Beth Anderson has always been fascinated with words and language—from sound and meaning, to figurative language and point of view, to cultural and scientific aspects of language. After earning a B.A. in linguistics and a M.Ed. in reading, she taught English language learners for more than 20 years. That classroom community taught her valuable lessons as she advocated for students and encouraged them to share their voices. Surrounded by young people from all over the world, with literature as her favorite tool, Beth used the power of story to teach, connect, and inspire.Beth’s itch to write began in elementary school and grew with the encouragement of her teachers. In 2013, she began her journey writing for children. Combining her love of writing with the joys of discovery and learning, she found her niche with narrative nonfiction and historical fiction picture books.To Beth, writing is mining. It’s digging deep inside for special memories, emotions, and meaning. It’s burrowing into history for inspiring characters and moments that change the course of events. It’s delving into the how and why and what if, and connecting the past to the present. Then the search for just the right words begins – words that will create voice, bring characters to life, and reveal the heart of the story. Shine the light. Discover the gems. Shape and polish, polish, polish.When she’s not writing, she might be weaving, gardening, exploring nature, or playing with her grandkids. Born and raised in Illinois, she now lives near the mountains in Colorado. Beth believes in laughter, learning, and investing in young minds. And…that truth really can be stranger than fiction.Learn more at https://bethandersonwriter.com/

Romina Garber is a New York Times and international bestselling author whose books include The Last Vampire, Castle of the Cursed, Lobizona, Cazadora, & the ZODIAC quartet. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised in Miami, Florida, Romina landed her first writing gig as a teen—College She Wrote, a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.Romina Garber nació en Buenos Aires, Argentina, y está radicada en Los Estados Unidos. Siendo adolescente, obtuvo su primer trabajo como escritora en una columna dominical para el Miami Herald (College She Wrote), que luego tuvo distribución nacional. Desde entonces no ha dejado de escribir. Graduada de Harvard y virginiana hasta la médula, es la autora de El corazón de los malditos, Lobizona, Cazadora y la saga Zodíaco.Learn more at https://rominagarber.com/

Charlotte Lillie Balogh is an author, a screenwriter, and a comic book writer born and raised outside Boston. She self-published her first book at sixteen years old and later graduated as a Remembrance Scholar from Syracuse University. CLB is a lifelong superhero fanatic, and she launched into the television and film industry by working at DC Entertainment on projects including Wonder Woman 1984 and the CW’s Stargirl. When she’s not writing, CLB mentors young women through RowLA and WriteGirl, helping to create the next generation of real-life superheroes. She is the author of KILL THE LAX BRO (available now), CAPSIZED (available September 8, 2026), and is currently adapting the CAPSIZED pilot for Hulu.Learn more at https://www.charlottelillie.com/

Lina Chopra Haldar is a math educator, a woman of color in STEM, and a children’s book author. She began her career in New York City, where she completed a B.S. in Operations Research and an M.A. in Mathematics Education at Columbia University. As she soaked up the vibrant culture and stories of New York City, she worked as an investment banker and then as a high school math teacher. Lina’s passion for math education grew as she spent time in the classroom and worked with a diverse student population. She especially enjoyed conducting cognitive interviews with students to gain insights into their thinking. That passion brought her to California, where she completed her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.Since completing her Ph.D. in 2014, Lina has worked as a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley and held various research, evaluation, and curriculum development positions. She is particularly passionate about writing fiction and nonfiction children’s books that engage young learners with STEM in imaginative ways. She focuses on math and believes that educators, parents, and kids alike need more books that introduce mathematical ideas in silly and engaging ways. Math is a beautiful and universal language that all children can engage with, and she writes stories that highlight the wonders of math in meaningful and accessible ways, while easing some of the math anxiety many kids face.Lina used to consider herself a New Yorker, but after 18 years in the Bay Area, she now calls Berkeley her home. She lives there with her husband, two children, and Elvis, their parti poodle and king of the pack. Though she still misses a good New York slice, she finds comfort at The Cheese Board, where she can linger outside with a delicious treat as she dreams up her next story. Learn more at https://www.linahaldar.com/

