Bryan Meyer is the Chief Legal Officer of the Veterans Community Project of Kansas City, Missouri.  He is a former Marine Corps helicopter Crew Chief.  During his time in the Marines he was attached to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 355. He deployed to Iraq in March of 2003, participated in Operation Shining Express (which was support of rescue efforts of the U.S. Embassy during the Second Liberian Civil War), and he deployed again to Iraq in August of 2004. During these deployments, his unit provided assault support and casualty evacuation.



After the Marine Corps, Bryan moved backed home to Kansas City where he attended the University of Missouri Kansas-City earning a Master’s in Public Administration and a Law Degree.  Bryan worked as a practicing attorney at a Kansas City law firm until leaving to co-found Veterans Community Project.



He is also active with the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association Military Matters Operating Committee, UMKC School of Law Young Alumni Association and Here’s Waldo Neighborhood Association. 

A Survivor herself, Elle Snow is fighting sex-trafficking through her nonprofit GAME OVER which provides advocacy, training, and education on the subject of sex trafficking.

Elle is currently providing educational training to youth groups, community members, service providers, social workers, medical staff, foster parents, victim advocates, and law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. 

Elle is a two-time Soroptimist Ruby Award winner and has been recognized by Congress and Senate Members for her work in the anti-trafficking movement. She is a member of Soroptimist, The Survivor-Leaders Institute, and The National Survivor Network. ​

Elle is CO-creator of Jane Doe in Wonderland, a play written by Dell' Arte students; Kate Tobie, Erin Johnson, and Grace Booth. 

Elle is also currently a Speaker on The Rebecca Bender Initiative Speakers Team, as well as  Founder/Board President of GAME OVER. 

GAME OVER

”Our mission is to provide education, advocacy, and renewed hope to sex trafficking Survivors, while educating the public and training professionals on how to identify and liberate the sexually trafficked.”

Reyna Grande is an award-winning novelist and memoirist. She has received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlán Literary Award, and the International Latino Book Award. In 2012, she was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Awards, and in 2015 she was honored with a Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature. Her works have been published internationally in Norway, South Korea, and Mexico.

Her novels, Across a Hundred Mountains, (Atria, 2006) and Dancing with Butterflies (Washington Square Press, 2009) were published to critical acclaim. In her latest book, The Distance Between Us, ( Atria, 2012) Reyna writes about her life before and after illegally immigrating from Mexico to the United States. An inspirational coming-of-age story about the pursuit of a better life, The Distance Between Us is now available as a young readers edition from Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Division–Aladdin. It has received a 2017 Honor Book Award for the Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature and a 2016 Eureka! Honor Awards from the California Reading Association, and an International Literacy Association Children’s Book Award 2017.

Reyna is a member of the Macondo Writer’s Workshop founded by Sandra Cisneros. Currently Reyna teaches creative writing, travels across the country and abroad to give presentations about her books, and is at work on the sequel to The Distance Between Us

Born in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico (where 43 college students disappeared in 2014), Reyna was two years old when her father left for the U.S. to find work. Her mother followed her father north two years later, leaving Reyna and her siblings behind in Mexico. In 1985, when Reyna was going on ten, she left Iguala to make her own journey north. She entered the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant, and later went on to become the first person in her family to graduate from college.

After attending Pasadena City College for two years, Reyna obtained a B.A. in creative writing and film & video from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She later received her M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University. Now, in addition to being a published author, she is also a sought-after motivational speaker at high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.

From award-winning author, Reyna Grande, an eye-opening memoir about life before and after illegally immigrating from Mexico to the United States.

Born in Mexico and raised by her grandparents after her parents left to find work in the U.S., at nine years old, Reyna enters the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant to live with her father. Filled with hope, she quickly realizes that life in America is far from perfect. Her father isn’t the man she dreamed about all those years in Mexico. His big dreams for his children are what gets them across the border, but his alcoholism and rage undermine all his hard work and good intentions. Reyna finds solace from a violent home in books and writing, inspired by the Latina voices she reads. After an explosive altercation, Reyna breaks away, going on to become the first person in her family to obtain a higher education, earning a college degree and then an M.F.A. in Creative Writing.

At a time when immigration politics are at a boiling point in America, Reyna Grande is an important public voice for Mexican Americans and immigrants of every origin. The Distance Between Us has the power to change minds and hearts.

Laura Jack teaches compassionate communication and how we can relate to one another more effectively during the challenging moments in life. Her mission is to cultivate a culture of compassion, starting with self, and to create a better understanding of loss and its accompanying grief.

