Active Minds Speakers

Dayna Altman

She/Her

Dayna Altman is an energetic and dynamic mental health speaker, entrepreneur, author, and advocate. The full force and sole operator of Bake it Till You Make it LLC, Dayna harvests her passion for mental health advocacy by using food and baking to create an authentic recipe for vulnerable storytelling. A nationally recognized mental health leader by the Biden-Harris administration, a dual graduate of Northeastern University, and an active Boston community member, Dayna has experience both working in the mental health field and with youth-based non-profits. Dayna is the author of four mental health cookbooks and the subject of an award winning recovery documentary. Currently, Dayna pursues writing poetry, documentary filmmaking and creating art as a means to explore new ways to change the world using her own story.

Meet Dayna

Kevin Berthia

He/Him

Kevin Berthia is a Suicide Survivor, Advocate, and Speaker. Kevin pours his heart into sharing his powerful story of growing up in silence, always feeling the need to hide the unbearable pain he was in. Through high school and into his early twenties, Kevin was known as the life of the party. Until his very public suicide attempt at the Golden Gate Bridge changed everything. Since 2013 Kevin has captivated his audiences with his candidness about how he was able to overcome his pain and fully embrace himself in order to live his best life. He lives to inspire others to break their own silence and know that help is available.

Meet Kevin

Brandon Bond

He/Him

Brandon Bond, MPH, LLMSW, CHES (he/him), is a devoted advocate for mental health and well-being in the academic sphere, serving as a Mental Health and Well-Being Student Advocate at the University of Michigan (UM) within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. In this influential role, he diligently assesses student needs, advocates for systemic changes, and strategically develops initiatives to foster health-promoting environments and practices. Brandon’s educational journey reflects his unwavering commitment to interdisciplinary knowledge. With a BA in Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience, and International Studies: Global Environment & Health from UM, he continued to elevate his academic pursuits, earning a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior & Health Education with a specialization in Injury Science, along with an MSW in Global Social Work Practice and Management & Leadership.

Meet Brandon

Kevin Briggs

He/Him

Kevin Briggs shares his experiences while patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge as both an officer and a sergeant with the California Highway Patrol and includes his own personal story of physical and mental health challenges including recovery, military service, surviving the suicide of a loved one, divorce, and depression.

Briggs’ story has been featured in The New Yorker, People, and Men’s Health magazines and on The Steve Harvey Show and NPR’s Bob Edward’s Radio Show. Kevin also received the 2016 Visionary Leadership Award from the National Council for Behavioral Health.

Meet Kevin

Carli Bushoven

She/Her

Carli tragically lost her younger sister, Madison Holleran, to suicide on January 17, 2014, which was just two weeks after Carli’s first child was born. Beautiful, athletic, kind, and smart, Madison was thought by many to have “had it all.” Her death came as a shock to not only her family, but her friends, community, and people across the country – and became the catalyst for the NYTimes bestselling book “What Made Maddy Run?“ by Kate Fagan and published by Little, Brown and Company.

Meet Carli

Pablo Campos

He/Him

Pablo Campos grew up angry and frustrated. He discusses how he engaged in increasingly risky behaviors and polysubstance abuse, which led to an attempt to take his own life during his senior year of high school.

Today, with a clear diagnosis and a treatment plan, Pablo has begun his road to recovery. He talks about how stigma, cultural norms, and a lack of education affected him and how through help seeking, education, and a strong support network he has grown from being his own worst enemy to a powerful participant in his recovery.

He shares his story to encourage others to seek help, build peer support and to create a healthier sense of community.

Meet Pablo

Colleen Coffey

She/Her

Dr. Colleen Coffey has become a widely-sought speaker and consultant, devoted to showing audiences that mental health disorders are often a product of biology or environment, or both, and that recovery is possible, stigma is useless, and everyone holds the power to transform communities.

Meet Colleen

Donovan Taylor Hall

He/Him

Donovan aims to equip kids with tools to build positive relationships with themselves. A child’s positive self-identity will experience higher levels of life satisfaction, motivation, and self-determination. He is committed to the full development of kids, not just academics. Through social-emotional learning, educational psychology, and positive youth development, he has created programs and curriculum that aims to help kids become their own best friend. The point of the work is not to stop kids from struggling but instead to empower them to take care of themselves through the struggles that make them who they are. 

