Bonnie McDaniel

Editor-in-Chief

Bonnie is an author, host of ION Network's Metro Magazine with Bonnie McDaniel and Editor in Chief of Recipes for Good Living Magazine.

In previous roles she was a former radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, editor of Family Digest Magazine and an award winning restaurateur winning the prestigious Wine Spectator Award for having one of the best food and wine menus in the world.

Allison McDaniel

Associate Editor, Editor for Growing Good

Allison is a graduate of Savannah College of Art & Design with a BFA in Advertising Design. She is a free-lance graphic artist and photographer and is the co-host of an upcoming television project and Its Thyme TV. She has several years experience working with Bonnie catering and creating beautiful weddings.

Karen Schachter

Contributing Editor, Growing Good

Karen Schachter is a licensed clinical social worker, certified health counselor, and founder of “Healthy Bodies, Happy Minds” and “Dishing With Your Daughter™” which offer a variety of programs and services to help girls and women experience nourishment, good health and deliciousness in their relationship to food, eating and their bodies.

Mocha Lee

Contributing Editor, Be Well

Mochalee is one of the country’s top fitness professionals. She is a former fitness TV host for BET’s Heart & Soul, is a contributor for Oxygen Women’s Fitness and Heart & Soul magazines. She has graced the covers and has been featured in numerous magazines including Embrace, Max Muscle and Ebony.

Andrea Rock

Contributing Editor, Thrive and Good Media

Andrea has a Master of Arts in Media Arts and has worked extensively conducting workshops and speaking on the media’s influence on children.

More recently Andrea became a certified Grief Recovery facilitator from the Grief Recovery Institute and graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity.

Nayada Cowherd

Contributing Editor, Homework

Nayada has a BA in Mass Media and is a film and television writer/producer. She accepts the challenge of raising her two sons as a divorced parent and utilizes the techniques she employs as a certified parent trainer. She currently lives in Atlanta.

Lareece Gee-Long

Contributing Editor, Options

Lareece Gee-Long is the founder of Life Within, an Empowerment Organization for Healing. She is a wellness consultant, Colon Hydro Therapist, and Certified BELD Lymphologist (Bio-Photonic Energy Lymphatic Detoxification and Drainage) specializing in detoxification, internal herbal body cleansing and nutritional supplemental programs for the quality of Life. Lareece is a twenty-year entrepreneur, a student of Life whose journey has allowed her to successfully partake, demonstrate, research and observe a variety of natural healing modalities. She teaches her clients how to dynamically transform their lives through honoring and re-evaluating themselves by renewing, cleansing and nourishing their mind, body, emotions and spirit.

Dr. Renita Gabriel

Contributing Editor, MindWorks

Renita C. Gabriel (Perkins) is a licensed clinical psychologist. Her professional/personal interests include forensic psychology, cognitive behavioral therapy, mentoring and spiritual development. Dr. Gabriel recently acquired her board certification in Christian Counseling.

Website: http://www.breakthroughspsycservices.com

Darian Davis

Contributing Editor, Cooking School

I’m kid Chef Darians Davis, I’m in the 7^th grade and love school and cooking. I cook easy healthy meals for children using lots of fruits and vegetables in a fun way. I use no stove or oven. Instead I rely on the george foreman grill, toaster, waffle iron, microwave etc. My motto is “I keep it healthy and safe for the kids!” Website: www.chefdariandavis.com.

Dr. Robert Brown

Contributing Editor, Thrive

Robert M. Brown III, Ph.D. is a medical sociologist and consultant who develops research solutions and provides technical assistance to promote: (1) health empowerment; (2) stress management; (3) family and community violence reduction and prevention; (4) maintaining health in the 21st century work environment; and (5) education around these topics. He has written and published on topics such as stress, strengthening families, family and community violence prevention, and pandemic influenza. Dr. Brown has been a featured guest on radio and television programs around the country as well as a sought after speaker on these topics. He is also an adjunct professor at Howard University, in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, where he teaches courses in sociology and urban sociology. As a violence prevention advocate, he was recognized as a Do Right Man for 2007 by Essence Magazine. He lives in a suburb of Washington, DC.

Thaisa Gee

Contributing Editor, Playing

Thaisa Gee is the founder of Gee Communications Consulting, a company with expertise in various communications strategies and specializes in New Media Strategies and Social Media Networking. Thaisa is also a published journalist who has covered entertainment, health, and education. However, the majority of her background and articles have been in the Sports arena. She welcomes the question, “What business does a woman have reporting sports?” and the constant sports trivia questions men challenge her with daily. One of her goals in life is to help more women understand sports, which will not only expose them to a world she finds intriguing, but could also help build stronger relationships with the men in their lives. One way she intends to spread her message is to start with young children. Thaisa graduated from Howard University with BA in Broadcast Journalism and a MS in Journalism from Roosevelt University.

Pamela Gray

Contributing Editor

Pamela Gray is an Certified Nutrition Counselor, Natural Food Chef and Freelance Writer for several publications including Livestrong and Yahoo Health News. Pamela holds a Bachelors degree in Creative Writing from New York University and a Masters in Psychology.

Patrice Jones

Contributing Editor

The owner of Fru-Fit Affordable Fitness and a certified personal trainer, Patrice is currently studying for NASM CPT certification. "Exercise More...Eat Less....and Continue to Press Forward...even when Motivation of Self seems Minimal."

Ivy Ford DeShield

Contributing Editor

Ivy serves as the Director of a nonprofit 501c3 organization, Upward Bound at The George Washington University Medical Center, providing supplemental education services to low-income, potential first-generation college students in the District of Columbia. She also enjoys being the "word guru" for her and her husband's media and marketing firm, DeShield Enterprises, LLC. Most recently, she has been spending considerable time working on her children's book and locating 'hot-spot' consignment boutiques.

Website: www.deshieldenterprises.com

Kimberly Powell

Photography

Kimberly Powell is a freelance photographer who specializes in portrait and live performance photography. In her work she enjoys creating images that provide a fresh and memorable perspective, open a window into the heart and soul of her subjects, and that celebrate artists from all walks of life as they create, perform, and inspire.