Harvesting Happiness

Gina Ross, MFCC, is founder and president of International Trauma-Healing Institute in the United States and Israel. An internationally respected psychotherapist, she is the co-founder of the Israeli Trauma Center at Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem and has specialized in trauma and the understanding and treatment of trauma since 1990. She is trained in cognitive, behavioral, and somatic treatment approaches and is certified in the more innovative techniques of Somatic Experiencing® (SE), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Thought Field Therapy (TFT), and Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR). Gina is also the author of many articles and a series of books entitled Beyond the Trauma Vortex Into the Healing Vortex.

As both the CEO of MilitaryConnection.com and the founder of the Veteran and Military Business Owners Association (VAMBOA), Debbie Gregory covers all the bases when it comes to serving the needs of Military and Veteran Communities. MilitaryConnection.com, one of the most popular websites on the Internet for active military, veterans and their families, is referred to as The Go to Site for jobs, benefits, news, and information regarding education benefits.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of 18 published and forthcoming books. Her newest releases are When You Were Older, Don't Let Me Go, Jumpstart the World , When I Found You and Second Hand Heart. She authored the national bestseller, Pay It Forward, which was adapted into a major motion picture starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, and was chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list. She is also the founder and former president (2000-2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation.

Charley Johnson has a deep passion for Pay It Forward. Believing in Pay It Forward so much so he left his company, career & millions behind to change the world and how people view humanity. He is now the president of the Pay It Forward Foundation and the creator of the Pay It Forward Bracelet, a physical reminder to do good that has been sent to over 1 million people in 108 countries. Charley founded the "PIF Experience," the website responsible for collecting stories from all over the world of people Paying It Forward. He also Founded the "Pay it Forward Hall of Fame" in November of 2011 with the First inductee being Catherine Ryan Hyde, the founder of the Pay It Forward Foundation.

Tim Freke is a 'standup philosopher' who makes profound ideas fun and easily accessible. He is an internationally respected authority on world spirituality and is often featured in documentaries on the BBC, the History Channel, and other global media. He is the bestselling author of many groundbreaking books translated into 15 languages, including Lucid Living and The Jesus Mysteries, which was a Daily Telegraph 'Book of the Year'. He runs ‘mystery experience retreats' internationally, in which he guides others directly to a spiritually awakened state.

Gotham Chopra is a multi-media voice in the worlds of entertainment, news, spirituality, and pop-culture. Recently he published Walking Wisdom which portrays all the love and licks that go along with being a dad, a dude, a dog-owner, and son of Deepak Chopra.His latest feature documentary, which he has written, directed, and produced, titled, Decoding Deepak, is the first long-form look at Deepak Chopra's life, told by Gotham. It is honest, revealing, and different than what many people expect.

Scott Carlin is a recognized leader in television. With over 30 years experience, he was responsible for original, record-breaking deals for The Sopranos, Sex & the City, Band of Brothers, The Wire, and many other HBO programs. He has held senior positions at top studios including Warner Bros. Television and Lorimar-Telepictures. As a 2007 graduate of the Masters Program in Spiritual Psychology at The University of Santa Monica, Scott is immersed in the emerging area of transformational media. He has just completed producing a feature-length documentary about Deepak Chopra called, "Decoding Deepak" that is directed by Deepak's son, Gotham Chopra.

Yariv Lerner is the founder of Udaya Entertainment and producer of purpose-driven cinematic film for yoga, meditation, and wellbeing coaching, with an emphasis on integrated healing arts designed to condition users physically, mentally, and emotionally to achieve greater happiness, life-satisfaction, and wellness. Yariv is trailblazing through his creation of artfully produced training programs, such as The Ultimate Yogi, in partnership with well-known teachers and change agents. He holds a BA Business and Marketing, is a very successful beach volleyball player, and is the founder of the Udaya Retrreat Sanctuary specializing in Yoga.

Dr. Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, and a leading expert in the new field of “science-help.” She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from psychology, neuroscience, and medicine into practical strategies for health, happiness, and personal success.

Agapi Stassinopoulos is the author of the best-selling book: Unbinding the Heart, where readers embark on an inspiring journey of inner exploration to reconnect with their true selves. Born and raised in Athens, Greece, she entered the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London at age 18. She moved to the United States to do film and television, and later attended the University of the Santa Monica, where she completed her Master's in Psychology. An inspiring speaker, Agapi teaches and empowers both men and women to recognize their individual gifts, claim them, use them to serve humanity, and create the lives they want.

Don Joseph Goewey has had a long career in human potential. He's been an executive at Stanford University Medical School and worked closely with two of the pioneers in human potential - Carl Rogers, father of humanistic psychology and Gerald Jampolsky, founder a school of psychology based on attitude.Don has written a book titled Mystic Cool: A proven approach to transcend stress, achieve optimal brain function, and maximize your creative intelligence. His work focuses on helping people transcend catastrophic life events and some of the most stressful situations any of us will ever face. To learn more about Don and his work, visit: http://mysticcool.com

Martin Papazian is an actor, writer, and director of feature films. Previously, Martin directed the award winning short film IN THE WIND, about a soldier's return to a Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. As an actor, Martin burst onto the screen in Universal Picture's, JARHEAD, THE BURNING PLAIN, and THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. On the small screen you may have seen him featured in 24, Lie To Me, CSI:NY, and DEXTER, amongst others.

LEAST AMONG SAINTS marks his debut as a feature director and writer. Inspired by true events, the story centers on a man's quest for redemption through his compassion and service to an orphaned boy. The film will be released theatrically September 21st, 2012 in Los Angles, New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. For more information visit : http://leastamongsaints.com/

Michele Rosenthal inspires trauma survivors to overcome depression, anxiety, and fear so that they may build lives full of freedom, meaning, purpose, and joy. A survivor herself, Michele shares her story as a keynote speaker, post-trauma coach, award-winning blogger, poet, author, radio show host, and founder of www.healmyptsd.com, Michele's trauma recovery memoir, Before the World Intruded: Conquering the Past and Creating the Future, was released in April 2012. For more information visit: www.YourLifeAfterTrauma.com

Austin Vickers is the writer and producer of People v. The State of Illusion, a docudrama based on his work and the science and power of perception and imagination, which was released in the fall of 2011. He is also the founder of The Stepping Up Foundation, a non-profit organization helping people and organizations in need. He is the author of the personal leadership book and program "Stepping Up: to a Life of Vision, Passion and Authentic Power" and is a professional speaker who has educated and entertained audiences from some of America's leading corporations, including Intel, Wells Fargo, Colgate Palmolive, and 3M. On a personal note, Austin is an avid reader, an aspiring musician, and is passionate about physical health, and is a certified yoga instructor.