MVN Editor-in-Chief

Award-winning actress and director, an executive producer, accomplished singer/songwriter, composer, writer and fine artist. Her nine-year run on The CW drama “One Tree Hill” made her a pop- culture icon and established a deeply loyal, worldwide fanbase. Most recently, Lenz been lauded by the New York Times, Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, Interview Magazine, People Magazine and Variety, not just for her work on screen, but for her new music and groundbreaking iHeart Radio podcast, DRAMA QUEENS.

@msbethanyjoylenz

Author

Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 105 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 75 million copies in the United States alone. Titles include The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song.

The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth.

https://nicholassparks.com/about/

Actress and singer

Metz played Kate Pearson in the television series This Is Us (2016–2022), which earned her nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. She is the author of New York Times Bestselling memoir (debuting at #1) This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today, and children's book When I Talk To God, I Talk About You.

Actor, Producer, Activist

Rumer Willis is a multi-faceted performer, actor, producer, and activist. After becoming a mother last year, she returned to the stage for her second residency at New York’s iconic Cafe Carlyle. She recently launched her Company Rumer Has It. As an actress, she will next be seen starring as ‘Katherine’ in the feature Broken Trail opposite Gbenga Akinnagbe and Jeff Fahey. She can be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s award-winning Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and starring on season three of the hit Fox show Empire as 'Tory Ash.'  Additional television appearances include 9-1-1, TBS’s Celebrity Show-Off, Workaholics, Pretty Little Liars, Hawaii 5-0, and recurring on The CW's revival of 90210.

She starred in the Los Angeles “For the Record” production of Love Actually Live at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.  Rumer made her Broadway debut starring as the infamous Roxy Hart in Chicago, earning rave reviews.  Immediately following, Rumer traveled nationwide to perform her post-modern cabaret, Over the Love. A true triple threat, Rumer took home the highly coveted Mirror Ball trophy as the champion of Season 20 of the ABC hit competition series Dancing with the Stars. @rumerwillis @rumerhasit

Actor

Matthew Morrison is an acclaimed Broadway actor and singer, best known for his Tony-nominated role as Link Larkin in "Hairspray" and his standout performance as Fabrizio Naccarelli in "The Light in the Piazza." A versatile performer, Morrison has dazzled audiences with his dynamic range, from his charismatic turn as Mr. Schuester on the hit TV show "Glee" to his compelling portrayals on stage in "South Pacific" and "Finding Neverland." In addition to his Broadway success, Morrison has released several solo albums. He has two children with wife, Renee.

Skin Expert

Los Angeles-based Dahlia Devkota is the Founder and CEO of Editrix, a microbiome-focused luxury brand that uses advanced science to rehabilitate skin. Dahlia is a former beauty editor and reported from the front lines of the wellness industry for such titles as Allure and W magazine. 

www.editrixwellness.com

Financial Investigator

Monica served in the US Army for over 20 years as a Human Resource Specialist and Assistant Inspector General. She graduated from Troy University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Military Science, becoming a Certified Fraud Examiner in 2015.

Since leaving service, Monica has remained an active community member of Montgomery County, Tennessee. Monica is a member of the Women Veterans of America Chapter 47, Screaming Eagle Lady Warriors are was ecently been appointed as the Criminal Justice Committee Chair for the Clarksville Branch of the NAACP. Monica's life mission is to advocate for the rights, issues, and benefits of all women veterans, women currently serving in the Armed Forces, and people of color.

Senior Editor

Mark Blankenship is a writer and editor who recently moved to Tennessee to become Nashville Bureau Chief of The Food Section, a James Beard Award-winning food magazine. (http://TheFoodSection.com) Over the last 20 years, he has contributed to The New York Times, Variety, New York Magazine, NPR, and many others, and he has written the souvenir books for four Broadway musicals. He currently co-hosts the pop music podcast Mark and Sarah Talk About Songs and writes the pop music newsletter The Lost Songs Project. All that pop music knowledge helped him win big on the game show Name That Tune in 2022. Join him at http://markgblankenship.com.

