Ayanah George

Ayanah George is a digital and film photographer based in Washington DC. An engineer by training and a lover of international adventures, she describes herself as a power traveler, a person that enjoys exploring and discovery. From the time she was 6 she kept a diary and for the past 14 years has consistently written in a journal, creating and keeping an archive of her life. She specializes in female portraiture, using double exposures to represent two ideas in one photo. Inspired by the work of Kehinde Wiley she is passionate about the representation of women as majestic and elevated. Her portraits often use florals and patterns, representing growth and harmony. She has been featured in Travel & Leisure, Analog Sparks and the Washington Historical Society.

Amy Aronstamn

Amy Aronstamn, MSW, LICSW is a licensed clinical social worker in DC, MD, and VA providing grief and trauma therapy. She has worked in hospice and palliative care settings supporting families and patients navigating serious illness and end of life transitions through the COVID-19 pandemic. Amy’s work is deeply informed by her own transformative journey through significant losses. She believes there is a tender beauty that exists in grief which can open doors to self-knowledge, self-compassion, and growth that enable us to spend our finite time here with intentionality and meaning. Amy’s therapeutic work at times incorporates nature informed therapy, equine facilitated therapy, mindfulness, and parts work.

You can often find Amy dorking out about dinosaurs, or on a motorcycle road trip on her Royal Enfield Interceptor named Gertie.

Chris Patch

Chris (they/them) is a community care practitioner who directs their life force towards working with the magic of what happens when people come together.

Chris completed their 200 hr yoga alliance training in 2020. They have since facilitated yoga and mindfulness offerings in community spaces including protests, affinity spaces, and public schools. Showing up as an artist is central to Chris’ work as they affirm imagination as a sacred force that must be cultivated and protected. Chris grounds their spiritual practice in the words and work of: pleasure activist Adrienne Maree Brown, poet and revolutionary Audrey Lorde, radical world builder Octavia Butler, abolitionist and revolutionary Angela Davis, zen activist reverend angel Kyodo williams and the radical lineage of those who have and continue to fight for our mutual liberation. As an organizer, Chris roots their offerings in our natural desire to take care of ourselves and each other, affirming that what feels good for our bodies also feels good for the world.

Emma McGonigle

Emma McGonigle has been studying, practicing and deep diving for the past 15 years. She has been gathering the tools from various traditions along the way and her dedication to depth work is unwavering. She’s also a witchy bitchy ordinary mom of three kids—family life has both brought her to her knees and to the ever-evolving edge of True Love over and over again. What interests her most is the intelligence of the Soma, the body—and the practice of deepening our relationship to our bodies so that the body can guide the Becoming process, rewiring Safety and Love in our nervous systems so that we may meet our trauma and pain-body in a healing way. And it can be a total trip! The body is wildly psychedelic!

She currently works with clients 1-on-1, weaving in self pleasure and sexuality work – she is in the process of completing requirements for a Trauma-Informed Sex Love and Relationship Coaching Program. She also offers Tarot Readings that are both cosmic and practical. And of course, she cares for her 3 babies (not babies anymore!) and is honored to continually understand herself and her partner within the container of their relationship. The Work is not always easy, and So Divinely Worthy of Our Sacred Efforts. xo

Maria Olsen

​Maria Leonard Olsen is a biracial attorney whose parents were forbidden by law to marry in their home state of Maryland in the 1960s. She practices law as a commercial litigator in the Washington, D.C. area, covering a variety of matters, including contract disputes, employment discrimination and government relations. Maria is an author, podcaster, journalist, TEDx speaker, book marketer/publicist for female authors and mentor to women in recovery from addictions and sexual assault/abuse.

Her latest book, 50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life has helped thousands of women thrive in midlife. She is working on a sequel to that book now that she recently turned 60. Maria has written books on self-care and the new American family. Her children’s books, Mommy Why’s Your Skin So Brown? and Healing for Hallie, have been widely used as teaching vehicles on diversity and the importance of processing feelings. Her next book will cover the unintended consequences of consumer DNA testing. On her weekly podcast,“Becoming Your Best Version,” available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and four other platforms, Maria amplifies the voices of inspiring women.

