2026 Keynote Speakers

Jayde I. Powell

Social media strategist and Founder of The Em Dash Co.

Jayde I. Powell is a social media strategist and creatorpreneur, which means she is a writer who coins new words to define herself, like creatorpreneur. Powell is the founder and head of creative at the Em Dash Co., a social-first creative agency, and the host of Creator Tea Talk, a creator-economy community.

Session: Opening Keynote with Jayde Powell (Day 1)

Ilyse Glink

Journalist, nationally-syndicated columnist, radio host, entrepreneur, and author

Based in Chicago, Glink began her career as a screenwriter and soon after diversified into real estate and finance writing to secure more consistent work. She has since written more than a dozen books on these topics, with nearly 1 million copies in print. Glink’s work expands far beyond writing. She founded a digital content agency, regularly appears on CNN, Fox News, and CNBC, and is currently a WGN radio host. She is also the co-founder of a wellness benefits startup. Her ability to reinvent herself and navigate so many seismic industry shifts earned Glink a reputation as something of a media world phoenix, rising from the ashes of each industry transformation stronger than before.

Session: Morning Keynote with Ilyse Glink (Day 2)

Tina Roth Eisenberg

Founder and CEO of Creative Mornings breakfast lecture series and design salon for creatives

Tina Roth Eisenberg is an IRL enthusiast who grew up in mountainous Switzerland, influenced by renowned Swiss design and a lot of fresh air. She is often referred to as swissmiss, her blog and Twitter handle. She is ok with that. Over the past two decades, Roth Eisenberg started side projects that have organically turned into businesses and redefined her career: She runs a Brooklyn-based collaborative workspace called FRIENDS, is the co-founder and designer of a to-do app called TeuxDeux, and she fixed the world of temporary tattoos with Tattly. Oh, and she is the founder and CEO of CreativeMornings, a beautiful engine of generosity. She lives in beautiful Fort Greene, Brooklyn, with her two children, Ella and Tilo, who teach her about current memes and TikTok.

Session: Morning Keynote with Tina Roth Eisenberg (Day 3)

2026 Session Speakers

(in alphabetical order by last name)

Tami Abdollah

Deputy editor at Noema Magazine

Tami Abdollah is deputy editor at Noema Magazine. She was previously a national correspondent at USA TODAY focused on the inequities and disparities of the criminal justice system, among other subjects.

Session: The Journalist’s Toolkit (Day 1)

Dawn Allcot

Editor, trade journalist, and content marketing writer

Dawn Allcot has more than three decades of experience as a magazine editor, trade journalist, and content marketing writer specializing in finance, tech, travel, lifestyle, marketing and insurance. Dawn’s work is widely published on top digital publications like GOBankingRates, CNET, The Street, and Nifty50+, and syndicated at MSN, AOL, Nasdaq and others. The founder and CEO of Allcot Media Inc., a boutique content agency, Dawn delivers content strategy and writing, SEO, and editorial management to small businesses and corporations. She’s also the founder of GeekTravelGuide.net, a digital publication focused on travel and technology. She was a panelist at the 2022 ASJA conference in Jersey City discussing how to build a content writing portfolio. Connect with Dawn on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnallcot/ or visit www.allcotmedia.com.

Session: Ways to diversify in the age of AI (Day 2)

Stephanie Anderson

Associate Director, Selection, New York Public Library

Session: The Other Side of the Bookshelf: How Do Physical Bookstores and Libraries Decide What to Stock? (Day 1)

Ann Marie Awad

Editorial director for the Institute for Independent Journalists

Session: Creating Entrepreneurship Systems that Work for You (Day 3)

KJ Bannan

Journalist, content strategist, editor, moderator, and storyteller

KJ Bannan has more than 20 years of experience crafting stories across technology, health, business, human resources, personal finance, and lifestyle topics. A graduate of New York University with a master’s degree in journalism, she has written – and continues to write — for top-tier publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Parents, Time, Forbes, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, WebMD, Marie Claire, and many others. She previously served as editorial director at New America’s Public Interest Technology practice and executive editor for Smart Enterprise magazine from CA Technologies. Bannan now leads Ellipses Ink, where she produces articles, white papers, ebooks, scripts, blogs, and ghostwritten columns for C-level executives and academics. Bannan also specializes in creating custom and branded content for brands, companies, and agencies—such as General Dynamics IT, Hughes, Adobe, Fidelity, American Airlines Credit Union, athenahealth, and the Content Marketing Institute. Her tailored white papers, sponsored articles, blog posts, and thought leadership pieces delight her clients and educate readers. An accomplished moderator, Bannan loves hosting webinars and facilitating engaging discussions for healthtech, edtech, fintech, and public-sector organizations as well.

In addition the above work, Bannan is a passionate advocate for children. Her first book, 5-Minute Devotional for Girls (Chartwell Books), arrives in June. Her second title, Beautiful Bible Stories for Children, will hit shelves at the end of the year. A long-time Girl Scout troop leader (17+ years and counting) for her two girls, she brings warmth, authenticity, and insights to every panel, conversation, interview, and story she works on. Her portfolio can be found at kjbannan.com.

Sessions:

• The Other Side of the Bookshelf: How Do Physical Bookstores and Libraries Decide What to Stock? (Day 1)
• Breaking In: Content writing for non-corporate entities (Day 3)

Jennifer Billock

Award-winning writer, bestselling author, and writing coach

Jennifer Billock is has worked with businesses and publishers including the Smithsonian, The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, Disney Books, The Atlantic, Kraft Foods, Midwest Living, Arcadia Publishing, and the MSU Press. She specializes in food, travel, history, and witchcraft. Check out her website at www.jenniferbillock.com, and subscribe to her Substack at kitchenwitch.substack.com.

Session: Honing the Perfect Nonfiction Pitch – In Three Sentences (Day 1)

Isabelle Bleecker

Literary agent

Isabelle Bleecker is a literary agent based in New York’s Hudson Valley. In her over 30 years in publishing, she has held positions across editorial, production, and subsidiary rights in multiple trade houses including Rizzoli, Tuttle, Basic Books, and PublicAffairs. With Jennifer Thompson, she established Nordlyset Literary Agency in 2018. She works in fiction and nonfiction, and her authors include Theresa MacPhail, Kate Cohen, Vanda Krefft, Matt Ponesse, John Cochran, Maryam Hassan, and Phillippe Diederich.

Session: Pitch Slam: Books (Day 2)

Deborah Lynn Blumberg

Writer, editor, and ASJA’s Washington D.C. Chapter President

Deborah Lynn Blumberg is a Maryland-based writer and editor and the president of the Washington D.C. chapter of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Her work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch and The American Heart Association News. She’s building a collection of artifacts from the former New York City department store her family owned, Gertz. Find her at deborahlynnblumberg.com

Session: Revamp Your Freelance Website: Stand Out as a Human Writer in the Age of AI (Day 2)

Georgia Bodnar

Session: Pitch Slam: Books (Day 2)

Paul Brady

News director at Travel + Leisure

Paul Brady has been covering the travel industry for more than 20 years, for outlets including Condé Nast Traveler, Skift, and The Huffington Post. His reporting focuses on how consumers can have better trips—and how broader trends are shaping the future of the travel industry. Outside of work, he’s fond of flipping through old passports and sailing small craft on the beautiful Hudson River.

