Mario Reading was born in Dorset, and brought up in England, Germany, and the South of France. He was educated at Gorse Cliff Preparatory School, followed by Rugby School, and then went on to study Comparative Literature at the University of East Anglia, where he specialized in French and German Literature and translation before absconding, after two years, on a cargo boat to Africa.

In present day, Mario Reading is the author of six novels and eight non-fiction titles. Some of his most  well known books are: "The Nostradamus Prophecies", "The Templar Prophecy", "The Mayan Codex", "Nostradamus: The Complete Prophecies For The Future", and "Nostradamus & The Third Antichrist".

Reading is introducing his new book, "Nostradamus: The Complete Prophesies For The Future" and his upcoming interview in the History Channels new documentary "Nostradamus" which is scheduled to air in May 2015.

Matthew David Hurtado is the CEO of Network Holdings LLC.  He has been involved in fitness and health supplements since the age of 15 years old, when he first fell in love with bodybuilding.

Matthew has overcome an eating-disorder, Lyme's disease with chronic fatigue syndrome, and PTSD, as well as having endured the financial strains of illness. After becoming successful in several different ventures and running the operations of companies doing millions-of-dollars in sales, Matthew noticed things he didn't like about the supplement industry.  One common denominator and theme kept showing up -- most health-supplement companies source inferior ingredients containing toxins and sell their product for thousands of times the actual cost of producing the product to the end consumer.  To make matters worse, many of the most successful supplements are sold via the endorsement of some doctor or health guru directly tied into the profits of the company.

In 2013, Matthew decided  that it was time to invest his own money and time into researching and developing a brand of products that he would feel safe having his own kids use.  This meant that ultra-pure ingredients and world-class manufacturing would have to be the backbone of the company, and cutting-edge science and innovative thinking would be employed to make these products affordable.  After hiring an elite staff of advisors, Matthew's dream became realized with the birth of Complete Ascentials in April of 2014.

Matthew enjoys playing guitar, spending time with his family, and his work is his passion.

Stephanie Banks is an award-winning author who is quickly making her mark as an accomplished author. She was born into a family of intuitives who encouraged fostering faith in accepting guidance from within. Prior to Stephanie’s near-death experience she led a life directed by modern day terms that lacked depth and clarity. Immediately following her encounter with death her life transformed to that of an awakened soul. She has now dedicated her life to mastering ancient wisdom and writing candidly about all that she learns through this process. Her unfailing connection to the non-physical realm offers guidance and transformation to all those that seek profound insight into our existence. She lives with her family in British Colombia Canada.

GIADA VALENTI

Singer and songwriter Giada Valenti is born and raised in Venice, Italy. Her career started in Europe where she was signed as a young singer with record label Sony BMG and had hits climb directly to the top of the charts. She has received critically acclaimed awards such as the prestigious San Remo Giovanni Talenti Nel Mondo and Festival di Castrocaro. 

In the United States she is most known for her stunning music special aired by PBS, entitled “From Venice With Love”. Because of the success of this television special, she has performed at theaters and performing arts centers all over the country. 

In November 2017 she made her debut as a headliner in Las Vegas with a concert at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. In October 2018 she made her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

One of her recent career highlights is being asked to perform with Andrea Bocelli. She sang several duets with him at a concert benefitting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. 

For the past eleven years Giada, currently a resident of Las Vegas, has released her CDs “And I Love You So, “Italian Signorina” and “My Lullaby”, “From Venice With Love”, garnering rave reviews. She is currently working on new recordings with multi Grammy-winning producer Cheche Alara and Jorge Calandrelli.

Giada is also a Tiramisu expert. She has been featured on morning shows of ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC television doing cooking demos on how to make this famous Italian dessert. Giada is very passionate about food. She is a longtime member of the Accademia Italiana Della Cucina, a by the Italian government recognized cultural organization that checks out Italian restaurants around the world. Giada loves to go out for dinner with friends but can also be found in her kitchen experimenting with recipes.

More Detailed Bio

Born and raised in Venice, Italy, Giada Valenti started to sing and play piano at the age of seven. She began touring professionally with a band by age twelve. She studied piano and music theory at the Santa Cecilia music school in Venice and received her music degree at the G. Tartini in Trieste. She also studied jazz with American singer Dawn Mitchell.

In Italy she has won several important music awards like the prestigious La Grande Occasione and Festival di Castrocaro. While she was studying psychology at the University of Padova, she met the love of her life and moved to The Netherlands. She participated in the song contest San Remo New Talents in the World, a contest held annually for Italians living abroad and won with her pop ballad Solo Con Te (Only With You). This led her to a record contract with BMG Ariola in Europe and she had several hits in the charts. One of her songs was even used in a radio and television commercial for Piaggio-Vespa scooters.

