lineup
Owner of Midtown Yoga, Creator of MY wellness summit
Emily Wallace is the owner and founder of Midtown Yoga, creator of the MY teacher trainings, creator of the MY wellness summit, and will be a moderator for some of the panels the day of the event. Emily has been teaching yoga and meditation for over eight years and her love for yoga and wellness only continues to grow and evolve. Since opening Midtown Yoga in 2018, the studio has been named as one of the best yoga studios in Wake County and she has signed lease for their second location in University Hills, Durham, NC with a timeline to open in spring 2020. She has traveled the world hosting teacher trainings and yoga retreats and believes this summit is what's next for the Raleigh wellness community. Her hope is that this summit will bring women together in an inclusive space to discuss raw and taboo conversations. For women to have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers from some of the top local proactive thought leaders and doctors. In Emily's down time she loves spending time with her boyfriend and dog, traveling, naps, Costco samples, and concerts.
Keynote Speaker
Instagram @laurabpilates
Laura Browning Grant believes love is always the answer and love heals. Laura has spent the past two and a half years right by her husband's side. Jonathan Grant, a former Navy Seal Medic suffered a severe traumatic brain injury as a passenger in a car accident. Her devotion to her husband's healing is truly making a difference. Laura believes all her life experiences prior to the accident prepared her for this journey. For 15 years, before the accident, Laura was a highly respected Pilates and Gyrotonic teacher and also appeared on the cover of Pilates Style. Using the knowledge she gained regarding movement, health, the mind/body/spiritual connection she continues to allow God to work through her and heal Jon. Life is a woven journey that one must surrender to and allow God the space to move mountains. Laura has strived to bring awareness and hope to others.
Wellness Blogger
Claire Guentz is a Raleigh, NC based lifestyle influencer, and ICU nurse, whose mission is to inspire women to unapologetically live their best life. Claire promotes a balanced blend of attainable and aspirational living with a focus on beauty, fashion, and wellness. She is on a journey to seek and share tangible habits, mindset, and actions that will result in turning aspirations into reality. Claire stands for something bigger than just herself- she seeks to empower women to feel confident in their own skin, not worry about what others think, be hold in what they believe, and become a catalyst for making the world a better place.
Spiritual Activist and yoga teacher
Over the last 20+ years, Carrington’s study and practice of yoga has been a diverse. Her classes are a canvas of power, prayer, and presence, intertwined with messages of spirit, magic, and social responsibility. On a physical level, her teaching practice is about piecing together the individual parts of the body into the more powerful whole. On a soulful level, her passion both on and off the mat is in helping others find their voice and own their power through the many classes and workshops she teaches. On a collective level, the purpose of her teaching is to correlate yoga on and off the mat, ultimately paving the way from the I to the WE. She travels with international yoga teacher Seane Corn as one of her assistants and serves as both faculty and Yoga In Action Coordinator for Off The Mat Into The World as well as regional leader for CTZNWELL and is a lululemon legacy ambassador. Having gratefully learned from many teachers over the years, a few teachers that have influenced her personal and teaching practices are Seane Corn, Marianne Williamson, Rev angel KYODO williams, Ainslie Macleod, Carolyn Myss and of course the greatest teacher of all, life.
Doctor of Physical Therapy and Founder and Owner of MommyPT
Founder of MommyPT in Raleigh, NC, Dr. Amy Moore is an orthopedic physical therapist and occupational therapist with a focus in women's health. She has received extensive training in women's health, manual therapy and craniofacial disorders and is committed to remaining current on research in order to provide the best evidence based care. Dr. Amy finds so much reward in empowering people every day and possesses the desire that pregnancy preparation, prenatal and postpartum physical therapy will eventually be the standard of care for every woman considering conception. Her philosophy is prevention, to treat the cause(s) of one's symptoms and educate women in how to take control of their condition. In order to uphold this philosophy, Dr. Amy has stepped out of the traditional medical model to spend the necessary time in caring for her patients and helping them to achieve their goals.
Pastor
Lisa Yebuah is the Lead Pastor of the Southeast Raleigh Table, a worshipping community in east downtown Raleigh. What fuels her life in ministry is seeing people become their best selves, and in turn, seeing the world become a better and more just place. Most would describe Lisa as a glutton for joy and a lover of people. She’s a self-professed party-starter, people-watcher, biscuit-eating CrossFitter, and admits to having a slight obsession with the enneagram and The Office.
Sex therapist
Katherine Good is Licensed Professional Counselor with over 19 years of experience. Founder of Good Sex Therapy, her desire is to help her clients manage sexual issues and improve their relationships using talk therapy, a nonjudgmental stance, and humor. She believes everyone is a sexual being and everyone can struggle with sexual issues at some point in their life. Her hope is to help untangle sexual issues at their core~ from childhood misunderstandings to sexual technique to adult romantic connection issues. She offers you a place to ask questions about what is normal, discuss disappointments, and learn how to make sex more enjoyable. She works with couples and individuals. Her belief in life and in therapy is that we should strive to Settle for More.
Intuitive Healer
Sherri helps you navigate life's journey with clarity and wisdom. She offers co-creative sessions using her gifts of Intuitive Guidance, deep listening and direct perception. She has been immersed in spiritual, metaphysical, philosophical and self-development studies and experiences since 1985. Sharri has come to know the miracle and magic of “two or more” gathered in the name of Higher Consciousness. Additionally, she is an Integrative Reflexologist, Reiki Energy Practitioner and Certified Yoga Teacher, offering healing sessions by appointment in her private practice in Raleigh, NC.
