Meet our Voices of the 21st Century – Unstoppable Women Standing Strong
Gail Watson is the Founder & CEO of Women Speakers Association, empowering women across the globe. She is dedicated to amplifying women’s voices, creating lifelong visibility opportunities, and building communities where messages inspire change. Gail’s vision is a world where every woman’s voice influences, uplifts, and leaves a lasting legacy..
Jackie Anderson, SHRM-CP, is a Talent Acquisition Leader, mentor, and coach. She empowers individuals of all identities and backgrounds to rise beyond adversity. Through powerful storytelling, authenticity, and encouragement, Jackie inspires audiences to reclaim their confidence and step boldly into their purpose—one confident stride at a time.
JackieSpeaks.com
Dr. Desi is a Doctor of Spirituality. If you’ve seen her in a previous collaborative book, you’ve met a different version of her because she never stops evolving. The hat changes; the mission doesn’t. In every iteration, she deepens what successful living looks and feels like for herself and everyone in her orbit.
LinkedIn.com/in/DrDesi
Annette Bacon is the founder of Transforming Minds Coaching, leadership coach, speaker, TV host, and educator. She helps women in leadership stop abandoning themselves, reclaim their worth, and lead with confidence, courage, and emotional intelligence, creating powerful transformations in their careers, relationships, and lives.
AnnetteBacon.com
Karen Barno has spent her life helping people heal, first as an Air Force medic, then as the founder and CEO of Arizona ALFA. Today, she is a bestselling author, shamanic practitioner, and creator of the Art of Discovering You: Find Your Blue Rose, guiding women to answer: Who am I?
KarenBarno.com
Laura Baxter is an award-winning international speaker, voice and leadership presence coach, TEDx Speaker, TEDx Coach, bestselling author, and publisher. Through The Voice for Leadership and Castle Mount Media, her mission is to help thought leaders find their voice, communicate with impact, and bring their ideas to the global stage.
Voice4Leadership.com
Jennifer M.A. Bernardo is a native of Guam of Chamorro-Filipino descent. She lives from a heart-centered place, guided by her faith in God, through life’s storms. Rooted in her love for her three children, she moves with compassion, grace, and resilience, inspiring others to discover inner strength and meaning in every challenge, with hope and courage.
suruhana@gmail.com
Dr. Renae Bjorg delightfully lights the path for all those who have not yet answered the call of their souls. Her passion is to help women awaken to their true nature and expand their consciousness. She empowers them to embrace and experience their exquisite beauty through love and creative self-expression.
IAmRenae.com
Barbara A. Boldt is an Executive Communication Skills Coach and owner of Boldt Global. She empowers introverted leaders to become authentic, impactful communicators. She is writing a book called Leap Land Live based on her experience of expatriating herself to Europe in her mid-thirties, to motivate women to take bold action.
BoldtGlobal.com
Edna Brinkley, PhD, is an award-winning licensed psychologist and Women’s Flourishing Strategist. She specializes in supporting women in leadership by helping them shift from depletion to empowerment while achieving even greater impact in their careers and relationships. A passionate Japanophile, she also loves neuroscience and Cathe Friedrich videos.
DrBEssentialSolutions.com
Heather Buzzard is the founder of BuzzardsKorner of Love, and host of a weekly YouTube channel, BuzzardsKorner. She is the author of three books, including her life memoir, Breaking Shame Reclaiming My Identity, a professional speaker, and an Empowerment/Personal Coach Healer. Spirituality and self-help are her areas of expertise. She is uplifting, encouraging, and inspirational!
BuzzardsKorner.com
Patrizia Cassaniti OAM is an international award-winning keynote speaker and safety advocate who transforms tragedy into powerful workplace safety education. After losing her son, Christopher, in a preventable scaffold collapse, she started Let’s Talk About Safety, inspiring organizations to prioritize accountability and remember the truth: no job is worth a life, ever.
LetsTalkAboutSafety.com.au
Noemi Ceapa is a branding expert and founder of The Consulting Studio. She mentors women entrepreneurs to build personal brands that reflect their real expertise and position them as recognized thought leaders. Before launching her consultancy, she spent twelve years building brands for Fortune 500 companies across four countries.TheConsultingStudio.vip
Kathy Clarkson is a WHS consultant with a passion for people who believes safety is personal, not just paperwork. She is committed to changing safety mindset by drawing on real-world experience, to help create workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and genuinely cared for.
KeyConsultationSolutions.com.au
Lt. Col. (ret) J.J. Conway is the first Black military physicist and vice chair of the City of Stephenville Board of Adjustment. She transforms communities through her Ladies of Wealth podcast, financial planning, and investment education. She is chair of Texas County Veterans and pastor of Abundance Family Life Center.