Freelance Writer

Mari is a recent graduate and Charlotte-based freelancer, with a focus on news covering Charlotte's food scene and local activities. Her previous experience includes internships at The Charlotte Observer's Service Desk, CharlotteFive desk and Credit Karma’s editorial team. Recognized by the SC Press Association Collegiate Awards, Mari served as copy editor, arts, culture & tech editor and managing editor at Winthrop University's newspaper, The Johnsonian. Extending her appreciation for food outside of work, Mari loves experimenting with family recipes and rarely meets a dessert she doesn’t enjoy. @maripressley

Writer & Entrepreneur

Yoshika is an award-winning writer who has worked with well-known authors, Fortune 500 companies and is a 2023 Goldman Sachs Business Women Recipient.

@yoshikagreen

Dad, How Do I? Instructor

Rob Kenny is a father of two children who has lost his own father when he was 12. Since then, he planned to do something which will help kids who are growing up without a father. His YouTube channal, “Dad, How Do I?” gained 4 million subscribers during covid, as Kenney walked viewers through basic know-how for household tasks requiring a toolbox.

Biotech Chemical Engineer

Deniz Perry is an ADHD advocate and educator, blending her 15+ years of biotechnology experience with a creative flair. As a chemical engineer, she's uniquely positioned to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible resources for her community. Through her ADHD school for adults, Deniz provides essential guidance for navigating life, wellness, and career challenges. Her passion lies in bridging the gap between science and everyday life, empowering individuals with ADHD on their journey towards fulfillment and success.

Follow: Instagram: @dt.perry, TikTok: @dt.perry, https://courses.denizperry.com

Songwriter & Recording Artist

Singer and songwriter whose music has been featured on shows like MTV's Real World and Kourtney and Kim Take New York. He's best recognized for singles like "In Case You Didn't Know" and "Like I Loved You." In 2018 he received the CMA award for ‘Best New Male Artist of the Year’. He originally intended to pursue baseball and was a pre-draft selection of the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins right out of high school, but he decided to play at the University of Mississippi instead. An elbow injury and reconstructive surgery later ended his pro baseball dreams and led him to pursue a music career instead.

Brett lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife Taylor Mills Young and their two daughters.

Carpenter

Stevie started building furniture when she purchased her first home back in 2013 and was gifted a miter saw. She started with a headboard, then a desk, next, a table to host her family at Christmas, and so on. After she had built something for every room she started building for friends and family on the weekends. She went from a two car garage shop to a rental space, and now builds and creates in her backyard shop in the country, east of Nashville Tennessee. Built by Stevie specializes in high quality, custom, wood furniture and built ins. Her goal is and always has been to build beautiful, generational pieces for others to fill up the spaces they love and work in!

Actor & Author

Kristoffer Polaha was born in Reno, Nevada, USA. He is an author, actor and producer, known for the CW’s Life Unexpected, Jurassic World Dominion (2022) and A Work of Art (2021). This holiday season he can be seen alongside Bethany Joy Lenz in Hallmark Channel’s 1940s time-travel movie, A Biltmore Christmas, and Angel Studios’ thriller The Shift. Polaha is the co-author with Anna Gomez of a five-book romance series "From Kona With Love." The first entry "Moments Like This" was published in 2021.

He has been married to Julianne Morris since June 7, 2003. They have three children.

Freelance Journalist 

Davina is a freelance journalist and award-winning writer specializing in travel, food, business, and sustainability reporting. She's written for BBC Travel, AFAR, Food & Wine, Tripadvisor, Samsung, the U.S. Travel Association, and dozens of trade magazines and tourism boards. She's lived in several cities, five states, two countries, and a minivan and travels extensively with her cattle dog, Katniss. At her home in West Virginia, she tends a large food and pollinator garden.   @DavinaVB

Costume Designer

Sarah Laux is a NYC based costume designer working in TV, film, theater and dance. Her aesthetic of heightened realism shines through in films like Not OK, Freak Show, and HULU’s High Fidelity and MGM+’s Godfather of Harlem. She has brought this attention to detail to Broadway in her costume design for Tony Award winning shows such as The Humans, The Band’s Visit and Kimberly Akimbo. A true love of clothing and why people choose to wear the things they do has gone a long way in establishing Sarah’s design aesthetic. Whether dressing a rockstar, a suburban mom, or historical figure, curating reality by celebrating each performer’s individuality is always the goal of Sarah’s design process.

