Past Speakers

Sole operator of Bake it Till You Make it LLC, Dayna uses food and baking as a vehicle for mental health advocacy and vulnerable storytelling. Her activism has been featured by MTV, Aerie, and at the White House alongside the Biden-Harris administration. She lives with depression and OCD and is in recovery from an eating disorder.

Owner of six businesses and author of two books, William wrote, directed, and produced the film Beyond the Silence, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, he overcame trauma, violence, and profound depression to build his career.

Cory represents individuals with behavioral health diagnoses in community and institutional settings across New Jersey. He also leads national policy efforts on for-profit youth psychiatric residential treatment and conducts workshops for the National Disability Rights Network.

Kenna has spent over nine years advocating for mental health and disability rights at the local, state, and national level. She has worked in the U.S. Senate HELP Committee, the House Education and Labor Committee, and the NIH, and serves on multiple advisory boards including Mental Health America.

A certified Peer Supporter from Texas, Jessi has worked across a variety of settings to ensure young people have access to quality peer support. They currently serve as President of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Peer Supporters.

Robert leads an organization committed for nearly 70 years to the belief that mental illness is real and recovery is possible. The MHA provides compassionate, dignified, and empowering treatment to society's most vulnerable citizens.

Drawing on her own mental health journey, Katie has spoken at the local, statewide, and national level on mental health, suicide awareness, and coping skills — addressing events, CIT trainings for police and first responders, and students from elementary through college.

Dr. Elfenbein integrates psychopharmacology with nutrition, mindfulness, yoga, and mind-body therapies. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, insomnia, and trauma, and she specializes in women's mental health and individualized treatment.

Mary is one of the nation's leading advocates and experts on federal policy to promote prevention, early intervention, and recovery for people with serious mental illness. She has served as Executive Vice President of the Mental Health Association, CEO of NAMI, worked in the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, and served as disability counsel to the U.S. Senate HELP Committee.

Born and raised in Montclair, NJ, Carmen speaks openly about her own mental health challenges and the importance of communal support. She believes it is time to start leaning on one another and hopes to inspire others through her honesty and vulnerability.

Maddie and her husband run Reaching Out Montclair, a nonprofit addressing unmet needs for underserved families in their community — providing furniture, clothing, food, school supplies, and summer camps at no cost. She is also Carmen's mom.

Caren brings 10 years of experience in political campaigns and advocacy to her role building MHA's Regional Policy Council and influencing federal and state policy on health care, education, and criminal justice. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from Spelman College.

After a 26-year career in Washington disability advocacy and policy, Andy leads an organization of over 340 staff serving Californians with all types of disabilities. He has served on Governor Newsom's Master Plan for Aging advisory committee and a federal COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

Dr. Insel served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health from 2002–2015 and has since co-founded multiple mental health technology companies. He is the author of Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health and currently serves as a special advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

A Licensed Associate Counselor with 20 years in the mental health field, Tracy is a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor across multiple modules and a trained instructor for the Talk Saves Lives program through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

A collective of artists and filmmakers whose lives have been touched by youth suicide, The Liv Project creates thoughtful tools and experiences aimed at sparking fearless communication about mental health and reversing the soaring rate of youth suicide.

Taylor's work spans community-based grassroots movements and high-level policy reports with the UN, centered on a decolonial model that promotes mental health equity and justice. They serve as a 2026 NAMI National Next Gen Advisor and sit on the international Board of Management for aves Mental Health.

Aliza is a nationally recognized health advocate and Communications & Policy Assistant at Hopelab. As founder of The Reconceive Project and Medicine Encompassed, she has reached thousands of students across 40+ countries to democratize health resources and increase youth involvement in global communities.

John leads JED, a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults. JED partners with high schools and colleges to strengthen mental health systems and equip young people with the skills to help themselves and each other.

Alison founded Active Minds in 2003 at age 21, following the suicide of her brother Brian. The organization has since grown to over 1,000 school chapters nationwide and is the country's foremost mental health organization for students and young adults.

A leading mental health executive and advocate, Keris has held roles including President & CEO of Project Return Peer Support Network and Board President of NAMI. She is the recipient of Mental Health America's Clifford W. Beers Award and hosts the podcast Unapologetically Black Unicorns.

An attorney and recognized expert on Medicaid, Gwen's mission is to promote and defend the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities. She has previously served as New Jersey's Long-Term Care Ombudsman and Senior Staff Attorney with Justice in Aging.

Bren manages a team of attorneys representing individuals with disabilities in institutional settings across New Jersey, including psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, and developmental centers. Prior to DRNJ, Bren served as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender.

Jacquie has practiced yoga since 1995 and began teaching in 2008. She strives to inspire her students through creative and thoughtful sequencing and breathing techniques. She leads heartfelt classes incorporating poetry, uplifting music, Buddhist-influenced teachings, and her personal studies of Chinese medicine.

A Distinguished Professor and Director of the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics, Elyn is a leading voice on the intersection of law and mental health. She received her JD from Yale Law School and a PhD from the New Center for Psychoanalysis.

Minding Your Mind provides mental health education to students from kindergarten through college with the goal of ending stigma and increasing help-seeking behavior. Sarika shares her personal story of recovery and the power of understanding and working through emotions.

DeHaven is a non-binary educator and youth development professional who previously worked exclusively with LGBTQ+ youth, helping school staff develop equity practices and safer spaces. They are pursuing a doctoral degree in counseling education at Old Dominion University.

With nearly three decades of practice, Alma is also the mother of a child with Prader-Willi Syndrome and Autism and a disability rights activist. She founded Take Back the Kitchen to help people overcome psychological obstacles to healthy living.

Andrea addresses how mindfulness can support resilience, improve attention and decision-making, and help manage difficult emotions including anxiety and depression — demonstrating simple practices accessible to people of all backgrounds.

Paul has held leadership roles at the executive and board levels across the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. He has served as President of the Edwin Gould Foundation for Children and Board Chair of the Association of Black Foundation Executives. Paul is a strong advocate for mental health and has been a recipient, board member and consultant for the Ackerman Institute for the Family.

Based in Montclair, NJ, Angie specializes in adolescents and young adults aged 11–26, helping her clients manage stress, anxiety, and depression while building resilience and interpersonal skills. She brings nearly a decade of crisis counseling experience from high-risk medical centers.

Ali offers neurodivergent-affirming therapy for individuals, couples, and families. As someone on the autism spectrum herself, she brings a unique perspective to her work and is committed to creating a therapeutic space where clients feel seen, heard, and understood.

Ken is Jackie's husband and Jared's father. Over a long career in justice and equality, he has served as a trial attorney for the U.S. DOJ, Founding Executive Director of the NJ Institute for Social Justice, Chief Counsel to Governor Jon Corzine, and a member of President Obama's HUD transition team.