THOUGHT LEADERS + SPEAKERS
Emily Austein, LCSW is a psychotherapist who truly loves what she does. Emily’s passion for her career is evident in her work and dedication to her field. Her private practice is located in Ridgewood, NJ where she sees teens through adults struggling with a variety of issues. She is a dynamic presenter on the lecture circuit presenting on topics such as; the effect of social media, its impacts on self-esteem, body image, relationships and overall well-being.
Emily believes that everyone can benefit from therapy, and that therapy is emotionally healthy and very beneficial. She works hard at dispelling the stigmas around mental health and mental illness, educating the public, and even her friends and family about therapy’s numerous benefits. Emily understands the uniqueness of each of her clients and adapts their treatment to fulfill their goals. She regularly collaborates with other medical and mental health professionals to provide her patients with the most collaborative and comprehensive treatment possible. She is a Bergen County native who is very involved within the Ridgewood Village. Emily has been featured on Northjersey.com
Emily Austein, LCSW
171 E Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 632-3736
Jessica is passionate about people. Her enthusiasm for connecting with others – and caring deeply about their needs and desires – is obvious from the moment you meet her. These qualities fuel her drive to help students of all ages achieve their dreams.
Jessica’s sensitivity to mental health advocacy and commitment to helping others is something she learned from her mother. And she credits her father with her love of art. Prior to her involvement with Tutor Doctor, Jessica spent 25 years selling fine art and photography to collectors and galleries around the world.
As owner of Tutor Doctor of North Jersey, Jessica has woven together these twin legacies from her parents: the desire to support her students’ emotional health and to help them develop their creative selves. She sees an emotional connection between a family and their student – and between the student and their learning progress – in the same way she could sense a collector’s connection with their art.
Jessica listens and observes each student and family in order to fully understand their unique dynamics – at home and in school. She also spends time listening to their goals and their frustrations. Combining their valuable input with her intuition and expertise, she identifies the ideal tutor from her pool of talented resources. Her goal is not to simply connect a tutor with a student, but to build an educational support team with a shared commitment to see the student succeed and excel – in school and life.
Families know they can count on Jessica to be accessible, responsive and helpful in any way she can. She has earned her clients’ trust by being honest, reliable and professional – whether she’s advocating on behalf of a student with school administrators or serving as a liaison with other support services.
For Jessica, success is not just about academics. It’s about truly caring for her students and building relationships that extend beyond classroom learning.
With a passion for helping girls understand the connection between their minds, bodies, and spirits, Maggie DiPasquale created the Modern Mentor Program to help foster a generation of happy, healthy young ladies. As a self-help resource for girls, Maggie implements her program in schools and groups across the tri-state area.
Her work has been featured on the radio and blogs including Boston’s 103.3 Amp Radio, Teen Vogue, Yoga Journal, Millennial Talk with Chelsea Krost, and she's a regular contributor for Spire & Co. Maggie graduated from Boston College in 2010 and if she's not mentoring, you can find her dancing!
Jennifer Faherty is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Certified Life Coach and founder of JSF Coaching, a private practice dedicated to helping women define success for themselves and make the best professional and financial decisions to get them there. She is passionate about understanding the WHY behind her client’s decisions – as well as what sometimes stops them from taking action when it comes to their money and careers—and creating holistic solutions and strategies so they can ultimately achieve their goals.
Prior to launching her own practice, Jennifer worked as a Financial Planner and the Director of Marketing for one of New Jersey’s largest and fastest-growing Registered Investment Advisors. She continues to do wealth management advising through Clarity Investments + Planning, in addition to her own coaching work. She earned her B.A. at Dartmouth College, an M.A. at Columbia University and is currently working toward her certification in Behavioral Finance. She can be reached atjennifer@jenniferfaherty.com.
Chani Getter is passionate about personal choice. She is an ordained One Spirit Interfaith Minister, who was raised in an ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jewish home. At the age of 23 she left an arranged marriage and as a single mother began a journey of self-discovery. Today she is a spiritual leader, teacher, coach and counselor. She combines personal development, spiritual learning, and age-old wisdom to create courses and ceremonies that are welcoming and meaningful to all people. She blends the discoveries of her personal growth alongside the ancient teachings from the Jewish tradition that were such a meaningful part of her youth.