Session: Home, Garden, Food & Travel Writing (Day 2)

Beth Braverman

Award-winning journalist and content strategist

Beth Braverman helps organizations translate complex ideas into clear, compelling stories. Beth has spent more than a decade creating high-impact corporate content, including executive thought leadership, impact reports and sponsored content for publications like Fortune and Bloomberg. Primarily focused on the financial services space, Beth has produced work for a wide range of companies, from Fortune 500 companies like Prudential and Morgan Stanley to high-profile disruptors like Wealthfront and Ramp.

Session: Breaking In: Corporate Content & Brand Storytelling (Day 3)

Liam Carnahan

Writer, editor, content strategist, and the co-host of the Freelance Success community

Liam Carnahan provides resources and mentorship for growing freelancers, and creative content and SEO strategies for businesses. He’s also a digital nomad with a part-time home out of Boston (whenever it’s not cold). You can learn more about Liam at JoinFreelanceSuccess.com or InkwellContent.com, or find him on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Session: Finding Clients: Lead Generation That Gets Results (Day 1)

Nicole Carr

Investigative journalist and essayist

Nicole Carr is an award-winning investigative journalist, essayist, professor, and speaker based in Atlanta. In 2025, she won the American Society for Journalists and Authors Opinion/Op-Ed article award for her essay in The Emanicapator, The Black Press Democratized America. She has investigated the chaos at school board meetings for a ProPublica series and written for ProPublica and Frontline about the harassment campaign against an accomplished educator amid the anti-DEI and CRT movement. Carr spent more than a decade as a local television reporter and won four regional Emmy awards. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Journalism at Morehouse College. Her forthcoming debut book, The Price of Exclusion, will center on Black doctors, healthcare inequities and the critical role of Black medical schools as well as exploring her great-grandfather’s medical school and practice journey in the aftermath of the 1918 pandemic.

Session: Hear From 2025 ASJA Article and Content Award Recipients (Day 3)

Jing Zhao Cesarone

Founder and CEO of Global CSR Foundation

Jing Zhao Cesarone is a global business leader, civil society diplomat, and Founder & CEO of the Global CSR Foundation. With over two decades of experience bridging China, the United States, and global markets, she has advised and supported hundreds of enterprises in international expansion, brand globalization, and sustainable value creation. She serves as Chair of the UN World Women Organization Global Women’s Leadership Summit and is the founder of the Women’s Civilizational Leadership Institute, advancing a life-centered, ethics-driven leadership framework aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Her work sits at the intersection of geopolitics, innovation, capital, culture, and media. A former journalist and executive with China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and Siemens, Jing brings a rare perspective that combines media insight, corporate strategy, and global governance. She regularly convenes high-level dialogues across Davos, the United Nations, and major global forums, fostering cross-border understanding, responsible innovation, and long-term civilizational leadership.

Session: Global Voices, Local Stories (Day 2)

Kat Chow

Journalist, writer and author

Kat Chow is the author of Seeing Ghosts: A Memoir (Grand Central Publishing), named a Notable Book by The New York Times. She is also a visiting assistant professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She was a reporter at NPR, where she helped start the Code Switch team and podcast. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, New York Magazine’s The Cut and on Radiolab. She’s a contributor to Pop Culture Happy Hour and Slate’s Culture Gabfest and has hosted Slate’s The Waves.

Session: Meet the Masters: Memoirist and Radio Journalist Kat Chow (Day 3)

Jennifer Chowdhury

Journalist, creative nonfiction writer, and digital strategist

Jennifer Chowdhury has over 15 years of experience covering immigrant and diasporic communities. Her reporting has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, ELLE, Prism Reports, and more. She is the founder of Port of Entry, a narrative journalism newsletter dedicated to uncovering underreported stories from immigrant and diaspora communities across the U.S. Jennifer spent two years in Bangladesh as an international correspondent documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis. She is an MFA candidate in creative nonfiction at Hunter College.

Session: The Journalist’s Toolkit (Day 1)

Victoria Clayton

Freelance writer

Victoria Clayton is a journalist in Los Angeles. Her work, which usually focuses on health, education and families, has appeared in The Guardian US, Open Mind, The Atlantic, KFF Health News, The Washington Post and many other publications.

Session: Pitch Slam: Journalism (Day 3)

Stacey Colino

Award-winning science and health writer

Stacey Colino is an award-winning writer, specializing in science, health, and psychological issues. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post Health and Wellness sections and in dozens of national magazines, including U.S. News & World Report, Prevention, Scientific American, Health, Newsweek, Better Homes & Gardens, First for Women, Real Simple, Parade, MORE, Woman’s Day, Redbook, Self, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Shape, Parenting, Men’s Journal, Sports Illustrated, Good Housekeeping, and Ladies’ Home Journal. In addition, she is the co-author of Unlock Your Menopause Type: Personalized Treatments, the Last Word on Hormones, and Remedies that Work; Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race; Emotional Inflammation: Discover Your Triggers and Reclaim Your Equilibrium During Anxious Times; Disease-Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well; and Taking Back the Month: A Personalized Solution for Managing PMS and Enhancing Your Health.

Session: Writing About Menopause (Day 1)

Robin Colucci

Author, Founder of World Changing Books

Robin Colucci, author of “How to Write a Book That Sells YOU,” has held many roles in publishing from journalist and acquisitions editor to ghostwriter and book coach. She assists clients through book concept development and strategy, book proposal preparation, and introductions to literary agents, as well as ghostwriting and technical editing.

Session: Honing the Perfect Nonfiction Pitch – In Three Sentences (Day 1)

Marisa Corvisiero

Publishing attorney and literary agent

Marisa A. Corvisiero has attended over 100 conferences and workshops, and continues to present on webinars, tutorials, and bootcamps for Writer’s Digest among other reputable organizations, as well as hosting her own Author Preneur Workshops, where she teaches and coaches authors on writing, mindset, and publishing as a business.

Session: Pitch Slam: Books (Day 2)

Kate Cray

Freelance writer and former family section editor for The Atlantic

Kate Cray is a freelance writer, reporter, and editor based in Brooklyn, New York. She is interested in stories about how we live now, broadly defined. She has written about parenthood, dating, kid culture, dogs, education, technology, religion, modern work, health, books, and more. She was previously an editor at The Atlantic, where she worked for nearly seven years, commissioning and editing stories for the site’s Family section.

Session: Craft Talk: Finding Your Story’s Structure & the Braided Essay (Day 2)

Lisa A. Crayton

Author, editor, freelance writer

Lisa A. Crayton provides manuscript development services — including ghostwriting, developmental editing, and sensitivity reading — to book publishers, independent authors, and other clients. The author of 19 books and co-author of seven others, her credits include “Only Light Can Do That: 60 Days of MLK – Devotions for Kids,” a finalist in the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s 2025 Christian Book Awards.