When in 2004 her music got serious interest from a major record label in New York she decided to move to the United States. In December 2005, her self-released CD Italian Signorina was launched in the USA to great reviews. Italian Signorina featured the song Caruso that she performed on the red carpet at the Columbus Day Parade in 2005, 2006, and 2007 in New York City, broadcast every year live on NBC Television. She has been featured in the editions of this prestigious Parade in New York City, which is broadcast every year live on ABC Television, every year ever since.

Producer Sonny Grosso and musical director Phil Ramone selected Giada for a role in the Broadway musical Be My Love, based on the life story of tenor Mario Lanza. In 2008 iTunes has selected her version of the song Caruso as one of the 50 best songs in the Italian language. In 2005 and 2006, she performed her own original shows La Dolce Vita Swings and Moonlight and Romance, in sold out-theatres in New York. During these shows, she takes her audience on a journey across the Atlantic, singing the most beautiful Italian and American love songs. In June 2007 she made her debut at the premiere cabaret room in the United States: Feinstein’s at the Regency Hotel in New York City. With her show Tribute To The European Divas, featuring the music of such great female singers as Edith Piaf, Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Mina and Ornella Vanoni, she had become a regular performer at this prestigious venue, till it’s closing in 2012. In 2009 she made her debut in Atlantic City, at the Hilton Casino Hotel.

The Italian television reported several times about her successes in the United States. In 2008 the channel Sky Italia made an hour long documentary about her life as an Italian in the United States. In 2011 she was the protagonist in an hour long reality docu on Rete4 about her life and work in the United States. Over the years she was also featured in many interviews on RAI and Canale 5.

In the United States Giada’s talent and contributions to culture has been recognized by several organizations. In October 2008 Giada was named Woman of the Year by the Organization of Italian Charities In America. In February 2010 she was honored by the Commission for Social Justice of the Order Sons of Italy in America for being a good Italian role model. In October of 2011 Giada was awarded the Merit of Honor by the Borough President of Queens, NY for her outstanding cultural contribution to the Italian community in the USA. In April 2012 she was honored by the Saint Brigid Parish for he Distinguished Service in Promulgating the Beauty and Value of Italian Culture and Heritage. In November 2012 she was honored by the Italian American Labor Council for her Work, Achievements and my Life Dedication to Music. Giada is also a seven times recipient of a Grant of the NIAF Sergio Franchi Music Foundation.

Currently she is working on the post-production of her television special From Venice With Love, filmed partly in Venice Italy and partly in New York. The television special is expected to air on Public Television starting in August 2015 in support of a 40 dates tour to start in April 2016 in the USA. In this television special she will take her audience on a romantic virtual journey to her beloved Venice and she shares with her audience her memories of this magnificent city. In her show Giada performs some of the most beautiful love songs of the last 30 years.

For this project she is working with some of the best professionals around, like music arranger Chris Walden (Andrea Bocelli, Rihanna, Josh Groban, Barbra Streisand), Grammy Award winning music producer Gregg Field (Natalie Cole, Arturo Sandoval, Gloria Estefan), television director Alex Coletti (MTV Unplugged, PBS Special Celtic Woman, National Christmas Tree Lighting), Emmy Award winning line producer Frank Garritano (MTV Movie Awards, Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame Awards, Justin Timberlake), set designer Tom Lenz (Lady Gaga, ESPN, MTV, BRAVO), lighting director Chris Landy (PBS special Annie Lennox, Jimmy Fallon Late Night).

Giada’s charismatic and charming personality is touching the heart of her fans all over the world. At her concerts she loves to share with her audience the stories of her life in Venice and in New York. With her honest and open spirit, her bubbling and funny personality is able make them laugh, make couples hold hands, make them sing-a-long and even sometimes have them shed a tear. It is her dream in life to promote with her music the beauty of her Italian heritage and her beautiful Venice. She likes to share her positive attitude and her strong believes. She loves to inspire young women to follow their dreams like she always did. One of her favorite quotes is from Walt Disney “If you can dream it, you can do it”. And she adds to that: “but be ready to work hard, smart and to make sacrifices”.

Matt Bracken was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1957 and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1979 with a degree in Russian Studies. He was commissioned in the US Navy through the NROTC program at UVA, and then graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training class 105 in Coronado California. He served on east coast UDT and SEAL teams, taking a Naval Special Warfare detachment to Beirut in 1983. Mr. Bracken left active duty after Lebanon, upon completion of his obligated military service, but he remained in an active reserve status through the remainder of the 1980s. Since then he has lived in Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Guam and California. In 1993 Mr. Bracken finished building a 48-foot steel sailing cutter of his own design, on which he has done extensive ocean cruising, including a solo voyage 9,000 miles from Panama to Guam and two Panama Canal transits. Matt is a self-described freedomista who loves ocean sailing for the pure freedom it often permits. He is a constitutionalist who believes in the original intent of the founding fathers of our country. He lives with his family in North Florida and longs for the wide blue ocean.

