Robbie is a writer, educator, and storyteller. He is a co-founder of Brave the cycle, which is an educational consultant, teaching individuals and businesses to cultivate belonging. 

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Barbara is a systemic psychotherapist, supervisor, and teacher. She has served on the Board of trustees for the Association for Family Therapy. Barbara works with social work leaders to enhance their systemic and communication abilities.

Rik Spann is an organizational consultant, applied musicologist, artist, and jazz musician.  Rik is the author (with Simon Martin) of Resounding: Introducing an Alternative Metaphor for Organizational Change. You can support Rik and his work by donating here.

Sara is the host of New way, the 1001 new worshipping communities podcast, which explores the connections between people, their communities and the ways that context shapes faith.

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alex Jagiello is a recent graduate of the Columbia university teachers college. She is the founder of the art exchange and a program coordinator for the harlem children's zone. She is passionate about pursuing meaningful, intelligent, and loving connections.  ​

Miriam is a former psychotherapist, peace corps volunteer, and current "climate action warrior." She walked the Great March for Climate Action, visited standing rock 3 times, has been arrested 4 times, and is a member of 100Grannies for a Livable Future.

Aline is the Executive Manager of the Innovative Youth in Agriculture Project at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). She is an advocate and activist for women, youth, and those displaced from their homes. 

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Stephanie is a gifted educator, Differentiation coach, and the 2021 Tennessee teacher of the year. She shares resources, ideas, and advice with fellow educators on Instagram and 

Youtube.

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Madison is the executive director of morning light inc., the author of dear mirror (a collection of poetry), and a public speaker and storyteller. Morning Light Inc. is a nonprofit in Indiana that provides end-of-life care to those in hospice at the abbie hunt bryce home.

Dr. Michelle Colpean is a professor, parent, and griever living in Cincinnati, OH. When she’s not teaching communication classes, she is probably playing with her daughter, working on a memorial project for her son Sami, or crafting grief charms for her Etsy shop.

Zev Burton is a student, author, and all-around curious person. Zev is currently pursuing a Master’s in Data Science and Analysis. Zev has written a book, given a Ted Talk, and he uses his platform on ⁠TikTok⁠ to discuss social issues.

Dr. Paul Porter is the Director of ⁠⁠Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion⁠⁠ for the ⁠⁠National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA).⁠⁠ Paul has worked on the development of inclusivity programs and initiatives,  diversity strategic plans and program assessments. 

Dr. Chris Wells is a writer, social worker, and founder of the ⁠Dabrowski Center,⁠ a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD). She's also the co-host of the ⁠Positive Disintegration Podcast⁠.

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Emma nicholson is the co-host of the ⁠Positive Disintegration Podcast⁠, and creates content for people learning about the Theory of Positive Disintegration for her website ⁠Tragic Gift⁠, and YouTube channel, ⁠Adults With Overexcitabilities⁠.

Jennifer Arvin Furlong⁠ is a  communication/ media specialist, former communication professor, author, a ⁠TEDx speaker⁠ and coach, and host of the ⁠Communication TwentyFourSeven Podcast⁠. 

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Sergej is an action researcher who wonders how we make healthy systems. he co-creates open standards and open source software to help foster collaboration and knowledge sharing in the fragmented Dutch Healthcare System.

Sonja is Professor Emeritx of communication at the University of Colorado Denver. She has been on the forefront of scholarship on agency, change, and communication from feminist perspectives. She has authored books on feminism, gender, and stories.

Karen is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of communication at the University of New
Mexico. Her work expands the boundaries of communication to incorporate and legitimatize
feminist perspectives. She is the author of a number of books on feminism and other topics.

Dr. Ilene Wasserman is the Founder and President of ⁠ICW Consulting Group, LLc⁠. Ilene is on the Board of Stewards for the CMM Institute. Dr. Jeff Branch, Principal with ICW Consulting Group, LLC is the program director for 2 graduate programs. 

Mike is Director of Leadership Development for the Clinton Foundation and co-directs the Presidential Leadership Scholars program. He is a Professor at the Clinton School of Public Service, teaching courses on communication and leadership.

Burton is a social worker with experience in the fields of Harm Reduction and Mental Health and Addiction, Sexual Violence Prevention, and Healthy Sexual Education. He specializes working with male-identifying folks in gender-based violence prevention. 

Rebekah is a Kansas City writer, educator, and parent. Bolstered by academic knowledge and personal experience, she strives to tell stories that enhance and complicate the way we think about disability. You can find her writing on Instagram, in her memoir, or on her website.

Steven Fuller is a professor of communication at the University of Cincinnati. He hosts the ⁠Communication Junkie⁠ podcast, wrote ⁠The Church Experiment⁠ Book, and co-created the ⁠Good vs Gooder⁠ Game.

