Chloe Angyal is a young feminist writer who grew up in Sydney, Australia. She blogs at Feministing.com, and her writing has been published in The Guardian, Slate, Salon and Foreign Policy Magazine. Chloe lives in New York, where she is currently researching and writing her doctoral dissertation, a feminist analysis of romantic comedies. She is also a research fellow at the Journalism and Media Research Centre at Sydney's University of New South Wales.

Amy Benson LOVED BODIES, BIG IDEAS Contest winner. She is a proud body outlaw. After twelve years of unsuccessful dieting and nasty self-loathing, Amy experienced a revolutionary attitude adjustment to accept her body the way it is. She has promoted shelter services for transgender victims of domestic violence in the Philadelphia area, and currently hosts a Sex Positive Discussion Group once a month in Berkeley.

Jimmie Briggs conceived of and founded the Man Up Campaign, a global initiative to activate young people to stop violence against women and girls in their communities through music, sports and technology. He is also the author of the award-winning Innocents Lost: When Child Soldiers Go To War and is currently working on a book called The Wars Women Fight: Dispatches from A Father to His Daughter that examines violence against women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Guatemala. He has also worked for the UN Special Session on Children, Seeds of Peace, Oxfam USA, Amnesty International and the Enough Project in the DRC. Further, Briggs has served as an adjunct professor of investigative journalism at the New School for Social Research, and was a George A. Miller Visiting Professor in the Department of African and African-American Studies at the University of Illinois: Champaign-Urbana.

Deb Burgard, Ph.D. is a psychologist specializing in eating disorders, sexuality, and relationships.  She is one of the founders of the Health at Every Size (HAES) approach, and creator of www.BodyPositive.com.   Deeply interested in both stigma and body image, and how people change culture and find a way to cherish the bodies they were taught to demonize, she uses these lessons in her clinical work with people suffering from various forms of body estrangement. Her research asks, what helps people of all sizes develop sustainable health practices that last?  She co-wrote Great Shape: The First Fitness Guide for Large Women in 1988, and has contributed to several major anthologies, including Feminist Perspectives on Eating Disorders, Effective Clinical Practice in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, and The Fat Studies Reader, and is co-author of the Academy for Eating Disorders' “Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs.”

Sayantani DasGupta is physican and writer, originally trained in pediatrics and public health, currently a faculty member in the master's program in narrative medicine at Columbia University and the graduate program in Health Advocacy at Sarah Lawrence College. She teaches courses on illness and disability memoir, and narrative, health and social justice. Sayantani's scholarly work in the field of feminist health science studies, most recently looking at transnational surrogacy, what's been called the Indian 'wombs for rent' phenomenon. She is a widely published and nationally recognized speaker on issues of narrative, health care, race, gender and medical education. She is the co-author ofThe Demon Slayers and Other Stories: Bengali Folktales, the author of a memoir about her education at Johns Hopkins, and the co-editor of an award winning collection of women's illness narratives Stories of Illness and Healing: Women Write their Bodies.

Katrin Eismann is an internationally recognized artist, author, and educator who has been working with digital imaging tools since 1989.  She has authored numerous books on digital imaging and digital photography including: Real World Digital Photography; Photoshop Masking & Compositing; Photoshop Restoration & Retouching; and The Creative Digital Darkroom. Katrin co-founded and chairs the Masters of Professional Studies in Digital Photography department at the School of Visual Arts in NYC, which is offered as both in-classroom and online/summer residency versions. Katrin speaks German and English and has taught and presented in Europe, Asia, South America, and throughout North America.

