Elaine Lowry Brye, Army brat turned ROTC candidate turned military wife, is the mother of four military officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Her book, Be Safe, Love Mom: A Military Moms Stories of Courage, Comfort, and Surviving Life on the Homefront, has been called a service manual for military moms. Elaine’s mantra is simple “We have to be braver than our kids.” She motivates Americans to remember their strong roots and band together. She speaks on raising patriots – brave children who can meet the challenges of life. Elaine believes that life in the empty nest can be filled with purpose and speaks to women about finding their passion in the later part of life.
Despite poor academic performance and over 20 jobs by the time she turned 23, Barbara Corcoran became one of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs, creating a multi-billion dollar real estate business. As a speaker, Barbara brings her front-lines experience and infectious energy to every person she meets.
Courage, Confidence, and Compassion allowed Antoinette, a school bookkeeper, to successfully talk down an armed gunman saving 870 lives at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy on August 20, 2013.
Audiences of all ages are inspired and motivated by this story of one woman’s faith and raw courage – the only school active shooter situation in the nation which occurred without fatalities or injuries.
Mariela Shaker fled Syria in 2013 against the nightmarish backdrop of terror and destruction and arrived in the U.S. with her beloved violin a few months later. Through hard work, determination and luck, Shaker was able to obtain a student visa to study music at Monmouth College in Illinois, and subsequently won a full scholarship for graduate study at DePaul University in Chicago. She has become an advocate for peace and tolerance, wielding the power of music through her violin.
Eugenie is a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. After moving to the U.S., Eugenie began to publicly share her experiences with students across the country to educate them about the dangers of hatred, inflammatory language, violence, and lack of concern for others. She uses her life story to inspire others to rise above personal setbacks and tragedies. Eugenie is available for Student Assemblies, Parent Workshops, and Staff Development Programs.
Janet is an internationally known speaker and award-winning author who is recognized as a leading authority in the field of anger management and conflict resolution. Her warmth, sincerity, knowledge, and humor flavored with personal stories of trauma to triumph, evokes a profound awareness in her audiences.
Kathy was born with a hearing loss that went undetected until she was eight and led to believe she was mentally retarded. She was sexually abused, run over by a car, and stricken with cancer all before the age of thirty. She went on to become a top female comedienne, an award-winning author of a one-woman show, a PBS special, and a book.