Session: Devout Deadlines: How to Write and Sell Religious/Spiritual Books (Day 2)

Meryl Davids Landau

Freelance writer specializing in women’s health

Meryl Davids Landau is an award-winning journalist who specializes in women’s health. Her articles on menopause have appeared in Prevention, National Geographic, Good Housekeeping, AARP, and many other publications. She’s also an award-winning writer of women’s fiction; her latest novel, Yoga Bind, will be out in June. Find her at MerylDavidsLandau.com

Session: Writing About Menopause (Day 1)

Beatrice De Salles

Journalist and international affairs strategist

 Beatrice de Salles is a globally respected Multilingual Interpreter, Journalist and international affairs strategist with over a decade of experience advancing cross-cultural cooperation, global leadership, and sustainable development. She currently serves as the Chief of Global Affairs and California State Chair for G100 USA, where she leads high-level delegations and fosters impactful partnerships across continents. Beatrice serves as a Global Ambassador for the United Nations Association Orange County and holds a council position with the World Affairs Councils of America. Her commitment to cultural intelligence and global citizenship has made her a sought-after speaker and mentor in the field. Beatrice is the founder and principal architect of the Certified Global Diplomacy & Leadership Specialist Academy Program, a signature academy initiative that equips professionals and students with the diplomatic tools, global leadership skills, and ethical frameworks necessary to lead in today’s complex international environment.

Session: Global Voices, Local Stories (Day 2)

Rebekah Denn

Seattle-based food writer and restaurant critic

Rebekah Denn is the winner of two James Beard Awards. She is regular contributor to The Seattle Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and other publications. She curated the 2017 Edible City exhibit on Seattle’s food history for the Museum of History and Industry as well as writing the accompanying book, and is editor of the Sound Consumer, a mission-driven newspaper on sustainable food and agriculture published by the nation’s largest food co-op.

Session: Feast on This: Success with a Food Book (Day 3)

Shannon DeVito

Senior Director of book strategy, Barnes & Noble

Session: The Other Side of the Bookshelf: How Do Physical Bookstores and Libraries Decide What to Stock? (Day 1)

Randy Dotinga

Freelance writer

Randy Dotinga has been a full-time freelance writer for more than 26 years. His clients include The Washington Post, WebMD/Medscape, The Christian Science Monitor, MedPage Today, and many more. He specializes in health/medicine, politics, books, and the odd and unusual.  In 2019-2020, Dotinga helped lead the successful effort to reverse a restrictive California labor law that threatened to kill the careers of thousands of freelance journalists. He’s currently a board member of the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Sessions:

• A Researcher’s Best Friend: How to Make AI Work for You (Day 1)
• Pitch Slam: Books (Day 2)

Chris Durso

Executive editor of Psychiatric News

Christopher “Chris” Durso is executive editor of Psychiatric News, a monthly newspaper published by the American Psychiatric Association. He has spent his career editing magazines and other publications for a variety of professional and trade associations, including the American Medical Student Association, the Professional Convention Management Association, and Associated Builders and Contractors.

Session: Breaking In: Trade and Association Magazines (Day 1)

Mara Einstein

Author and professor of media studies

Mara Einstein is a professor of media studies at Queens College, City University of New York, and the author of eight books, including Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults, Selling the Sacred, and Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age. Prior to becoming an academic, she worked as a marketing executive at numerous advertising agencies as well as NBC and MTV Networks. She has been quoted in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among many others.

Session: Devout Deadlines: How to Write and Sell Religious/Spiritual Books (Day 2)

Richard Eisenberg

ASJA Board Member

Richard Eisenberg is co-chair of the ASJA Awards program and the ASJA Client Connections program as well as an ASJA board member. He is an “unretired” writer, editor and podcaster and has written two personal finance books.

Sessions:

• How ASJA Book Award Winners Create Masterpieces (Day 2)
• Hear From 2025 ASJA Article and Content Award Recipients (Day 3)

Sally Ekus

Senior literary agent

Sally Ekus represents a wide range of culinary, health, wellness, and lifestyle talent, from first-time cookbook authors to chefs, restaurant owners, professional food writers, bloggers, online creators, and journalists, plus books about caregiving, parenting, and other select non-fiction genres. She spearheads The Ekus Group, a boutique culinary division of the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, specializing in cookbook and lifestyle titles. She has brokered over 300 book deals with top publishers.

Session: Feast on This: Success with a Food Book (Day 3)

Jack El Hai

Author, ASJA Past President

Jack El-Hai is the author of the books “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist,” “The Lobotomist,” and “The Lost Brothers,” all of which have been adapted into productions for other media. He has contributed more than 600 articles to Smithsonian, The Atlantic, GQ, Wired, and many other publications. A past president of ASJA, he lives in Minneapolis.

Session: The Adaptation Journey from Book to Movie: Rights, Relationships, and the Road to Production (Day 3)

Jodie Ferrari-Adler

Editor and publisher

Jodie Ferrari-Adler is vice president and co-publisher of Avid Reader Press, the newest division of Simon & Schuster. Over the past 25 years he has edited scores of New York Times bestsellers at Viking, Grove Atlantic, and Simon & Schuster. Avid Reader Press launched in 2019 and has already published several NYT bestsellers. Ferrari-Adler is also a contributing editor at Poets & Writers magazine, where he started the Agents & Editors series of conversations with publishing veterans, and he served for a decade on the Association of American Publishers’ International Freedom to Publish Committee.

Session: The Sports Book Publishing Playbook (Day 3)

Carolyn Dawn Flynn

Novelist, journalist, essayist, and author

Carolyn Dawn Flynn is the author of the memoir Boundless and seven books of transformational nonfiction. She has offered book coaching, developmental editing and publishing consulting for many author clients for more than 10 years. As a journalist, she served as longtime editor of Sage magazine, senior editor, and newsroom writing consultant. In her TEDx Women talk “Tell a Better Story, Live a Better Life,” she has inspired countless others to live their sacred yes.

Session: How to Be an Untamed Writer So You Can Start (And Finally Finish!) Your Book (Day 1)

Ryan Fonseca

Deputy digital editor for the guardian us

Ryan Fonseca is a deputy digital editor with The Guardian US, based in Los Angeles. A lifelong SoCal native, he has worked in a diverse mix of newsrooms across L.A. County, including radio, documentary, print and television outlets. Previously, he was lead reporter for the Los Angeles Times’ Essential California newsletter. Before that, he was an associate editor for LAist.com and KPCC-FM (89.3) public radio, covering transportation and mobility. Ryan has been a part-time journalism instructor at Cal State Northridge since 2017, teaching the next generation of journalists to develop their voice and digital skills.

Session: The Journalist’s Toolkit (Day 1)

Jane Friedman

Publishing expert, author, teacher and the creator of electric speed and the bottom line newsletters

Jane Friedman has spent her career educating authors on the business of publishing. Her website offers a cornerstone education on author platform as well as marketing and promotion. She teaches classes and retreats on author platform, brand building, and literary citizenship in partnership with The Authors Guild, Writer’s Digest, and other organizations. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (University of Chicago Press, 2025), is used in writing classrooms nationwide.

