All W.E.L.L. Summit Breakout Sessions are capped at 35 attendees for an exclusive interactive experience with our W.E.L.L.ness Thought Leaders. Familiarize yourself with our speakers & their sessions below.
Create your W.E.L.L. Summit Schedule based on your personal interests, business & professional needs:
VIP Class Registration opens Wednesday, October 5th
Regular Admission Class Registration opens Monday, October 10th at 2pm.
**All ticket sales close on Monday, October 17th.
Join author, journalist and speaker Siobhan O’Connor in a truly interactive session about what’s really inside personal care products, from makeup and anti-aging moisturizers to deodorants and regular old bar soap. O’Connor, co-author of the natural beauty bible and blog No More Dirty Looks, will empower you with information about how and why to embrace clean beauty and lead a conversation about what it means to look and feel beautiful by truly caring for yourself and your skin. You’ll learn the latest science about health risks associated with some conventional products, you’ll get a cheat sheet on how to scrutinize ingredient lists, you’ll learn what to use instead, and you’ll become part of a growing conversation about natural beauty—and women’s health.
Siobhan O’Connor, an author, health journalist and natural beauty expert, has long dabbled in different forms of alternative and spiritual healing, but it wasn’t until her beloved older brother died at the age of 34 that she truly learned how transformative these practices can be. O’Connor will talk about the science—and life-changing effects—of energy medicine, meditation, yoga, acupuncture and daily self care, and explore how these esoteric practices can work for you, over time—and through discipline. She will lead you through a participation-heavy conversation about the discipline of joy: what it takes to feel better, even through the toughest of times.
Jessica Diaz had a mild stroke at the age of 36. “I had heard of stroke; I just didn’t know I was eligible for one in my thirties”. What really surprised Jessica is that young “healthy” people could be effected, and she was also surprised to learn how critically important it is to get medical treatment right away. Since her stroke, Jessica has been on a journey of learning and advocating to raise awareness about stroke prevention, recognition, and in encouraging others to embrace a healthier lifestyle. “One of the most important things I know now is that 80 percent of strokes and heart disease are preventable through living a healthy lifestyle, which means to me, in many ways you can save your own life”. In this breakout session, Jessica shares her thoughts on the need for many of us to be more aware of our current state of health, so we can use that information as a compass to guide us in making important choices in how we live our lives. Jessica’s found that small, changes can make a big difference in our future health. In this talk, Jessica will discuss ways to reduce one’s risk of heart disease and stroke and share her mindful approach to eating and exercise.
Join Cyndie Spiegel, coach, speaker and founder of The Collective (of Us) as she talks about fear, the impostor syndrome and how to make shit happen anyway. Fear as an emotion can be debilitating. It makes us feel incompetent, disconnected and often times, a complete fraud. By understanding the tools to tap into your fears and using them to propel you, you begin to understand that fear shifts everything. Fear can equal POWER. You begin to welcome it and embrace it wholeheartedly. When something is so alive in you that you that freak the hell out; that is precisely when you know you have to buckle down and dig in. Learning how to work with fear can change your trajectory and this session will give you the logistical tools to do just that.
Experience how quick and easy it can be to create a variety of useful beauty DIYs in the comfort of your own home with ingredients you have personally selected. YouTuber & blogger, ‘SunKissAlba,’ will demonstrate some of her favorite and most useful beauty DIYs live. Join her in the making of many DIYs from toothpaste to hair + body care with clean organic ingredients.
You drink your greens, get 8 hours of sleep, meditate…but what about your sexual health? The reality is, for most of us, because sex has been a somewhat taboo topic, we don’t take our sexual health as seriously as other aspects of our health. Join Meika, the Co-Founder of Sustain Natural, to talk about why sex and sexual health matter. In addition, Meika will talk through the different sexual wellness products we use and how they impact our bodies and our sex lives. 
Lauren Singer is author of the Zero Waste blog Trash is for Tossers and founder of organic cleaning product company The Simply Co..
An Environmental Studies graduate from NYU and former Sustainability Manager at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, the amount of trash that she has produced over the past four years can fit inside of a 16 oz mason jar.
In this talk you will learn about how Lauren went from 4.5 pounds of trash per day to 0 and leave this talk equipped with the skills and answers you need to start reducing your trash too.
Are you obsessed with the wellness lifestyle? Maybe you should turn your obsession into a career! In this session, Dr. Gabby, Author of Blissful Business: A Gorgeous Guide to Creating Your Dream Career in Health & Wellness, will lead you in meditation, visualization, written exercises and Q&A to empower and inform you about how to build a purposeful and profitable holistic business. Whether you are just starting out or you have been working in wellness for a while, this session has many strategies that will help you step into your bigger purpose on a whole new level. 
