Meet the Authors Who Trust Ballast Books

J.D. Danny McCabe grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the middle child of a very large family. From an early age, he was independent and a practical realist. This first-time author began writing his diary as a historical journal of events that evolved quickly and came without context. JD was encouraged to share this personal and unbelievable voyage in rediscovering himself by the many people who witnessed and heard about his journey firsthand. He is blessed with two beautiful adult children. J.D. resides in Charleston, SC.

Brad Ahlquist, a Texas resident, finds solace and self-expression in his recreational writing, often delving into short stories and inspirational pieces. Alongside his supportive wife, Brad lives an active lifestyle filled with travel, golfing adventures, and cherished moments with his friends and family.

PJ Dudek has lived in Northeast Ohio his whole life. Despite being a major fan of the state, he is also inspired by the beauty of the larger world beyond the Ohio River and Great Lakes. Writing provides him a way to share his appreciation for these settings within his favorite literary genres–sci-fi and fantasy. He currently lives with his wife and three children surrounded by woods and farmland not far from where he grew up.

Savannah Spidalieri is an author and ghostwriter. Raised on the forested trails of the Pacific Northwest and the banks of the Shenandoah River, Savannah currently shares her central Virginia home with her husband, daughter, and pets as well as far too many houseplants. She studied creative writing and publishing and printing arts at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. While at school, Savannah spent late nights on her writing coursework and early mornings on the lake with the varsity crew team. She is a co-founder of Haunted Waters Press, which is not a publisher of ghost stories but instead takes its name from one of her favorite pieces of literature, A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean. Still working on her own solo debut novel, Savannah enjoys ghostwriting and collaborating with authors who have powerful stories to tell and need someone to help bring them to the page. Savannah loves puzzles and mysteries and just “figuring things out” in general, and had she not chosen a career so deeply steeped in the written word, she would have been a detective. She might still like to try that one day.

Roger Smith is the past CEO of American Income Life Insurance Co, National Income Life Insurance Co, and Liberty National Life Insurance Co. He is also the recipient of the Yitzhak Rabin Legacy Award, Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, Healthcare For All Champion Award, Sol Stein Award, as well as numerous other awards and publications. He is the father of five adult children (Nicole, Conrad, Emily, Adam, Amiah), proud grandfather of Maggie Mae, and currently resides in Florida with his wife Demi and his two dogs Penelope and Chrome.

Rear Admiral Kyle Cozad graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1985. His Navy career centered around aviation training and operations, and he served extensively as an instructor pilot in numerous operational and training tours around the world. During his career, Cozad commanded at various levels within naval aviation and joint multi-service in five critical assignments. Ashore, he served in a variety of diverse leadership positions within the Navy and Department of Defense, including as the 22nd Senior Director in the White House Situation Room, Commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, and Commander of the Naval Education and Training Command. Following a service-connected spinal cord injury in 2018, Cozad recovered and returned to full service, completing his final thirty months of active duty as the Navy’s only wheelchair-bound flag officer. During that time, he became an advocate for disability awareness and competed in the 2019 Department of Defense Warrior Games. Prior to his retirement, Cozad was recognized as one of the Department of Defense’s top employees with disabilities in 2020. After a thirty-five-year career in the Navy, Cozad joined the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation as the President and Chief Executive Officer in October 2020. Today, he resides in Pensacola, Florida—affectionately known as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation.” Since his injury, Cozad has dedicated countless hours mentoring other spinal cord injury victims through their individual recoveries.

Amy Moreland, an advocate for changing the look of fitness, is the CEO and founder of AMPD Strong, a group fitness certification and workout program. She is inspired by every single instructor of her courses as well as everyone who takes an AMPD class. Amy’s passion is to showcase that fitness is for every body and that strength isn’t defined by outward appearance. She is also an international presenter and has graced the stages of FIBO, IDEA World, CanFitPro, Fitness and Wellness Australia, SCW Mania, FitExpo, and DCAC. Amy lives in Pennsylvania, and when she’s not working out, she enjoys time with her family—and a little retail therapy doesn’t hurt either!

Allyson McCollum lives in a secluded holler in the Georgia mountains, where she writes to procrastinate on her chores and does chores to procrastinate on writing. If this method doesn’t work, she reads equally twisted writers like Holly Black and Cassandra Clare or watches shows written by Neil Gaiman and Guillermo del Toro to get ideas for painful plot points and cliffhangers. If all else fails and she can’t figure out how to properly torment her readers, she asks her poor husband what would work best. Their cat approves of such torture methods, and their two dogs are just happy to be there.