Guest Creative Director

Carrie Manolakos is a singer, actress, songwriter, voice coach and vocal producer. She has been on Broadway starring as Sophie in Mamma Mia!, and as Elphaba in the 2nd National tour of Wicked.Her cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ went viral in 2012 with over 4 million views and was picked up by Gawker, MTV, MSNnow, Huffington Post, The New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly and Elle Magazine. Carrie made her solo Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops in 2020, performed at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2023, singing with her favorite band, The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova), widely known and celebrated as the writers of ONCE. She’s also performed in Madison Square Garden (with PHISH) and The Metropolitan Opera House (with Hugh Jackman. Her short film Metanoia : A Change of Mind released this year, and Carrie is also the founder of, The Voice Cathedral offering voice & singing developmental coaching. carriemanolakos.com // @carriemanolakos

ADHD Coach

Meet Brooke Schnittman, MA, PCC, BCC, a dedicated ADHD and executive function coach for neurodivergent individuals of all ages. Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and part of an ADHD family of 5, Brooke deeply understands the struggles of frustration and overwhelm. After a 15-year career in special education in the #1 school district in the US, she founded Coaching With Brooke (CWB) in 2018, helping over a million people daily through her 3C Activation™ program. An award-winning coach and best-selling author, Brooke hosts the SuccessFULL With ADHD podcast, which won the 2023 Listener’s Choice Award. She has spoken alongside top health and wellness experts and has been featured in major publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur to help ADHDers silence the chaos and "Activate Their ADHD Potential." @coachingwithbrooke

Songwriter, Musician, Actor

Christy was homegrown in Scotland. He found fame with Hulu’s hit show Find Me in Paris and has since gone on to be chosen for Amazon Music’s ‘Ones to Watch’ list and embarking on concert tours all over the UK

Writer

Celeste is a lifelong reader and writer who is passionate about storytelling. When she's not writing for YG Consulting, she's reading or spending time with her husband, daughter, and her dog.

@celestegflynn

Playwright & Teacher

Stephanie is an Aquarian contrarian Catholic with a deep love for Eastern philosophy, BBQ and bourbon. She acts, writes, teaches, produces for theater/ TV/ film and has no social media … yet.

Critic, Podcaster

Long-suffering Mets fan, and sworn enemy of the raisin Sarah D. Bunting also owns an all-true-crime bookshop, Exhibit B. Books, Sarah is a co-founder of Television Without Pity.com, and the co-host of several podcasts, including Dawson’s Creek recap pod Again With This, general TV chat pod Extra Hot Great, and pop-music convo pod Mark And Sarah Talk About Songs. She lives waaaay out in Brooklyn (where they filmed Saturday Night Fever) with two cats, a dog, and a foxy gent who played a soap villain on Loving.

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Arts and Entertainment Editor

Before this, she worked extensively with documentary films, particularly in the areas of program management and commissioning. She was most recently the Managing Editor of Documentary magazine, and is a programmer with DOCNYC and SFFILM. An alumna of the NYFF Critics Academy, Sundance and SXSW Press Inclusion Initiatives, the National Critics' Institute, and Berlinale Talents, she shuttles between New York City and Philadelphia, and can often be heard on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. @bedatridc

Celebrity Stylist

Gifford is best known in the industry for her work with musicians for red carpet events, music videos, magazine covers, tours, and appearances. She is an expert at creating iconic looks that reflect the feeling of the artists’ music.

Gifford grew up in Texas and moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. After working for publications such as Vogue, Glamour, Self, Marie Claire, and five years as a Fashion Editor and Stylist at Conde Nast Traveler, she decided to concentrate on celebrity styling incorporating her other passion, the music industry. She fell in love with celebrity styling while working for famed stylist, Andrea Lieberman, helping create looks for Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani. Clients include Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow, among others. Gifford’s editorial work has been seen in publications including ELLE, Rolling Stone, Billboard, New York Magazine and more.

https://www.tiffanygifford.com

Bar Psychology

Bakari is a professional bartender from the Washington D.C. area with over a decade of experience in high volume, craft cocktail bars and restaurants. He has a passion for providing his guests with personalized world class service and mixing complex cocktails quickly. As a bonafide film enthusiast, he often finds inspiration for new cocktails in the characters and stories within the movies. Bakari enjoys sharing his experience and unique bartending techniques to new bartenders around the country through his Bar Psychology training platform with a goal to help bartenders make to most of their time in the food and beverage industry.