the Syosset School District (for seventeen
years) on Long Island, New York ($155 million budget, 7000
students, 1200 employees). Dr. Hankin and her ten schools
have won all kinds of awards for their innovation and
excellence, and Carole is a repeat guest on Fox News
nationally and Fox and Friends on the weekend on
school-related news stories. She writes a regular column in
Education Update. She holds two master's degrees and
a doctorate from Columbia University, and is the mother of
three and grandmother of nine.
Cheryl
Willis Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson is
an author and a publisher who has written over 20 children's books,
including Hands Can; What Do You
Know? SNOW!; Construction Zone, and
AFRO-BETS ABC Book. As
an author, Ms. Hudson crafts vibrant and engaging books that allow
Black children to see themselves positively reflected in society. As
a workshop facilitator and speaker, she shares her experience and
expertise in developing curricula of inclusion with schools and
educational organizations around the country. She is co-founder with
her husband, Wade Hudson, of Just Us Books, an independent publisher
of African American interest books for children and young adults.
Ms. Hudson lives in Northern New Jersey with her family.
Susan
Smith Kuczmarski
Dr.
Susan Smith Kuczmarski is an educator who teaches teachers, a
cultural anthropologist who studies family culture, a sociologist
who views families as small interactive groups, and a parent who has
experienced families firsthand.
Susan is the author of
The Family Bond: Inspiring Tips for
Creating a Closer Family and
The Sacred Flight of the Teenager:
A Parent’s Guide to Stepping Back and Letting Go. Both of
her books received the prestigious “Seal of Approval Award” from the
National Parenting Center. She
has done extensive research directly related to how children learn
social skills and how teens become leaders. She holds a Doctorate in
Education from Columbia University in New York City, where she was
named an International Fellow.
Blythe
Lipman
Blythe Lipman is the
president and founder of Lipman Educational Consulting, and Baby
Instructions. She is passionate about babies, toddlers and their
parents. After working in the field for over twenty-five years, she
wrote HELP! MY BABY CAME WITHOUT
INSTRUCTIONS, an award-winning book of easy-to-use tips
to make that first year with baby a breeze. The book was named one
of the nation’s Best Parent Products in 2006 by the Media Guide. Her
book also received the 2005 Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award,
along with Walt Disney and PBS Kids among others, for “products of
outstanding quality that support family life.”
Areva
Martin
Areva D. Martin is a Harvard
trained attorney and Managing Partner of Martin & Martin,
LLP, in Los Angeles, one of Southern California's largest
female owned law firms. A syndicated columnist, author
and dynamic speaker, she is a recognized authority on
women and careers and educating special needs children.
She is a frequent guest speaker at community, professional
and business seminars. Areva has been published in national
and local print media. As a frequent guest on radio and
television, she shares advice with millions. A part of
Areva's legal practice includes special education
law. Amongst other corporate boards, She serves on a
state-wide commission studying the impact of autism on the
state of California. Areva has been honored by the City of
Los Angeles and a myriad of other organizations for her work
on behalf of women and children. As co-founder and
President of Special Needs Network, Inc., she is actively
involved in providing resources and services to underserved
families raising children with disabilities. Areva is the
mother of three children and resides in Los Angeles with her
husband, also a Harvard trained attorney.
Barbara McRae
Barbara McRae, MCC, is
the owner of EnhancedLife Coaching, LLC and founder of
TeenFrontier.com. Barbara is a nationally known Master
Certified Coach and a recognized expert in professional coaching as
profiled in BusinessWeek
magazine, USA Today,
and The New York Times,
and elsewhere. Barbara draws on her 20 years of experience in
coaching and training adults in advanced communication techniques,
personally parenting and mentoring three teenagers into adulthood,
and pioneering comprehensive parent coaching methods. Barbara is the
author of the bestselling Coach
Your Teen to Success and
Less Drama, More Fun.
She is a popular radio guest, former newspaper columnist, and a
motivational speaker. An active board member of Big Brothers Big
Sisters, she is dedicated to mentoring present day preteens and
teens.
Hillary Mendelson
Hillary
Mendelson is the mother of two and writes a book called
thepurplebook: The Definitive Guide
to Exceptional Online Shopping. Having published three
editions of the annual guide (2004, 2005 and 2006), she now has her
first specialty book coming out called
thepurplebook Baby. This
smaller edition (the big one covers 20 categories) focuses
exclusively on Maternity and Baby through Toddler needs. She also
writes the "Hot Sites" section of
InStyle magazine.
Kelly
Nault
Kelly Nault, MA is a
family counselor, corporate spokesperson and an award winning
parenting author of When You’re
About to Go Off the Deep End, Don't Take Your Kids With You. As
founder of UltimateParent.com Kelly is passionate about inspiring
mothers to nurture themselves and shares fun, effective,
child-proofed tools that empower parents to raise confident, happy,
responsible and grateful children.