Or Shahar is a seasoned technology leader with a passion for inspiring and driving teams to success. With years of experience managing business teams in the tech industry, Or has developed a unique approach to identifying and managing motivations in the workplace. His book, Inspire the Drive, offers young leaders a practical guide to finding the right set of motivations for their team members, fostering a sense of impact, creativity, and belonging. Or's insights are based on his own experience and theory of motivation, and his passion for the topic shines through in his writing. When he's not leading teams or writing, Or enjoys spending valuable time with his family and friends and coming up with creative ideas and initiatives.

Ron Gross is dedicated to the convergence of technology, self-improvement, and community-driven innovation. With an MSc in computer science from the Technion, Ron has extensive experience in both tech and leadership, primarily in small startups, but also in corporate life at Google.  An early adopter of Bitcoin and a cryptocurrency advocate since 2011, Ron has long been passionate about decentralization, transparency, and open-source technologies. He co-founded the Israeli Bitcoin Association and served as the executive director of the Mastercoin Foundation, leading the first ever ICO.

Robert “Navy Bob” Roncska, DBA, had a distinguished twenty-eight-year career in the US Navy, serving as the Pacific Fleet’s top fast-attack submarine commodore and as the naval aide to President George W. Bush. He is currently a national speaker on leadership and high reliability, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida School of Global Health Management and Informatics.

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Tom Amenta was born in Chicago, IL, and grew up in the area before enlisting, against his family’s wishes, into the United States Army on his 18th birthday. Following his five years as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, including two combat tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Tom earned his degree in political science from the University of Illinois. Tom spent the next eight years as the COO of the veteran lifestyle apparel company Ranger Up. He pioneered the veteran lifestyle apparel category and helped grow Ranger Up into the premier company in the space. At Ranger Up, he passionately advocated for veterans’ causes in many spaces, including lobbying Senate service committees. Later, he helped produce and starred in the only fully veteran-produced Hollywood movie, Range 15. He is a passionate advocate for veteran entrepreneurship and assisting veterans in transition, which led him to author his first book, The Twenty-Year War. Tom is the Chief Development Officer of United Valor.

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Dr. Jessica Thompson is the northern housing director with HRDE. After growing up in the small town of Seneca Rocks, West Virginia, she left right after high school and pursued a twenty-year career in the criminal justice field. While obtaining a Ph.D. in business and criminal justice, she settled in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she lives to this day with her husband.

Schuyler Williamson is a leadership expert and keynote speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, and military veteran who has consistently achieved at the highest level in every facet of his career. As the author of his debut book, The Steady Leader: Leadership Models That Bring Clarity to Chaos, Schuyler provides a blueprint for leading through turbulent times, offering actionable strategies for thriving amid uncertainty.  With an MBA from The McCombs School of Business, where he ranked #3 in his graduating class, Schuyler blends academic rigor with real-world experience as he inspires, motivates, and coaches leaders to navigate chaos with steadiness and confidence. As a globally recognized keynote speaker, he has addressed major organizations like Oracle, Dell, Keller Williams Realty, Care.com, Logitech, Smith + Nephew, and Financial Executives International, showcasing his ability to equip others to lead through disruption and chaos while achieving excellence.  Schuyler’s expertise in leadership through chaos is rooted in his military service as a combat officer with the 1st Cavalry and 82nd Airborne Divisions, where he was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Meritorious Service Medal, he led in some of the most demanding environments imaginable. He also earned the honor grad distinction in the mountain phase of Ranger School, exemplifying his ability to excel in extreme conditions. His military foundation was solidified at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in the top 10 percent of his class.  Schuyler is no stranger to peak achievement in the business world. After being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2005 and completing his active-duty US Army career, he transitioned to a career in real estate, where he now ranks in the top 1 percent of agents nationwide, with hundreds of millions in sales. He has been honored with the prestigious Platinum Top 50 and Austin Under 40 awards in Austin real estate and owns over fifty- five investment properties. His entrepreneurial ventures include founding Williamson Group Real Estate, Mission Home Builders in Austin, and the Laundry Luv franchise.  As the host of the Money Mission YouTube channel with hundreds of thousands of video views, Schuyler regularly shares insights on leadership, wealth building, and resilience. He also spearheads the Corporate Battlefield Mastermind in Austin, Texas, an elite group focused on leadership and wealth creation for high achievers facing complex challenges. Committed to giving back, Schuyler’s Corporate Battlefield Mastermind donates generously to teachers in need, and he volunteers with SCORE and Marbridge in addition to serving as a foster parent.  Schuyler’s leadership journey is a testament to thriving under pressure, achieving at the highest levels, and guiding others to do the same. Whether leading teams in combat, building wealth through real estate, or inspiring business leaders at global conferences, Schuyler’s message is clear: true leadership shines brightest in times of chaos.