Heather Brockman Lee is an illustrator specializing in children's illustration and images for licensing.Her publishing clients include Harper Collins, Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster, Beaming Books, and The Innovation Press.She is a winner of the Grand Prize Portfolio Showcase, 2021 SCBWI Big Five-Oh! as well as the 2020 Letters and Lines at the Rocky Mountain chapter of SCBWI. She is an adjunct professor of Illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and a mentor with the Michelle Begley Mentorship Program. When she's not in her studio painting, she's in her garden, hanging out with bees, whistling at birds, hiking, or climbing trees. Her dog can read her mind. She lives with her husband and two kids in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where she is slowly making the inside of her house resemble a library. Yoga, meditation, and running or biking keep her brain happy. She loves drawing people, nature, animals, and finding the magic in everyday moments. Learn more at https://www.heatherbrockmanlee.com/

Kaz Windness is the award-winning, genre-crossing illustrator and author of funny and heart-warming books for young readers. Proudly neurodivergent (ASD/ADHD), Kaz specializes in character-driven books celebrating inclusivity, grit, and kindness. Her many books include the Geisel Honor recipient, “Worm and Caterpillar are Friends,” the Dolly Parton Imagination Library selection, “When You Love a Book,” and the acclaimed autism acceptance Bitsy Bat series. Kaz taught illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design for 12+ years and is the founder of The Cuddlefish Academy, where she inspires students to tell stories with pictures. Kaz lives in Colorado with her English-teacher husband, two teenage children, and a bunny-obsessed Boston Terrier named Remy. Kaz loves making deep-dish pizza from scratch and sketching animals at the zoo.Learn more at https://www.windnessbooks.com/

Lily Williams is the critically acclaimed author and illustrator of the If Animals Disappeared picture book series and graphic novels Go With The Flow and Look On The Bright Side. She grew up in Northern California and worked in feature film animation before moving to Colorado. Lily seeks to inspire change through education and believes in the power of making information fun and accessible for all audiences.

Learn more at https://lilywilliamsart.com/

Tricia D. Wagner is an award-winning novelist, poet, and short story writer with five published novels and many more on the way. She is the creator of Swift and the Star of Atlantis series, an epic literary coming-of-age adventure. And she is the author of Sun Child of the Moor, a literary fantasy and winner of the 2023 Royal Dragonfly Book Award. Wagner grew up in Amarillo, Texas, chasing storms, riding stallions, sojourning through painted canyons, disappearing into floating mesas under starry skies. She now lives in Illinois (though the truth is she’s a citizen of a dozen fictional countries.) She works in cardiovascular research and lives day to day wonderstruck but luckily can feel her way about this terrifying, beautiful Earth through writing. Wagner’s poetry and short stories have appeared in the Write City Magazine, Chicago Newa, Word of Art 3D, Literary Yard, and Midwest Review.Learn more at https://www.triciawagner.com/

Mel Rosenberg hand-wrote his first children's book, "Bacteria Galore by Sunday at Four" when he was 23 years old. Twenty years later, Tel Aviv University published the hardcover version of his book on bacteria in Hebrew, חיידקים מיליון עד יום ראשון, illustrated by Tali Niv-Dolinsky. ​For many years, his writing career was on a back burner while he became a scientist, inventor, and later a jazz musician and a singer. He enjoyed each of these careers, but these days he am fully committed to his children's writing.​ He keeps busy:​Writing and revising new stories (under the mentorship of the incredible Harold Underdown) Helping picture book authors at the beginning of their careers Giving talks, lectures and webinars about the creative process and the importance of creating dummy books Interviewing prominent authors, editors, publishers, agents, and illustrators for his weekly video/podcast for the New Books Network (NBN)Learn more at https://www.authormel.com/

Dr. Kodey Bogart, AvD., is a former United States Army Warrant Officer and aviator who flew the Blackhawk during medical evacuation missions. She is a decorated combat veteran, having received two Air Medals and a Sikorsky Rescue Award. Kodey made history as the first female to be designated as Pilot in Command for day, night, and night vision goggle (NVG) operations in combat for the Florida Army National Guard.​With extensive experience across aviation operations—including aviation safety, flight training, maintenance test flights, helicopter air ambulance, and aviation law enforcement—Kodey brings both expertise and passion to every mission. She lives with her husband and children in Merritt Island, Florida, where she shares her love of aviation, especially with her daughter and sons, by highlighting the diversity of the mission. For Kodey and the Helo Girls crew, the sky is not the limit—it’s just the beginning.Learn more at https://www.helogirls.com/