Isabella Rossellini grew up in Paris and Rome and is the daughter of actress Ingrid Bergman and director Roberto Rossellini. She started her career as a model, gracing the cover of over 500 magazines and representing the cosmetic line Lancôme for over 40 years. Rossellini made her cinematic debut as an actress in 1979 and has appeared in many films, including Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, White Nights, Rodger Dodger, Cousins, Death Becomes Her, Fearless, Big Night, and Joy. She also lent her voice to the Disney-Pixar animated film The Incredibles.

Rossellini has a master’s degree in animal behavior and conservation and has received a PhD Honoris Causa from the science faculty at the University of Quebec at Montreal. She won several Webby awards for her short film series Green Porno, Seduce Me, and Mammas that offer comical and scientifically accurate insights into animal behavior. She also toured extensively worldwide with her theatrical monologues Green Porno and Link Link Circus.

Rossellini’s interests include the preservation of her family’s extraordinary cinematic heritage. She is the founder of Mama Farm, an organic farm in Brookhaven, NY.

Richie Davidson is best known for his groundbreaking work studying emotion and the brain. A friend and confidante of the Dalai Lama, Time magazine named Dr. Davidson one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2006. His research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style, as well as methods to promote human flourishing; among these, meditation and related contemplative practices. He has conducted studies with individuals with emotional disorders such as mood and anxiety disorders and autism, as well as expert meditation practitioners with tens of thousands of hours of experience. His research uses a wide range of methods including different varieties of MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography, and modern genetic and epigenetic methods. Dr. Davidson is the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he has been a faculty member since 1984. He is the founder of Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc., an external, affiliated nonprofit dedicated to supporting the mission of the Center for Healthy Minds.

Sonya Renee Taylor is a New York Times best-selling author; world-renowned activist and thought leader on racial justice, body liberation, and transformational change; international award-winning artist; and founder of The Body Is Not an Apology (TBINAA), a global digital media and education company that explored the intersections of identity, healing, and social justice through the framework of radical self-love. Sonya is the author of seven books, including The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love.

Eve Ekman PhD, MSW, is a contemplative social scientist designing, delivering and evaluating tools to support emotional awareness in the fields of health care, well-being, and technology. She draws from interdisciplinary skills and first-person experiential knowledge from clinical social work, integrative medicine, and contemplative science and meditation. Ekman was raised in San Francisco with a love of New York bagels and social justice action and is a cold water ocean enthusiast.

Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, the founder and spiritual director of Ligmincha International, is a respected and beloved teacher and meditation master in the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet. He has students in more than 25 countries, teaches around the world, and reaches thousands of students through his online programs. Trained as a Bon monk, Rinpoche now lives as a householder, allowing him to more fully relate to the needs and concerns of his students. Known for the depth of his wisdom and his unshakeable commitment to helping students recognize their true nature, he is the author ​of t​en books, including Wonders of the Natural Mind and the Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep.

Annabella Pitkin is associate professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions at Lehigh University. Her research focuses on Tibetan Buddhist modernity, Buddhist ideals of renunciation, miracle narratives, and Buddhist biographies. She received her BA from Harvard University and PhD in religion from Columbia University. She is the author of Renunciation and Longing: The Life of a Twentieth-Century Himalayan Buddhist Saint, which explores themes of non-attachment and teacher-student relationship in the life of Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen. More →