Nancy Taylor is a music teacher living in Northern Virginia. She lives near her four sons and six grandchildren and enjoys having close ties with them.

D.E. Novak lives blissfully in Eugene, Oregon, with her beloved cats and betta fishes. She is a graduate of West Virginia University as well as the school of life. An avid figure skater, she also skis, hikes, and loves to garden. You are going to want her on your team in trivia games, especially when the categories are music or movies. And she’s been known to rock the karaoke mic with gusto! Lastly, if you ask her nicely, she’ll even read your tarot cards.

Darren Sapp has authored multiple works of fiction and nonfiction and serves as a guide for other authors crafting their memoirs. He served in the US Navy as a yellow shirt on an aircraft carrier flight deck.

Jonathan Jakubowski is a Christian, husband, father, author, business leader, and millennial. He played football at Bowling Green State University and received his master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University. Jonathan leads an innovative and award-winning startup called SmartSolve. He lives in Ohio with his wife and four kids where he serves as Executive Committee Chairman of the Wood County Republican Party and sits on the Wood County Board of elections.

Rosa Miller resides in Boone, Iowa, with her loving husband and three children—with a fourth on the way! A doting mother with a background in education, Rosa homeschools her kids. She loves the outdoors, especially mountains, streams, rivers, etc., and enjoys meeting life’s challenges and discovering new beauty with her kind, adventurous best friend and husband. God is the key to her family’s strength and endurance.

George Bearnard Graen is an American scholar and scientist in the field of leadership during on-boarding. He was awarded the James McKeen Cattell Award by the American Psychological Association as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota for the best research design in applied psychology and his doctoral dissertation was published as the only study in a special issue of the Journal of applied psychology. Another of his articles was the most requested reprint in ten years in Leadership Quarterly.

He was awarded the Illinois – Keio exchange distinguished professorship to Tokyo, Japan. He also garnered membership in the Center of Advanced Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He was head of the Department of Management at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio and Gene Braun endowed Chair in Management at the University of Louisiana. He is well known globally for authoring his theory of the on-boarding worker procedure, LMX theory, which has been successful in many countries in empowering team startup coordination and retention. He is one of the most cited leadership scholars in the world.

Kent Thompson grew up in Newcastle, Wyoming. When he was a junior in high school, his family moved to California, where he attended Atascadero High School before completing two years of college at Cuesta Junior College in San Luis Obispo. Most importantly, during this time, he met and married his high school sweetheart, Susan. Together, they moved back to Wyoming so Kent could finish college at the University of Wyoming, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history. What started as a summer job at an oil refinery to replenish funds so he could continue his education turned into a career in the oil industry. The original goal was to teach history and coach football and basketball, but God had other plans. During the last eight years of Kent’s career, he supervised three offshore platforms off Long Beach, California. He worked with Navy SEAL TRADET to plan SEAL training on those platforms for the last five years of his career. He is a lifelong student of the US Constitution and the Federalist Papers. Kent and Susan live in the small mountain town of Pine, Arizona. They will never actually “retire.” They have three grown children and two grandsons.

Barbara Powers Wyatt was born in Salem, New Jersey, where she attended Salem public schools. In 1953, she graduated from Clarke Conservatory of Music and went on to teach music in her hometown. Two years later, in pursuit of something bigger than small town life, she began a new profession as an airline stewardess with Trans World Airlines (TWA). After just three months, she met her future husband, Captain Frederic Wyatt, USNR, and together they built a family that included three sons. They would also work together in executive search, in politics, and with the military, all while teaching throughout Los Angeles County. In 1980, she served as part of the Reagan Administration for both of his terms. In one of their many endeavors together, she and her husband created and compiled the book We Came Home: POWs of Vietnam. To honor the POWs, she has updated their stories for the 50th anniversary of their homecoming. She currently lives in Las Vegas where she spends time writing and enjoying time with her family.

