Sofia Anderson is a data analyst for Tyndale House Publishers’ online sales team, where she blends her expertise in mathematics and studio art to enhance storytelling through data. She is dedicated to using data to drive better decisions in the publishing industry. Sofia is excited to share her insights at the Children's Summit, especially since she has illustrated two children's books of her own!
Trent Anderson is Podchaser's Head of Growth & Strategy, where he leads go-to-market activities across marketing, client success, and sales enablement. Prior to this, Trent led Podchaser Connect (a podcast guest booking agency) until its acquisition in August 2023. Through Connect, Trent's team was responsible for booking 80+ client guest appearances per month. Clients ranged from university faculty and scholars to c-suite executives to authors and media personalities.
Matt Baehr is the Executive Director of the Book Manufacturers' Institute (BMI). He’s been the chief executive of the association since 2017. Matt has a long career in association management, primarily working with trade associations. He holds an undergraduate degree from the Catholic University in Washington, DC as well as graduate degrees from Ohio University in Athens, OH. He resides in Bradenton, FL where he enjoys soccer, cooking and spending time with his wife and 3 children.
Stephanie Bell is the Senior Strategic Account Executive for Sprout Social. Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software. Sprout’s intuitive platform puts powerful social data into the hands of more than 30,000 brands so they can deliver smarter, faster business impact. With a full suite of social media management solutions, Sprout offers comprehensive publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, advocacy, and AI-powered business intelligence. Sprout’s award-winning software operates across all major social media networks and digital platforms. The speaking team offers more than 3 decades of combined social and technology experience across all industries, customer sizes, and functionalities.
With over 10 years in the design industry, Sparkle Boea graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BA of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. After graduation, she worked as a corporate designer for 7 years before pivoting into freelance branding work, which organically grew into an entrepreneurial endeavor called Brand Genius Studio. Currently, she is collaborating with Christianity Today as a senior designer, on a mission to contribute to the larger work of the Church by bridging her love for design, brand development, and spreading the message of Christ. This year, she celebrates 12 years of marriage with her husband, Patrick. Together, they have two children, Mila (9) and Blaise (5). Their family resides in the Chicagoland area and is passionate about Christian mentorship and helping aspiring entrepreneurs build their lives and businesses on biblical principles.
With two decades of experience in the publishing industry, Jevon Bolden leads Embolden Media Group, a literary agency and publishing consulting firm that exists to cultivate, amplify, and advocate for the works of women writers, authors of color, and forward-thinking creators whose diverse ideas move the world through written, audio, and visual content. Jevon has authored eight books, ghostwritten and edited hundreds of titles, and helped build culture-shifting author brands. Advocating for inclusion and equity for diverse voices in publishing, Jevon serves as a consultant to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and a member of the organization's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) subcommittee. As a conference speaker, workshop facilitator, writing coach, and mentor, she shares the best of what she knows with passionate, creative, and influential people who desire to publish great books that make a difference.
Janice Schnell Butler is the Director of Content Solutions at Ingram Content Group, where she brings over 17 years of extensive experience in sales, digital services, distribution, and operations. She oversees a team dedicated to the integrity and discoverability of the millions of Lightning Source and IngramSpark titles available through Ingram’s global markets. She has previously served 2 terms on the Board of Directors for IBPA and currently participates in the BISG AI working group. When not at work, Janice enjoys traveling with her family and attending concerts.