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Kaya Graduated from Ball State University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies and minors in history and african american studies. Since then, Kaya moved to Florida to work in DEI and continue studying African American History and Critical Race Theory.

Don Waisanen is a professor of strategic and leadership communication at the C.U.N.Y. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. his research, teaching, and consulting seek to understand how communication works to promote or hinder democracy.

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Diane Grimes is an associate professor of Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Syracuse University and co-author of Through the Lens of Whiteness: Challenging Racialized Imagery in Pop Culture. She works to encourage the mindful and critical interrogation of unexamined assumptions around issues of race.

Liz Cooney is a queer writer, facilitator, and speaker from Des Moines, Iowa. Her work focuses on helping people communicate more effectively through valuing differences and navigating difficult conversations. She is co-author of Through the Lens of Whiteness: Challenging Racialized Imagery in Pop Culture.

Beth Fisher-Yoshida⁠⁠ (PhD, CCS) is Program Director of the MS in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution program, Chair of Advanced Consortium for Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity (AC4) at Columbia University. She is the author of ⁠New Story New Power: A Woman's Guide to Negotiation⁠.

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Barton Buechner⁠⁠ is the Interim Director and a founding faculty member of the ⁠⁠Military Psychology MA program at Adler University⁠⁠. He is a 1978 graduate of the US Naval Academy, and earned an MA in Organization Development and Assessment degree from Case Western Reserve University (1993) and PhD from Fielding Graduate University (2014). 

Terry Strauss⁠⁠ is a producer, writer, and director. Her documentaries include, ⁠⁠AS IF THEY WERE ANGELS⁠⁠, ULTIMATE RESTORATIONS, ⁠⁠I WISH I WERE A PRINCESS⁠⁠, and her current project WHAT NOW? CANARIES IN CAMO, which focuses on the struggles of our veterans to reintegrate and truly come home, and the necessity of civilian engagement and responsibility.

Romi Boucher has been an ⁠executive coach⁠, strategic change consultant, and designer of leadership programs and organizational development change initiatives for over 30 years. Her coaching approach addresses what it takes to lead and adapt innovatively in three dimensions; as organizations, in management teams and as individual leaders.  

Marit is a partly retired social worker, educator, and a lifelong learner. She is a co-developer of CosmoKidz. She has written books and chapters on self-development and communication. She has offered valuable mentorship and friendship to Abbie.

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Fatima is 19 years old, lives in the united States, and is attending university. she is studying psychology, as well as counseling and human services, with the goal of pursuing a career in school counseling. Fatima is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows, sponsored by the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution.

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Haruka Suwabe is 17 years old and lives in the United states. She is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows. She is interested in working in the STEM field, she is passionate about international connections, and she uses a biology lens to understand mental health.

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Johanna is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows. She is 19 years old and lives in Denmark. Johanna is interested in the structures of society and politics. She hopes to pursue a career in politics. At the time of publishing ep. 81, Johanna is taking a sabbatical year after completing high school and working at a kindergarten.

Mablealexis is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows. She is 23 years old, lives in the United States, and is attending university. She is pursuing a major in Political Science with a minor in Business. She loves to spend time with family and friends and finds serving her community very rewarding.

Tumelo Victoria is one of five CosmoTeenz Fellows. She is 19 years old, lives in Norway, and is currently working and taking a gap year after completing her last year of high school. She has been involved with CosmoKidz and CosmoTweenz.

Hesitantdoodle is a nonbinary illustrator and comic artist located in scotland. They are the creator and co-producer of the web series Creating Comics UK and judged the LDComics Awards in 2021. You can find their art on their website, twitter, and instagram. 

Caitlin Metz (they/them) is an author, chronic project starter, designer and illustrator, parent, and big feeler. Caitlin is the co-author of My Body, My Home and the author of Feel Something, Make Something. You can find their work on Patreon, Instagram, and Etsy.

Sharon Cadja (she/they) is an Artist with a Bachelor’s in Business Marketing from Ball State University. She works full time, but dedicates her free time to her art business in hopes to invest in her ideal lifestyle. check out Sharon's work at her website and on Instagram.

Riley Carroll is a 26-year old cat mom, thinker, and author from Chicago. Since completing her master’s in Communication in 2022, Riley has strived to live authentically, imagine new ways of being, and make space for joy which helped lead to the release of her debut novel, What the Blood Sings.

Sharon Cadja (she/they) is an Artist with a Bachelor’s in Business Marketing from Ball State University. She works full time, but dedicates her free time to her art business in hopes to invest in her ideal lifestyle. check out Sharon's work at her website and on Instagram.

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Sarah Urech is senior strategist and a founding staff member of the Omega Women's Leadership Center (OWLC), part of the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. Sarah has performed with Hudson River Playback Theatre since 1994 and has taught this improvisational storytelling theatre  20 countries.