Meet Donovan

Dr. Kristen Lee

She/Her/They

Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, she/they, known as “Dr. Kris”, is an internationally recognized, award-winning behavioral science clinician, researcher educator, speaker, comedian, and activist from Boston, Massachusetts. As the Lead Faculty for Behavioral Science and Faculty-in-Residence at Northeastern University, Dr. Kris’s research and teaching interests include individual and organizational well-being and resilience, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations. Dr. Kris works with organizations and leaders around the world on how to use the science of behavioral change and human potential to build healthy mental health cultures that help prevent burnout and promote organizational and human sustainability. She is the author of RESET: Make the Most of Your Stress, Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Motivational Book of 2015, best-selling Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking-Learn What it Takes to be More Agile, Mindful and Connected in Today’s World, and Worth the Risk: How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More, and Offer Yourself to the World. Dr. Kris is the host of Crackin’ Up: Where Therapy Meets Comedy. She is a regular contributor for Psychology Today and Thrive Global. Dr. Kris’s work has been featured on NPR, Ted, Forbes, Fast Company, and CBS radio. Her TedX talk, The Risk You Must Take, has over 313 K views.

Meet Dr. Kris

Alison Malmon

She/Her

Alison Malmon defines herself as a sister first. When her big brother Brian died by suicide during her freshman year of college, Alison was devastated – and was left with more questions than answers. Why him? Why hadn’t she known how much he was struggling?

Turning tragedy into action, she started a group on her campus at the University of Pennsylvania to give students like herself the platform and tools to change the conversation about mental health. Now, more than 15 years later, Alison has cultivated that small student group into the internationally recognized nonprofit organization, Active Minds.

Alison shares her story to inspire others to speak out and be heard, to not suffer in silence, and to help fight the stigma surrounding mental illness, and continues to inspire audiences with her story and calls to action.

Meet Alison

Jade Mathis, Esq.

She/Her

Jade Ellis Mathis, Esq., also known as “The Resilient JEM”, is an attorney, TEDx speaker, mental health advocate, and television personality. While following in the footsteps of her father, host of the Emmy Award-winning Judge Mathis Show, Jade experienced several obstacles and setbacks on her challenging road to becoming an attorney. After receiving a life-changing diagnosis of clinical depression, ADHD, and a learning disorder her junior year in college, she was determined to change the way the world views mental health. Jade’s bold, authentic, and unapologetic approach to addressing mental health is admired and respected by many. In 2016, she gained national notoriety after sharing her story of resilience and perseverance in her viral testimony “Don’t Quit, Anything can Happen” video with over 900k views.

Meet Jade

Aisha Moore

She/Her

When it comes to helping professionals get serious about self-care, no one does it better than Aisha Moore. As Chief Wellness Officer and founder of Self-Care by Aisha, she has taught countless people how to put themselves first and avoid burnout through life-changing self-care practices. Since launching her business 8 years ago, Aisha has channeled her “been-there- done-that” expertise into developing an action-inducing curriculum that helps people get serious about self-care so they can work less, rest more, and spend meaningful time with the people who matter most.

Meet Aisha

Stacy Pershall

She/Her

Born in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, at a time and place when mental health treatment was rarely spoken about, and even more rarely available, Stacy’s early symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder went largely unnoticed for years. Fortunately, both Stacy and Arkansas have learned a lot since then.

As a suicide attempt survivor, Stacy found dialectical behavior therapy after moving to New York City and proved to herself and others that it is possible to recover from BPD. Her presentation focuses on bullying (including cyber-bullying), eating disorders, distinguishing Borderline Personality Disorder from Bipolar Disorder, the power of mental health activism, and body modification as a healing agent.

Meet Stacy

Kai Roberts

He/Him

In his high energy “Mental Health Through Music” presentation, Kai tells the story of his battle with panic attacks and Generalized Anxiety Disorder through interactive dialogue and hip-hop music. From the beginning, the audience is engrossed in the origins of his anxiety, gradually taking the journey into his emotions, through his disorder, and into his recovery. Be prepared for good music, meaningful messages, and an overall good time.

Meet Kai

David Romano

He/Him

When David Romano began to feel the early symptoms of depression in middle school, he thought everyone felt that way, and that it was part of growing up. When he reached tenth grade and depression turned into a sense of darkness enveloping him, David assumed that he was failing everyone, including himself, and that he wasn’t the man he was supposed to be.

The popular student and multi-sport athlete tried to maintain his outward image as the fun, goofy kid, and used sports and other activities to cover his inner struggle. A mental health checklist he read in health class shone a light on his symptoms, and he began a treatment plan under the care of a professional.