After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Calvin University, with a focus on Rhetoric and Communications, Karen Campbell began her career in the publishing industry at Baker Publishing Group. From there, she moved to Zondervan and served as their Director of Public Relations before moving on to start Karen Campbell Media, Inc. Throughout her 25 years in the publishing industry, she has had the privilege to work on multiple New York Times bestsellers, as well as countless ECPA bestsellers, and with several top-selling authors such as Philip Yancey, Lee Strobel, Tara-Leigh Cobble, President Jimmy Carter, Shane Claiborne, Karen Kingsbury, Lysa TerKeurst, J. Warner Wallace, John Stonestreet, Col. Oliver North, Kirk Cousins, Darryl Strawberry, and dozens of others. In 2009, Karen was awarded the WMPRSA Gold PRoof Award for her work on the publicity campaign for Multiple Blessings by Jon and Kate Gosselin with Beth Carson. Karen considers building and maintaining relationships with media outlets essential. Media hits include The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, CNN New Day, FOXNews.com, New York Times, USA Today, People Magazine, Good Housekeeping, The Eric Metaxas Show, In the Market with Janet Parshall, Christianity Today, The 700 Club, Life Today with James Robison, Focus on the Family, That Sounds Fun with Annie Downs, etc. She would say there’s nothing better than seeing a book receive great media coverage, succeed in sales, and change people’s lives. www.karencampbellmedia.com
Rev. Olivia M. Cloud has been actively engaged in the ministry of Christian and inspirational publishing since 1987 and has been a gender pioneer in every position of employment she has held in that time. Since 2017, she has served as associate editor at R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation, where she is primarily responsible for curriculum production and product development. She serves as an editorial consultant to the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and a communications consultant to Simmons College of Kentucky, the nation’s 107th HBCU. Her previous positions include product development coordinator, Black Church Development, Baptist Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (now LifeWay Christian Resources) and publishing director of the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. She is author/editor of ten books, has made contributions to several nationally and internationally distributed works, and has been a ghostwriter for a number of New York Times bestselling authors.
Catherine DeVries is Publisher at Kregel Publications, with over 30 years of experience in Christian publishing and a proven track record of crafting best-selling Bibles, books, and ministry resources for all ages. She began her career with Zondervan/HarperChristian, where she stayed for 17 years and helped launch the NIrV translation and Zonderkidz and acquired The Jesus Storybook Bible. As brand manager at United Methodist Publishing House, DeVries launched the Common English Bible translation. Then as Publisher for David C Cook, Catherine was responsible for Sunday school curriculum lines, trade books, ministry resources, and the Action Bible children’s line of products. Catherine has been with Kregel since 2018 and leads the English publishing division, including acquisitions and publishing planning in all formats and genres—fiction, non-fiction, children’s, academic and ministry. She is also the author of 25 children’s books.
Amanda Cleary Eastep is the senior developmental editor of nonfiction and children’s fiction at Moody Publishers and the author of the Tree Street Kids middle grade series. She serves on the board of the Academy of Christian Editors (ACE), and she is a member of the Kidlit Chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
Nate Eidenberger is a senior graphic designer and multimedia specialist for Baker Publishing Group. In this position he works on a multitude of projects for all of the divisions of Baker Publishing Group ranging from bookmarks, postcards, and print ads to a variety of social media content, pre order bonus items, eblasts, and downloadable content to promote the books. He also brought video and animation to the in-house marketing team, from creating and designing book trailers to social media video ads or reels, Nate is constantly learning new approaches to design and book promotion. On top of being an accomplished designer, in his free time Nate is a skilled illustrator proficient in a multitude of styles and mediums and has also illustrated several covers for Baker Publishing Group. (You can follow Nate's art on Instagram at @a.peculiar.artist, if curious.)
Kevin P. Emmert works at Crossway, where he acquires and edits academic books as well as develops content for Bible projects. He has written two books and numerous academic and popular articles. He lives in Wheaton, Illinois, with his wife and four children.
Maria Eriksen is Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Tyndale House Publishers. In her roles at Tyndale, she has worked with authors from all backgrounds – athletes, coaches, journalists, pastors, bloggers, motivational speakers, and more. Maria has marketed NYT bestsellers by people such as NFL superstar Drew Brees; legendary Redskins coach Joe Gibbs; NFL star Kurt Warner, with wife, Brenda; television personality Dr. David Jeremiah; David Platt; Beth Moore, and more. She has delivered marketing expertise for nearly 20 years at Tyndale and draws on her decades of marketing experience in the technology sector, and in both commercial and retail marketing for Benjamin Moore & Co. Maria holds a M.B.A. with a marketing emphasis from Northern Illinois University. In her free time, Maria runs and takes nature hikes, plus she enjoys vintage/antique shopping and healthy cooking.
Lillian Fisher has served as the podcast manager for That Sounds Fun Podcast with Annie F. Downs for the last three years. Consistently charting in top shows in Religion & Spirituality, That Sounds Fun Podcast just celebrated its 10 year anniversary with over 100 million downloads. Lillian is responsible for booking over 100 guests per year and is also the "Chief Annie Officer" for AFD Inc. Lillian resides in Nashville, TN and when she's not working, enjoys baking, playing the violin, and fostering kittens.