R. H. Emmers has had a number of careers in his life: reporter and editor, crisis communications consultant, private detective, and insurance fraud investigator. Ten years ago, he decided to devote himself to writing. At first, it was short stories, a number of which were published in literary magazines. Emmers also published a collection called Lynerkim’s Dance and Other Stories, which is available on Amazon. The Secret History is his first novel, and it grew out of his fascination with Mexico, particularly Baja, and an eagerness to look beneath the surface of the intelligence apparatus (the Dark State, if you will).

Julio C. Canedo is a computer systems and electronics engineer with an MBA in Human Resource Management (HRM) and a PhD in Strategy/Organizational Behavior. He is an accredited coach and is certified in HRM and ethics. As associate professor of management, he has published and presented his research in numerous academic and professional outlets and conferences.

He is a member of multiple editorial boards and associate editor of academic journals. In addition, he supports multiple non-profit organizations, where he provides pro bono training and consulting. As a consultant, Julio has favorably implemented systems to align, empower, motivate, and lead individuals to deliver strategic organizational results. Combined with Artificial Intelligence algorithms, his methodology is available in the Strategic Alignment App.

Axel T. Harper is the proud father of three amazing children and is married to the greatest woman who has ever lived on the face of this planet. He has worked in and around the interface of business and technology for most of his life.

Sven Lundin is a retired businessman and avid outdoorsman. Born and educated in Sweden, he moved to the United States to pursue his career. His background in engineering brings a unique perspective to his writing. He enjoys traveling the world and pursuing outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, sailing, and golfing. Lundin currently resides between Fort Myers, Florida, and Evergreen, Colorado.

A world leader in digital businesses, disruption, and digital transformation, Juan Jose (J.J.) de la Torre is an expert in the areas of strategy, innovation, and all things digital. He has been recognized as one of the world’s top eighteen digital transformation leaders and a top five digital marketing influencer. J.J. holds an MBA from INSEAD, a master’s degree from La Salle, and an industrial engineering degree from Adolfo Ibanez.

J.J. is a senior executive with decades of experience across the globe. Following his return to his home country, Chile, after twenty years of a successful international career, J.J. joined Virtus Partners as a senior partner. At Virtus, J.J. led the organization’s digital endeavors, which turned into Raven (https://www.raven.inc/en), a unique consulting boutique solely focused on business disruption and acceleration. As Raven’s CEO, J.J. pools strategy, design, technology, and analytics to help clients across industries embrace digital enablers and technologies.

He has founded and successfully traded three start-ups and is also an angel investor for fourteen start-ups, a mentor for more than 150 companies, and the founder of the first information and communications technology incubator in Saudi Arabia as well as the first 360 accelerator in the Middle East. He has even advised the United Nations and has delivered more than two hundred keynotes on entrepreneurship, gaining recognition from Forbes, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and more.

A father of three and a loving husband to his wife, Maria, J.J. is a former professional DJ and now music composer, a PADI diving instructor, and a mountain bike and golf aficionado. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and adventure sports.

Diana McLain Smith is a renowned thought leader who has led change efforts for thirty-five years in some of America’s most iconic businesses and cutting-edge nonprofits. A former partner at the Monitor Group and a former chief executive partner at New Profit, Smith developed a novel approach to conflict and change called Leading Through Relationships (LTR)™. Her frameworks and tools, captured in The Elephant in the Room and Divide Or Conquer, have been used around the world to turn intergroup conflict into a powerful force for change. She shares her life with negotiation expert Bruce Patton, her husband of thirty years; her two rambunctious dogs; and a motley family of friends.

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‍Mark T. Hebner, a highly regarded authority on investing, is an acclaimed author and is featured in an award-winning documentary film titled Index Funds. He also appears in the new Errol Morris documentary film titled Tune Out the Noise.

Like many investors, Hebner’s conversion to passive investing was sparked by his realization that the traditional brokerage paradigm had substantially hampered his own investment success—causing him to significantly underperform a risk-appropriate index portfolio by as much as $30 million. This striking revelation about just how much damage Wall Street inflicts on unwitting individual and institutional investors has served as the impetus for his tireless efforts to educate and inform investors so they can make better investment decisions.

