Our Authors

Lissa Rankin, MD, is an OB/GYN physician and author of 8 books, including the New York Times bestseller Mind Over Medicine. She is the founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute and the health equity nonprofit Heal at Last, and an artist who researches radical remission, trauma-informed medicine, and the relational implications for medical conditions, including the effects of loneliness, narcissism, and coercive control on health. She teaches online and in-person classes in the realm of relationships, IFS, and health, as well as creative writing for therapeutic purposes. She has co-taught many classes with IFS founder Dick Schwartz and is an educator of Internal Family Systems (IFS), with a specialty in IFS and medical conditions. She also mentors doctors, therapists, and entrepreneurs to support their visionary work. Her TEDx talks have been viewed over 6 million times, and she has starred in two National Public Television specials. Lissa lives in West Sonoma County with her partner, now that her daughter has gone off to New York for art school. She thrives on daily hikes in nature, making art, dancing, singing, writing, gardening, upcycling clothing, DJing music whenever she can, and healthy gourmet cooking.

Jeffrey Rediger MD, MDiv, is an author, a licensed physician and psychiatrist, and on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He was the medical director of McLean SouthEast and Community Affairs at McLean Hospital in Boston for 22 years, and concurrently for many years also the chief of behavioral medicine at Good Samaritan Medical Center. In addition to his medical and psychiatric training, he has a master’s of divinity in theology and philosophy of science from Princeton Theological Seminary. His investigations into remarkable recoveries from incurable or fatal illnesses have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Oz Show, and Anderson Cooper 360, among others. He has been nominated for the National Bravewell Leadership Award and has received many awards for leadership and patient care. His bestselling book, Cured: Strengthen Your Immune System and Heal Your Life, has been published in 22 languages so far and is available at both local bookstores and online.

Stephen Straus is the CEO of KUNGFU.AI, the leading AI management consulting and engineering firm that he cofounded in 2017. With over 100 deployments and measurable ROI impact across over thirty industries, Stephen brings a wealth of knowledge and stories from the practical realities of finding transformative value utilizing the full AI toolkit, far beyond generative AI. Stephen is a serial entrepreneur and former venture capitalist and is a graduate of Colgate University and Harvard Business School. He and his wife have four great kids and are new empty nesters.

Ben Szuhaj is an AI strategist passionate about helping organizations navigate AI transformation. At KUNGFU.AI, Ben works with leaders to develop and implement practical AI strategies that deliver tangible business value. Ben holds a BA in English and human-centered design from Dartmouth College, where he won the Mecklin Prize for creative nonfiction, and is a competitive long-distance runner

Allen P. Adamson is a noted industry expert in all disciplines of branding. He’s worked with a broad spectrum of clients in industries ranging from packaged goods and technology, to health care and financial services, to hospitality and entertainment, as well as brands in the non-profit sector. Allen is Co-founder of Metaforce, a team of “special forces” that help organizations identify and activate the right growth strategies. Prior to Metaforce, Allen was Chairman, North America of Landor Associates, a global branding firm. Under his leadership, the company partnered with a wide array of iconic brands, including Accenture, GE, Johnson & Johnson, FedEx, HBO, Marriott, MetLife, P&G, Sony, and Verizon. Before Landor, Allen was an executive at Unilever, responsible for leading marketing for a number of major packaged goods brands. Previously, he held senior management positions at Ogilvy & Mather and DMB&B.

Debbie Adler is the owner of the nationally renowned, allergyfree, vegan, glutenfree and sugarfree bakery Sweet Debbie’s Organic Cupcakes in Los Angeles. She is also author of the critically acclaimed, award-winning cookbook Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats: Allergy-free & Vegan Recipes from the Famous Los Angeles Bakery.

Debbie has appeared on national television and radio shows such as NBC’s Nightly News and NPR’s Here & Now, as well as in the Los Angeles Times and other national publications.

Jim Afremow, PhD, is a sport and performance psychologist, licensed professional counselor, and the bestselling author of The Champion’s Mind, The Champion’s Comeback, The Young Champion’s Mind, The Leader’s Mind, and The Creative’s Mind. His books have sold more than 225,000 copies in English editions domestically and have inspired athletes, coaches, and leaders across every field.

He has served as the staff mental coach for two Olympic teams (Greece Softball and India Field Hockey) and has worked with athletes in the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, PGA Tour, and UFC, as well as numerous Olympians. Jim has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and ESPN. He lives in Eugene, Oregon, and works globally with athletes and high performers to help them champion the day.

Dr. Sulman Ahmed is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of DECA Dental Group, the holding company for the consumer-facing brand Ideal Dental. He is the influential leader shaping and motivating DECA Dental’s growth, strategy, and culture. In 2008, Dr. Ahmed opened his first dental office with a vow to establish a truly patient-centered model. Today, the rapidly growing brand represents approximately 200 locations in nine states, serving around 3,000 guests per day.

In his personal career, Dr. Ahmed has achieved many honors and awards, including receiving The University of Texas at Dallas Distinguished Alumni Award (2024). He has also been named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2017), one of Glassdoor’s Top CEOs (2021) with a 98% approval rating, and one of Dallas Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs (2023). He is also an in-demand speaker for national leadership, entrepreneurial, and motivational conferences.

Dr. Ahmed earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and serves on their Board of Advisors. He is also President of the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), the premier association for businesses in the dental industry.

Lerzan Aksoy is an acclaimed expert in the science of loyalty management. She is associate professor of marketing at Fordham University, New York. Lerzan has co-authored and co-edited several books on loyalty and service: Loyalty Myths, Customer Lifetime Value and Profit Maximization Through Customer Relationship Marketing.

Amy Alkon is an independent investigative science writer specializing in “applied science”: using scientific evidence to solve real-world problems. Alkon critically evaluates and synthesizes research across disciplines and then translates it into everyday language, empowering regular people to make scientifically informed decisions for the best of their health and well-being.

For 25 years, Alkon wrote an award-winning, science-based, nationally syndicated advice column, distributed by Creators. With Going Menopostal, Alkon has authored five books—most recently, her “science-help” book Unfuckology: How to Live with Guts and Confidence (St. Martin’s Press, 2018).

She is the past president of the Applied Evolutionary Psychology Society, which brings evolutionary science to public policy, education, and medicine. Alkon has given invited talks to academics on applied science at scientific conferences and to large groups at universities. She has given two TED talks, and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office hires Alkon, a State of California–certified mediator, to do behavioral science-based dispute resolution talks and training videos. 

Alkon has been profiled in the New York Times, TIME, the Washington Post, The Independent/UK, and Maclean’s. Alkon has appeared on numerous national TV and radio shows, including Good Morning America, Today, NPR, CNN, Nightline, Anderson Cooper, Coast to Coast, and Canada’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, along with podcasts by Adam Carolla, Joe Rogan, Michael Shermer, Robert Wright, and Scott Barry Kaufman.

Alkon lives in Venice, California. Her website: AmyAlkon.net