Tom Frank has been a sales representative for Versa Press for over 26 years. He takes pride in working with publishers in Michigan and New England, using a consultative sales approach. By understanding his customers specific needs and preferences, he offers cost-effective solutions that help them realize their goals. Tom is dedicated to showcasing the extensive capabilities of Versa Press, whether through state-of-the-art equipment, specialized features, or connecting customers with other talented Versa Press professionals to help achieve success.
Don Gates is the founder of The Gates Group, a multi-faceted literary agency working with best-selling and award-winning authors across the country on a variety of publishing endeavors. He works with many authors including Lee Strobel, Kyle Idleman, John Burke, Justin Whitmel Earley, Trillia Newbell, Jonathan “JP” Pokluda, J.D. Greear, and Aundi Kolber. Prior to his own venture, Don was the Vice President of Marketing at Zondervan. Before publishing, he spent fifteen years in brand management at YUM! Brands, Hershey Foods, and Campbell Soup. He received his BS from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he played Ivy League football. He also earned an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University, and a MDiv from Southern Seminary.
Mycah Gavic is the Digital Media Manager for Bethany House Nonfiction and Chosen Books—divisions of Baker Publishing Group. Using her skills in photography, eye for graphic design, and determination to keep up with the algorithms, she creates content that showcases and promotes authors and their books. When she’s not working, Mycah aims to travel to places with no cell service, find awe-inspiring hikes, and photograph it all alongside her husband, Myles.
Sarah Gordon is an award-winning editorial designer and serves as Creative Director for Christianity Today. Before she found her true passion in the world of magazines, Sarah bounced between creative firms and local churches exploring branding, wayfinding, web design, and more. She lives in Wheaton with her husband and twin sons, and when she isn’t on the clock you are likely to find her outdoors or with her nose in a good book (or both!).
Rev. Yvonne D. Hawkins brings nearly three decades of diverse experience in publishing, pastoral counseling, and leadership. As an acquisitions editor at Fortress Press, her passion lies in acquiring books that delve into ministry, pastoral theology, social justice, womanism, and church practices. Currently completing doctoral studies at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Yvonne explores trauma-informed approaches to the Holy Communion for the Black church—a testament to her deep commitment to innovative theological discourse and church practice. With a background as a newspaper journalist and editor, columnist, and freelancer, along with her roles as a chief content officer in Christian education publishing, Yvonne possesses a unique blend of journalistic acumen, publishing experience, and theological insight. Her education includes a bachelor of science in journalism from Northwestern University, a master of divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and a master of pastoral counseling from Loyola University Chicago. Beyond her professional achievements, Yvonne is known for her warmth and dedication, evident in her enjoyment of walks along Lake Michigan's shoreline and her cherished time spent with family and friends.
Patty Radford Henderson is a senior marketing strategist, former agency owner, workshop instructor for the Association of National Advertisers, and startup founder who has spent her career helping brands create customer-centric content marketing programs. She’s worked with Aveda, Thomson Reuters, Red Wing Shoes, General Mills, Northwestern Mutual, Shinola, and Medela and has held leadership positions at Target and Regis. Patty founded Annum in 2020 to help marketers plan smarter. Annum’s patented integrated marketing planning software brings all campaigns, channels, content, and tactics into one unified calendar view so marketers can identify opportunities and gaps, build more cohesive and compelling omnichannel customer experiences, and drive more revenue.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pradfordhenderson/
https://www.annumplanning.com/
David Hetherington is the Vice President – Global Business Development for Books International, a leading provider of book manufacturing and fulfillment services to book publishers. Mr. Hetherington’s portfolio reflects a broad range of responsibilities including VP of Manufacturing and VP of Financial Planning for Simon & Schuster Higher Education. In addition, Mr. Hetherington held leadership roles in Finance, Operations, and Sales at Reader’s Digest, Wolters Kluwer Health, Columbia University Press and Baker & Taylor. Mr. Hetherington serves as an adjunct professor and on the Advisory Board for Pace University’s Graduate Publishing Program and sits on the board of directors for the Book Industry Study Group, Book Manufacturers Institute, and PubWest.
