Emilio DiIorio is a renowned artist and sculptor, former systems engineer, orthopedic surgeon, and CEO who has studied the science and art of creativity throughout his career. He has a degree in engineering from New York University and attended NYU’s Stern School of Business. Following business school, DiIorio studied anatomy at the University of Ghent before deciding to enroll in medical school. He completed his medical degree in orthopedic surgery at Boston University and the Lahey Clinic. After four decades in practice as an orthopedic surgeon, DiIorio became the founder and CEO of a health network in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. In 2019, he sold the company and continues the practice and study of sculpture, the fine arts, and the creative process, which he has pursued for decades while serving as a physician and entrepreneur. He currently owns and operates Atelier Lucca—sculpture studios, gardens, and a private art gallery in the Lehigh Valley—where he sculpts and works alongside his team and his wife and cofounder, Amanda. He divides his time between homes in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania; and New York City.
Bryan J. Dik, Ph.D., completed his doctoral study at the University of Minnesota and during daylight hours is an assistant professor in the counseling psychology program at Colorado State University. His scholarly interests fall broadly in the domain of vocational psychology and include person-environment fit theories of career development, measurement of vocational interests, and basic and applied research on calling and vocation. He lives with his wife Amy and sons Eli and Silas in Wellington, Colo.
Scott Dikkers is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, comedy writer, comedian, and founder of TheOnion.com. His visionary leadership at The Onion, his groundbreaking comic strip, Jim’s Journal, plus his multiple top-10 comedy podcasts make him one of the most influential pioneers in comedy history. Rolling Stone named him one of its top 10 favorite writers. Entertainment Weekly designated him “the funniest person in America” and placed him on the “It List” of the hottest celebrities in show business. He graced the cover of Time magazine (as an incredibly tiny dot in a photo mosaic), which named him one of the top 50 movers and shakers online. Scott’s books on the craft of humor, the How to Write Funny series, have taught the craft of comedy to aspiring comedians around the world. His mentees have gone on to win multiple Emmys, Grammys, and an Oscar.
Robert L. Dilenschneider formed The Dilenschneider Group in October, 1991. Headquartered in New York and Chicago, the Firm provides strategic advice and counsel to Fortune 500 companies and leading families and individuals around the world, with experience in fields ranging from mergers and acquisitions and crisis communications to marketing, government affairs and international media.
Prior to forming his own firm, Dilenschneider served as president and chief executive officer of Hill and Knowlton, Inc. from 1986 to 1991, tripling that Firm’s revenues to nearly $200 million and delivering more than $30 million in profit. Dilenschneider was with that organization for nearly 25 years. Dilenschneider started in public relations in 1967 in New York, shortly after receiving an MA in journalism from Ohio State University, and a BA from the University of Notre Dame.
Books by Robert L. Dilenschneider
Kevin Dilmore has teamed with author and best pal Dayton Ward for nearly twenty years on novels, shorter fiction and other writings chiefly in the Star Trek universe. As a senior writer for Hallmark Cards, Kevin has helped create books, Keepsake Ornaments, greeting cards and other products featuring characters from DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Star Wars, and other properties. He is a content approver for the recent Rainbow Brite comics series by Dynamite Entertainment. A contributor to publications including The Village Voice, Amazing Stories, Star Trek Communicator, and Famous Monsters of Filmland, he lives in Kansas City, Missouri.
Nikki Dinki is a chef, author, mom, TV host and picky-eater-turned-veggie-lover who is spreading the delicious veggie word! You can flip through her award-winning first book, Meat On The Side, follow her food-driven adventures and unique creations on multiple Food Network and Cooking Channel series, and watch her share recipes regularly on the Wendy Williams and Dr. Oz shows. She also candidly reveals her successes and struggles of navigating three kids (including a set of twins!) and offers up more tasty veggie-focused recipes on social media and NikkiDinkiCooking.com.
David DiSalvo is the author of three books about the human brain and cognitive psychology, including What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite and Brain Changer. In his first book, he coined the term “science-help,” which has since become the standard term for describing science-based self-help approaches. He has also spent 25 years in top management positions with corporations and non-profit organizations, and has consulted with several Fortune 500 companies and major public agencies in the U.S. and abroad. He is an award-winning marketing communications specialist and an accomplished science and technology journalist whose work appears in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, Slate, Esquire, Scientific American Mind and several other publications. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Larry Dixon is an acclaimed artist and interior illustrator with work ranging from Harvard Press to Marvel. Son of an extraordinary Okie farmgirl and a Delta Force commando, Larry has been a racecar driver, volunteer firefighter, stormspotter and all-around adventurer. His passions are falconry, technology, music history, special effects, custom cars, comedy, games, fashion and model making. Larry was also the Great Eagles reference adviser for the Lord of the Rings films. With Mercedes Lackey, he’s credited for popularizing gryphons and has been guest of honor at more than 200 conventions worldwide. He lives in Oklahoma, where he collects comics, odd cars and injuries.
Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) is European affairs coordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org), a member-supported nonprofit group that works to uphold civil liberties values in technology law, policy and standards. He represents EFF’s interests at various standards, bodies and consortia and at the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organization. Doctorow is also a prolific writer who appears on the mastheads at Wired, Make and Popular Science magazines, and whose science fiction novels have won the Campbell, Sunburst and Locus Awards and whose story “0wnz0red” was nominated for the Nebula Award. He is the co-editor of the popular weblog Boing Boing (boingboing.net). Born in Canada, he now lives in London, England.