Chani provides coaching and counseling services to individuals and couples going through transitions in their lives. These include changing jobs, going through a divorce, moving, merging families, marriage etc. She is uniquely qualified to provide support services for Footsteps members who are leaving ultra-orthodoxy and leading trainings for organizations working with Footsteps members. As an open gay parent she facilitates Keshet's monthly support group for LGBTQIA women in NYC.
Chani brings a non-judgmental approach to important contemporary topics and provides safe spaces for all to connect with their authentic selves and deepest yearnings.
Noreen Heffernan
Owner of Growing Ladies, Sales Consultant for Beautycounter
Noreen Heffernan, MA, Public and Corporate Communications, is a certified public relations expert. She is a writer for her Mom Blog, Growing Ladies where she writes about motherhood with a true and honest approach. Her passion is in her writing. But more so, it is about uplifting other Moms, understanding how difficult and rewarding motherhood can be, and supporting those Moms who want more. Noreen also feels very passionate about spreading awareness about using safe products for Moms, Dads, and children alike.
She works part-time in Glen Rock, NJ where she manages her blog and her business, Beautycounter. Beautycounter came to fruition when she realized her children were using unsafe products on their skin as well as herself. She discovered this fast-growing company through a friend and decided that she was ready to help spread awareness about the benefit from using products which are organic, natural, and created with safe chemicals for human health.
Noreen believes that Beautycounter is an environmental savvy product line which is a better alternative to personal care products. The mission of this company is to get safe products into the hands of everyone and educate them on safer alternatives. The line is free of known carcinogens, endocrine blockers or elements harmful to reproductive health. She says, “It is for us and our children’s future.”
You can find Noreen on Ridgewood Moms where she writes weekly articles. You can also email her at Noreen.heffernan@gmail.com for more information on Beautycounter and its products.
Lois Kramer-Perez CHt. is the go to expert when you’re finally ready to receive passionate relationships, a peaceful home, and a life you love. She puts her 10+ years of feng shui energy clearing to work for realtors, divorcees, business owners, and mom’s running a busy household, to put them in the drivers seat with their relationships and spaces. She is a sought after speaker, expert, and author; creator of popular programs such as “Guided Clearing Meditation Circle” and the “Feng Shui Jumpstart”.
A graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology, Feng Shui Alliance School and Institute of Hypnotherapy, Lois is a faculty member at Emerson and Ridgewood Community Schools in NJ, a top contributor to Inner Realm Magazine, Natural Awakenings Magazines, Pazoo.com’s Feng Shui Expert and sits on the board of the International Feng Shui Guild.
Randi Levin CPC, founder & CEO, Randi Levin Coaching– is a certified transitional life strategist, author, inspirational speaker, and reinvention expert. She holds a BS Degree in Journalism from The University of Maryland and a professional coaching certification from The Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching. She believes that we have the choice and the power to create our own legacy each and every day. Randi utilizes her Signature GPS Coaching System as a catalyst for her clients to clarify and refresh their journeys, giving them support and permission to pivot, to change, and to ask, “What’s next?” Randi is a contributor and featured expert for Huffington Post, Thrive Global, DivorceForce, Identity Magazine, and a variety of national publications and podcasts. Randi is the creator of Recoloring Life Workshops as featured in The Wall Street Journal. She is also a co-author in the best selling anthology series Get Results! – A toolbox for change and transition.
Jennifer Marchetti is an entrepreneur, connector, inspirational speaker and owner of PowHER Network and Ridgewood Moms. She is an online business expert, ideal marketer and a master at creating action plans for personal, professional and community growth for women.
She was recently interviewed on CBS News for the power of the Ridgewood Moms community. She has also been featured on FOXNews, WB11 and featured in Parents, People, Pregnancy, BabyTalk, The Bergen Record, The Star Ledger, The Ridgewood News, The Internet Mommy and Women of Personality, received celebrity exposure and featured in over 200 print and online media outlets.