Jacqueline Horbrook, also recognized as “Jackie the Educator” across social media platforms, hails from Chicago, Illinois, emerging as a pioneering force among millennials. Armed with a Master's in Education and a Bachelor's in Business, her vision is to be renowned as a Kingdom solutionist. She serves as the visionary CEO of Black Christian Influencers, a thriving community dedicated to empowering kingdom builders across diverse professions. Additionally, she presides over two other flourishing enterprises: BCI Influencer Agency and the Christian Travel Club. Ordained as a minister, her unwavering commitment lies in advancing the kingdom of God, leveraging her manifold talents and gifts.
Alexandra Horn is marketing manager for IVP Academic. She holds an MSW from the Jane Addams College of Social work at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a BA in Sociology, with a minor in Biblical Studies, from Biola University. She has formerly worked at Moody Publishers and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She is a singer, an avid arts & crafter, and a Costco member since birth. Born and raised in San Diego, she now calls Oak Park, IL, home.
Linda Howard is Associate Publisher for Children and Youth at Tyndale House Publishers. She brings an extensive background working with children and children’s products to her role including teaching, marketing, and product development for several brands. Linda leads the kids’ team, developing overall strategy for Tyndale Children and Youth, acquiring projects, and overseeing product development of all books. She has worked with best-selling authors Tony Dungy, Randy Alcorn, Esau McCaulley, Ann Voskamp, Karen Kingsbury, Mike Nawrocki, Amy Parker, and more. Linda’s enthusiasm and passion for bringing children to a deeper understanding of Christ is what drives her work. Helping authors to publish and shape products that start children on a path to spiritual maturity is a responsibility she takes seriously, and she is grateful for the opportunity to serve families in this way.
Adrienne Ingrum is Vice President and Senior Agent at Serendipity Literary, the highly esteemed Black-owned literary agency. She has held VP editorial positions at Putnam, Crown/Random House, and the book chain Waldenbooks. As a consultant, she led the start-up team for Black Issues Book Review magazine and served as lead consultant in the development of Black Expressions Book Club. She acquired books on progressive spirituality as senior editor at FaithWords/Hachette, Callisto Media and Broadleaf Books/1517Media. Adrienne is a trustee of the New York Society Library, literacy volunteer with My Own Books Fund, and active member at First Corinthian Baptist Church of New York City (FCBCNYC). A bookworm-tomboy since her girlhood in St. Louis, Missouri, she enjoys a reading compelling narratives (biography, memoir, history) and biking the great outdoors in every season. She thrives as an auntie, godmother and mentor. A graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, she calls Harlem home.
Dominique Jones, a Senior Designer at Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Since graduating in 2018 from Mercy College (today known as Mercy University) has created unforgettable covers. She is also the founder and President of Blk + Brwn Book Designers, a non-profit formed to empower diverse designers and illustrators through career development opportunities within the publishing industry.
dominiquejones.work [email protected] bnbbookdesigners.com Instagram @bnbbookdesigners
Matt Kennell is the Executive Director of Sales at Versa Press, Inc., an industry leading US book manufacturer with a wide range of capabilities. He is an owner and member of the 4th generation family management team at Versa Press with 12 years of experience. He is heavily involved with the broader book publishing community and has expanded Versa Press’s presence and support for a variety of different book publishing associations. Matt is passionate about making positive impacts on the book publishing supply chain that help our industry be positioned well to thrive long term. To this end, Matt has become deeply involved in the work of BISG’s supply chain committee and believes that it is important to foster collaboration across supply chain participants. This led him to eventually join the BISG board of directors in July of 2022.
Jonathan Kim is the Strategic Customer Success Manager for Sprout Social. Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software. Sprout’s intuitive platform puts powerful social data into the hands of more than 30,000 brands so they can deliver smarter, faster business impact. With a full suite of social media management solutions, Sprout offers comprehensive publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, advocacy, and AI-powered business intelligence. Sprout’s award-winning software operates across all major social media networks and digital platforms. The speaking team offers more than 3 decades of combined social and technology experience across all industries, customer sizes, and functionalities.
Laura Klynstra is senior art director for Revell Books and a freelance graphic designer and photographer. Previously she worked as art director at Hyperion Books and at HarperCollins Publishers in New York City. She is the co-author and photographer of Gather & Graze and Christmas Baking. She lives in Michigan with her family and a menagerie of dogs, cats, chickens, and ducks.