After a year of unexpected struggle and hardships, I had to find my own path to internal health and happiness totally solo. I have run my own company (S-Corp) in LA and NYC as a single female entrepreneur for 10 years now, and trust, it has not been an easy path. I will share with you my very best ways to get un-stuck, how to learn from your past, how to turn your stumbles into your strengths, how to get up after you fall and to come out shining. + More ways on how to build a stronger and more solid character. For when you think you have nothing to offer, you will always have your character. 
Rebecca Casciano is a professional makeup artist and natural beauty expert on a mission to help women love themselves more deeply through self-care, sisterhood and empowerment. Based on her popular Sacred Beauty Salon Series, this 2-part workshop explores the deep connection between our inner and outer beauty. Nourishing this relationship is an act of self-care that can transform how we look and how we feel, mind body and spirit. Join both workshops for the ultimate Sacred Beauty Salon experience!
Part 1
Elevate the way you see beauty in yourself and others through self-reflective exercises and dynamic group discussion led by Rebecca. You will leave with a joyful, renewed sense of self-love and sisterhood that is not to be missed!
Part 2
Learn how to appreciate your natural beauty with makeup that is both high-vibrational and high-performance. Rebecca will demonstrate practical makeup tips and products that ensure you are approaching your beauty routine with the love and care you deserve.
Satya Scainetti is the founder and designer of Satya Jewelry. A philanthropist, yoga teacher and Reiki healer, Satya lives a lifestyle dedicated to giving back to the world community. The name Satya, meaning “truth” in Sanskrit, inspires each wearer to find their individual truth.
In this fun, inspiring workshop led by Satya Scainetti, founder of Satya Jewelry, participants will learn the sacred art of Mala making and how Malas are used in daily practice with meditation. Each participant will leave the workshop with a beautiful Mala bracelet infused with an intention to take on your journey.
Though he may be renowned for his incredibly effective clean beauty brand, Josh Rosebrook is not only a successful entrepreneur. He is a truth seeker. Since he was an 18 year old growing up in the Pacific northwest, meditation has been a part of Josh’s life. In fact, he remains so committed to his practice that there hasn’t been more than a single day that he’s missed meditating since then.
He credits his daily practice with allowing him to tune out unwanted negative noise and discover the courage to start his own business. In addition, meditation has helped him live his most authentic life. Through spiritual exploration and discovery, Josh has been able to live in abundance and prosperity without ever having to stray from his personal truth. Through meditation, Josh has found his answers.
The W. E. L. L. Summit is honored to welcome back Josh Rosebrook as a speaker. Josh seeks to demystify meditation and teach us how to use it as a tool to connect to our true soul self, expand our awareness, take responsibility for our happiness and let go of what holds us back so that we may live in peace, wisdom and abundance.
Together we will explore the following principals and techniques:
- The art of awareness, trust and allowance
- Letting go of resistance/fear
- Manifesting
- The chakra system and how to move energy with intention
- A guided meditation
- Daily spiritual keys
You’ve heard the call from deep within: that inner voice that whispers (or maybe nags!) that you should DO something—something different. Something brave. Something daring and bold. Something…new. But life is busy and new is scary. So you have stayed in the relative safety of where you are: Stuck.
Well this is YOUR YEAR! Join national speaker and award-winning author Sara DiVello to clear the fear and old blockages that hold you back, setting you free to take that step on the path to your most fulfilling life. Whether you wish to write a book, launch a business, change careers, take a trip, or change things up in whatever ways would enhance your life, this eye-opening workshop will provide eastern and western tools to take that step. You will leave feeling clear, energized, supported, and empowered!
The majority of us spend more time at work than we do anywhere else, so having a toxic work environment that does not feed some part of you- mentality or passion-wise- affects you in both the mind and the body. On top of that, life is busy. There are lots of often competing priorities, and we go through our daily lives trying to keep up with it all, leading us to ‘go through the motions.’ So, with life moving at such a fast pace, how do we take stock on what’s working and what’s not? Put plainly, how do you know if it’s time for a career change and how do you know if you’re ready for it? We often hear how 73% of workers are dissatisfied with their jobs, but 73% of the workforce isn’t changing jobs each year, so what gives?