Session: Build Your Career Without Social Media (Day 1)

Alexandra Frost

Journalist and founder of an editorial marketing agency

Alexandra Frost is a Cincinnati-based journalist and the founder of an editorial marketing agency that offers brands strategy and content collaboration across all of its platforms and projects. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Popular Science, and Glamour, and with brands from Sam’s Club to Johnson & Johnson. She specializes in medical and health, wellness, parenting, relationships, education, trends, business, and lifestyle journalistic writing. Frost received a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and journalism and a master’s degree in teaching. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her five kids, lovingly referred to as “#4frostyboys” and “#1frostysis” on social media. As a busy mom, she’s a firm believer in work-life balance.

Session: Subcontracting: Getting & Giving Help As Needed (Day 1)

Lanny Fuller

Editor at coolmaterial.com and writer/producer

Lanny Fuller is a writer/producer. He writes several newsletters in the men’s lifestyle space to 1m+ subscribers, including ELEVATOR, JIMMY, and BLAZER. He’s also the editor of CoolMaterial.com and occasionally writes stories on his personal substack, Life Is Velvet.  He has also produced virtual concerts for names like John Legend and interviews with names like Jane Fonda, Simone Biles and more.

Session: Men’s Health & Lifestyle Writing (Day 3)

Katharine Gammon

Freelance science writer

Katharine Gammon is a freelance science writer in Santa Monica, California. She’s written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, Wired, National Geographic, The Guardian, and other outlets. Her work has twice been honorably mentioned in The Best American Science and Nature Writing anthologies and she loves wandering the beaches of SoCal with her two sons when not writing.

Session: Pitch Slam: Journalism (Day 3)

Andrea Esther Ramirez Gassier

Human rights advocate

Andrea Esther Gassier is a human rights advocate whose work focuses on peacebuilding, social inclusion, and youth participation. She has represented civil society in five official United Nations forums, including the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)—a key global space for evaluating progress on gender equality—and the ECOSOC Youth Forum, where young leaders from around the world engage with Member States on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. She serves as the Representative in Mexico of the Queen Mother of the Ashanti Kingdom, Dr. Delois Blakely, supporting cross–continental cooperation and leadership initiatives that strengthen ties between African and Latin American youth. Andrea is also the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Man Up Campaign, where she has organized parliaments and peace–centered assemblies in Peru, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, and Mexico, including two historic sessions focused on sustainable peace between the cultures of Mexico and Africa, particularly with Indigenous communities

Session: Global Voices, Local Stories (Day 2)

Darien Gee

Author and speaker

Darien Gee built a successful multi-genre writing career by honoring her creative pivots and focusing on creative work instead of trying to build a platform. A bestselling novelist with Penguin Random House and award-winning poet with the Poetry Society of America, Darien also sold a novel-related food blog then launched an instructional Substack, earning a bestseller check mark in six months. She believes writers do best staying true to their creative visions. Panelist: Tonya Todd is an author and literary advocate known for her work with Henderson Writers Group. She specializes in literary citizenship, event hosting, building relationships with publishing professionals, and connecting authors with audiences. Through conferences, podcasts, and programs like Dime Grinds and Banned Books Conversations, she empowers writers and strengthens literary communities. Her books, Comics Lit and 52 Love, are published by Accomplishing Innovation Press.

Session: Build Your Career Without Social Media (Day 1)

Rob Golub

Editor and founder of Successfuljournalism.com

Rob Golub specializes in helping community news organizations build stronger emotional connections with their audiences. With decades of experience in local journalism, Rob works with student and professional newsrooms. His work emphasizes practical approaches to building relevance, credibility and trust, utilizing research-based and real-world tested methodology.

Session: Launch & Grow A Local News Organization (Day 1)

Stephanie Gordon

Writer, 2025 ASJA Book Award Winner

Stephanie Gorton, of Providence, R.I., won the 2025 ASJA Book Award in the Biography/History category for “The Icon and the Idealist,” a study of two essential characters in sex education, birth control and sexuality: Margaret Sanger and Mary Ware Dennett. She previously wrote “Citizen Reporters: S. S. McClure, Ida Tarbell and the Magazine that Rewrote America,” a finalist for the Sperber Prize for journalism biography. Previously, Gorton held editorial roles at Canongate Books, The Overlook Press and Open Road. She has taught at NYU, Northeastern University and Goucher College and been published in The New Yorker, The Boston Globe and Smithsonian.

Session: How ASJA Book Award Winners Create Masterpieces (Day 2)

Eline Gordts

West coast editor at The Guardian

Session: Pitch Slam: Journalism (Day 3)

Clayton Gutzmore

Independent journalist

Session: Creating Entrepreneurship Systems that Work for You (Day 3)

Tara Haelle

Independent science/health journalist, author and speaker, and the AHCJ infectious disease health beat leader

Tara Haelle is an independent science/health journalist, author and speaker, and the AHCJ infectious disease health beat leader who formerly led the medical studies beat. She’s author of Vaccination Investigation and The Informed Parent, and her work has appeared in National Geographic, Scientific American, Texas Monthly, Science News, Medscape/WebMD, The New York Times, Wired, and O Magazine, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research, particularly vaccines, infectious disease, maternal and pediatric health, mental health, healthcare disparities, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences for trade publications and has written nearly a dozen children’s nonfiction science books and delivered keynotes, webinars and grand rounds on vaccines and vaccine hesitancy, parenting, understanding medical research, storytelling, and mental health, including her TEDx Oslo talk. Tara earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin and was a public high school teacher in Texas prior to moving into full-time journalism.

Session: Add Credibility to Your Writing Using Data from Trusted Sources (Day 3)

Erika Hayasaki

Journalism professor, writer and creator of the reported essay on substack

Erika Hayasaki is a journalist based in Southern California whose longform stories appear in The New York Times Magazine, Wired, The Atlantic, The Verge, Elle, New York Magazine, The Cut, Marie Claire, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, and others. She is the author of The Death Class: A True Story About Life (Simon & Schuster), and Somewhere Sisters: A Story of Adoption, Identity and the Meaning of Family (Algonquin Books, Hachette), which was named an NPR Best Book of the Year, and is a recipient of a Nautilus Book Award in Journalism and Investigative Reporting. Her stories have been honored by the National Science Writers Association’s Longform Features Award, the Association of Sunday Feature Editors, the Society for Features Journalism, and Longform’s Best of Science Writing, as well as anthologized in the Best American Science and Nature Writing book series of 2025. Formerly a national writer for the Los Angeles Times, she teaches in the Literary Journalism Program, and runs a Substack, The Reported Essay, which offers tips and interviews on nonfiction craft and freelancing.

