Spark

Jonathan Pritchard is a mentalist to Fortune 500 companies including Disney, Universal, Hyatt and United and works with these companies to engage their audience. He has performed as a mentalist around the world for over 15+ years and appeared on shows including America's Got Talent, Penn and Teller and Vegas. He consults and coaches on the psychology of communication, negotiation, influence, and sales based on his expertise as a mentalist. Jonathan is the author of four books on motivational psychology: Think Like a Mind Reader, Learn LIke a Mind Reader, Perfect Recall and Wing Chun: Life Physics. 

Jodi Halpern is a Chancellor’s Chair and Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, in the Joint Medical Program and the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. Her foundational research on clinical empathy was pivotal in making medical care more patient-centered and inspired a wave of research on patient-doctor relationships. In her first book, From Detached Concern to Empathy: Humanizing Medical Practice was called a “seminal work” by the Journal of the American Medical Association. 

She also studies the role of empathic communication in the wake of conflict and trauma, ranging from social reconciliation in Rwanda and the countries of the former Yugoslavia to helping wounded soldiers returning from war reintegrate into civilian societies. Furthermore, Jodi became fascinated with how difficult it can be for stoic individuals who provide empathy for others to internalize empathy, which led her to ten years of interviews and the book Remaking the Self in the Wake of Illness, which will be available Winter 2021. Halpern has presented her work on leadership and empathy internationally, including at the World Economic Forum. Her research has been published in numerous journals and media outlets (NBC, NY Times, NPR, etc.). 

Kristin Neff is widely recognized as one of the leading experts on self-compassion, being the first one to operationally define and measure the construct over a decade ago. She has been credited with conducting the first academic studies into self-compassion and creating the Self-Compassion Scales. Kristin is the Associate Professor in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, and the author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself and co-author of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. She is also co-founder and board president of the nonprofit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.Her research on self-compassion has been featured in NY Times, Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic and other media outlets. 

A three-time national tennis champion and former FBI agent, Banni Bunting is a UCLA trained Mindfulness Facilitator as well as a member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA). Banni’s current focus is bringing mindfulness into the classroom to both teachers and students. She is the author of How Do You See the World? a mindfulness book for children accompanied with a complete mindfulness curriculum. Her training includes with the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley, The Holistic Life Foundation, Yoga Calm, Mindful Schools, along with Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, and Rolf Gates. 

Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at University of Georgia. She directs the Georgia Attitude, Bias, and Behavior Acquisition Lab (GABBA Lab) and examines how attitudes, biases, and nonverbal behaviors are established, maintained, and facilitated through subtle messages present in everyday life. More specifically, she studies how situational cues in our social environments shape our attitudes and behavior toward other individuals and groups. Her research on social attitudes and biases have been featured in Forbes, Washington Post, KQED and other media outlets.

Christina Pirello is the Emmy Award-Winning television personality of Christina Cooks. She has authored seven cookbooks, including Cooking the Whole Foods Way, which was named the "Healthiest Cookbook of the Decade" by the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. Christina also lectures as a professor of culinary arts and nutrition, at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. She holds a Masters Degree in Nutrition and received the 2020 Philadelphia Award for Health Food. 

Lindsay Miles is a passionate zero-waste and plastic-free living spokesperson, author and educator who helps people to find more meaningful lives with less waste and less stuff. She has been sharing ideas and strategies on her popular website, Treading My Own Path, since 2013, and has been featured across international media including BBC, The Guardian,TEDx, ABC and more. She gives talks and workshops to encourage others to embrace change, reconnect with their values and make a positive impact on the world around them. 

Sharon Palmer is a registered dietitian and nutritionist (RDN) with more than 18 years of experience in plant-based nutrition and sustainability. She has written over 1,000 articles in a variety of publications, including Better Homes and Gardens, Oprah, and LA Times and author of plant diet books: The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health, Beginning Today, Plant-Powered for Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps & 125 Delicious Recipes. If transitioning to a plant-based diet is an important goal, this is the episode for you.

Michelle "Lani" Shiota is a social psychologist and associate professor at Arizona State University, where she directs the Shiota Psycho-Physiology Lab for Affective Testing. Her research and publications focus on positive emotion, positive reappraisal, aging and emotion, and emotion in close relationships. She is lead author of the textbook "Emotion" and co-editor of the "Handbook of Positive Emotions.” Her research on awe has been featured in leading media outlets including, Oprah, New York Times and Psychology Today. 

Danielle Dixson is a marine biologist and associate professor of the School of Marine Science and Policy, at University of Delaware. Her research and conservation work have been featured in leading media outlets including BBC, NPR, National Geographic, Nova documentary film. She has been a contributing writer for the National Geographic, creator of the Sea Story books and speaker at the US Senate and House of Representatives.