Chris Kuhatschek is a Senior Art Director for Baker Publishing Group. While Chris is new to designing book covers, he comes with 13 years of experience as an Art Director/Associate Creative Director in the advertising world developing campaigns that worked seamlessly across print, out of home, social, TV and web. Chris lives in Grand Rapids with his wife Bri and their two young boys where they enjoy bike riding, golfing, playing games and hanging out with friends and family.
Brittany Langworthy is the Principle Solutions Engineer for Sprout Social. Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software. Sprout’s intuitive platform puts powerful social data into the hands of more than 30,000 brands so they can deliver smarter, faster business impact. With a full suite of social media management solutions, Sprout offers comprehensive publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, advocacy, and AI-powered business intelligence. Sprout’s award-winning software operates across all major social media networks and digital platforms. The speaking team offers more than 3 decades of combined social and technology experience across all industries, customer sizes, and functionalities.
Ben McCoy is Vice President of Operations and Chief of Staff at InterVarsity Press where he has worked since 2009. His areas of involvement include print production, inventory control, project management, organizational training, and vendor partnerships; previously at IVP he was involved with editorial operations and content production. Ben enjoys watching movies and engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, and surf fishing. Ben lives in North Carolina with his wife, two teenage children, and their energetic Australian Shepherd.
Clarissa Moll is an award-winning writer and podcaster who helps bereaved people find flourishing after loss. She produces and moderates Christianity Today's flagship news podcast, The Bulletin. She hosted CT's Surprised by Grief podcast as well as a podcast for authors called The Writerly Life. Clarissa’s writing appears in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, RELEVANT, Modern Loss, Grief Digest and more. She is the author of four books on bereavement including the bestselling Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving After Loss and Hurt Help Hope: A Real Conversation about Teen Grief and Life after Loss.
Phil Newman is a seasoned book editor whose work has spanned multiple publishers, including Moody, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Forefront, IVP, Baker, and more. His specialties include developmental editing, copyediting, proofing, and crafting marketing copy. The numerous authors whose titles Phil has worked on include Franklin Graham, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Henri Nouwen, Bob Goff, Max Lucado, Lisa Whittle, Savannah Guthrie, Brant Hansen, Nancy French, Cristina Baker, and more. Also a magazine writer and book contributor, Phil coauthored Jeremy Camp’s I Still Believe, which was later developed into a major motion picture. Phil is based in Franklin, Tennessee.
Allia Zobel Nolan is the author of over 150 traditionally published titles. Her books reflect her two main passions: God and cats. Recent titles include Cat Confessions: A Kitty-Come-Clean Tell-All Book (over 130,000+ copies sold); The Worrywart’s Prayer Book, winner of the gold medal first place 2022 Indie Book Award for Christian Non-Fiction; Laugh Out Loud:40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now...Before We Forget, finalist in the 2019 Indie Book Awards for Humor, the classic bestselling children’s book, What I Like About Me: a Book about Differences, and the sequel, What I Like About You: a Book About Acceptance finalist in the 2020 Indie Book Awards for Children’s Picture Books. God Made Us Just Right, published by Kregel, won a 2022 Catholic Media Award for best children’s book. Nolan’s latest picture book Harriet Hurry-Up and the Oh-So-Slow Day was published by Kregel in August. She lives and writes with her husband, Desmond, and their three fur babies in New England. Learn more at www.AlliaWrites.com
Jessie O'Donnell is the Strategic Services Consultant for Sprout Social. Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software. Sprout’s intuitive platform puts powerful social data into the hands of more than 30,000 brands so they can deliver smarter, faster business impact. With a full suite of social media management solutions, Sprout offers comprehensive publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, advocacy, and AI-powered business intelligence. Sprout’s award-winning software operates across all major social media networks and digital platforms. The speaking team offers more than 3 decades of combined social and technology experience across all industries, customer sizes, and functionalities.
Erik M. Peterson is a designer and art director of books. He has worked in publishing for over twenty years, and is currently the art director for children and special projects at Crossway.
Davina Powell is the Consumer Marketing Services Manager for Ingram Content Group. She is a creative sales and marketing expert who is known for connecting publishers to key audiences. She has spent more than 10 years in the digital marketing space developing new resources that ensure publishers and booksellers marketing budgets are used in a productive way. Excitement about her work and specific interests gets Davina out of the office, presenting and speaking at events and conferences. When not thinking about digital marketing Davina can be found hiking and traveling.