Session: Craft Talk: Finding Your Story’s Structure & the Braided Essay (Day 2)

Christina Hernandez Sherwood

Award-winning healthcare and life sciences writer

Christina Hernandez Sherwood is an award-winning healthcare and life sciences writer who translates complex medical research and institutional stories into compelling narratives for professional and patient audiences. She partners with leading institutions, including Penn Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and the American Optometric Association, to develop content that builds brand trust and resonates with readers. Her website is www.christinahernandezsherwood.com.

Session: Subcontracting: Getting & Giving Help As Needed (Day 1)

Beth Howard

Senior writer at the Association of American Medical Colleges

Beth Howard is an award-winning health and science writer. She has written for national publications and websites, including U.S. News & World Report, AARP: The Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Better Homes & Gardens, Prevention, Fitness, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Next Avenue, SELF, Glamour, and dozens of other titles. She is also the author of Mind Your Body: A Health and Wellness Guide for Women. A former editor at Self, New Woman, and Omni magazines, Beth is currently senior writer at the Association of American Medical Colleges

Session: Writing About Menopause (Day 1)

Wale Idris, PhD

Economist and professor of sociology

Wale Idris Ajibade, PhD, known as Wale Idris, is a distinguished economist, sociologist, and academician, currently serving as a Professor of Sociology at Essex College. Born to a prominent royal family in Yoruba land, studied in Vienna, Austria, and has made New Jersey his home. He is the visionary founder and Executive Director of African Views (AV), a non-profit organization with consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Through African Views, Dr. Ajibade is dedicated to enhancing societal well-being by championing cultural sustainability and harmony through rigorous scientific and empirical social research, community assessments, resource mapping and appropriation, as well as innovative project development.

Session: Global Voices, Local Stories (Day 2)

Dianne Jacob

Author and food writing coach

Dianne Jacob coaches food writers on how to get a cookbook published. She specializes in book proposals. Dianne is the author of a multiple award-winning books including Will Write for Food: Pursue Your Passion and Bring Home the Dough: Writing Recipes, Cookbooks, Blogs and More. She also co-authored two cookbooks with chef Craig Priebe. Previously a newspaper, magazine and publishing company writer and editor-in-chief, she writes a monthly free newsletter aimed at writers.

Session: Feast on This: Success with a Food Book (Day 3)

Megy Karydes

Writer, ghostwriter, published author, and communications professional

Megy Karydes is based in Chicago and specializes in helping nonprofits, cultural institutions, and mission-driven organizations to amplify their impact through strategic communications. As founder of Karydes Consulting, Megy partners with clients and editors to develop compelling narratives, secure media coverage, and craft ideas into accessible content. Her ghostwriting portfolio spans thought leadership articles, executive communications, and book projects for leaders across sectors. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University, where she teaches graduate-level communications courses. With more than two decades of experience in feature writing and strategic communications, Megy’s byline has appeared in The New York Times, Architectural Digest PRO, The Atlantic’s CityLab, National Geographic’s The Plate, Politico, and Forbes, among others. Her work spans sustainability, architecture and design, health and food systems, and social impact. She is the author of the book with the longest title in the world: 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress: Scientifically Proven Ways to Reduce Anxiety and Boost Your Mental Health Using Your Five Senses (Sourcebooks: Dec. 2023) and has extensive experience helping nonprofit leaders and industry experts share their stories through ghostwritten content.

Session: Revamp Your Freelance Website: Stand Out as a Human Writer in the Age of AI (Day 2)

Christopher Klein

Author and freelance writer

Christopher Klein fulfilled his boyhood dream of getting a paycheck from the Boston Red Sox—although as a freelance writer, not a slick-fielding shortstop as he originally hoped. He is the author of four books, including “Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan, America’s First Sports Superstar,” and “The Die-Hard Sports Fan’s Guide to Boston.” His sports-themed articles have appeared in the Boston Globe and Harvard Magazine and on the websites of ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and the History Channel.

Session: The Sports Book Publishing Playbook (Day 3)

Liz Landau

Senior editor at National Geographic

Session: Pitch Slam: Journalism (Day 3)

Joe Lazer

Best-selling author

Joe Lazer is the best-selling author of The Storytelling Edge and Super Skill and the fractional CMO at Pepper. His research and writing on the science of storytelling have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Adweek, and Digiday. His newsletter on storytelling and AI reaches nearly 200,000 subscribers. His interactive keynote talks and workshops have inspired thousands of business leaders to become better storytellers and build stronger relationships with their customers. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife, son, and extremely anxious dog.

Session: Revamp Your Freelance Website: Stand Out as a Human Writer in the Age of AI (Day 2)

Olivia Lidbury

Uk-based freelance journalist specializing in home interiors

UK-based Olivia Lidbury has worked as a freelance journalist specialising in interiors for 10 years after cutting her teeth on the fashion desk at the Daily Telegraph. She contributes to a wide range of titles, from the homes and property sections of national newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Standard, to magazines including House & Garden and Livingetc. In the US, she is a regular on digital US platforms Domino and The Expert. She covers trends, lifestyle stories and enjoys writing house tours, where access to creative individuals and their homes provides a fascinating insight into how people choose to live.

Session: Home, Garden, Food & Travel Writing (Day 2)

Mary-Kate Mackey

Award-winning garden writer

Mary-Kate Mackey is an award-winning garden writer, educator, and speaker based in Eugene, Oregon. She is the co-author of The Healthy Garden: Simple Steps for a Greener World (Abrams, 2021) and author of Write Better Right Now (Career Press, 2016). Her work has appeared in Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Sunset, This Old House, and The American Gardener, where she’s known for her engaging, informative approach to garden storytelling.

Session: Home, Garden, Food & Travel Writing (Day 2)

Anjim Malik

Educator and social entrepreneur

 Anjum Malik is an educator and social entrepreneur who creates practical pathways to education, work, and opportunity for those too often left behind. She is the Executive Director of the Global Impact Initiative, leading programs that have reached more than 190,000 students and professionals across 60+ countries, including refugee and immigrant youth rebuilding their lives in the U.S. A former professor of political science, Anjum is known for turning big ideas—workforce readiness, STEM access, and social mobility—into programs that succeed in real-world, high-stakes environments. She has curated international convenings, spoken at global conferences, and participated in two panels at the United Nations. Her work has earned honors including 100 Women Rising Beyond the Ceiling, finalist for the Exceptional Woman of Peace Award, and nominee for CNN Hero of the Year. At her core, Anjum believes lasting change starts with listening deeply and empowering people to thrive

Session: Global Voices, Local Stories (Day 2)

Linda Marsa

Author, former reporter and contributing editor

Linda Marsa is a former Los Angeles Times reporter and a Discover contributing editor who covers medicine, health, science and the environment. Her latest book, The Cure for Everything: The Epic Struggle for Public Health and a Radical Vision for Human Thriving, a four-year collaboration with one of the world’s leading epidemiologists, will be published in February 2026.Her previous books include Fevered: Why a Hotter Planet Will Harm Our Health and How We Can Save Ourselves. Her work has been anthologized in “Best American Science Writing” and has appeared in Spin, National Geographic.com, Kaiser Health News, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Nautilus, Men’s Journal, Playboy, Parade, High Country Times, Pacific Standard and Aeon, among others.