Mark Edwards is a 76-year-old naturalist, is a leader in BeWildReWild and its Big River Connectivity project, and is retired from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, where he lead restoration efforts for 30 years. You can join the "Rewilding Iowa and Beyond" Facebook Group to connect.

Yolanda Soto has been the CEO President of Borderlands Produce Rescue for 30 years. Borderlands Produce Rescue is located in the border community of Nogales, Arizona and goes beyond the limits of traditional Food Banks by addressing the issue of food waste at the intersection of hunger.  

Sikowis Nobiss (she/her) is Nêhiyaw/Saulteaux of the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. She is the founder and Executive Director of Great Plains Action Society and is an organizer, speaker, writer and an artist. 

Abrah Dresdale, MA,  consults through the national organization she co-founded, Regenerate Change, serves as faculty at UMass-Amherst and Omega Institute, and is the author of Regenerative Design for Changemakers: A Social Permaculture Guide.

Dora Rodriguez  is an unwavering advocate for migrant rights. She serves as the Director of Salvavision, a nonprofit offering aid and support to migrants and deportees. 

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Karen Gonzalez is an immigrant advocate, who  immigrated from Guatemala as a child. She has written The God Who Sees: Immigrants, The Bible, and the Journey to Belong and Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in our Christian Response to Immigration. 

Sandy Ovalle Martínez is a table-setter and space-curator, rooting her work in the deep faith and strength of Chicane and Latine spiritual teachers. She is a native of Mexico City. she oversees mobilization and activist engagement around different justice areas in.

Janie Mac is a co-founder of Refugee Community Kitchen, a volunteer-run organization that has been serving hot, nourishing meals to those fleeing war, poverty, persecution and climate change and living in Northern France and the UK since 2015.

Aminata Cairo is an anthropologist, psychologist, educator, storyteller, and “love-worker”. She is an independent consultant. She is the author of Holding Space: A Storytelling Approach to Trampling Diversity and Inclusion.

Michael Allison is the developer of The Play Zone; a contributing author for Psychology Today with his platform, The Pressure Paradox; and an educational partner with Polyvagal Institute.

John Chetro Szivos is a semi-retired professor and an active author who recently published On Becoming a Critical Thinker: Awakening Your Business Superpower. He studied CMM with vern cronen at UMASS Amherst. 

John Stewart is the author of Bridges Not Walls: A Book About Interpersonal Communication, Personal Communicating and Racial Equity, and Dismantling Racism One On One: Uniqueness Narrative Equity (2023).  

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Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.Ed., LPC, currently works as a mental health counselor in private practice. Emily is the author of “Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom"  and "Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids”. Emily hosts The Neurodiversity Podcast.

Hannah Soyer is a queer disabled writer living in the Midwest. She has written for nationally acclaimed publications and is the editor of The Ending Hasn’t Happened Yet: An Anthology of Disability Poetics. Her debut lyric memoir, Dreams in Which I'm Almost Human, is forthcoming from Red Hen Press. Hannah also happens to be a cat and chocolate enthusiast.

Jessica Engelking (she/her) is a descendant of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. She has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Philosophy. She is the representation director for Great Plains Action Society. Jessica is the author of Peggy Flanagan: Ogimaa Kwe, Lieutenant Governor as part of the Minnesota Native American Lives series.

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Spozhmay Oriya is a PhD candidate in the Educational Psychology program with focus on collective trauma, faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. She has BA in psychology and MA in Education. Her research interests are collective trauma, war, and trauma-informed education. She has conducted research and has publications in international journals.

Emily Ruth Rutter is Professor of English, Associate Dean of the Honors College, and affiliate faculty in Women’s, Gender, and African American Studies at Ball State University. She is the author of four monographs, She is co-editor of Revisiting the Elegy in the Black Lives Matter Era, and the forthcoming Black Saturation: Selected Works of Stephen E. Henderson.

Gro Emmertsen Lund is an independent scholar, education specialist, author and researcher. She has published a number of articles and books. Gro gives keynote speeches, teaches, holds presentations, and facilitates organizational and cultural development and change processes in schools, educational institutions, day care, health care, psychiatry and the social sector.

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Laurie Budlong-Morse is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and an AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapist with a private practice in Indianapolis; she also creates educational content and offers online services with a focus on mixed-neurotype relationships. Laurie holds training in postmodern and social constructionist methods of therapy and mindful self-compassion.

Kongit Farrell is a licensed marriage and family therapist with specialties in conflict resolution, trauma, couples therapy, and human sexuality. She is the founder of the Center for Healthy Marriage, adjunct professor of Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine University, and an alumna of the CMM Institute and AC4 Fellowship programs at Columbia University and serves on the executive board of YPO's Peace Action Network. 