LadiesOfWealth.com
Carol Cooke AM PLY is a former undercover police officer, three-time Paralympic gold medalist, author, and speaker. She empowers people of all ages to embrace change, build resilience, and unlock their full potential by transforming fear into courage, setbacks into growth, and challenges into opportunities.CarolCooke.com.au
Tracey Ehman is a speaker, visibility strategist, and creator of The Heart of Visibility, helping purpose-driven professionals become more discoverable, credible, and memorable in the age of AI. Through authentic relationships, strategic visibility, and human connection, she empowers others to be found, be known, and be remembered.
TheHeartofVisibility.com
Jessie R. Erickson, EdS, is an educational leader, author, and advocate for inclusive learning with more than thirty years of experience. She specializes in STEAM education, literacy integration, computational thinking, educational technology, and Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, empowering educators and students through innovation, leadership, and belonging.
CoachingConsultingAndConversations.Blogspot.com
L. Tanya Franks is a senior finance executive, board advisor, author, and entrepreneur with over thirty-five years of experience. Guided by faith, she inspires leaders to lead boldly, serve with integrity, and use their voices to create lasting impact, empowering women to lead with courage, integrity, and purpose.Armadillo.bm
Jamie Green is a transformational wellness and leadership facilitator, trauma release specialist, speaker, coach, and founder of Sunshine Soul Vibes. She guides individuals through transformational coaching, immersive retreats, and healing experiences that empowers others to step boldly into their purpose, passion, and power.
SunshineSoulVibes.com
Charmaine Hammond, CSP, is a professional speaker, bestselling author, and conflict resolution expert who has spent more than thirty years helping people communicate, collaborate, and navigate difficult conversations. An animal lover and advocate for kindness, Charmaine weaves real-life stories into her work to inspire connection, compassion, resilience, and meaningful impact.
CharmaineHammond.com
Marissa J. Hankinson is a communications and PR professional, podcast host, and co-founder of Wavebreaker Productions. With a career spanning leadership, operations, business development and media, she is passionate about helping people share their stories with clarity and confidence. Originally from the UK and now based in South Australia, Marissa is also a wife and mother of two, bringing honesty, heart, and lived experience to her work and writing.
WaveBreakerProductions.com
Erin Hawks is a mindfulness business coach with over twenty years of working with people across the United States, first in healthcare, now in coaching. Drawing on her own story, she helps clients uncover their truth, sparking self-discovery and lasting change that impacts key areas of their business and personal lives.
ErinHawks.com
Patty Hedrick is a nurse, life care planner, speaker, author, business owner, and founder of Embrace Aging Now™. With more than thirty-five years of experience helping individuals and families navigate life-changing transitions, she now empowers women over fifty to rediscover their purpose, reconnect with their dreams, and confidently create a fulfilling next chapter.
EmbracingActiveAging.com
Zaneta V. Johns is a world-class author with four poetry collections. Her work has also appeared in Voices of the 21st Century (2021-2026), What Matters Journal, and numerous other publications. She’s co-editor of five poetry anthologies and an editor of Fine Lines. Johns has served as the WSA’s inaugural poet laureate since 2024.
ZanExpressions.com
Melanie M. Johnson is a WSA Poet Laureate, award-winning poetess, educator, photographer, domestic abuse advocate, publisher, and an Amazon Best-Selling author. Known as “The Voice,” she inspires others through literature, education, and community engagement, using her gifts to empower, uplift, encourage, and create lasting impact.
Linktr.ee/MelanieJohnson
Marsha Lake is a visual presentation and transcription expert with four decades of experience operating a successful secretarial and administration business. She is a co-author of three WSA publications (this is her fourth). Her professional, confidential, down-to-earth, and hard-working approach has repeatedly gained trust and many friendships over the years.
MLSS.com.au
Dr. Reena Lichtenfeld has dedicated three decades to transforming higher education through strategic enrollment management, organizational innovation, and collaborative leadership. She has developed enrollment plans, launched new programs, and led change initiatives across diverse institutions. A Gallup Strengths Coach, she advocates for strategic optimism and believes envisioning better futures is an act of resistance.
LeadWithYourWorth.com/
Patricia Overly is an author, speaker, corporate trainer, and coach with over twenty years of experience. Drawing on her background as a professional actor, she blends business strategy with holistic healing practices. Patricia empowers clients to break through limiting beliefs, embrace vulnerability, and use conscious communication to connect to the inspired life waiting for them.
PatriciaOverly.com
Susan Owensby is an author, inspirational speaker, and leader who enjoys sharing her story of hope and healing with women. After experiencing an abusive relationship, a difficult divorce, and making several poor choices, her story serves as an inspiration for women to persevere, learn from failures, and continue moving forward.
SusanOwensby.com
Fariba Parsa, PhD is a scholar, speaker, and founder of Women’s E-Learning in Leadership (WELL). Passionate about women’s empowerment and democratic values, she helps women develop leadership skills and confidence. Her work bridges research and action, inspiring women to transform challenges into opportunities for leadership and social change.