Hebner is on a mission to change the way the world invests by replacing speculation with an education. With this in mind, he leads a team of writers, artists, graphic designers, mathematicians, statisticians, and researchers to build as well as maintain ifa.com—considered one of the internet’s most comprehensive websites on investing. Hebner’s website, book, and documentary film elegantly set forth long-term data and research that educate and empower investors to make sound investment choices.

This special twentieth anniversary and tenth edition of Index Funds: The 12-Step Recovery Program for Active Investors includes new data and research as well as a large edition on the Galton board and how it applies to the stock market.

Index Funds: The 12-Step Recovery Program for Active Investors is arguably the most artistic book ever written on investing. It contains more than sixty-five original oil paintings created by distinguished artist Lala Ragimov. It also includes more than 115 color charts and graphs, many of which reflect as much as ninety-five years of stock market data.

This one-of-a-kind little jewel is an eye-pleasing manifestation of hundreds of studies and decades of research, and it clearly represents Hebner’s ongoing commitment to educate investors throughout the world. It is destined to emerge as the go-to handbook for intelligent, evidence-based investing.

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Steve Shull is a former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins. When an injury forced him to change his game—literally—he pivoted into finance, then real estate, and found his calling when he started coaching other real estate agents. After three decades and over 60,000 hours of one-on-one coaching, he knows more about real estate agents than anybody in the business. That insight has led to a unique approach that takes the fear and the fight out of real estate, allowing agents to build stronger businesses while actually enjoying their lives.

Andrea Gallagher rose to national prominence after her husband, Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, was imprisoned for war crimes he did not commit. She fought tirelessly behind the scenes to have her husband released from pretrial confinement in order to participate in his defense, successfully lobbying President Trump to move him out of the brig. After Chief Gallagher was found not guilty of murder by a jury of his peers, President Trump reinstated his rank and ensured a vindictive Navy admiral did not remove his Trident, the insignia identifying him as a Navy SEAL. Today, Andrea is the president of The Pipe Hitter Foundation, a non-profit founded by her and Eddie to provide support for other service members and law enforcement officers stuck in a corrupt legal system

Michael Stutts is a corporate executive and client services leader who strives to leave companies and people better than he found them. Driven by a passion for business transformation, Michael has two decades of experience in finance, management consulting, and corporate leadership. Above any business achievement, his purpose is to normalize mental health conversations in conference rooms, corner offices, and boardrooms of high-stress environments.

Dafne Toro knows that true success relies on both personal and professional well-being and fulfilment. Passionate about empowering people to adopt a holistic growth mindset through strategic thought processes, she holds a PhD with a focus on business development and management and is a Certified Life Coach. Her work with individuals and teams has given her a deep understanding of the transformative effect strategic decision-making can have on people’s overall sense of purpose. After years of studying how individuals in businesses and organizations applied strategies and theories to achieve a common goal, Dafne noticed a similar dynamic in her personal life, which contributed to the development of The Strategic Business of You. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her family.

Matthew Q. Lesser started his career leading his family’s struggling business. It quickly failed, and Matt experienced a suicidal depression. Out of the ashes, a new business emerged and grew from three people to nearly two hundred while experiencing a twenty-fold increase in revenue. Matt served in C-suite roles in private equity, banking, and commercial uniforms before founding Uniquely Normal, LLC, to help leaders build flourishing organizations. Matt is the best-selling author of unSatisfied: When Less Is More and has spoken to and facilitated rooms packed with leaders around the world for now more than twenty years. Matt lives in northeast Indiana with his family.

The Cast Iron Crew is MSOFC’s Family Dinner Team, composed of six spouses drawn from across Army, Navy, and Air Force special operations units: KaLea Lehman, Lynnsy Snook, Wendy Jo Peterson, Andrea Geraldi, Christine Trax,and Heather Campbell.

Benito Olson began his naval career as a Master-at-Arms serving in Bahrain and Kingsville, Texas. His work with military dogs opened the opportunity of a lifetime to serve with SEAL Team — for multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned a reputation as a go-to handler for dogs at the tip of the spear and was awarded multiple decorations, including a Bronze Star with Valor and Purple Heart. After medical retirement from the Navy, Olson started Patriot Dog Training for law enforcement, estate protection, or household pets.

