Shawna Reininger worked for 15 years as a publicist and executive in the motion-picture industry. A member of the original team that founded Tri-Star Pictures, she became the studio’s senior vice president for publicity and promotion, creating and executing national campaigns for more than 85 major motion pictures. A graduate of Barnard College, she was the co-founder of the New York City Stage Company, an off-Broadway repertory theater company in Manhattan. She is also a court-appointed special advocate representing the special needs of abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system.

Sandra Van Derveer holds a bachelor of science degree in Engineering from UC Santa Cruz. She is a graduate of the Transpersonal Psychology program at Naropa University. She has worked at the Boulder County Mental Health Center and is currently a practicing Psychotherapist.

Jeff Larsen is a Ph.D candidate at the University of Colorado at Boulder specializing in trans-Atlantic intellectual history. He has extensive experience in public radio, serving as a news director, reporter, and anchorman. Jeff is coauthoring a book entitled Big Ideas, Small Planet: Are We Smart Enough to Survive the Twenty-first Century?

Brant Seibert holds a law degree from the University of Colorado and former as Town Attorney in Crested Butte. He also holds a Masters degree in Management Information Systems from CU Denver. He has 7 years of international business management experience and is currently a Senior Systems Analyst. Brant has served in several volunteer capacities in education, mediation, and welfare.

Victoria Szafraniec has worked in non-profit development and fundraising in Chicago, Denver and Boulder since 1997. Most recently she served as Director of Development for Bishop Machebeuf High School in Denver. In addition to her experience in non-profit management, Ms. Szafraniec has a M.A. in Religious Studies from the Iliff School of Theology, has taught high school level religious education and has developed community service programs for a number of high schools, both in Boston and Denver.