Carol Moseley Braun is an accomplished woman with a pioneering career. The daughter of Joseph and Edna Moseley, she was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. Her father, a law enforcement officer, musician and activist, introduced her to public service at an early age. Her mother, hailing from a farm family in Alabama, instilled in her values of discipline and respect for the land. A product of the Chicago Public Schools, she went on to become a lawyer, and holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago. As a federal prosecutor, she won the Attorney General’s Special Achievement award for her work as an Assistant United States Attorney. She later filed and won the first successful lawsuit against racial discrimination in reapportionment, the landmark Crosby v. State Board of Elections. She is a former politician, having served in local, state and national government. Elected to the state legislature in 1978, she became the first spokesman for the Mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington, and was named Assistant Majority Leader by the Speaker of the House. Moving on to county government, she became the first female elected to executive office in Cook County with her election as Recorder of Deeds and Registrar of Titles. In 1992 she challenged the incumbent democratic United States Senator and won first the primary and then the general election to the United States Senate. That historic election made her the first woman elected to the Senate from Illinois, the first African American Democrat ever elected to the Senate, and the one of two African Americans elected to the Senate in the 20th Century. She was the only black United States Senator from 1992 to 1998. As Senator, she became the first woman appointed to the Finance Committee. Her legislative record is replete with ground breaking and innovative initiatives, including the first federal support for rebuilding our nations crumbling schools, Park Service support for preservation of the Underground Railroad, women’s pension law corrections, and environmental remediation. Following her unsuccessful bid for a second term, Senator Braun was appointed United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. Confirmed by a Senate vote of 98-2, she received our nation’s highest security clearance. She became the first Ambassador to be named an honorary member of the Te Atiawa Maori tribe. Ambassador Braun is not the first, but the second African American woman to compete for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, following the precedent set by her mentor, the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. Although she qualified for more ballot positions than any female presidential candidate in US history at that time, she withdrew from the race before the first caucuses. Her fourth career is as an entrepreneur. She is the founder and President of an organic food company, Good Food Organics. The company’s flagship brand, Ambassador Organics, specializes in the highest quality biodynamic organic products. Her foray into the food industry is a continuation of her environmental advocacy and public service. Information about the company may be found at www.ambassadororganics.com.
Adriane Colvin is the founder of Maternal Organic Methods and a mother of two. M.O.M. was founded late in 2007 and is a consumer advocate group based in Utah. The MOM seal of approval will be an additional certification that is added to foods and organic company products that can abide by chemical-free standards. Products that are prepared completely chemical-free with no synthetic, natural gas or petroleum based ingredients. Adriane has spearheaded community groups acting as a facilitator catalyst for social, cultural and spiritual transformation since 1999. A birth and post partum Doula for over 7 years she has educated and support women and children in the pursuit of truly organic maternal methods for raising children. Her philosophy is derived from many ancient healing traditions as well as her own experience as a mother. As an independent executive for Zrii, Ayurvedic tonics and co-founder of The Burning Tea Cup she able to directly provide chemical free immune building herbal products to her clients and community. She now shares her story with for the sake of all beings who want to clarify and cleanse their mind body and soul with healthy choices brought to you by Mother Nature not Uncle Sam, the USDA, FDA or MacDonald’s. William B. Wilson Bill Wilson is the co-founder of Midwest Permaculture along with his wife Rebecca. Bill was introduced to the idea of creating ecologically based communities in his early 20’s while living in Montana. The idea of creating truly sustainable communities or ‘permanent-cultures’ hit a cord with him that has become his life’s passion. Learning of a unique, sustainably oriented community in Illinois, he moved to Stelle in 1978 to investigate what life might be like in this visionary and idealistic town and finds himself still there 30 years later. Today, Stelle, a community of only 110 people of all ages - with 45 traditional suburban homes - hosts its own solar-powered telephone company (which includes solar-powered, high-speed internet service), a windmill-assisted fresh-water treatment facility, and Illinois’ first strawbale home. Bill & Rebecca were involved in the creation of the Stelle Community Garden Cooperative, Tool Cooperative, and Dinner cooperative as well as the non-profit organization Center for Sustainable Community, Bill serving as its first Executive director from 2003-2006.Bill and Rebecca have served in many posts within Stelle from Community President to volunteer clean-up crew. The idea of creating truly sustainable communities or ‘permanent- cultures’ has never left Bill and when first exposed to the concept and ideas of permaculture about 12 years ago, he realized he had found a way to tie his passion for community and sustainability into one practical approach.
Beauty and wellness expert, educator, motivator, and author... Mary Beth Janssen is one of the most well-respected women in the beauty and wellness professions today. Her expertise has made her a sought-after talent for magazine editorial, television shows and commercials. She is a regular speaker at prestigious industry events. She has produced and directed numerous published works in print as well as video and film for major companies in the beauty industry, including: Matrix, Wella, Redken, Revlon, Helene Curtis and Shiseido. She has authored several books including Naturally Healthy Hair (Storey Publishing, 1999), Radiant Beauty: Your Healthy and Organic Guide to Total Body Well-Being (Rodale Press, 2001), and Body of Knowledge: a Beauty Professional’s Guide to Career Consciousness through Self-Care (Advanstar Publishing, A rich career as Creative and Education Director for beauty industry companies has been evolutionary in bringing her to this new phase of her career, where she serves in a consultancy role. Her company, The Janssen Source, Inc. is based in Chicago. As an educator and consultant, Mary Beth brings her unique message of mindbody healing into spa/wellness/fitness/yoga environments~a message that is quite specific and transformative for the beauty and wellness professional, who Mary Beth likens to a “caregiver.”
Adam Apollo is the founder and Executive Director of Access Granted, with over 10 years of high-level design and development experience in technology research, multimedia, print production, and websites. Early in his career, he served as a top Sales Manager of three Bridgestone/Firestone stores for over four years, co-founded and developed the C.O.R.E. community resource center in Western North Carolina, and co-founded the Tribes Club, a venue for large-scale events ranging from educational seminars to late-night dance parties. He is currently an active member and advisor in several national and international organizations and projects, and is in development of several theoretical physics white-papers, open-source systems, technology proposals and patents. Adam has also extensively engaged in amateur genetics and epigenetics research over the past decade. His study of information systems is highly relevant to an understanding of genes, the fundamental encoding of DNA and the chemical switches that allow those codes to affect the development of species. As a Board Member of BioVision 2020 Adam offers insight into the potential density of information that can be contained in genetic and epigenetic systems, and the potential issues that may arise from genetic manipulation with our current lack of a complete systems understanding. Christine Phillips Christie Phillips began researching the human health and environmental effects of genetic engineering and genetically engineered food and crops since 1996 while a grad-student at DePaul University. She became a volunteer coordinator for the Organic Consumers Association while finishing her graduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at DePaul University in Chicago. |
Chicago Green Festival:
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