bLUTalks

Marcy Barbaro is a bold, heart-led speaker, writer, editor, and coach who believes your story could change — or even save — a life.

With humor, grounded wisdom, and lived experience, her signature talks are wake-up calls that ignite courage and remind audiences that their voices have power, urgency, and purpose.

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Amy Thurman is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and a thought leader on the transformative power of authenticity and holding space. After living 10 years with a broken neck that went undiagnosed for six months, she was forced to redefine everything, including what it means to be strong. She discovered that true strength isn’t found in pretending to be okay, it’s found in presence, softness and the courage to be real.

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Dr. Ruby Mendenhall has a B.S. in Occupational Therapy, M.P.P. in Public Policy and Ph.D. in Human Development and Social Policy. She is currently the Kathryn Lee Baynes Dallenbach LAS Professor in Sociology and African American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an Associate Dean for Diversity and Democratization of Health Innovation at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and the Associate Director for Engagement at the Cancer Center at Illinois.

Her research examines how living in racially segregated neighborhoods with high levels of gun violence affects Black mothers’ mental and physical health using surveys, interviews, crime statistics, police records, data from 911 calls, art, wearable sensors and genomic analysis. Mendenhall was the 2024 City of Urbana’s Poet Laureate.

She has produced documentaries about mothers who lost adult children to gun violence, academic mentoring and Black women with cancer. She develops Wellness Stores/Spaces across the country.

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Dr. Ruby Mendenhall has a B.S. in Occupational Therapy, M.P.P. in Public Policy and Ph.D. in Human Development and Social Policy. She is currently the Kathryn Lee Baynes Dallenbach LAS Professor in Sociology and African American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an Associate Dean for Diversity and Democratization of Health Innovation at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and the Associate Director for Engagement at the Cancer Center at Illinois.

Her research examines how living in racially segregated neighborhoods with high levels of gun violence affects Black mothers’ mental and physical health using surveys, interviews, crime statistics, police records, data from 911 calls, art, wearable sensors and genomic analysis. Mendenhall was the 2024 City of Urbana’s Poet Laureate.

She has produced documentaries about mothers who lost adult children to gun violence, academic mentoring and Black women with cancer. She develops Wellness Stores/Spaces across the country.

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Writer and Illustrator of Sketch Journals, including The Kew Sketch Journal.
International Speaker and Trainer on the Creative Process and how Applied Innovation actually works.
With more than 30 years experience in design, and an extensive knowledge of neuroscience and the working of the creative mind, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to helping Organisations and Individuals overcome Innovation Stagnation and achieve Creative Breakthrough.

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Sandrine Gressard is a French-born pilot, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker whose journey reflects courage, passion, and perseverance. Raised across several countries, she built a 25-year business career before pursuing her childhood dream of flying. Starting with gliders in 2013, she became a private pilot in 2018 and, in 2025, earned her Commercial Pilot Licence and Instrument Rating in Canada, completing her training in just 50 hours with a 91% checkride score.

As a ferry pilot, Sandrine has flown small aircraft across continents, from Canada to India and Europe, facing extreme weather, long hours, and cultural contrasts with determination and grace. Her message—“Impossible means I’m possible”—inspires audiences to overcome fear and take control of their dreams.

A singer-songwriter, global citizen, and proud mother, Sandrine shares her adventures and lessons through her platform Girls Go Fly (girlsgofly.com and YouTube @girlsgofly)

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Sandrine Gressard is a French-born pilot, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker whose journey reflects courage, passion, and perseverance. Raised across several countries, she built a 25-year business career before pursuing her childhood dream of flying. Starting with gliders in 2013, she became a private pilot in 2018 and, in 2025, earned her Commercial Pilot Licence and Instrument Rating in Canada, completing her training in just 50 hours with a 91% checkride score.

As a ferry pilot, Sandrine has flown small aircraft across continents, from Canada to India and Europe, facing extreme weather, long hours, and cultural contrasts with determination and grace. Her message—“Impossible means I’m possible”—inspires audiences to overcome fear and take control of their dreams.

A singer-songwriter, global citizen, and proud mother, Sandrine shares her adventures and lessons through her platform Girls Go Fly (girlsgofly.com and YouTube @girlsgofly)

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Lucy is a certified Peak Performance Coach, international bestselling author, and transformational speaker with over 30 years of experience helping entrepreneurs, leaders, and business owners unlock their full potential. She empowers high-achievers to overcome limiting beliefs, boost productivity, and create alignment between their personal and professional lives, so they can thrive with greater fulfillment, confidence, and joy.
A former professional dancer, Lucy spent 10 years honing discipline and resilience before becoming an entrepreneur and coach.
Once painfully shy, she transformed her own confidence by pushing through challenges and building unshakable self-belief, an experience that now inspires her clients.
As founder of Grace and Grit Coaching, Lucy combines health, fitness, and mindset mastery to help others achieve sustainable success and create businesses and lives that flourish with purpose and ease.

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Vanessa Benlolo, CEO and Founder of the Soul Guiding Institute, is an internationally recognized Soul Guide and transformational healer. With over a decade of experience and more than 10,000 hours supporting individuals, including A-list celebrities, on their soul’s evolutionary journey, Vanessa has guided people from around the world, to awaken their inner wisdom, heal deeply, and live in alignment with their soul’s purpose.

She is creator of Soul Guiding Sessions™, the Soulful Entrepreneur and Integrative Sacred Union™ Sessions, transformative frameworks for cultivating inner wholeness, creating businesses and elevating relationships. She guides them to awaken and embody their divine essence, so they can be connected, heart-centered beings and enjoy all that comes with it ~ ease, abundance, purpose, joy, creativity, truth, intuition, confidence, compassion, and love. Her work is in service to the evolution of humanity.

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Dorothy O’Dell is an Impact Catalyst, and the founder of Unstoppable Overcomers Productions, a speaker, author, coach, and host of The Unstoppable Network, dedicated to empowering others to rise above adversity. Drawing from her own lived experience of overcoming life’s challenges, Dorothy helps individuals transform obstacles into opportunities for growth. Through her signature framework, R.E.N.E.W.E.D., she equips audiences with practical tools to move from surviving to thriving—building resilience, confidence, and purpose along the way. A passionate advocate for veterans, first responders, and those navigating major life transitions, Dorothy’s mission is to remind people that being unstoppable is not about perfection, but perseverance. Her authentic, uplifting approach inspires individuals to step forward boldly and create meaningful impact in their own lives and communities.

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