Corrie
Lynne Player
Corrie Lynne Player, M.Ed., is the author of
Loving Firmness:
Successfully Raising Teenagers Without Losing Your Mind,
her fifth book. Mrs. Player is mother to nine of her own
children and more than 40 foster children, many of them
behaviorally challenged adolescents. She has 28
grandchildren, ranging in age from newborn to 18 years. Her
basic parenting stance is: "Rely on a Power greater than
yourself and keep your sense of humor." Mrs. Player promotes
positive solutions to challenges that all parents face. Her
copyrighted Point System has been used by "test drivers" all
over the country and is featured in her workshops, columns,
and books. A journalist and well-established author for 34
years, Mrs. Player's work has appeared in regional and
national publications, including
Sunday Woman, Military
LifeStyle, Trailer Life, Parents, American Baby,
and Family Circle.
She also writes a regular parenting column for two local
newspapers, "Heaven Help Us." She speaks on parenting topics
and has been a trainer for social services in several
states.
Alison
Rhodes
Child safety expert
Alison Rhodes, founder of Peek-A-Boo Babyproofing, is the proud mom
of four children. In 1997, her first son, Connor, died of Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Alison quickly became an advocate for
other SIDS parents in the Connecticut and New York area and serves
on the Board of Directors of First Candle/SIDS Alliance. She has
since broadened her area of expertise and is now recognized as one
of the leading child safety experts. Last year she partnered with
Safety 1st on their Get On Board With Child Safety campaign and is
currently a child safety expert on clubmom.com, a popular website
for savvy moms. Alison has appeared on many television and radio
programs discussing child safety in and around the home as well
as SIDS risk reduction.
Margaret Schwartz
Margaret
is a single mother and author of
The Pumpkin Patch: A Single Woman’s
International Adoption Journey. Two years ago, she
adopted 2 boys from same orphanage in Ukraine and kept a detailed
journal during the 4-week trip to the Ukraine. After talking to
other prospective adoptive parents and learning all the things to do
and not to do, she decided to publish the journal to show the plight
of abandoned children.
Andrea
Simanson
Andrea
Simanson is a wife and mother of three children. She has learned to
manage life with a child with food allergies and has helped other
parents through similar circumstances of life. Andrea loves to write
and is the Editor of the Successful Family Chores website and
bimonthly ezine.
Carrie
Myers Smith
Carrie has a degree in
exercise science and health education, is an ACSM-certified personal
trainer, licensed corporate Wellcoach®, co-founder and president of
Women in Wellness™, and the fitness editor for
Fit Body magazine. Her
work has appeared in many publications including
Shape, Fitness, Fit Pregnancy,
Cooking Light, Health, Muscle & Fitness HERS, and
Energy for Women, for
whom she was a contributing editor and "Body Shoppe" columnist. Her
first book, Squeezing Your Size
14 Self into a Size 6 World: A Real Woman's Guide to Food, Fitness,
and Self-Acceptance (Champion Press, 2004), has won
acclaim from real women and experts alike, and received one of
Independent Publishers' highest ratings.
Marisa
Thalberg
Marisa Thalberg, the
Founder and President of Executive
Moms, is the true embodiment of an executive mom herself.
A full-time successful advertising and marketing executive, Marisa
has also developed a second full-time career as the head of the
nation’s preeminent organization for women who are both mothers and
professionals (and then, of course, there is the one additional
full-time career, of being a mother: to her daughters Hannah and
Avery). For her work with Executive Moms, Marisa has become a
sought-after voice to the media on issues on motherhood, careers and
busy women’s lifestyles. She has been extensively quoted in
newspapers around the country from the
Wall Street Journal to the
Sacramento Bee, has
appeared on numerous radio and TV stations including
NBC, FOX, and has been a
spokesperson for companies ranging from
Capital One to
Time/Life Books. Last year,
Marisa was named a 2005
Pearl Honoree and will soon be profiled on
UNICEF.com . Marisa is
also a writer and is a featured essayist in the book, “This Day:
Diaries from American Women.”
Amy
Tiemann, Ph.D.
Amy Tiemann is author of
Mojo Mom: Nurturing Yourself by Raising a Family and founder of
MojoMom.com, the book’s companion online community and an iParenting
Media Award Winner. A neuroscientist turned educator, she uses her
background in research and teaching to inform her work with Mojo
Mom. Amy is a well-respected voice for new moms, helping them
adjust to challenges of motherhood while maintaining a strong sense
of self. Amy contributed to the recently released Yankelovich
Parents Y*Report, and regularly hosts podcasts with guest speakers
and parenting experts.