In this conversation session, we will dive into:
- opening up your mind to change
- discussing the things you may say to yourself or the way you may feel that could indicate it’s time for a change
- a checklist we will co-create to understand what’s important to you for your career and how to determine if your current situation matches up
- concrete ideas for next steps to explore your potential change
This session is for:
- people who have had an uneasy or unexcited feeling about work for awhile
- people unsure of whether it’s time to jump or not
- people who just made a shift and it isn’t cracking up to what they thought it would be.
- people ready to finally feel good and energized by their work
Acupuncturist, women’s health expert and author of Chill Out & Get Healthy and Yes You Can Get Pregnant: Natural Ways to Improve Your Fertility Now and Into Your 40s, Aimee Raupp will explain how our thoughts wire or rewire our brain and impact our bodies functions and present the science to support this notion. In this interactive workshop, Aimee will walk you through introspective exercises so you can begin to identify and understand what you believe about your body, how to reform that belief, and ultimately how to transform that belief to allow your vitality to thrive. This understanding will assist you in identifying your limiting beliefs so that you can quickly and effectively shift how you are disconnecting from your body and allow you to awaken to your healthiest life yet.
Are you worried about your age and how it might impact your fertility when you are ready to get pregnant? Despite everything you might have heard about “advanced maternal age” and the fertility challenges associated with it, age is not the biggest issue when it comes to conceiving a baby and having a healthy pregnancy. According to women’s health expert, Aimee Raupp and the scientific study of epigenetics, the way we live our lives, the food we eat, the air we breath and the choices we make affect our health, and our chronological age pales in comparison to our physiological age. When we are in optimal health, the aging process is slows down and our fertility naturally improves. By providing a roadmap to optimal health, Aimee has helped hundreds of women to conceive naturally – many over the age of 35 and concerned about their ability to get pregnant – including herself! In this anecdotal talk drawing from Aimee’s clinical experience, the research in her latest book, Yes You Can Get Pregnant, and Aimee’s personal journey to pregnancy, Aimee will equip participants with the tools to achieve their healthiest, happiest lives, as well as optimal fertility.
Join Rockstar Shaman Alyson Charles in this life-changing session. Alyson has found what it takes to not only be a national champion athlete but also #1-rated radio host, national daytime television talk show host and most recently, featured in Oprah and Marie Claire Magazines. Alyson will share her top, inside tips for success and how YOU can unlock the magic and power inside of you to rise to the top in your career calling. Just some of what you’ll experience during your time with Rockstar Shaman:
- A simple manifesting method to more efficiently attain your goals
- Ways to get clear, focused, inspired and motivated, allowing you to love your work and stay productive long after others give up
- Passed down ancient sacred knowledge and wisdom to feel more peace and power
- Interact with elements from the Amazon jungle that will activate your magnificence
- Learn tips ranging from how to host global retreats, align with renowned international brands, to secrets to being a star on-air
- Do you have a question you’ve been dying to get help with? One lucky attendee will be able to receive an answer from Universe by working with Alyson in an exclusive live clairvoyant reading during the session!
Unlock the magic and power you have within and rise to the top in this powerful Rockstar Shaman session.
We know the power of mantras as a tool for self-affirmation and self-actualization. We know the beauty in finding stillness through meditation. We know the power of tuning into music that is rooted in messages of self-love. Let’s bring all three together and build a collective resource, a modern-day mixtape, for manifestation and holistic wellness. Join Black Girl In Om Founder Lauren Ash for this highly interactive and inspirational workshop which will include guided meditation, as well as the sharing of mantras and an affirming takeaway created by all who attend. Please download Tumblr to your phone, or have Tumblr on your laptop, and be ready to utilize it in this workshop! 
Having magazine-worthy photos for your brand in this highly consumable content society is an increasingly important factor for earning and keeping an audience and boosting your overall visibility. Whether you’re running a brand or business, or interested in taking great pictures of daily life and/or adventures abroad, the ability to capture imagery that resonates and inspires is key.
Join Kristen Kellogg — filmmaker, image expert, and brand storyteller behind Border Free Travels: Wanderlust Website + Creative Agency — for a hands on photo workshop teaching you just that. With a client list including Thailand Tourism, Rosetta Stone, and Skype among others, Kristen believes that each image should tell a story. While this may seem like a daunting task, you CAN create crisp, likable, and sharable imagery for your social platforms with a few key strategies.
As an attendee, you will learn How To:
- Develop a visual photo identity
- Give your product/brand a lifestyle
- Style your set
- Adapt to any environment
- Take better photos in low/poor Lighting
- Edit like a pro
- Have fun with the process
**Make sure you bring a fully charged device and something you’d like to take photos of: maybe that’s a product, yourself wearing one, or you are the product. Also, please have plenty of space on your device as we will be snapping away!