Winter Brook is a psychic medium, Ordained Spiritualist minister and Reiki Master/Teacher. She holds a B.A. in English summa cum laude from Boston College and a Juris Doctorate cum laude from St. John’s University School of Law. Sheis a non-practicing attorney in good standing with the State of New York who chose to close her law practice to pursue Mediumship as a fulltime profession. Her mediumship training includes completion of the Morris Pratt Institute coursework on healing, mediumship and ministry, Pastoral Skills as well as multiple week long intensive workshops with leading international practitioners in the field of mediumship today at Arthur Findley College of Psychic Sciences (UK), Omega Institute, Banyon Retreat (UK) (including James Van Praagh, Tony Stockwell, Mavis Patilla and others). In addition, she has also taken seminars and trained with local mediums on Long Island and across the country.

Winter Brook maintains her office at 171 Main Street, Northport, New Yorkwhere she conducts private and small group readings as well as holds classes to teach others how to tap into or strengthen their own psychic and mediumship abilities. Her classes have been featured on FIOS TV1 in segments entitled “Intuition” and “Be Ever Present” concerning intuitive development and meditation practice. She has lecturedand demonstrated mediumship at public libraries, civic groups, spiritualist churches, large fundraisers, colleges, historical societies and metaphysical groups both here on Long Island and across the country. She currently co-hosts an internet radio show called the Wisdom of Spirit with Rose & Winter brook as well as been interviewed on other radio shows. She has been a contributing columnist to a professional on line newspaper and wellness websites.She also participates in fundraisers, house parties and long distance healing. She holds monthly meditation and healing circles as well as Reiki certification and attunement classes under the Usui Shiki Ryoho tradition.She was accredited and certified by ASSMPI as a mental medium and a Spiritualist minister. Her mediumship program is recommended by a committee comprised of librarians for all libraries across Long Island (85). She is currently developing her physical mediumship and regularly sits for trance.

A strong proponent of volunteer humanitarian service, whileactively involved in Rotary International, Winter Brook served as a director for a program called “Gift of Life” which provideslife saving corrective heart procedures to children in need. Her efforts contributed to the program expanding from 20 children per year to over 60.She was recognized for her efforts by being named Rotarian of the year for 2003, (2) Paul Harris awards and 2005 Woman of the Year for the Northport area by the Times of Northport and 2005 Volunteer of the year for the town of Smithtown for her volunteer humanitarian efforts. In addition to her duties as director of hosting, she also travelled to Honduras and Guatemala to participate in clean water projects, tour orphanages, meet and addressRotarian groups for grant partnership programs and toured and met with medical clinics as a representative of Rotary’s Gift of Life program. She has also participated in the Adopt a Platoon program writing letters to our deployed servicemen and women, hosting mediumship demonstrations from her office to raise funds for various charities who provide toys for needy children during the holidays, train service dogs for returning disabled veterans, Secret Santa for needy local families and a host of other activities. She is currently sits on the Board of Directorsof the Northport Chamber of Commerce where she sits on committees concerned with the well being of our youth.

In addition to her professional and charitable pursuits she is the single mother of two girls, the youngest of whom she adopted as a single mother as well as an avid animal lover, currently having 2 cats and 3 dogs living in her home.

RUNSON WILLIS III

Runson Willis III is a L.A. native with a true southern soul. He was raised in the church where he learned how to sing and play guitar which he has more than 10 years of experience in. He writes and produces his own music.

Runson Willis III was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1986. Raised with his two sisters by a strong single mother, he comes from a place of rich musical inspiration and deep faith. Runson’s influence was varied from a young age, citing Chopin’s symphonies, Robert Johnson’s modern blues, Motown hits, and 90’s alternative rock as a part of his musical tutelage. Though he sang in choir throughout his childhood, it wasn’t until he was 19 that Runson found his real instrument — his guitar.

He never misses a note. With over 10 years of experience with the guitar combined with his extensive performing and touring record, Runson Willis III is finally ready to embark on his solo career. The Los Angeles based artist, calls on his idles, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, Woody Guthrie and Willie Nelson as constant reminder of the level of greatness he is working toward. With roots in the deep south, you can hear the soul in every lyric he sings and note he plays. Runson is geared up and ready to bring his music to the world! From his own words:

“this guitar is noisy, beat up and it may have a lot of scratches on it. But it’s true, it’s lasted a long time and it hasn’t gone anywhere. And I think it’s like me.”

DR. GARY SHAPIRO

Gary L. Shapiro, Ph.D. began his involvement with orangutans 43 years ago in the field of primate cognition and learning. He was the first person (1973-1975) to teach a symbolic communication system to an orangutan (at the now Chaffee Zoological Park, Fresno, CA) and the first person to have taught sign language to orangutans in the species’ natural environment, the forests of Tanjung Puting National Park, Indonesian Borneo (1978-1980; 1981). One of the orangutans, Princess, adopted Shapiro as her father. Shapiro was able to teach Princess over 40 signs which she used to express her interests in obtaining items and activities of interest as well as describing her environment. During his time in Indonesian Borneo, Shapiro assisted in the rehabilitation efforts of dozens of orangutans confiscated from the illegal pet trade and monitored the phenology of local rain forest ecosystem.