Maria graduated from Boston College and the University of Virginia School of Law, served as a political appointee for legislative affairs and policy development in the Clinton Justice Department, fostered newborn babies awaiting adoption, and has been on the boards of Children’s National Medical Center BOV, the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Washington, the Nepal Youth Fund, Catholic Coalition for Special Education and other nonprofits. She was a co-host and co-producer of the Inside Out LGBT Radio Show on WPFW in Washington, D.C. for many years, which is the only radio show on the fm dial in the D.C. market covering issues of interest to the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies.

While in private practice as a litigator in one of D.C.’s then-largest law firms, Maria was awarded Pro Bono Coordinator of the Year by the D.C. Bar Association and, in 2023, was named Distinguished Alumna of the Year by the Academy of the Holy Cross. She has written for numerous publications, including The Washington Post, AARP, Parents Magazine, Parenting, The Midst, KuelLife, CrunchyTales, Authority Magazine and other publications. She served as a contributing editor and writer for Bethesda Magazine and joined Meer as a contributing writer in 2023. Her next book will cover the unintended consequences of consumer DNA testing.

Maria has spoken at numerous schools and corporate and nonprofit events, including the Pennsylvania Conference for Women, the Mixed Remixed Festival, HerStory Circle and the National March to End Rape Culture. One of her book talks was featured on C-Span’s Book TV show. She frequently presents at conferences, retreats and summits aimed at women, primarily in midlife, as well as on diversity issues and challenges for those who have experienced DNA test surprises. She spoke at TEDx at the City University of New York on “Turning Life’s Challenges into a Force for Good.” She has traveled to 62 countries, and strives to see the world. She spent much of 2022-23 in Latin America and will focus on Eastern Europe in 2024.

Maria’s daughter works for City Bureau, a media nonprofit in Chicago, that increases accessibility and coverage for underserved communities, and her son is a social media influencer (TikTok’s International Creator of the Year), actor (currently featured in the popular movie, “Mean Girls”) and media personality in Los Angeles and New York (@Chris on TikTok and @ChrisOlsen on Instagram).

Learn more at www.MariaLeonardOlsen.com and follow Maria on social media @FiftyAfter50 and @MariaOlsen49.

Robin Warner

I'm a licensed mental health therapist in Washington, DC, with 8 years of experience in the field. I specialize in working with children and am passionate about using play therapy, a powerful method where children express themselves unconsciously through play. It's amazing how play, something so natural to children, can reveal so much. And I try to remember that we, as adults, still crave that playful freedom!

Outside of work, I love immersing myself in the vibe of summer concerts, reveling in the joy of being a delightfully weird cat mom, and exploring various avenues that bring me an authentic sense of joy. Whether it's through exercising, expressing myself through painting, finding new music, or diving into a book, I find fulfillment in these moments of self-discovery and expression. Just as I find joy and connection in exploring various activities outside of work, I believe that play therapy offers a unique way for people, especially Wild Women!, to tap into their inner selves, express their emotions, and connect with others in a safe and nurturing environment.

Tara Cassidy, MA, NBC-HWC

Tara Cassidy is on a mission to help women stop dieting and connect the dots between food and mood, to stop shaming themselves and their bodies for being less than perfect, and start taking back their power when it comes to their well-being.

Her secret sauce is helping you create the change in your life by transforming your mindset and creating long term habits of health so you can create the life you desire. In particular, easing stress, depression, anxiety & ADD symptoms. It helped me and it can help you too.

She’s a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with her Masters from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in Health & Wellness Coaching. She’s had a variety of jobs throughout her lifetime (pre-k teacher, personal trainer, bartender, meeting planner, clinical nutritional assistant, and single mom to name a few) that allows her to work with and connect with such a diverse clientele.