Session: A Researcher’s Best Friend: How to Make AI Work for You (Day 1)

Ashley Cisneros Mejia

Journalist, ghostwriter, and content marketing strategist

Ashley Cisneros Mejia specializes in all things business and entrepreneurship. Since starting her career in 2005, she has ghostwritten articles, columns, speeches, newsletters, and long-form content for executives, elected officials, startup founders, and subject-matter experts across business, healthcare, technology, and public service. She has also ghostwritten a business handbook and a book-length manuscript for a CEO. Her bylined work has appeared in USA Today, LatinaStyle, Hispanic Executive, and other national publications. Ashley is the host of The Talk Freelance To Me® Podcast, which focuses on the business side of independent work.

Session: Breaking In: Ghostwriting Articles & Thought Leadership Pieces (Day 2)

Kirk Miller

Insidehook’s senior lifestyle editor

Kirk Miller has amassed an impressive CV at publications both respected and forgotten. His full-time editor roles include years at Rolling Stone and Stuff (RIP); an Editor-in-Chief position at CO-ED; and a five-year stint as the lead editor at Metromix New York. Kirk has also written for Time Out, Spin, Maxim, Entertainment Weekly, Revolver — and dozens of publications and websites that no longer exist. After years as InsideHook’s Nation Editor and Managing Editor, Kirk’s current role has him focusing on the worlds of alcohol and technology (with a few dashes of pop culture and travel).

Session: Men’s Health & Lifestyle Writing (Day 3)

Gwen Moran

Freelance writer, editor, and content strategist

Rebecca Morrison

Author and freelance writer

Rebecca Morrison was born in Iran, immigrated to the US in her teens, and now lives in the DC area. She started writing without contacts or knowledge about the industry. She achieved a successful writing career by creating authentic connections, being a good literary citizen, and working to improve her craft. Her work is in New York Times, Washington Post, and NBC News, among others. Her debut novel, The Blue Dress, is coming out March 24, 2026 from FSG. Find her at www.rebeccakmorrison.com.

Session: Build Your Career Without Social Media (Day 1)

Rachel C. Murphy

Writer and editor

Rachel C. Murphy is based in Kansas City, Missouri, with 20 years’ experience in journalism and marketing communications. After a decade as the executive editor of a lifestyle magazine, she turned her attention to healthcare and financial topics, providing journalistic content for outlets including Penn State Health, Verywell Health, the Children’s Hospital Association, and brands including Prudential, symplr, SolvHealth, and CallRail. Rachel enjoys finding actionable advice for healthcare consumers and covering emerging science and medical developments.

Session: Subcontracting: Getting & Giving Help As Needed (Day 1)

Kelsey Osgood

Author

Kelsey Osgood is the author of How to Disappear Completely: On Modern Anorexia and Godstruck: Seven Women’s Unexpected Journeys to Religious Conversion.  Her work has appeared online or in print in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Plough, and Tablet, among other outlets.  She lives in the Bronx with her family.

Session: Devout Deadlines: How to Write and Sell Religious/Spiritual Books (Day 2)

Melanie Padgett Powers

Editor, writer, and owner of MelEdits

Melanie Padgett Powers is the owner of MelEdits in the Washington, DC, area, where she is an editor and writer for health care and science membership associations. Melanie has a journalism degree and was previously a newspaper reporter in her home state of Indiana. She is also the creator and host of the Deliberate Freelancer and Association Station podcasts.

Session: Breaking In: Trade and Association Magazines (Day 1)

Katara Patton

Author and executive editor at Our Daily Bread Publishing

Katara Washington Patton is executive editor at Our Daily Bread Publishing, and the author of eight books, including her latest Navigating the Blues: Where to Turn When Worry, Anxiety, or Depression Steal Your Hope. Her ninth book will focus on ways to sincerely and authentically pass along faith to the next generation, specifically our daughters. Katara has worked in the editorial and acquisitions departments at Jet Magazine, Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI), The African American Pulpit, The Chicago Defender, Tyndale House Publishers, McGraw-Hill, and Christian Century Magazine.

Session: Devout Deadlines: How to Write and Sell Religious/Spiritual Books (Day 2)

Molly Petrilla

Freelance writer

Molly Petrilla is a freelance writer from the Philadelphia area with over 15 years of experience. In 2025, she won the American Society of Journalists and Authors’ B2C Content Award for The Art of Mothering in the Pennsylvania Gazette, exploring motherhood through a series of profiles. She has also written for Fortune.com, FastCompany.com, New Jersey Monthly and The History Channel Magazine. She is the former press officer for the Philadelphia Museum of Art and associate editor for Mainline Magazine.

Session: Hear From 2025 ASJA Article and Content Award Recipients (Day 3)

Lisa Rabasca Roepe

Freelance journalist

Lisa Rabasca Roepe is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Wired, the Boston Globe, the Christian Science Monitor, Marketplace, and Ms. Magazine.

Session: Meet the Masters: Memoirist and Radio Journalist Kat Chow (Day 3)

Amy Ragland

Owner of Luminary Financial Content

Amy Ragland is the owner of Luminary Financial Content, a writing consultancy for wealth management firms, banks and insurance companies. She also recently launched Good Work Coaching, where she helps solo business owners who want to get unstuck as they build their dream business. Amy lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband and two teenage daughters.

Session: Performing for the Camera: Providing Video Content for Your Clients (Day 1)

Patricia Raybon

Writer and author

Patricia Raybon, a writer of faith by day and mystery by night, Christy Award winner Patricia Raybon is author of the Annalee Spain Mystery Series and Undivided: A Muslim Daughter, Her Christian Mother, Their Path to Peace and writes devotional content for Our Daily Bread. She won multiple awards for feature writing during her newspaper years at The Denver Post and historic Rocky Mountain News. She has taught print journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Session: Devout Deadlines: How to Write and Sell Religious/Spiritual Books (Day 2)

Katherine Reynolds Lewis

Founder and CEO of the Institute for Independent Journalists

Session: Creating Entrepreneurship Systems that Work for You (Day 3)

Irene Romulo

Co-founder of Cicero Independiente

Cicero Independiente is an award-winning, bilingual newsroom that reports with and for the majority immigrant communities of Cicero and Berwyn, Illinois. Irene co-founded Cicero Independiente and now leads the organization’s nationally recognized community engagement strategies and fundraising efforts. Irene is currently a Knight Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan

Session: Launch & Grow A Local News Organization (Day 1)

John Rosengren

Pulitzer-nominated author

John Rosengren is a Pulitzer nominee whose articles have appeared in The Atavist, The Atlantic, Esquire, GQ, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, and The Washington Post Magazine. He’s the author of ten books, including “The Greatest Summer in Baseball History: How the’73 Season Changed Us Forever,” “Classic Baseball: Timeless Tales, Immortal Moments,” and “Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win.” His Atavist article about a killer granny with a gambling problem was adapted into the HBO Max documentary “I’m Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders.”