Lawyer and Content Creator
Marche Robinson is a corporate attorney based in North Carolina, working in the healthcare industry. She was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina and currently resides in Raleigh. She started her blog 2011 as a creative outlet when she moved back to Charlotte after law school (in Winston-Salem). She’s lived all over NC! Currently, she lives with her new husband and her two doggies. As a young professional who wears many hats, her biggest struggle is balancing all the demands and still leaving time for herself. Social media can feel like a place where everyone has the perfect life but day-to-day stress and imposter syndrome is very real. Her goal is to help women recognize that they have to focus on their needs as well as the needs of those around them and that real life doesn't look perfect. You can't pour from an empty cup!
Vibrational Medicine Practitioner
A vibrational medicine practitioner in private practice, Melissa Hall specializes in energetic modalities. In recent years, she has been focused on sound healing through the use of tuning forks and crystal singing bowls. Her clients’ response to these implements has been nothing short of miraculous – a testament to the ways in which vibration, intuitive guidance, and profound inner dialogue synthesize to assist in dissolving blockages for healing and transformation. Melissa specializes in working with those who have experienced trauma as well as imbalances associated with anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, pain and chronic illness. Her practice allows her to embody her astrological signature of resurrecting powerful, ancient healing modalities and sharing their value with clients through experience and education.
Leader. Luminary. Entrepreneur.
Dr. Margaret A. Brunson is a leader and luminary who loves Zumba, considers brunch a verb, finds joy in boarding airplanes, and has never met a dance floor that couldn’t hold her! She earned a BA in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!), Master of Public Administration from North Carolina Central University and Ph.D. in leadership studies from North Carolina A&T State University. Dr. Brunson is the Founder & CEO of Illumined Leadership Solutions where she leads people to purpose through leadership and organizational development coaching & consulting and professional speaking. She is also one of the co-founders of I Am TryBe, a mindful wellness brand for “Humans, being.” Her community leadership includes board chair for StandUp-SpeakOut of NC. membership in Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Southeast Raleigh Table, a campus of Edenton Street United Methodist Church. Dr. Brunson is an inspirational speaker, writer and published author. In 2012, she published New Growth: How My Hair Saved My Life. She has shared her personal message and her research-based theory, Illumined Leadership™, across the U.S. and abroad, including Barcelona, Spain. In 2016, she was named 40 under 40 Outstanding Alumni of North Carolina Central University.
Psychotherapist
Whitney is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has been in private practice working with adolescents, adults, and families in Raleigh for over twenty years. Whitney treats clients with a broad range of diagnosis. She specializes in working with adolescent girls and women on issues related to body image, self esteem, codependency, managing stress and anxiety, developing heathy relationship skills, and implementing more self care and self compassion into their lives. In addition to this, Whitney has expertise in treating Narcissistic Abuse. She uses an eclectic approach that includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Positive Psychology. Whitney strongly believes in the mind body connection. She encourages the use of meditation, yoga, pilates, and integrative medicine as adjuncts to her work with her clients. Whitney’s goal is to provide her clients with a supportive and trusting environment that allows them the opportunity to explore their emotional and behavioral concerns while she assists them in achieving their goals and reaching their fullest potential.
Designer Yogi and Lifestyle Influencer
MA Allen has made a splash with her one-of-a-kind interiors that are richly layered yet true to comfort. While many know her as a vibrant designer, MA is also a fashion-forward mother of three, wife, entrepreneur, fitness enthusiast, and health-conscious chef to her kids, constantly working to strike a perfect balance among it all. As rich and dynamic as her interiors, MA is taking risks and inspiring a unique lifestyle that is equally as productive as it is colorful, healthy and fun!
Educator and Elevator
Christmas Abbott is a relentless rebel, the original badass! While working in Iraq as a civilian contractor supporting the military during Iraqi Operation Freedom, she discovered she wanted to create the best version of herself. She quit smoking and drugs and started to take her life seriously. Christmas discovered her passion of fitness and nutrition and through that she discovered her purpose in helping people see their own light and strength. Christmas made a name for herself in the CrossFit and Weightlifting world by her tenacious competitive spirit. Christmas then went on to make history by being the first women on a NASCAR Sprint Cup Pit Crew. Competition isn’t her only strive for excellence. Christmas became a National Best Selling Author of "The Badass Body Diet" and "The Badass Life." Christmas is a Keynote speaker on business and self activation. She thrives in always fostering to live her best life and try new challenges, which lead her to become a Reality TV Star on Big Brother. Christmas’s favorite and most fulfilling work is through her workout and nutrition programs delivered online. Christmas has developed a tribe in her online fitness community that is as badass as they get! Christmas is not your average fitness enthusiast or athlete. She has trekked through dark paths to find her biggest light, helping activate others to find their light and true self. Through struggle she found fitness and a new spirit that she came to be known as the Ultimate Badass.
Keynote Speaker - Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker
Jess Ekstrom is the founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, a company she started as a junior in college in 2012. For every headband sold, a headband is given to a child with cancer.
Her first brush with success was selling all of her toys on eBay when she was twelve. Since then, Jess has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, the Hallmark Channel, Inside Edition, Vanity Fair, Forbes, and People Magazine ran an exclusive on her when her book released. Jess is a regular guest on QVC.
More importantly, Headbands of Hope has donated over half a million headbands reaching every children’s hospital in the United States and in fifteen countries.
Her book Chasing the Bright Side debuted as a #1 New Release on Amazon and Apple picked her audiobook as their Must-Listen of the month. She thinks it’s because of her Bill Nye the Science Guy impression she did when she was narrating.
Jess is also a professional speaker and founder of Mic Drop Workshop, an online course with the mission of empowering more women to share their message as a speaker.
Jess and her husband, Jake, travel around the country in their Airstream with their dog, Ollie.