Tahdi Blackstone

Born in China in the midst of WWII into the 4th generation of a very active missionary family where her father was the chaplain of the Flying Tigers, and great grandfather (WEB) was called The Gentile Father of Zionism for helping establish the state of Israel in 1948. After returning to the U.S. at 12, Tahdi’s early life was in fundamentalist Christian boarding schools and a variety of church experiences. After a few years as a stewardess, actress, model, and singer, she discovered her love of working with children and spent 20 years in the Juvenile court system with battered, molested, and abused children and their families. Tahdi received her masters and doctorate in Spirituality from Matthew Fox’s amazing program where she encountered the Institute of Noetic Sciences founded by the brilliant physicist and astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell to integrate Science and Spirituality. To learn and help spread the research IONS was doing on “Consciousness”, she founded IONS ~ LA and spent the next 35 years offering events, conferences, wonderful speakers, and classes to teach those Interfaith values. Scientists and religious and Consciousness giants like Bruce Lipton, Brian Swimme, and many others taught excited audiences the new science, learning from each other’s traditions and honoring the richness each brings to creating a world that works for all… a world of kindness and loving the earth and one another. E

Ed Lantz

Ed Lantz, CEO of Vortex Immersion, is an entrepreneur, entertainment technology engineer, producer and immersive experience designer. Ed left aerospace engineering in 1990 to transform old-style planetariums into immersive visualization environments, designing over a dozen dome theaters worldwide including the Library of Alexandria’s Planetarium in Egypt, Domodigital at Papalote Museo del Niño in Mexico City, and the National Space Centre planetarium in Leicester, UK. His company Vortex Immersion Media produces immersive and interactive experiences for Fortune 500 brands, top artists and audiences worldwide and is developing a network of branded immersive venues. Ed believes in the power of art to facilitate positive transformation on personal, local and global scales. He sees modern digital domes as “digital temples of transformation” for their ability to combine art and science to create compelling immersive journeys, performances and experiences with positive impact. Ed has directed, produced and supported numerous live participatory events combining theater, dance, music and immersive projections. Vortex’s latest shows, James Hood’s Mesmerica and Beautifica, produced in cooperation with Moodswings and Poseidon, have screened in over 30 digital domes and sold over 750,000 tickets in North America. The films offer visitors a journey into their own mind while evoking a sense of happiness and gratitude. Ed holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering with minor in Quantum Physics and Electromagnetics from Tennessee Tech University, and studied comparative religions at the School of Sacred Ministry in Doylestown, PA culminating in ordination as an Interfaith Minister in 2000. He chairs the boards of non-profit arts organizations including Create Now and c3: Center for Conscious Creativity and Dome Fest West, North America’s premier dome film festival. Ed also served as a Board Delegate on the Producers Guild of America’s New Media Council, is Chair Emeritus of LA ACM SIGGRAPH, and is cofounder of IMERSA, a trade association focused on immersive media for entertainment, research, science and arts.

LauraSa Pele Lafoia Ava

LauraSa Pele Lafoia Ava is a Pacific American businesswoman, philanthropist, global peace activist, community organizer, producer, and motivational speaker. She was born in the village of Pava’ia’i, Pacific Island of Tutuila, American Samoa. She lived in Oahu, Hawaii, and currently resides in Southern California-USA. She is a steward of Mother Earth, dedicated to causes that promote indigenous rights, Ecojustice, empowering women, education/nutrition of underprivileged children, strengthening families, and uplifting communities. Most importantly, LauraSa is mother to Brittany Pele, grandmother to Nakoda Mike, and her four foster children. She was a devoted wife of 33-years to her late husband Foimai “Mike” Tesimale, a beloved servant leader. LauraSa’s professional career spans 30+ years in Mortgage Banking holding positions such as Branch Manager, Account Executive, Corporate Executive, Government & Investor Relations, Consultant… managing corporate operational divisions & production branches of multi-billion-dollar real estate lending firms. Since 2000, she also started AVA Consulting & Project Management.

Ruth Broyde Sharone

Honored internationally for her passionate interfaith activism and leadership, Ruth Broyde Sharone, a filmmaker, journalist and author, is also the creator of MEET ME THERE, the Interfaith Musical, an exuberant celebration of our cultural and religious diversity. (www.interfaiththemusical.com). She also cofounded and served as Co-Chair of the Southern California Parliament of the World's Religions (SCCPWR) for 10 years. Ruth was inducted into the Martin Luther King Advisory Board of Morehouse College in 2013, in recognition of her contributions to interfaith bridgebuilding, and the same year she received a special commendation for her Interfaith Leadership from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The International Human Rights Consortium (IHRC) awarded her a Fete d'Excellence gold medal in Geneva in 2000 for her contributions to cultural education. Her interfaith memoir “Minefields & Miracles” received multiple awards and more than 30 endorsements from religious leaders including H.H the Dalai Lama. Her prizewinning documentary,“God and Allah Need to Talk,” has been screened around the world. Ruth also contributed more than 50 articles to the online magazine, The Interfaith Observer, and co-authored the 2018 Amazon best-seller, “21st Century Voices: Women Who Influence, Inspire, and Make a Difference.” In 2023 Album 2 of her interfaith musical received an Award of Merit from the Religion Communicators Council (RCC), the first time an album of music was recognized and honored in the annual Wilbur Award ceremony.