Shapiro received his doctorate in Zoology in 1985 from the University of Oklahoma then returned to Indonesian Borneo (1986) to conduct post-doctoral freshwater ecology studies in Tanjung Puting National Park. Shapiro’s interest in the freshwater ecology of Borneo was an extension of the research projects he conducted while being employed by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (1982-1985). He spent 28 years as a government scientist, first as a biologist with the Army Corp of Engineers, then as a planner with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and finally with California EPA in the Department of Toxic Substances Control where he worked as a Hazardous Substances Scientist and an emergency responder. He retired in 2014.

Shapiro was the co-founder and vice president of the Orangutan Foundation International from 1986-2004 where he administered and oversaw the activities supporting research and conservation in and around Tanjung Puting National Park. He participated in the 1993 Population and Habitat Viability Assessment in Sumatra and authored or co-authored various papers on orangutan linguistics, cognition, conservation and ethics. In late 2004, Dr. Shapiro and his Indonesian wife, Inggriani, were inspired to create the Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative (OUREI), a nonprofit project, in response to the education needs underscoring the crisis facing orangutans today, particularly in Sumatra. In Sumatra, the orangutan is Critically Endangered. In 2007, the Orang Utan Republik Foundation (OURF) and OUREI Indonesia (OUREII) were established as legal organizations to support the programs of OUREI in Indonesia.

The goals of OURF and OUREII are to transform the attitudes and values of Indonesian people regarding the orangutan and its rain forest habitat such that they become the stewards of their forests and wildlife. Shapiro’s philosophy is to enroll the Indonesian people to become the educators. Shapiro’s efforts have lead to the establishment of Orangutan Caring Week in Indonesia as well as the Orangutan Caring Clubs of Indonesia.

Through OUREI, Shapiro facilitated the establishment of the Sumatran Orangutan Education Consortium, a group of Indonesian NGOs that assisted in putting on an education conference, workshop, and summit in Sumatra (2006). Shapiro administered an education program to reduce the human-orangutan conflict in Sumatra through the administration of US Fish & Wildlife (USFW) funds to the consortium members. He also co-administers a successful Indonesian scholarship program with two local NGOs.  130 Orangutan Caring Scholarships have been given out since 2006. Shapiro also oversees the LP Jenkins Fellowship for Orangutan Research, given in honor of his late mother, which has helped Indonesian and foreign graduate students in their field research. Additionally, through OURF, he administers the Mobile Education & Conservation Unit (MECU) with the Orangutan Caring Club of North Sumatra to bring human-orangutan conflict reduction programs, tree-planting and sustainable farming activities to villagers living near orangutan habitat. Seeking and implementing solutions of sustainability for local people through education and innovative collaborative projects is the key to saving Indonesia’s great red ape and other species.

Shapiro returns to Indonesia each year to facilitate OURF’s programs in Jakarta, Sumatra and Borneo. He also conducts ecotours to Borneo and Sumatra, and he is an avid SCUBA diver. Shapiro also lectures to audiences of all ages in both English and Bahasa Indonesia when he has the opportunity.

MERCEDES

“Born to Rock, Soothe and Stir The Soul”

Mercedes is world-renowned singer-songwriter who was born to rock and bring listener’s worlds together with her sultry voice and universal lyrics and personal experiences that melt the heart.

Breaking down age, gender and race barriers, her rock and soul sound captivates audiences from around the world, soothes and stirs the soul, and ignites the senses as a result of her infusion of symphonic, inspirational and visual elements in all of her work.

Mercedes has worked with the best in the industry including Grammy-award winning producer Mike Shipley who worked with Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Alison Krauss, Shania Twain and more; producer and American guitarist Bruce Gowdy, known for his work with World Trade and Unruly Child; and Multi-Platinum Hip Hop Super Producer Nick Fury.

Her performances have rocked a variety of stages and acclaimed venues including the Hammerstein Ballroom for New York City’s 9/11 Benefit Concert, The Key Club in Los Angeles, The Roxy, Whisky, The Troubadour, The Gig, and The Knitting Factory, among others. Her first commercial album release, “Rock-n-Soul Blvd.,” with breakout single “Hey Baby,” remixed featuring Guérilla Black has been played throughout mixed shows and club circuits in Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, New York and Los Angeles.

When she’s not rocking the stage, Mercedes is the Founder and Creative Director of Jus D’Amour – “A Love Song in A Bottle” – her beauty and lifestyle brand of scents, candles and jewelry inspired by her time as a musician and as the marketing agent for boxing legend, Roy Jones, Jr. and their equally aptly named line, Legend – “The Scent of Victory.”

Mercedes’ newest single, “U Make Me Shine,” a beautiful soul, country and pop-infused tribute to Mike Shipley, who also produced and mixed this track for her before his passing, is now available for download at mercedesmusic.com and CD Baby.