Nana Bonsu is a qualified social worker, family and systemic psychotherapist, and systemic supervisor. Nana is the Director of Relational Practice in Camden and has worked in children’s services for over 20 years. Nana has taught at the Tavistock and Portman, Institute of Family Therapy, and for the Association of Family Therapy. 

La Shanda Sugg describes herself as a storyteller, storyholder, reflector, and soul hugger. She is the co-host of the Labors of Love Podcast and “Chief Love Officer” of Labors of Love Counseling and Consulting.

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Heddy Nam is a liberatory coach and facilitator through Rosalee Consulting. She is a healer, speaker, writer, and co-host of The Labors of Love podcast. She lives with her husband and rescue dog as guest settlers on occupied Tongva territory, colonially known as Los Angeles, California.

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Tracey currently lives and works in Aberdeen, Scotland within an independent therapy service at Possibilities Counselling and Psychotherapy. Tracey considers herself a story holder, story teller and story co-creator. She is a white Scottish woman, a wife, mother of 3 children, and lover of her Golden Retriever Grace and her puppy Flora.

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Ottar is a Professor of Counselling at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Head of NTNU WellFare: Nordic Research Center for Well-being and Social Sustainability. Ottar is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Agder and an Honorary Professor at Aalborg University.  Ottar is the co-author of How People Thrive: Promoting the Synergy of Wellness, Fairness, and Worthiness.

Sue is a New Zealander- originally from Christchurch in the South Island. she had a broadcasting career in radio and television, including starring in her own show, "Susan Sells", on CTV. After which, she moved into local government as an elected city councillor in Christchurch from 1998-2013. She chaired the Council's important planning and regulatory committees including during the terms of the terrible Canterbury Earthquake sequence.​

Hossein is a clinical psychologist, with a PhD awarded by King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychotherapist. He is also a researcher and a writer of both Novels and Psychology Books, including, most recently, the valley of loneliness.

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Sheila McNamee is Professor Emerita of Communication at the University of New Hampshire and co-founder and Vice President of the Taos Institute.  She is author of several books and articles, including – most recently – Design Thinking and Social Construction (with C. Camargo-Borges, BIS, 2022) and Practicing Therapy as Social Construction (with E. Rasera & P. Martins, Sage Publications, 2022). 

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Vernon Cronen is a co-creator of the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory of communication. In 1963, Vernon graduated from Ripon College and served for two years as Lieutenant in the US Army, Intelligence branch. After acquiring his Master and PhD from University of Illinois, Urbana, he went on to teach at University of Massachusetts, Amherst from 1970 to 2011. He is now part-time faculty at University of North Carolina at wilmington.

Claire Craddock graduated from University of North Carolina Wilmington in December 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. Claire deeply values the art of storytelling and our ability to make connections. Claire was introduced to CMM theory by Dr. Cronen in the last year of her undergraduate studies. Since 2023, she has worked with Dr. Cronen to improve the dynamism in CMM theory.

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Chistiaan Rhodius is a Dutch doctor specialized in palliative medicine. Together with his wife and four children he currently lives and works in Oslo (Norway). He is convinced that 'if we ignore death we miss out on life'. He is passionate for stories and the shaping of new stories (through the process of improvisation). At this moment he explores ways of how the artwork of Edvard Munch can stimulate our storytelling. 

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In 1989, Richard set off on his first Tenderness Tour, traveling by wheelchair 1,000 miles around the state of Indiana in 41 days, with a simple mission to see if there were "good people" in the world. Since then, he has wheeled over 6,000 miles and raised over $1 million dollars for charitable organizations world-wide. Most recently, Richard completed a 160-mile wheelchair ride in September 2024 that eliminated nearly $17 million in medical debt for Hoosiers.

Edona Arnesen is highly passionate about food, farming, food systems, relationships and regeneration in unison, and how we can co-create better communities and systems for the common health of everything on Earth; the human and the non-human, and Nature whom we're all a tiny, connected part of. She finds systems thinking and systemic design fantastically interesting as philosophies and practices to act through. 

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Josina Vink is a designer and researcher with expertise in health system transformation. They have extensive experience leading and facilitating participatory system and service design processes in health care, government, non-profit and community settings. Josina has worked as a service and systemic designer in healthcare internationally. Josina is currently Associate Professor of Service Design at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design in Norway.

Pedro Martins, Ph.D., is a Brazilian psychologist. He is interested in the practice of therapy as social construction in different contexts, and his main goal is to create generative conversational resources that bridge academic and practical knowledge. He works as a clinical psychologist in his private practice. He is the author of Practicing Therapy as Social Construction and “Dialogic Communication in the Practice of Family Consultations in Mental Health."