After some ups and downs, he found the right combination of medication and therapy, and has focused his energies on self-healing and spreading awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.

Meet David

Anthony Sartori

He/Him

In March 2020, Anthony founded Evolving Minds, a mental health nonprofit with the mission to create a culture of care. Anthony has developed innovative workplace mental health programs that center social connection, community, and organizational culture; essential ingredients of a healthy workplace. He has trained over 1,500 program graduates across industries, from nonprofits, to public education, philanthropy, retail, government, and universities. His programs have demonstrated compelling impact – including an over 30% reduction in symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, a 57% reduction in absenteeism (employee call outs) and an 83% increase in empathy.

Meet Anthony

Abraham Sculley

He/Him

Abraham Sculley is the founder of Speaks 2 Inspire, bestselling author, podcaster, advocate, and Active Minds Speaker on a mission to eradicate mental health stigma. He developed a passion for mental health from his battle with depression during college. Shortly after, Abraham received his degree in Psychology and set on a mission to impact audiences across the country by sharing his story. He has collaborated with many organizations to create safe spaces for honest conversations about mental health and illness. Today, he partners with higher education leaders, school professionals, and student leaders to support young adult mental health and wellbeing.

Meet Abraham

Greg Vogt

He/Him

In his raw and transformational speeches, Greg unfolds his journey from living a typical childhood to battling depression, suicide attempts, and spending a year in a mental health treatment center.  A story of personal recovery and healing, Greg faces unexpected external obstacles when he experiences the tragic loss of his favorite high school teacher by suicide, and then of one of his best college friends in a car accident.

The road to recovery began during his time at a mental health center as a teenager, where he had been sent when his mental health became life-threatening. There, Greg discovered the power of vulnerability, the importance of real relationships, and the act of admitting faults. While in the treatment center, he realized the opportunity he had to pursue a path of mental wellness.

Meet Greg

Frank Warren

He/Him

Frank Warren, “The Most Trusted Stranger in America” and founder of PostSecret.com, travels around the country, sharing a collection of highly personal secrets on artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world.

From deep family secrets to funny reflections, Warren has seen it all. He discusses how he started the project, his own secrets, why the blog has changed lives and brought people together, and why he has made suicide awareness part of his life’s work.

Audiences will also get to see postcards that were banned from the books and have the opportunity to share their own secrets live during the interactive program.

Meet Frank

Ivy Watts

She/Her

Ivy Watts, a former All-American student-athlete, initially seemed to have it all together, graduating Summa Cum Laude and securing a spot as a top 30 finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. However, behind this façade of success, she grappled daily with anxiety, self-worth issues, and depression. After finally seeking help, Ivy, now Mental Health First Aid Certified, has dedicated herself to promoting mental wellness and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. As a captivating public speaker, author, and the founder of the blog, “Beautifully Simply You,” Ivy shares her personal journey, serving as an inspiration for others to confront their mental health challenges. She is also the author of “You Are Worth Fighting For,” a transformative book providing valuable tools for introspection, fostering mental wellness, and cultivating self-love. Ivy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of New Haven and a Masters in Public Health from Boston University. Through her impactful work, Ivy has empowered over 200,000 students, administrators, coaches, parents, and employees, instilling in them the profound importance of self-love and self-care, both for personal well-being and as a means of supporting others.

Meet Ivy

Na Eun “Jiggy” Yoon

She/Her

Na Eun “Jiggy” Yoon is a Mental Health Motivational Speaker teaching students, athletes, and young professionals how to perform at their most optimal level WHILE ALSO inspiring them to prioritize their mental health, so that they can continue building their legacy AND enjoy their quality of life — during and after graduating. She is also a Mindset & Performance Coach helping competitive athletes and World Champions build strategies to obtain sustainable, successful, and healthy careers. Additionally, Jiggy is the Founder of Vulnerability Is Dope, an apparel collection with a meaningful message.

Meet Jiggy

Michael Zibilich

He/Him

Over the last four years, Michael has spoken about suicide awareness to thousands of university students throughout the United States. His message is simple – In the fight against suicide, all of us must consider ourselves as first responders, in our own lives and in the lives of those we know and love.

Michael is a commercial real estate executive who resides with his wife, Gayle, in Atlanta, Georgia. Tragically, on April 21, 2012, they lost their only child, Michael “Keller” Zibilich – a second semester Sigma Chi freshman at LSU –  to suicide

Meet Michael