Session: The Sports Book Publishing Playbook (Day 3)

Sofia Rubinson

Analyst at NewsGuard and senior editor of Reality Check

Sofia Rubinson is an analyst at NewsGuard and the senior editor of Reality Check, NewsGuard’s daily newsletter about how false claims spread — and who’s behind them. She evaluates local and national news outlets for credibility and transparency, and researches how the decline of local newsrooms reshapes access to trustworthy information.

Session: Launch & Grow A Local News Organization (Day 1)

Katharine Sands

Literary agent

Katharine Sands has worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books including fiction, memoir and non-fiction. She likes books that have a clear benefit for the lives of readers in the categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty, wisdom, relationships, parenting, and fresh looks at life challenges or popular culture. For memoir, she likes to be transported to a world rarely or newly observed.

Session: Pitch Slam: Books (Day 2)

Penny C. Sansevieri

Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Penny C. Sansevieri is an internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She has written books including “How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon,” “Revise and Re-Release Your Book”, “5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors,” and “From Book to Bestseller.” She has promoted dozens of books on top bestseller lists, including those of The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal.

Session: 2026 Amazon Advantage: Optimize Your Book Page and Sell More Books (Day 2)

Peter Shankman

Founder of Source of Sources

The New York Times has called Peter Shankman “a rock star who knows everything about social media and then some,” while Star Magazine has referred to him as “one of the most in-demand speakers in the world.” Peter is a 6x best selling author, entrepreneur and corporate keynote speaker, focusing on Neurodiversity in the workplace, customer experience, and the new and emerging customer and Neurodiverse economies. With five startup launches and three exits under his belt, (most notably Help a Reporter Out) Peter is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about customer experience, social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and Neurodiversity. Peter is the founder of Source of Sources . The co-founder of Mental Capital Consulting , and is also the Futurist in Residence at Price Benowitz , a Washington, DC based law firm.

Session: The Journalist’s Toolkit (Day 1)

Allison Singer

Executive editor of TIME for Kids

 Allison Singer develops written, video, and digital/interactive content that helps students explore current events and the world around them. Her background is in children’s book publishing, with previous roles at DK/Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and Simon & Schuster.

Session: It’s Not Just Child’s Play – Writing for Children’s Publications (Day 2)

Mike Sowden

Science writer and creator of Everything is Amazing on Substack

After fleetingly working as an archaeologist, travel writer and storytelling consultant, UK-based Mike Sowden now writes about science, curiosity and wonder through the eyes of an amateur enthusiast (which is exactly what he is) in his newsletter Everything Is Amazing to over 30,000 readers every week, while littering various social media platforms with long, excitable threads about modern science. He’s also recently launched a multi-week course called Get Your Story Straight.

Session: Craft Talk: Finding Your Story’s Structure & the Braided Essay (Day 2)

Victoria Spencer

Senior food editor at marthastewart.com

Victoria Spencer is the senior food editor, marthastewart.com at People Inc. She leads the food vertical for the iconic lifestyle brand and focuses on user engagement and loyalty, building brand authority with expert content and ensuring that recipes are relevant and culturally appropriate. Previously, she was a senior editor at Zagat and she launched editorial products such as the quarterly magazine Williams-Sonoma Taste and Nestles’ Very Best Baking.

Session: Home, Garden, Food & Travel Writing (Day 2)

Sree Sreenivasan

Sree Sreenivasan is delighted to return to ASJA to teach this workshop. At the turn of this century, he taught the closing session at the ASJA annual conference for a dozen years in a row. After 20 years as a digital-media professor and associate dean at Columbia Journalism School, he held the title of Chief Digital Officer, successively, of Columbia, the Met Museum and the City of New York. He now runs Digimentors, a social, digital, AI training and consultancy, and writes a newsletter about the intersection of tech, life and politics on Substack and LinkedIn. He was named the world’s most influential CDO in 2014 and one of Newsweek’s 20 most influential “young” South Asians in 2004, along with Jhumpa Lahiri, Norah Jones, M. Night Shyamalan, and an up-and-coming prosecutor named Kamala Harris.

Session: Building a Multimedia Content Marketing Campaign (Day 3)

Dr. Lauren Streicher

Menopause expert and clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University

Dr. Lauren Streicher is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause. She is a Certified Menopause Practitioner of The Menopause Society, serves on the Editorial Board of the journal Menopause, and is a Senior Research Fellow for the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. Dr. Streicher is a Fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and is a member of The International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. She is the best-selling author of multiple books including The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy, Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever, Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina and Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist’s Guide to Turning Down the Heat. Dr. Streicher is the host of Inside Information: Mid-life Menopause and More, and the creator of COME AGAIN: Sexuality and Orgasm, a solution driven 30 episode audio series to address to address the biological reasons for loss of libido, pain with sexual activity and post-menopause difficulty with orgasm.

Session: Writing About Menopause (Day 1)

Julie Sturgeon

Development editor for Crimson Romance and Tule Publishing; and executive editor for Tule Mystery

As a development editor for Crimson Romance (Simon & Schuster) and Tule Publishing, Julie Sturgeon has developed more than 600 novels in her career. She is currently the executive editor for Tule Mystery, where, in addition to developmental editing, she is responsible for acquisitions based on current trends, blurb and keyword positioning, titles, and cover design branding. She previously spent several decades as a freelance business journalist, writing regularly for more than 75 trade/association titles in addition to consumer magazines, with a specialty in small-business topics. The Freelance Success community was a crucial tool in her career—she is still working today with connections and lifelong friends she’s made in the community. It was the main reason she stepped up to steer this community in 2021.

Session: Finding Clients: Lead Generation That Gets Results (Day 1)

Wendy Lyons Sunshine

Journalist, writer and editor

Wendy Lyons Sunshine is based in Sarasota, Florida. In 2025, she won the ASJA Book Award in the Service/Self Help category for “Tender Paws,” a science-based guide for dog parents looking to foster strong relationships with their pets. She previously co-authored the parenting books “Raising the Challenging Child” and “The Connected Child” (also an ASJA award winner). Sunshine has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Psychology Today and Scientific American.

Session: How ASJA Book Award Winners Create Masterpieces (Day 2)

Sammy Sussman

Investigative reporter

Sammy Sussman, an investigative reporter from Bedford Hills, N.Y., in 2025 won the American Society of Journalists and Authors Donald Robinson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism for his New York magazine article, A Hidden Sexual Assault Scandal at the New York Philharmonic. Sussman is currently reporting on police and policing in New York State as part of The New York Times’ Local Investigations Fellowship in partnership with New York Focus. He has reported on alleged misconduct at The Juilliard School, the University of Michigan and the University of Texas at Austin. In 2021, he contributed to The Washington Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Sussman is also an occasional composer, musical theater writer and playwright.

