Daniel Maté is an award-winning musical theatre songwriter, playwright, educator, and “mental chiropractor.” Maté received the Edward Kleban Prize for Most Promising Lyricist in American Musical Theatre, a Jonathan Larson Foundation Grant, and the ASCAP Foundation’s Cole Porter Award for Excellence in Music and Lyrics. He has presented his work at the Kennedy Center and New York’s Lincoln Center, and was an invited participant in the inaugural Johnny Mercer Writers Colony. As an educator, Daniel led the Vancouver edition of the Canadian Musical Theatre Writers Collective’s Writers’ Workshop, the first training program of its kind in Western Canada for musical theatre creators.MORE: otbseries.com/podcasts

Emma Rothman grew up in Cranford, NJ. In 2011, Emma received a life-saving heart transplant in New York City and was forced to surrender to the messiness of her life. Before her transplant, Emma was an active athlete and student and after her transplant; Emma was still a student and athlete; but, she discovered a newfound energy to pursue a life that centered around not taking her health for granted. One month after her ten-year heart transplant anniversary, Emma had the privilege of graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Food Studies and Nutrition About the BookAt the age of twelve, Emma awoke one day in a hospital bed with no knowledge as to why she was there. She soon learned she had received a lifesaving heart transplant. Struggling to find the balance between being “normal” and chronically ill, and dealing with issues of body image, guilt, anger and ego, Emma found herself on a long journey to recovery that went beyond her physical health. Things My Therapist Doesn’t Want Me to Say, by Emma Rothman, is an intimate, unfiltered conversation between Emma and readers, who will follow along Emma’s journey as she tries to let go of finding a reason for all the chaos in her life. Emma explores feeling at home in her body while identifying as chronically ill, and engages readers by questioning the narrative of ‘anything is overcomable if you just try hard enough.’

Tova Friedman is a Polish American therapist, social worker, author, and academic. She is a Holocaust survivor who was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Friedman taught at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and later served as the director of the Jewish Family Service of Somerset and Warren Counties.MORE: otbseries.com

ZANE LANDINCEO of PositiveVibes MagazineZane is the CEO and founder of PositiveVibes Magazine, a digital magazine dedicated to mental health, positivity, and wellness. He recently founded Landing Dreams PR, a public relations agency for mental health, wellness, and spirituality.He was an intern with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, PRSA Foundation, and SAGE Publishing, and graduated with a degree in Communications and Public Relations at Cal Poly Pomona.PositiveVibes Magazine: https://positivevibesmag.com/Landing Dreams PR: https://www.landingdreamspr.com/

Oleksandr Elkin is the Head of Board and inspirer of EdCamp Ukraine, a strong 40,000 teachers’ professional development community. Prior to this Oleksandr managed Ukrainian and international EdTech projects, as well as held university academic and administrative positions training future computer scientists.https://www.edcamp.ua/

Elaine Miller-Karas has been called an "ambassador of hope" and a "resilience guru." She is an author, a social worker, a trauma therapist, a radio talk show host, a co-founder of an international organization, the Trauma Resource Institute, Inc., and a key developer of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. Her work has been mentioned in the LA Times, Forbes and Psychology Today.

A published author, dedicated educator, and recognized human resource professional, Dr. Raeleen Manjak is the Director of Human Resources (HR) for the City of Vernon, the recipient of the O.C. Tanner Lifetime Achievement Award in HR, and an award-winning Top 30 HR Professional in Canada. MORE: www.otbseries.com

Kelly’s lived experience with mental health diagnoses and trauma are at the center of her passion for transforming how we support individuals and change systems and services. She currently works in Peer Advocacy, Supports, and Services, where she is involved in promoting peer support, peer certification, youth and young adult leadership, and college mental health.She is passionate about trauma-informed care, peer support, consumer-led transformation, positive psychology, and civil rights. She serves in an advisory role to the Well Being Trust, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the Center for Law and Social Policy. She has spoken at many events, including The White House Making Health Care Better Series on Mental Health, and has been featured in media outlets including NBC Nightly News, The Mighty, Thrive Global, Yes! Magazine, and Mashable.In 2019, Kelly was awarded the Disruptive Innovator Award by the International Association of Peer Supporters, an award given to a young person making positive change in mental health through positive disruption.She is a certified yoga teacher and holds a certificate in Applied Positive Psychology from The Flourishing Center. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

Salimatou Doumbouya is a first-generation college student. She was born and raised in Guinea. She first graduated with an associate in Liberal Arts from the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), and then started her bachelor's degree in Architecture at the New York City College of Technology (City Tech). Salimatou started her leadership journey at BMCC as a student volunteer in the student government. Then she became an inducted member and executive board member of the National Society of leadership and success. At the same time, Salimatou was a mentor, which taught her how to interact with people and serve them on a one on one level. She later decided to become more involved in Student government and became a senator and chair of Activities, house of clubs and public relations. Students being involved on campus means more control over the decisions that affect their lives. At City tech, she became a senator for the school of Technology and Design and then Vice President of external affairs (VPEA). As VPEA she was able to connect City Tech with other CUNY campuses through the University Student Senate - opening the door for current and future collaborations. She has advocated for free public higher education with other student leaders; making sure that the fight for a more decent college environment continues.Salimatou is now running for the Presidency at City Tech to revive the campus spirit from the inside. She believes that college belongs to the students and wants them to reclaim ownership by increasing student engagement. City Tech has hosted some of the most impressive student leaders in CUNY and my goal is to increase that list by creating opportunities for every student to get involved and discover their own extracurricular passion.

As the Executive Director of Los Angeles County's Youth Commission, Alain partners with young adults, local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide a platform for policy, practice and service delivery that centers the lived experiences of people impacted by the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. His goal is to effect transformative change for youth in Los Angeles County and improve the services youth and young adults receive across the County.