Daniel Gade was born and raised in Minot, North Dakota. He enlisted in the Army in 1992 and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom as a company commander in August 2004. He was wounded by enemy fire twice and decorated for valor; the second wounding resulted in the amputation of his entire right leg. After retiring from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2017, he accepted a political appointment as a Senior Advisor at the US Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS). In 2019, he ran unsuccessfully for United States Senate in Virginia, but garnered more votes than any Republican candidate in Virginia history. Daniel’s military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Presidential Service Badge, and both Airborne and Air Assault wings. He and his family reside in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Daniel Huang is a freelance journalist based in Washington, D.C. A graduate of New York University, he previously worked as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal, where he covered finance and veterans issues. Since 2016, Dan has lived and reported from across Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. He has primarily covered international affairs, ranging from the elections in Afghanistan to Chinese history and politics. His writing has been published in Foreign Affairs, Guernica, Pacific Standard, and The New Republic. Wounding Warriors expands upon a series of articles Daniel wrote from 2014 to 2016 on fraud and abuses at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. His coverage culminated in a front-page exposé detailing how the dramatic rise in disability claims has overwhelmed important assessment and control tools at the V.A. Dan’s work on the myriad dysfunctions within the veterans disability systems for both The Wall Street Journal and on this book has incorporated wide-ranging firsthand testimonies and research from 60-plus sources, spanning current and former V.A. staffers, policymakers, academics, and crucially, veterans themselves.

Kevin Freeman grew up in Maryland, where he currently serves as a pastor of Redland Baptist Church in Rockville. With over twenty years of vocational ministry experience, Kevin has a passion for vibrancy and growth in the church. He and his wife, Karen, have six kids-four of whom came into their lives through their involvement in foster care and were later adopted. They also have two grandchildren. Kevin received his undergraduate degree from Lancaster Bible College and his MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In his free time, he enjoys tending his vegetable garden, cooking, and spending time with his family. Kevin would like to hear from you! You may contact him at scattertheseed.com and undilutedfaith.com.

A native Californian, Eric Buer spent his formative years in rural New England before graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University with a degree in economics. After accepting a commission from the Marine Corps, he was trained to fly attack helicopters. His deployments took him to the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He later served on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs as a professor of national security strategy and policy at the National War College and as an air group commanding officer. Eric is currently a senior executive for an aviation and training company. He is also a consultant and public speaker in the areas of military and commercial aviation and global conflict.

LT Kegan “SMURF” Gill, USN (Ret.), is a former US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet pilot, best known for enduring the fastest survived ejection in naval aviation history. In 2014, at a staggering 695 miles per hour, he ejected into the sound barrier, suffering devastating injuries. The violent forces left him with multiple traumas, leading to over a dozen surgeries and an extensive rehabilitation process.

Despite these extraordinary challenges, Kegan’s indomitable spirit brought him back to flying. But the road to recovery went far beyond the physical—he faced PTSD, cognitive impairments from a traumatic brain injury, and the frustrating complexities of navigating a broken healthcare system. It was through holistic therapies, including groundbreaking psychedelic-assisted treatments, that Kegan experienced profound healing and renewal.

Now, Kegan is dedicated to sharing his hard-earned lessons on resilience and transformation. As a motivational speaker, author, athlete, husband, and father, he draws on his journey to inspire others facing their own battles. His story serves as living proof that no matter how insurmountable the obstacle may seem, it is possible to rise, overcome, and thrive.

Binod (Ben) Thapa is an avid golfer and world traveler who has worked for over twenty-five years in systems engineering. A native of Kathmandu, Nepal, he has always enjoyed traveling, an interest that continued after he moved to the U.S. in 1989. A few years later, Ben discovered a love of golf when he played for the first time while on a family vacation. These two passions led Ben to pursue a lifelong quest to visit the world while playing the sport. Since then, he has golfed in the capital of every U.S. state, in fifty countries out of sixty-four he’s visited, and on all seven continents. Today, Ben lives with his wife, Nora, in the Washington, D.C., area where he continues to play golf and spend time with his three adult children.

Ben Snyder is fourteen years old and working toward earning an associate degree at Lake-Sumter State College. In addition to being a foster care/adoption advocate, he likes to play chess, hunt, and read in his free time. Ben plans to pursue additional degrees in business and travel more in the future.