Are you a maker dreaming about taking your niche product mainstream, or a consumer wondering how your favorite indie brand ends up selling to big box stores without compromising quality? Join Sarah Ribner, co-founder of PiperWai Natural Deodorant, as she discusses the challenges and opportunities of scaling production of a natural product while maintaining quality. Sarah’s firsthand experience and deep knowledge of the ins and outs of scaling for growth will allow both conscious consumers and business owners to learn the secrets behind successfully growing a natural brand for wider distribution!
Define your voice, create content that stands out, build a loyal community, and make money blogging.
Join Ksenia Avdulova as she shows you how to:
- How to define your brand and its message (company or organization)
- Create a unique, memorable voice and presence
- Create great and consistent content (Instagram and Blog)
- Find readers and build community
- Make money blogging (and Instagramming)
- How to work with your dream brands
- Be productive
Sometimes you just need to be held, nurtured, and supported fully so that you can transform. Kelsey Fox Bennett, holistic healer and licensed Brain Gym and Movement Based Learning instructor, will lead this hands-on workshop that allows you to create a goal that honors mind, body and soul. Using Kelsey’s one-of-a-kind practices, you’ll receive support through kinesiology and meditation techniques that reconnect you to your own embodied feminine source and in turn, create a new neural pathway to help that goal become your new reality. 
Join Amie Valpone, HHC, AAPD, celebrity chef, founder of TheHealthyApple.com and author of the best-selling cookbook, Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body, as she discusses her journey of healing from 10 years of chronic illness- including Lyme disease, PCOS, Hypothyroidism and even being given 24-hours to live with C-diff colitis. Millions of people suffer from unwanted symptoms whether it’s something minor such as acne, bloating and headaches or something more serious such as autoimmune disease. Our bodies can be toxic from being bombarded by toxins every day from tap water, car exhaust, non-organic foods, chemical-loaded personal care and beauty products, stress and more. Amie will talk about how to support your body’s detox system from your liver to your skin to your bowls. She will show you how to eat clean and live clean while detoxing on a daily basis because when you see how delicious and amazing life feels this way, you’ll never go back to your old ways again. Learn how to get your body working for you- not against you and join Amie to understand that you have more control over your health and your weight than you realize. 
In 2015, The New York Times launched an expose on nail salons across the tri-state area: Disturbing working conditions, toxic work environments and a lack of regulation had enabled an abusive system to thrive, while salon customers remained blissfully ignorant. Enter Nadine Abramcyk & Adair Ilyinsky, co-founders of tenoverten, a very different sort of nail salon. As pioneers in the industry, they founded their company years before the NYT article went to print. They disrupted the norm to introduce their clients and employees to healthier, safer standards. With successful nail salons in NYC and a line of 8-free nail polishes, tenoverten has become synonymous with safe beauty. Join Adair and Nadine as they discuss how to assess your favorite nail salon for best business practices, clean beauty standards and environmental impact. You’ll leave feeling empowered and inspired by these game-changers in the beauty industry!
In business, as in life, hearing the word “no” can sometimes feel like a crushing blow. But an optimist knows that “no” is often a shiny invitation for growth! Devin Donaldson, founder of The Optimist Co., leads this inspiring session to discuss the numerous challenges start-ups and small businesses face. An illuminating, uplifting workshop with actionable steps to help you utilize your obstacles as opportunities —and make them work for your bottom line.
Navigate the world of home cleaning through the eyes of an optimist! As the founder of The Optimist Co., Devin Donaldson has made it her business to use safe, everydayingredients that pass the recognizably test for natural, effective cleaning products. Join Devin as she leads a hands-on workshop on greening your home, from ingredients to avoid to the essential oils and aromatherapy benefits you’ve been missing from your cleaning routine. Create and customize your own natural cleaning products that are not only effective, but feel amazing to use!
Organic cotton or recycled polyester? Fair trade or Made in the USA? Curating an ethical and sustainable wardrobe can seem confusing–but it doesn’t have to be. In this breakout session, Melissa Cantor–co-founder of ethical fashion boutique SHOPETHICA.COM–will introduce you to the main social and environmental problems posed by fashion industry, as well as arm you with the questions, information and resources you need to make shopping decisions that align with your personal values.
You’ll learn what fabrics are better for the planet, what common textile-treatment processes are potentially harmful to your health, and which labels actually mean something. This breakout session will also explore broader concepts–from “shopping fasts” to capsule wardrobes to secondhand shopping–that may help participants develop a new approach to their personal style and consumption writ large, all in a judgment-free zone.
