Bianca Connolly is a writer, designer and wellness practitioner. She has worked as a copywriter for many brands in NYC including Google, J.Crew, Razorfish, Intermix, Moda Operandi, and more, and has written for publications such as Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, and Spirit of St. Barth. When she's not writing, she's working on her lifestyle creative studio, Casa Bien. Bianca a sensitive seeker looking to take a big bite out of life, and is focused on ways to create and appreciate beauty in its many forms. She recently relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida, and is always ready for her next travel adventure.
Deborah Cort: Over the past ten years I’ve been drawn to study in the esoteric and metaphysical realms. I have worked as a Spiritual Mentor/Holistic Health Coach since 2014 and I’ve earned certifications in Spiritual Mentoring, Eating Psychology - Mind Body Nutrition, Integrative Nutrition; training in astrology and Conscious Relationships, as well as being an Interfaith Minister, Reiki Master practitioner, and SoulCollage facilitator.
My guiding principle is: it’s time that we women claim our magnificence, step into the life that is waiting to be lived, and cultivate a nourishing relationship with food, body, and life.
Natasha D’Souza is a business journalist, educator, leadership coach, speaker and contributor to Fortune Magazine and Harvard Business Review.
Her reportage, speaking and research spans the breadth of creativity, innovation, leadership, modern-day careers and what it takes to be a domain-changer. She is passionate about how modern day professionals can embrace their distinctive brilliance and create a life and career dedicated to their true north.
Following her own “true north,” Natasha pivoted forayed into journalism after a diversified and high-octane career in business intelligence, international news, investor relations and strategic communications at leading institutions in London, Washington, DC and Dubai.
She has interviewed some of the most brilliant minds of our time including former CEO of Apple, John Sculley; bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell, Founder of Acumen and one of Forbes Greatest Living Business Minds, Jacqueline Novogratz; among many others.
Natasha studied public health and international economics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was a North Carolina Fellow and holds a certificate in marketing strategy from Cornell University.
Kimberly Escamilla is a writer, poet, and educator. She has taught college level literature, composition, and creative writing since 1994. Her work has been published in the Portland Review, The Red Wheelbarrow, Huffington Post, The Cimarron Review and several other journals. She is a meditation instructor and you can find her meditations on Insight Timer. In 2022 she started her business Between Breath and Sea, where she offers wellness and support courses for moms of exceptional children, women survivors of trauma and beginning writers of all varieties. Kimberly lives in Cabuya, Costa Rica, where she is working on her forthcoming memoir Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.
Melisine is a pro photographer, astrologer, and Gateless Teacher, who is passionate about helping Gateless writers and teachers share themselves and their work beautifully!
She has taught and coached many Gateless writers and teachers on visual storytelling, creating an online presence (websites, social media), and discovering a unique, personalized strategy to build a dream life and career (integrating Mel’s expertise in Astrology, Astrocartography, and Human Design).
Mel’s philosophy:
“Instead of following someone else’s formula, you can learn to step into your highest reality and goals in a way that aligns with your unique strengths and personality. Together we can illuminate how you can be your most magnetic, vibrant self.”
Mel has been a guest teacher and coach for several Gateless Teachers’ writing salon groups and has also been a Luminary in the Gateless Academy.
Mel’s websites:
Portfolio 📸 melisinestudio.com
Visual Storytelling Education 💖 melisine.com
Astrology, Astrocartography, and Human Design ✨melisine.com/astrology
Meg McIntyre is a writer, editor, and journalist with more than six years of experience wrangling words. Her byline has appeared in Input, WBUR, New England Public Media, The Daily Yonder, and NBC Boston, among other publications, and her reporting has been honored by press associations representing New Hampshire and New England. Through her company, McIntyre Editorial Services, Meg works as a developmental editor and coach for self-published and querying authors as well as a consultant for the Solutions Journalism Network. Outside of her literary pursuits, she can be found watching "Murder, She Wrote," stitching an embroidery project, or snuggling with her Calico cat, Penny.
Megan Mitchell: I am a Sagittarius, gen-X, Democrat. I am a mom, a wife, a daughter, an aunt, a cousin, and various kinds of in-law. I love making art, singing in close harmony, and creating fun, engaging experiences for friends. I make really nice popcorn on the stove and like to take tennis lessons. I grew up just south of Albany, NY and now live in Princeton, NJ. I have also lived in New Hampshire, Vermont, NYC and San Francisco. My professional life has been in and around Interior Design. I hold a BA from Dartmouth, an MFA from Pratt and an MS in Interior Architecture and Design from Drexel.
Terry Moore is a comedian and award-winning writer for CBS, NPR, Scholastic, AT&T, Grey Advertising, McCann World, MTV & TV Land Digital. Performing stand-up comedy for over 10 years, she has worked with notable performers such as Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black, Judy Gold, Chelsea Peretti and Michelle Buteau. She also studied improvisation with Gary Austin, founder of The Groundlings.
Terry lives in New York City. Because she was surrounded by comedians who often showed the dark side of grief off the stage, she began to explore that dynamic of grief and comedy. She started to host grief writing workshops.
Presently, Terry travels the world as the Business Manager for a New York Times bestselling author and body-language expert. Terry loves travelling and spending time with her boss, however, Terry wants to get back in the spotlight.
Lauren Myers: Dreams gestating. Projects churning in my head. The push and pull of a children’s book, a Gateless group for boys, for girls, for LGBTQ + youth, for children with OCD. Truth hidden in the abstract. I enjoy Martinis and fine dining.
Iyabo Onipede is a facilitator, speaker, and consultant who curates deep dives into the heart of inclusion, equity, and racial justice. She is an effective community builder and seasoned equity consultant with a commitment to creating spaces of belonging.
Iyabo's work opens pathways for organizations to build just and equitable environments through education, experiential and guided self-reflections and the facilitation of challenging exchanges. Her high-touch customized workshops use compassion, storytelling, and education for participants to shift identities into mutuality and accountability while creating and sustaining spaces of belonging.
Shaped by her biracial and multicultural immigrant background, iyabo’s #1 priority is dissolving the harm that Black, as well as Non-Black people experience because of racism and the hierarchical structure of the dominant culture. An educator, iyabo has a law degree from Georgetown University and a Master of Divinity from Emory University. She also administers assessments related to organizational development, emotional intelligence, intercultural development, and the Enneagram.
iyabo also serves as the Co-Director of a nonprofit grassroots organization, Compassionate Atlanta, where she delights in loving on her diverse and eclectic community and where she is the most comfortable in her own skin. Iyabo's home on the web is www.iamiyabo.com and you can connect with her at hello@iamiyabo.com.
Graciela Rasor is a wellness entrepreneur, healer & intuitive. She's passionate about activating energetic excellence in her clients and the world around her through tools like spirit work, the written word, Human Design, channeling, energy healing and breathwork. As practical as she is spiritual, Graciela comes from a New York marketing agency background and loves a good Excel spreadsheet as much as a Reiki cleanse. She lives in Queens with her fiance, new puppy, a 40-pound rose quartz crystal and an extensive DVR library of old Real Housewives episodes.
Kelley Colihan Robertson is a former journalist who spent decades in radio and television newsrooms in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. She mainly covered national and international news. Late in her career she wrote and produced documentaries for CNN’s Medical Unit. She now leads Avolve Wellness- a health coaching, yoga and retreat company. She is writing creative nonfiction and the occasional poem and helps her autistic son make his dreams of going to college a reality. She lives in Georgia with her husband, son and pups.