Pam Pugh has twenty years of editing experience, having worked with Moody Publishers in various roles and now as a freelancer with Moody, The Urban Alternative, and the occasional other client. A native Chicagoan, she currently lives in rural Indiana with her husband, Scott, and is the proud mother of four grown children and has three grandchildren. Active in her church and taking violin lessons as a hobby, she regards daily life and enjoyment of work as gifts from God and takes great pleasure in the skillful arrangement of words.
George Roach is Senior Global Rights and Permissions Manager at Tyndale House Publishers. For the past 8+ years he has been working with Rights and Licensing at Tyndale with a primary focus on Bible and Domestic Licensing. He lives in West Chicago, IL with his wife, Dawnielle, and two daughters. He enjoys biking, running, and spending time outdoors.
Bill Rojack is Senior Vice President of Sales at MIDLAND. With 30 years of experience in the paper business, he specializes in sourcing and developing paper products and programs for many markets, with a unique concentration on publishing and direct mail verticals. Bill’s personal interest in environmental stewardship drew him to an early adoption of now-popular sustainability trends in the paper sector. This interest has also provided Bill a unique opportunity to develop aggressive but achievable procurement strategies in collaboration with global paper manufacturers and supply chain partners.
Beverly Rykerd is Vice President, Director of Publicity at WaterBrook & Multnomah, imprints of Penguin Random House. Beverly leads an outstanding team of publicists who take great pleasure in crafting bestseller publicity campaigns. With more than 30 years of experience, Beverly began her publishing career with Focus on the Family and then owned her own publicity agency, Beverly Rykerd Public Relations, for 17 years before joining WaterBrook & Multnomah 13 years ago. She has represented books in just about every genre in Christian publishing and has had the opportunity to work on some of the all-time biggest selling books in the industry.
Carol Fisher Saller is a contributing editor to The Chicago Manual of Style and was chief copyeditor for the 16th edition. For many years, she was editor of the CMOS Online Q&A and wrote Editor’s Corner for the CMOS Shop Talk blog. Saller has also blogged about language and writing for Lingua Franca at the Chronicle of Higher Education and is the author of The Subversive Copy Editor as well as several award-winning books for children, including The Bridge Dancers, Eddie’s War, and most recently, the middle-grade mystery Maddie’s Ghost. She lives in Chicago.
As founder and president of ROAR, Gary Schneeberger draws on his executive experience and executional acumen to help individuals and organizations engage audiences with the boldness and creative clarity that ensure they are heard. He has advised Hollywood studios (Universal, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox), television networks (USA, History, The CW) and global nonprofits (Focus on the Family). He has counseled and created communications platforms for authors, experts, speakers, coaches and consultants of every conceivable stripe, from some of the biggest names in movies and TV to true mom-and-pop shops. He has appeared on the CBS Evening News, CNN This Morning, NPR and HLN, among dozens of others. Schneeberger is the author of the best-seller BITE THE DOG: Build a PR Strategy to Make News That Matters (Niche Pressworks, 2018), part memoir of his life in the communications business and part guidebook to the effective practice of public relations. It has been hailed by critics as “helpful and hilarious” and revealing “a brilliant mind, heart and passion for excellence.” Colleagues have recommended it as “smart, clear, cogent, actionable and always thoroughly entertaining.” BookAuthority rated it the No. 1 PR Book for Beginners.
Rebecca Schriner serves as the Publicity Manager with Zondervan Books, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishers. Prior to joining HCCP, she worked as a publicist for Baker Publishing Group and Torchflame Books. She earned an MA in Public Relations from Ball State University and a BS in Professional Writing from Taylor University. She is a guest speaker for Taylor’s Professional Writing program, and her writing appears in Brio and The Secret Place magazines. In 2023, Rebecca was selected as an ECPA Emerging Leader. She lives in Minneapolis and shares publicity tips on Instagram at @Rebecca_Publicist.
Ashleigh Slater is the author of the books Team Us and Braving Sorrow Together and cohost of the Team Us Podcast. She’s also a developmental editor who loves to work alongside and encourage fellow authors. Ashleigh and her husband, Ted, said, “I do, of course!” in 2002 and they have four daughters. They currently live in the Arizona desert.