Kristin (Otterson) Cronic is an artist and United States Naval Academy (USNA) graduate. She has a BS in naval architecture and was commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer in 2011. She served as a naval officer until 2017, deploying twice on ships. Kristin pursued an informal art education in her free time. She has dedicated recent years to documenting the midshipman’s journey through painting under the alias “Easel on Stribling,” painting over 150 pieces about USNA. She has an MFA in visual art from Jacksonville University. She resides in Florida with her husband, Caleb, and their three children.

David Sears served twenty years of active military duty as a US Navy SEAL officer, participating in a number of conflicts and contingency operations in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. He is a graduate of Boston University and the Naval Postgraduate School, earning a Master of Science in defense analysis. He is the co-founder and a managing partner at Xundis Global, LLC. A keynote speaker, senior consultant, and advisor to multiple clients in the defense and technology space, David is a regular guest commentator on Fox News, Fox Business, and CBSN.

Michelle Snyder owns a private counseling practice in Winter Garden, Florida, where she provides mental health support to a variety of populations. She has been a licensed clinical social worker since 2009 after earning a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2006. Michelle lives with her husband of sixteen years and has a mix of biological, adoptive, and occasionally foster children they have the privilege of doing life with. You can find Michelle reading and traveling during her free time.

John Patrick Lyons was born in Houston, Texas. At the age of 15, John went to work at the Port of Houston and later in the oilfields of South Texas. John enlisted in the United States Navy in 1985 to become one of the first Navy Special Operations Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (Navy SWCC). Chief Lyons would go on to become a Navy and Special Operations accredited weapons, ordnance, LASER, and firing ranges expert and instructor. Retiring from the Navy in 2009, John continued working for Naval Special Warfare Command instructing, training, and qualifying West Coast Navy SEALs, SWCCs and other Special Operations personnel in weapons proficiency and gun and LASER firing range safety. In 2014, John would learn that he had been massively poisoned with lead. Fired for whistleblowing, he then went to work to find out why. Suffering from congestive heart failure and other degenerative poisoning symptoms, author John P. Lyons continues his whistleblowing in an effort to help his fellow veterans, their families, and the nation overcome the disdain shown by the Navy, government, and its leadership for those they poison. An avid outdoorsman and conservationist, Retired Navy Chief John P. Lyons, his wife of thirty years, autistic son, and loyal dogs, Shelby and Diesel, currently reside in his home state of Texas.

Kevin Cramer is the proud father of a maniac two-year-old girl who will only go down the tallest slides at the park and a nine-year-old boy who’s trying to bankrupt him by being good at ice hockey. He’s most likely the only construction worker in Pittsburgh with two master’s degrees and five published books—three of which are about ultimate frisbee, an obscure sport that has put him in the ER in every American time zone. His wife is a roller-derby-playing tattoo artist, thus rendering anything he does super boring in comparison.

Mary Zahau-Loehner graduated as a board-certified family nurse practitioner in 2005 and has been working in dermatology since 2008. She earned her master’s in nursing from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, where she was later a professor in the clinical nursing program. Mary is also a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the Society of Dermatology Nurse Practitioners. Outside of work, she is a professional bodybuilder and is passionate about weightlifting and going to the gym. She volunteers at her church and enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, and spending time with her family and Alaskan Malamute, but much of her free time since 2011 has been spent fighting for justice for her sister Rebecca. She currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, Doug, and their two children.

Jennifer Smith has always been passionate about emerging infectious diseases like prions, Ebola virus, and 1918 influenza. She earned her doctoral degree in microbiology and molecular cell sciences while working with influenza viruses at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, under the direction of world-renowned virologist Dr. Robert Webster. She has spent much of her career studying both animal and human viruses and has dedicated herself to having a positive impact on her community. As an epidemiological specialist at the Hawai’i Department of Health (HDOH), Jennifer had a front-row seat for the public health response to COVID-19. During the pandemic, she worked on the front line of response efforts, monitoring travelers, investigating cases, and executing contact tracing. That all ended when she came forward to expose corruption by HDOH leadership, was put on administrative leave, and ultimately was discharged from her position without cause. Jennifer lives in Hawai’i with her husband and their two shih tzus, Allie and Fozzie. She loves to read and hang out on the beach, enjoys sewing tote bags and purses, and will continue to pursue truth via honest, good science.