FaribaParsa.us
Rachel Pietsch is a multi-award-winning vocal coach, a voice teacher for over thirty years, and accredited in voice function. She works with the mechanics of voices, bringing better ease, projection, longevity, and sound to both speakers and singers, helping them elevate their careers and impact.
NowYoureTalking.com.au
Candace Plattor, M.A., is an addictions therapist in private practice, specializing in working with the families of those struggling with addiction. With nearly 40 years clean and sober herself, Candace teaches families that enabled addicts don’t recover and need to be loved with healthy, self-respecting boundaries instead.
LoveWithBoundaries.com
Valerie Priester is a Self-Trust & Clarity Guide, international best-selling author, and motivational speaker. As founder of Victorious Life Coaching and creator of The Confident Clarity Pathway™, she helps women recognize their worth, trust themselves deeply, and choose themselves fully. She empowers women to create lives of freedom and fulfillment.
ValeriePriester.com
Kim Riley hosts nature retreats for women over fifty who feel burned out and disconnected from their spark. Her passion is to help inspire women to achieve and maintain holistic wellness well into their seventies and beyond by reigniting their energy, awakening their joy, and returning home to themselves.KimRileyCoaching.com
Melissa Rowe is a five-time bestselling author and emotional well-being, self-care, and anger solutions coach for business and professional women in their prime. She supports them in taking care of themselves in exploring their greatness and reclaiming their personal power. She has a master’s degree in social work.
Linkedin.com/in/CoachMelissaRowe
Laura Rubinstein is an award-winning marketing strategist, hypnotherapist, bestselling author of Social Media Myths Busted, creator of Feminine Power Cards, companion book Journey to Feminine Power, and Ignite Your Feminine Soul retreats for women leaders. She has consulted with 1500+ entrepreneurs to magnetize clients, grow their businesses, and transform their relationships.
TransformToday.com
Norva Samuel is a healthstyle leadership expert who is passionate about supporting women to become more fully who God created them to be through holistic health, intentional living, and sustainable behavior change. Norva is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member, Certified by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, and a PN Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach.
NorvaSamuel.com
Samantha SAvvy is a Canadian empowerment speaker, coach, and international DJ who has performed in ten countries (and counting). Her brand is the guidebook she wishes she had, teaching women who have been silenced, controlled, and undervalued how to say no faster, hold their boundaries, and turn their pain into power.SamanthaSAvvy.com
Kathy Sechrist writes about survival, speaks for those without voices, and advocates for domestic violence survivors across Texas and beyond. With two memoirs earning two international awards, she now prepares to publish her debut mystery novel. She believes silence protects the abuser; voices protect the victim.KathySechrist.com
Brigitte Stills, LREA JP, is the visionary behind Stills Properties, an independent boutique real estate agency. With a career spanning over four decades, Brigitte has cemented her status as a distinguished leader in the real estate industry. She is renowned for her exceptional communication skills, radio shows, mentoring prowess, coaching, and work with real estate agents, earning her numerous high-achievement awards.
StillsProperties.com.au
Corinna Stoeffl is an author, speaker, and guide exploring elderhood as a field of presence instead of age. Through her transformational work, she supports others in navigating change, deepening self-trust, and awakening the elder within.
BeingInAwareness.com
Dr. Collene Taylor is a therapist, certified life coach, author, speaker, and trainer dedicated to empowering individuals and professionals. As the owner of WithU Collective and WithU Counseling Group, PLLC, she inspires growth through counseling, coaching, education, and transformational experiences that foster healing, resilience, purpose, and lasting personal and professional success.
WithUCounselingGroup.com
Dr. Angela Tjeuw is the creator and host of Finding Spirit, a podcast exploring intuition, consciousness, and healing. A former GP turned award-winning podcaster, watercolor artist, and meditation creator, she helps others reconnect with their inner voice and create lives aligned with their deepest purpose.
FindingSpirit.com.au
Ashley Whitt is a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI), author, musician, photographer, sound healer, Reiki practitioner, and graduate student pursuing her master’s degree. Passionate about education, accessibility, creativity, the healing power of sound, and lifelong learning, she helps others build confidence, discover their strengths, and embrace their unique path.
ThroughAshleysEyes.com
Dree Ziegler is the founder of two digital agencies, Drizzle Digital and Innspire Digital. She helps brands look alive online through social media, websites and clever digital strategy. Based in Denver, she spends her days skiing down mountains, paddling rivers, and playing the drums. She still occasionally takes her laptop somewhere the Wi-Fi works and the view does not suck.
DreeZiegler.com
Michelle Zive, PhD, is the founder and creator of LOUDER GIRL and Ignited Leadership. The LOUDER GIRL movement is the “why” that invites women into the community to reclaim and share their stories, practice radical self-love, and lead their lives. Ignited Leadership is the “how.”
LouderGirl.com