Emme is a supermodel, television personality, author, lecturer, creative director for her clothing lines, and nationally recognized women’s advocate for positive body image and self esteem. People magazine selected her twice as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" and Ladies’ Home Journal chose her as one of the "Most Important Women in America" and one of the "Most Fascinating Women of the Year." Currently, Emme is the spokesperson for Kemin Foods, FloraGlo brand and founder of EmmeNation.com, the revolutionary interactive resource forum for women of all ages to ignite a body+mind+spirit transformation of their own. In 2010 Emme served as a body image and media expert on the 10th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts Research Institute and the NEDA & STOP Obesity Alliance. Emme hosted Fox’s dating competition series,MORE TO LOVE, from Executive producer Mike Fleiss (The Bachelor and The Bachelorette) and E! Entertainment Television’s "Fashion Emergency."

Dr. Katherine Flegal is a Distinguished Consultant at the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  She is also an adjunct professor at the School of Public Health, University of North Carolina.  Her primary research interests are in the epidemiology of obesity and related conditions, and she has published widely in this area.  Her current interests include tracking the prevalence of obesity in the United States and investigating the association of weight with mortality.   

Charreah Jackson is an editor and educator based in New York City and a mission of spreading a little love. She currently serves as the Associate Editor at Heart & Soul magazine. Charreah is a proud feminist and board member of the Journalism & Women Symposium. As a certified family life educator, she provides healthy relationships workshops to colleges, through her company Studio Social.

Jean Kilbourne is the author of the award-winning book Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel and So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids. The prize-winning films based on her lectures include Killing Us Softly, Spin the Bottle, and Slim Hopes. She is a frequent guest on radio and television programs, including “The Today Show” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” She has served as an advisor to the Surgeon General and has testified for the U.S. Congress. She holds an honorary position as Senior Scholar at the Wellesley Centers for Women.

Michael Kimmel is among the leading researchers and writers on men and masculinity in the world today. His most recent book, Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men (2008) is a best-selling investigation of young people’s lives today, based on interviews with more than 400 young men, ages 16-26. His book, Manhood in America: A Cultural History (1996) was hailed as the definitive work on the subject. Kimmel is a Professor of Sociology at SUNY Stony Brook, and lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family.

Deb Lemire is a LOVED BODIES, BIG IDEAS Contest winner. She is the founder of Queen Bee Productions, producing staged works that advocate for women. She currently serves as President of The Association for Size Diversity and Health, an international professional organization whose members and leaders are commited to the "Health at Any Size" approach to health and wellness.

Courtney E. Martin’s Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: How the Quest for Perfection is Harming Young Women led her to speak at over 50 colleges and universities across the nation. Arianna Huffington called it a "hardcover punch in the gut" and the New York Times called it "smart and spirited." Last year, Seal Press published Courtney’s anthology, co-edited with J. Courtney Sullivan, entitled CLICK: When We Knew We Were Feminists and Beacon Press published Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists in which Courtney profiles eight young people doing diverse kinds of social justice work. She is also an editor at Feministing.com, the most highly read feminist publication in the world and a Senior Correspondent for The American Prospect. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Mother Jones, the Christian Science Monitor, Glamour, and a variety of anthologies, among other publications. Courtney also co-wrote the life story of AIDS activist Marvelyn Brown, called The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive. She is the Summit Coordinator for Endangered Species.

Wendy Naugle is the Executive Editor of GLAMOUR, the most celebrated women’s magazine in America today, having won more than 170 journalism awards. Naugle spearheaded the magazine’s nationally recognized heart health awareness campaign, and her stories on subjects ranging from breast implants to health insurance to reproductive rights have won top honors, including a National Magazine Award for Personal Service, a National Press Club Consumer Journalism award and multiple Exceptional Merit in Media Awards, among others. Naugle has discussed women’s health and lifestyle issues on industry and community panels, and has appeared on Today, Good Morning America,Entertainment Tonight and CNN. Prior to joining GLAMOUR, she worked at Ladies’ Home Journal, Family Life and American Baby.

