Originally from South Jersey, Vanessa's life and recovery is based in North Jersey where she now resides.
With a degree in communications and public relations, Vanessa understands the importance of connection and of forging strong relationships in all aspects of life. She is a strong advocate for addiction and recovery working very closely with the Governor Christies office on the ReachNJ campaign as well as with the President's task force combating addiction.
She has found her purpose through the process of recovery which is to spread the hope she has found to others. Vanessa's story.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -Gandhi
Dr. Gordon Chiu is a visionary, an inventor, an entrepreneur, a public speaker, a lecturer, a corporate advisor, a husband, a father and an educator. As an entrepreneur, he is known as "an execution driven businessman". As an inventor, he has a series of patents and collaborations with multiple universities in several countries. He gave his first Tedx talk in 2014 in the field of graphene and identified that the lack of creativity in education and teamwork amongst governments is a threat to graphene's success within this century. Dr. Gordon Chiu is engaged in the discovery and research of graphene at a variety of globally acclaimed academic institutions. He is the founding partner of Grafoid Inc. As one who is interested in blending technology, science and cutting edge knowledge to create breakthroughs around the world, his skills range from a former research scientist at Pfizer and Merck & Co. to solid business links with Wall Street and Asia.
Daryl Davis is an American R&B and Blues musician, author, actor and bandleader, known for his energetic style of Boogie Woogie piano. Davis has played with such musicians as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Bruce Hornsby, and Bill Clinton. His efforts to improve race relations, in which as an African-American he engaged with members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), have been reported on by media such as CNN and the Washington Post. Davis summed up his advice as: "Establish dialogue. When two enemies are talking, they're not fighting." Daryl received rave reviews for his stage roles in William Saroyan’s The Time Of Your Life with a famed cast of Marcia Gay Harden, Brigid Cleary, Richard Bauer, Dion Anderson, and Henry Strozier. Davis was a key player in Elvis Mania which was extended by two months due to popular demand in New York City at an off-Broadway theatre. He appeared in two episodes of the critically acclaimed HBO series, The Wire. Davis is the author of the nonfiction book Klan-Destine Relationships and he is the subject of the documentary Accidental Courtesy.
Sarah Stevenson is a thought-leader in the emerging immersive technologies and artificial intelligence space. She leads partnerships for Live Planet, an end-to-end virtual reality distribution system created by the founder of CNET and facilitates AI research for KurzweilAI Network owned by Ray Kurzweil, Director of Engineering at Google. Previously, she co-founded a full-service 360 video production company, REVRIE Immersive; led strategic partnerships for VRLA, the world’s largest virtual and augmented reality expo; was a LaunchPad Fellow at Oculus; served as AES Session Chair for the first Audio for VR conference; and has consulted on the subject of emerging technologies to clients such as Spotify, The Economist, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, DCTV and NYU. She founded Women in VR/AR NYC and DC in 2015.
Prior to her start in VR/AR and AI, she received her BA in Mass Communication from the University of Delaware and served as Marketing Director for several DC startups and the George Washington University. She developed a keen interest in emerging tech after working for TechCast Global, a DC think tank, where she led foresight strategic initiatives for top corporations and government agencies.
Sarah is passionate about the intersection between immersive technology and the music/entertainment field, as well as the use of technology to solve public policy issues. She has given talks on these subjects at SXSW, the Association of Independent Music, SVVR, and for Intel IQ Magazine.
Regina Asmutis-Silvia is the Executive Director and Senior Biologist for Whale and Dolphin Conservation- North America. She has undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry and a graduate degree in biology. She has been active in whale research, conservation and education since 1990. Regina currently sits on the federally appointed Atlantic Large Whale, Harbor Porpoise, Bottlenose Dolphin, and Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Teams.
Conservation Biologist Blaine Rothauser is a Senior Natural Resource Specialist and Conservation Biologist with GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., a nationally recognized environmental consulting firm. He is also a professional wildlife photographer whose images have graced the pages of natural history magazines, books, corporate reports and calendars. Blaine works extensively in New Jersey on conservation management planning and design, threatened and endangered (T&E) species analysis, regulatory permitting, bio-ecologic inventories, and environmental impact studies. In addition to 26 years as a professional ecologist, Blaine brings a passion for his home state’s iconic natural history which he readily shares in captivating and visually-rich presentations to everyone from corporate to community groups to students. With an optimism – and field based evidence -- that today’s compromised environmental conditions can be reversed, he has been known to say, “Give nature an inch and it will take a yard, an acre, and a preserve!”
Richard Lee serves as Director of Church Mobilization for International Justice Mission, equipping churches and communities by sharing the biblical call to seek justice, introducing them to IJM’s work, and mobilizing them to engage in both local and global ministry.
Before joining IJM, Richard served as a Pastor at Liquid Church at their campus in Mountainside, New Jersey and as Lead Pastor at Bethany Well Church in Fort Lee, NJ. He also started and led 2 networks for pastors, providing accountability and encouragement for local pastors. For the last 20 years, his passion for preaching has taken him to churches all across the nation. He currently serves as an Advisory Board member for One Days Wages, a global poverty organization.
Richard received his degree in Mathematics from Columbia College (NYC) and his M.Div from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He resides in New Jersey with his wife, Theresa and their two children.
Wyclef Jean is an accomplished musician, skilled producer, dedicated humanitarian and Haitian refugee. Jean has sold over 100 million albums, has received three Grammy Awards® and knows how to play seven instruments. Jean formed legendary Hip Hop group the Fugees. Wyclef has evolved an iconic catalogue of hits such as "Gone Till November", "Hips Don't Lie" and "Sweetest Girl" and produced award winning hits for artists such as Carlos Santana and Whitney Houston. Wyclef's latest EP J'ouvert has accumulated over 100 million streams worldwide. His first album in eight years, Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee, drops September 15, 2017.
Even after raising to international fame, Jean has never forgotten where he’s come from. Wyclef has a deep sense of Haitian pride as well as a passion for public service and social activism. Wyclef has been activist for many causes as well as a big supporter of his homeland, Haiti, and a key player in improving the country’s image throughout the world.