Connor Sterchi is the Editorial and Content Manager at Moody Publishers in Chicago, Illinois. He studied writing and journalism at Calvin College and received an MA in Biblical Studies from Moody Theological Seminary. He has edited dozens of books, including Winter Fire, The Visual Word, Just Show Up, The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks, Loneliness, How to Grow, Go Outside, Never Shaken, A Non-Anxious Presence (winner in the Ministry Resources category of ECPA’s 2023 Christian Book Awards), and 14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible (winner in the Bible & Devotional category of Christianity Today’s 2024 Book Awards). In his free time, he enjoys music, songwriting, reading, nature, biking, basketball, and spending time with family and friends. He resides in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Mike Stralow produces four podcasts for Holy Post Media (The Holy Post Podcast, Curiously Kaitlyn, The SkyePod, and The Esau McCaulley Podcast). He is a former pastor, and spent 8 years in fundraising for Christian nonprofits. He has a BA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Wheaton College.
Joshua Tallent is the Director of Sales and Education at Firebrand Technologies (https://firebrandtech.com), where his focus is on helping publishers of all sizes learn about, and find solutions to, their workflow and metadata problems. Joshua’s background is deeply rooted in ebook development, metadata, and other publishing technologies, and he is an acclaimed teacher and guide on the role of data in publishing. He serves as the Chair of the BISG Board of Directors and is the host of the BookSmarts Podcast (https://booksmartspodcast.com), which features practical discussions and interviews about publishing data and technologies. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys teaching Bible studies, playing complex board games, and fiddling with his home automation system.
Justin Tarsiuk currently serves as the Director of Partnerships at YouVersion and the Bible App. For 25 years Justin has pastored churches, led ministry and marketplace teams, and helped churches and ministries find success navigating the digital landscape while staying true to their mission.
Champ Thornton (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) and his wife, Robben, live in Newark, Delaware, have been married since 1996, and enjoy being parents to three energetic teenage children. He is an Acquisitions Editor at Crossway and is the author of numbers of books for kids and families, including The Radical Book for Kids, its sequel: The Really Radical Book for Kids, illustrated children’s books: You Count!, Why Do We Say Good Night? And Why Do We Say Thank You?, and devotionals for families and parents: Wonders of His Love: Family Advent Devotional, and Pass It On: A Proverbs Journal for the Next Generation. He’s also served as host of “In the Word, On the Go,” a ten-minute podcast for families. You can learn more about Champ at www.champthornton.com.
Jeff Tolsma serves as Production Manager for Baker Publishing Group, where he enthusiastically leads an exceptional team of production specialists. His passion is facilitating the production of thought-provoking Christian books that will edify and encourage followers of Jesus. Jeff’s 20+ years of project management experience on the printing side helped BPG successfully navigate the production challenges of the recent past and new opportunities to come.
Carol Traver is the Director of Content Development for Tyndale House Publishers and has been helping authors shape their stories for more than two decades. Specializing in inspirational memoir, Carol’s collaborative efforts include: Part of My World by Disney Legend Jodi Benson, With My Eyes Wide Open by Korn lead guitarist, Brian “Head” Welch, and I’m No Angel by former Victoria’s Secret Runway Model Kylie Bisutti. Carol has also served as a creative consultant and developmental editor on a wide variety of projects, including: All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore, Food Saved Me by Danielle Walker, The New Fight for Life by Benjamin Watson, Believe It by Nick Foles, and Soul of a Team by Tony Dungy, and as a ghost writer for dozens of others.
Linda Walz is the production director at Tyndale House Publishers and has been helping to produce books and Bibles for more than 30 years. She gets to work with a dynamic group of buyers and loves being part of the process that brings our authors’ messages and our designers’ visions to life. In her free time, Linda enjoys combing for fun finds at antique markets, reading, and paper crafting.
Nicole Weisbrich is a Senior Marketing Manager at HarperCollins Christian Publishing with over a decade of experience in the industry. Currently leading email marketing initiatives within a Marketing Operations team, she strategically guides publishing and marketing teams on digital marketing efforts. She believes that empowering people with knowledge is only half the battle; the other half lies in giving them the resources to apply it effectively.
We thank the following companies for their support of the industry and this event:
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GENERAL
For more information on sponsoring this event, contact [email protected]