Her passion is to collectively build new business structures with fellow women entrepreneurs that support emerging women. She creates programs that ignite change and are a source of inclusion, enrichment and new thinking for the next revolution for women. Jen is the catalyst – the foot souldier – uniting women one-by-one who are committed to making a change within our own gender - and in the world.
Kristin is known for her ability to identify opportunities to help businesses and individuals achieve their financial goals and build strategies focused on both current and future needs. Kristin has 15 years of investment experience as she spent the first part of her career focused on foreign exchange and emerging markets at various international banks, most recently as Vice President at Morgan Stanley. At Morgan Stanley, she advised and executed on behalf of the world’s largest global financial institutions in the trillion-dollar a day currency market. Kristin has chosen to use this background and experience towards the empowerment of individuals, families, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations in the challenging world of finance. She is especially excited to work with women to provide them with creative financial solutions. Kristin also hosts regular financial planning seminars and mentors young professional women who are in their early stages of careers in the financial industry.
Kristin is a 2001 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business. She also holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning with a specialization in International Development from New York University. She holds Series 3, 7, 63, 66 licenses.
O’Keeffe Financial Partners, L.L.C.
An Independent Firm
100 Passaic Avenue, Suite 100A, Fairfield, NJ 07004
(973) 227-3660 w (888) 828-2880 Toll Free w (973) 227-3668 Fax
kristin.merrick@raymondjames.com
**Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, INC. Member FINRA/SIPC
Want to Nibble? Nicole Meyer is author of the cookbook, Cups Sticks & Nibbles, and the owner of Nibbles By Nic, a "Cooking Party by Design" business. She has been involved in the "world of food" for the past five years developing great recipes, blogging, food styling and writing articles for various periodicals. Food is ALWAYS present in her daily life from simple snacks to celebrations. Her philosophy is cooking should be "stress-free," "simple" & "fun!!!" She concentrates on healthful, yet realistic cooking with tasty and modern-day twists for every meal.
Nicole has been a guest on the Chew, Rachael Ray and Steve Harvey. She has been featured in Taste At Home Magazine, Simple & Delicious, Long Island Pulse and appeared with the Cake Boss and The Mob Wives on various occasions. At the end of the day her career is about fulfilling her passion of the culinary arts and sharing with all those who love food as much as she does.
Stephanie Strozuk, MD is the owner of Evolved Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine - New Jersey’s only private medical practice dedicated exclusively to the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults.
In her 15+ years of practice, she has held academic positions at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and at Rutgers- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She has trained numerous medical students, residents and adolescent medicine fellows throughout her academic medical career.
In October 2015, she opened the doors to Evolved Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine - her private practice in Ridgewood, NJ. This subspecialty center provides specialty medical care to patients aged 10-29. Whether it is management of eating disorders, adolescent gynecology, multiple somatic issues or mental health concerns, she strives to treat her patients as a whole and in an integrative or holistic fashion - a distinct departure from the disease centered model of traditional medical practice. She carefully examines each patient’s unique history and combines that knowledge with the unique genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence long term health. In her opinion, it is the only way to truly get to the root of medical and psychologic issues. She strives to heal and not merely suppress symptoms.
Evolved Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine
1250 E Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 857-5770
Fern Weis is a Parent Coach, and earned her Coaching Certificate from iPEC in 2008. Her personal experiences as a parent and middle school teacher inspired her to work with parents. She learned that caring and good intentions are not enough.. in fact, they are often the problem!
Fern coaches parents of teens and young adults who are going through difficult situations (from homework wars to addiction recovery, and all points in between). She helps parents release guilt, end enabling and create a plan for positive change in their family. These changes empower parents to confidently prepare their children to be responsible and independent, and to thrive through life’s challenges.
With improved communication and relationships, parents will help their children tap into the love and potential parents knew was there all along. Fern knows first-hand that when parents change, everything changes; that it's never too late to do this work; and you don't have to do it alone.