Susie Orbach has been a body activist for over 35 years. She co-founded The Women’s Therapy Centre, London, in 1976 and The Women’s Therapy Centre Institute, New York, in 1981 and is convenor of Anybody and Endangered Species-UK. The author of 11 books, her titles include the classic Fat is a Feminist Issue, along with other such influential texts as Hunger Strike, The Impossibility of Sex and her latest bookBodies, which proposes new theory on how we acquire a body. Susie is a psychoanalyst with a clinical practise seeing individuals and couples.

Rachel Rodgers, Ph.D. LOVED BODIES, BIG IDEAS Contest winner. She is a Fulbright Scholar at Northeastern University in Boston, and has previously studied in England, France, Italym, and Australia. She is the author of over 30 scientific articles or book chapters focusing on family influences on body image, disordered eating, and personality disorders.

Chanda Rule is an inspirational soul artist and interfaith minister. Her CDs include LikeWaterMusic. With feet rooted in gospel, a heart filled with soul, and a voice touched with jazz, she has been weaving stories through song, humming melodies, and bending words since her childhood. Chandra loves to proclaim that music is God's healing balm for the human spirit and uses music to celebrate, honor and cultivate self-love, worthiness and the downright sacred wholeness of every being.

Wendy Shanker's humorous, hopeful memoir about women and body image, The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life (Bloomsbury USA) changed the way women around the world relate to their weight and bodies. It has been published in ten languages including Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese and Polish (but not French – because French women don’t get fat). Wendy’s byline has appeared in Glamour, Self, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Us Weekly (Fashion Police), alternative mags like Bust and Bitch, and on MTV. She is also the scriptwriter for major events like Glamour’s Woman of the Year Awards, The National Magazine Awards, and The GLAAD Media Awards. Her latest book is Are You My Guru?: How Medicine, Meditation & Madonna Saved My Life.

Rachel Simmons is an internationally acclaimed author and educator. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls and The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence.

Suzannah Snell was born and raised in Montpelier, Vermont. Her parents were both teachers and always encouraged her art, helping cultivate her into the artist she is today. Suzannah attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and received a BFA of fine arts in 2004. Her body image awareness campaign was inspired by personal experience and a socially conscious design class where she did her senior thesis under her favorite professor, Mary Ann Casem. Currently she is the Art Director at Superfly productions, a concert promoter that produces large scale music and food festivals. She's been working in the music industry for ten years and loves music, painting & design. Additionally she enjoys nature, hiking, reading and time with friends.

Leonore Tiefer, PhD is Associate Clinical Professor in the Psychiatry Department at the NYU School of Medicine. She is author, educator, researcher, therapist and feminist activist in sexology and has keynoted conferences around the world.  In 2000 Dr. Tiefer initiated the Campaign for a New View of Women's Sexual Problems [http://newviewcampaign.org] to challenge the medicalization of sexuality, especially as orchestrated by Big Pharma. Her media and FDA appearances have spread the word about disease-mongering. She is the author of Sex Is Not a Natural Act (2nd edition, Westview, 2004) and many other works.  

Erica Watson is an actor, stand-up comedian at clubs around the country, and film/television director.   In 2009, she appeared in the Oprah Winfrey/Lee Daniels film "Precious," following starring in the feature film "Dirty Laundry."   Most recently, Watson hosted a segment for The Fashion Team on TV Guide Network and is a featured commentator/pundit for The Dr. Phil Show, the TV Guide Network, The WE Channel and BET. Her 1 woman show “Fat Bitch!” which she also directs is currently touring across the US and tackles America’s obsession with weight and stereotypes of African-American women. In 2010, "Fat Bitch!" was nominated for a Chicago Black Theater Alliance Award and curated at The Brooklyn Museum for Target First Saturdays.

Meggan Watterson has her Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Masters of Divinity from Columbia University. She is the founder of REVEAL, an organization that spiritually empowers women to connect to the love within them, reclaim their bodies as sacred, and become soul-led agents of change in the world. Meggan leads the REDLADIES, a REVEAL initiative, which provides REVEALers with spiritual community. (Some break bread together, REDLADIES break dark chocolate. Smile.)