Session: Hear From 2025 ASJA Article and Content Award Recipients (Day 3)

Magdalene Taylor

Senior editor at PLAYBOY

Magdalene Joy Taylor is a Senior Editor at PLAYBOY, writing and reporting on sex and culture. Previously, as a freelance writer, her work has appeared in publications like The New York Times, New York Magazine, VICE, GQ, Bustle, Washington Post, Slate, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Jezebel, Huck, UnHerd, The Face and more.

Session: Men’s Health & Lifestyle Writing (Day 3)

Bridget Thoreson

Newsroom and engagement pro

Bridget Thoreson has worked with 145-plus newsrooms on engagement and collaborative journalism strategies, and was the first Director of Collaborations for the Institute for Nonprofit News, where she managed the launch of the Rural News Network. She’s writing her first book, a business guide for navigating nonlinear careers. Bridget is an experienced local newsroom manager.

Session: Launch & Grow A Local News Organization (Day 1)

Tonya Todd

Writer and literary advocate

Tanya Todd is a Las Vegas-based author, actress, and activist. She is invested in fair representation in the literary and cinematic worlds she inhabits. Her involvement in both communities provides a platform to champion marginalized artists and contribute toward an environment that embraces a variety of voices. Tonya served on the board as Henderson Writers Group’s Education Chair for four years and still coordinates Dime Grinds, their program that exposes authors to the public via monthly meet-and-greets. She is co-editor and contributor for Comics Lit, Volume 1, author of 52 Love: Weekly Love Lessons in Bite-Sized Bits, and co-host of Femme On Podcast. Her anti-censorship series Banned Books Conversations is available on her YouTube channel. She currently working on a Dracula retelling from Mina Murray’s perspective.

Session: Build Your Career Without Social Media (Day 1)

Olga Lucia Torres

Author and lecturer at Columbia University

Session: Creating Entrepreneurship Systems that Work for You (Day 3)

Preeti Vasishtha

Director of content and editor in chief of Contingencies at the American Academy of Actuaries

Preeti Vasishtha is a senior communications executive with more than 20 years of experience in the Washington, D.C., area. She has led editorial and communications teams across several major associations. She began her career as a reporter for a Washington Post–Newsweek magazine after earning a master’s degree in journalism from American University.

Session: Breaking In: Trade and Association Magazines (Day 1)

Andy Vasoyan

Freelance writer specializing in tech and culture

 Andy Vasoyan is a reporter examining the intersection of technology and culture. His writing has appeared in National Geographic, Slate, and Forbes. He previously worked as the local host of NPR’s Weekend Edition outside of Los Angeles.

Session: Men’s Health & Lifestyle Writing (Day 3)

Pamela Weintraub

Senior editor at Aeon and co-editor of OpenMind

Pamela Weintraub is a founding co-editor of OpenMind. She is a senior editor focusing on science, neuroscience, and psychology for Aeon. Previously executive editor of Discover magazine and editor-in-chief of OMNI, she is the author or co-author of 16 books, including Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic, winner of the American Medical Writers’ first-place award.

Sessions:

• Craft Talk: Finding Your Story’s Structure & the Braided Essay (Day 2)
• Journalism Pitch Slam (Day 3) – Editor

Michele Weldon

Award-winning journalist, author, TEDx speaker and book editor

Michele Weldon is an award-winning journalist, author of seven nonfiction books, TEDx speaker and book editor. She is emerita faculty at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism where she taught for 18 years and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. She is a frequent contributor to digital outlets across the globe on issues of gender, media and popular culture. Her latest book is The Time We Have: Essays on Pandemic Living.

Session: How ASJA Book Award Winners Create Masterpieces (Day 2)

Sylvia Whitman

Writer and educator

Sylvia Whitman has published hundreds of articles and stories for adults and children and more than a dozen books for young readers. Recognition for her work includes two appearances on the Banks Street College annual list of Best Children’s Books of the Year for What’s Cooking? A History of American Food and The Milk of Birds, a YA novel also named one of the International Reading Association’s 2014 Notable Books for a Global Society. Her most recent books are middle grade novels: If You Meet the Devil, Don’t Shake Hands (2023) and Decide and Survive: The Destruction of Pompeii (2024).

Sylvia is a longtime member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She teaches writing at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.

Session: It’s Not Just Child’s Play – Writing for Children’s Publications (Day 2)

Allison K. Williams

Writer, editor, speaker, coach

Allison K Williams is a playwright, essayist and author platform expert. Creator of The Writers Bridge monthly live platform/publishing chat, she guides writers in connecting with readers while building her own literary community. She coleads the webinar series Craft Talks and leads retreats and writing events around the world. Her books include Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book (Woodhall) and 3 of Dramatics Magazine’s Top 10 Most Produced Plays in High School Theatre.

Session: Build Your Career Without Social Media (Day 1)

Kimberly Yavorski

Freelance writer

Kimberly Yavorski is a freelancer writer and co-chair of the 2026 ASJA virtual conference. She continues to resist niching down because she wants to learn, and write, about everything. Common topics she writes about include parenting, education, finance, careers, technology, history, science, social issues and travel, with bylines in The Hill, Next Avenue, Vox, Fodor’s, and many others. She loves being outdoors and often manages to sneak in a hike of some kind on family vacations, almost always with camera in tow.

Session: How to Be an Untamed Writer So You Can Start (And Finally Finish!) Your Book (Day 1)

Emine Yilmaz Bütün

Global executive leader and strategist

Emine Yilmaz Bütün is a distinguished global executive leader and strategist with nearly two decades of experience driving business transformation, digital innovation, and strategic growth across Fortune 100 companies, startups, and global think tanks. Her expertise spans corporate finance, investments, governance, entrepreneurship, AI, innovation, digital transformation, and board advisory, making her a trusted voice on the future of innovation and leadership. She began her academic journey with a degree in Political Science and Public Management, integrating philosophy, law, economics, and strategy, followed by a Master’s in Auditing and Finance at Istanbul University. She further strengthened her expertise through executive education at Harvard University, Imperial College Business School, and Galatasaray University, focusing on innovation, M&A, digital leadership, and AI strategies for governing the future.

Session: Global Voices, Local Stories (Day 2)

Joe Yonan

Author and former food and dining editor of the Washington Post

Joe Yonan’s books include Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking (winner of the 2024 James Beard Award for best vegetable-focused cookbook) as well as the best-selling Cool Beans and America The Great Cookbook, Eat Your Vegetables, and Serve Yourself.  The former food and dining editor of The Washington Post, where he worked for nearly 20 years, he writes Eat at Joe’s, a weekly newsletter on plant-based cooking.

Session: Feast on This: Success with a Food Book (Day 3)

Sarah Zielinski

Editor at Science News Explores

Sarah Zielinski is the Editor, Print for Science News Explores. A former editor at Smithsonian magazine, she has been published in Scientific American, Discover, National Geographic News, Science and Slate. She shared a Gold Award in the Children’s Science News category of the 2022 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards for a series of science comics. She has a B.A. in biological sciences from Cornell University and an M.A. in journalism through New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. And she has three cats: Oscar, Saffir and Alani.

Session: It’s Not Just Child’s Play – Writing for Children’s Publications (Day 2)