Loren Lewis

Loren Lewis is a compassionate and dedicated professional known for her kind and caring nature, and her drive to be of service. With a B.A. in Sociology from UCLA and an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from USM, Loren brings a rich educational background and a wealth of diverse experiences to her work. She has studied Public Health at UCLA, and Radio, TV & Film at Northwestern, and is also a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. Loren’s professional journey is as varied as it is impactful. She worked as a flight attendant, honing her diplomatic skills, and as a trader on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange. Her roles have included co-hosting and producing a cable TV show, working as a Realtor, and most importantly, engaging in philanthropy. Loren’s passion for service has led her to volunteer at Children's Hospital, The Kohl Children's Museum, and various schools, embodying the spirit of Non-Violent Communication championed by Marshall Rosenberg, with whom she had the honor to study. Her global travels and internships, such as with The National Peace Coalition during the Vietnam War, have enriched her understanding of cultural diversity and common humanity. She traveled widely during her year abroad in England, visiting most European countries, as well as Turkey, Greece, and Israel. She later experienced Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti. She loves meeting and learning about the people of different cultures and seeing how alike we all are in our essence. Loren's joyful and positive attitude continually uplifts the people and organizations she serves, as she remains committed to enhancing the lives of everyone she encounters.

Dennis Cohen

As founder of the Center for Enforcement of Family Support in 1979, Dennis Cohen earned the nickname "Robin Hood Lawyer" for his work chasing deadbeat parents who didn't pay their child support. He was a featured guest on such programs as the Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, CBS News, Sonya Freidman Live, Michael Jackson, and Bill Handel. His work was endorsed twice in Dear Abby’s advice column. While helping single parents secure support from their errant exspouses, Dennis frequently saw how the anger many divorced couples carry can preempt and frustrate the resolution of legal issues. He also witnessed the power of listening to another's "story" as a major first step in helping parties reach an agreement. Believing that “within every conflict lies the seeds of resolution” Dennis transitioned from litigation to mediation, and in 2000, started Settlement Works, a mediation practice designed to help divorcing couples resolve their differences without going to Court. Dennis’ daily experience as a mediator is watching people who are angry, fearful, and mistrustful, succeed (with only minimal guidance and encouragement) at setting aside their differences and finding solutions to their issues - for their own benefit and for the future of their children.If simply talking and listening can work for so well for people who are generally at their worst, it can also work for us as a nation. That’s the belief that has led Dennis to the work of bringing together people from across the political spectrum to dialogue about divisive issues such as gun control, immigration, Black Lives Matter, and mandatory vaccination. That work, and the work of countless others engaged in the process of facilitating intentional dialogue, has produced abundant evidence that the simple process of being curious and listening can shift the paradigm from fighting over our problems, to working together to solve them. That shift can have a profound positive effect on our world, and anything that can be done to promote it deserves serious consideration.

Josie Kelly

Josie Kelly has been a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice since 1980, at which time she developed a cutting edge wholistic approach to wellness, by balancing spiritual, mental, emotional and physical aspects of being with mindfulness and cognitive behavioral techniques. In addition to psychotherapy, she holds a minor in music and a Bachelor’s degree in modern dance, with a certification in deep tissue bodywork. She has written several books including a triad on mindful relationships available through Amazon. Having had several unexplainable childhood experiences, she has immersed herself in quantum cosmology and Buddhist principles. As a naturalist, she is a lover of all life, and is now engaged in saving the planet from mankind, and saving mankind from mankind, and finding joy and gratitude in our precious impermanence.

Robert Slaughter

Robert Slaughter grew up in Texas and comes from a very old Texas family that goes all the way back to when Texas belonged to Mexico. Robert moved to California where he got a degree in Fine Art (all disciplines) from California State University Long Beach. He worked at Inner City Cultural Center (Los Angeles) focused on theater and music. He was later offered a job performing on a cruise ship with a totally new cruise line in Miami. He relocated out East to be a performer and assistant cruise director. Little did he know that he would be one of the original cruise staff members that gave birth to what is now Carnival Corporation that owns fifty percent of the cruise industry in the world. He eventually left Carnival to do special events in Miami and created the first ART DECO WEEK in Miami Beach, an entire week of events that kick-started the now well-known historical part of town called the "DECO DISTRICT", a major tourist attraction. The head of Tourist Development recruited Robert to help produce the very first Miami International Film Festival before the whole world started doing film festivals. It was a huge hit, and this led him to producing other events in South Florida. Eventually, while still in his twenties, he became bored with Miami and moved to New York City where he rocked. Once in the big city Robert was involved with everything from co-hosting a television talk show to hanging art exhibits (which he still does to this day). Robert was approached to be the North American correspondent for ART and ANTIQUES Magazine (South America). He covered all the major art sales at the famous auction houses Christies and Sotheby's as well as important museum openings. Robert was all over the New York City art scene. This led him to becoming a very exclusive and discreet private New York art dealer. Though he is currently involved with new sustainable water technology there is no escaping the fact that his chemistry is still very much in the arts and he is currently being pursued for his art contacts in Japan and is preparing to appear in a television broadcast discussing his New York experience in fine arts.