Jill
Tipograph
The New York Times
called Jill a "personal shopper" for summer. That’s because she
takes the time to understand the personality, needs, and values of
each individual family and child – and tailors her recommendations
accordingly. A professional summer program planner and consultant
for over a decade, Jill has researched more than 2,000 programs and
helped families worldwide plan the “right” summer. She is the author
of the book Your Everything Summer Guide & Planner, full of
hundreds of tips, checklists, key questions and evaluation tools for
summer planning. Jill has a BA in Psychology and an MBA from New
York University. Prior to summer advising, she spent many years as a
corporate executive, honing her skills in client service, research,
analysis and planning. An active member of the American Camp
Association (ACA) and the National Association of Women Business
Owners, Jill is also involved in non-profit camp organizations. Jill
has also appeared on television nationally on NBC’s Today Show
and NBC’s Live at Five News, been featured in national and
regional print and on-line media as well as contributes to articles
in parenting and summer columns/publications. She is a mother
of two teens who have been through camp and a variety of teen summer
programs, and conducts workshops and seminars at schools,
corporations and professional organizations on a variety of summer
and parenting topics.
Barb Webb
This
voracious reader moved on to join the corporate sector, accumulating
a background in computer technology, education, marketing, and
promotional communications. A prolific author, Barb has written over
200 curriculum manuals. Her most recent work includes
The Mom's Guide to Earning and
Saving Thousands on the Internet (McGraw Hill, February
2006). This writer's prime motivation is the desire to help other
women succeed. In recognition of her writing and work with the
community, she is the recipient of the Professional Association of
Computer Training (PACT) First Place Award of Excellence, the 1999
Minnesota Children and Family Services Volunteer of the Year Award,
and the 2005 Scarlet Boa Award. Barb is also the owner of
MOMdotCOM.net, TheFrugalWriter.com, Vice President of the From The
Heart Romance Writers RWA Chapter 177, a regular feature writer for
Suite Magazine, and a ClubMom Expert.
BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS ON
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE® THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN
“Captivating and engaging! Choose
Your Own Adventure® promotes creativity and critical thinking –
skill sets necessary for children to succeed in this 21st
Century.”- Cheli Cerra
I
received the advanced copy of "Choose Your Own Adventure" and viewed
it last night with my "test subject" (otherwise known as my seven
year-old son, Zachary) If his reaction is any indication of your
future success, you have a winner on your hands! Not only did he
want to watch every possible scenario, we had to pry the DVD clicker
from his hands in order to put him to bed. At the crack of dawn this
morning, while still rubbing his eyes, he asked, "Can we watch The
Abominable Snowman again?" From a mother's perspective, you have
created a product that ignites the imagination while simultaneously
teaching kids that they have the power to choose their path in life.
You will foster the notion that every decision you make does have
consequences involved. Empowerment is a win-win for both kids and
parents. How refreshing to have something educational, coupled with
something which promotes positive life-lessons.
-Rachel Hamman
Choose Your Own Adventure is simply
awesome! All three of my children are spellbound everytime they
watch "The Abominable Snowman." My eight year old has made it an
integral part of her DVD collection. As a parent I can't tell you
how important it is to have high quality entertainment for young
children that is devoid of sex and violence, but also peaks and
maintains their interest. Our entire family is excited about the
series and looks forward to new adventures. -
Areva D. Martin
One of the most challenging
aspects of parental life is allowing your child to experience the
consequences of their decisions. Choose Your Own Adventure
offers an incredibly innovative approach to boost kids’
decision-making abilities by prompting them to fully explore a range
of possibilities. Giving kids the opportunity to practice making
good decisions in this entertaining way is brilliant. I feel honored
and privileged to endorse this movie throughout my network of
parents. -Barbara McRae
I've enjoyed my copy of THE ABOMINABLE
SNOW MAN, or should I say, my grandchildren have. Ten of my 28 live
near me, so I recruited the 9, 10, 11, and 12 year olds to give me
their reactions. Some of their comments were:
"I liked how they had their
attitudes. The oldest was goofy and the girl liked all animals and
knew a lot about hem.",
"Ok,
I don't want to go that way again. What happens to the uncle? Can
we keep playing?",
and
"It was cool and I want to watch it
again."
-Corrie Lynne Player
Our family has watched The Abominable
Snowman DVD a couple of times now. What a great idea! My husband and
I like the interactive and decision-making aspects of this DVD. The
kids were able to navigate through the movie easily, watching all
options and then going back and choosing their favorites again. We
were able to interact with them, too, asking them why they chose
what they did, so feel this is a positive new idea. Our 5-year old
especially likes it. He is a kid who really likes control, so giving
him choices empowers him. -Andrea
Simanson
It's about time we stepped away
from the traditional and into the future of enjoyable, interactive
multi-media education for children. How refreshing to have a video
that allows choices and extended play. With this series, I don't
feel as if I'm using the "virtual babysitter" with my little ones.
Instead, they are engaged in the action and receiving a quality
learning experience. Bravo to the creators of Choose Your Own
Adventure! -Barb Webb