As a professional and scholar I conscientiously and actively pursue professional activities in order to keep myself current with issues and concerns surrounding reading and language arts, maintain and expand professional relationships with colleagues in my discipline and other related disciplines, continue to be a relevant and productive contributor to my discipline and other related disciplines, and to add visibility to my department, school, and university.

Among my professional affiliations include: National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), National Reading Conference (NRC), International Reading Association (IRA), Connecticut Association for Reading Research (CARR), New England Reading Association (NERA), Phi Delta Kappa, CCSU Chapter (PDK), and the Center for Expansion of Language and Thinking (CELT). I am also active in the Connecticut Literacy Think Tank, a consortium of professional educators who are either directly or indirectly involved in reading and language arts from the State of Connecticut, i.e., Central Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Western Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, St. Joseph’s College, University of Hartford, University of Bridgeport, University of Connecticut, and the State Department of Education/Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction. The Think Tank committee serves as a consulting/advisory body to the Connecticut Association for Reading Research and the Connecticut Reading Association on issues that impact on curriculum and instruction, and assessments in reading and language arts in the state of Connecticut. I also served as Publication Chair and Editor for the Connecticut Association for Reading Research (CARR). CARR is a professional organization dedicated to the enhancement and improvement of professional development of reading and language arts educators in Connecticut. It advocates leadership in support of research, policy and practice that improves reading instruction and supports the best interests of all learners and reading professionals. It also encourages and supports research at all levels of reading and language arts education to promote informed decision making by reading professionals, policy makers, and the public. Through CARR, our graduate students in reading and language arts have received scholarships and research awards. Additionally, I am Treasurer and Chair of the Membership Committee of the Phi Delta Kappa, CCSU Chapter. PDK is an international professional association in education designed to stimulate the professional growth of members and to deal with current problems and issues related to public education. My appointment to the State of Connecticut Task Force for helping struggling readers in Connecticut grades four to nine is beneficial to our department particularly in informing our curriculum and instruction in the clinical sequence—diagnosis and remediation in reading and language arts.

I have always been passionate and committed to working with teachers in classroom practice as well as parents in supporting their children’s literacy learning through professional development programs. I facilitated a series of Annual Parent University Collaborative Professional Development Project in the New Britain Consolidated Schools (2007, 2008 & 2009).

Recently, I have been invited to serve on the Board of the New Britain Grade-Level Reading Campaign, a funded program in collaboration with the Annie E. Casey Grade Level Reading Campaign, the Connecticut Center for School Change, the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, and the Connecticut Department of Education to ensure that all students in New Britain are reading at grade level by the end of grade 3, and the Welcome to My World Autism-a support group for parents with children with autism. Serving on executive boards allows me to influence policies or decisions that impact student learning.

Dr. Jesse "the Walking Man" Turner - One Man Walking In The Name of Love

Dr. Jesse Turner - the Walking Man. Learn about Dr. Turner and his amazing work and activism all for the children. You will meet an extraordinary man who will inspire you and motivate you to lay down your life for the greatest cause of our lifetime. You will meet a real life hero.

Join his event - One Man Walking in the Name of Love
https://www.facebook.com/events/297723840427078/
https://www.facebook.com/events/439900859468582/

Jesse's Walking to DC Page - https://www.facebook.com/Walking2DCJesse

Michael Nisley is a Sound Consciousness Practitioner, using light language with a vast array of hand-crafted instruments from all over the globe.  He creates conscious, living voyages whose musical landscape transports participants to other worlds.  Michael left a cushy corporate world in software development after 33 years, to be of service to others through sacred sound healing.  

He works in a living shamanic way to empower people to enter deeper, more expanded states of consciousness.  He studied with Peruvian Sound Healer, Tito La Rosa for over 7 years, sharing his gifts through California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Canada.  He has also studied with Silvia Nakkash and Dr. John Beaulieu.  Michael transports us to new dimensions via living light and sacred sound.  Very few offer his unique gift of expression, shared from the heart.  He is a frequent guest at Mt. Shasta, where many friends gather together to share various gifts, inclucing the power of sound; healing is often experienced.

Michael is planning a tour from the Bay Area, where he lives, to Northern Washington, possibly Canada, then down into Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.  If you’d like to set up a Sound Consciousness Experience along this route, please email him soon, to ensure his visit, here:

 SoundConsciousness@gmail.com