Liz Adamson grew up in Half Moon Bay, California and after high school attended BYU where she received a degree in conservation biology and later earned her MBA from the University of Utah. Liz served as a full time missionary in the Ecuador Guayaquil North mission and taught at the MTC after returning home. She worked for FranklinCovey for 6 years before starting a family and becoming a stay at home mom. After a few years she returned to work part time working for a number of startups and today works from home leading operations for an ecommerce marketing agency. In her after work hours Liz enjoys spending time with her three kids, hiking, playing and watching sports, reading, and traveling.

In 2019 Liz began an unexpected journey as a single mother after her marriage ended in divorce. Through that journey Liz has learned the importance of connecting with the Savior, investing in self care, and surrounding herself with supportive social networks to help her heal and move forward through her challenges.

Kelli Houghton Anderson, LCSW, is a trauma therapist, author, international speaker, and owner of Lucent Counseling & Consulting, a private clinical practice specializing in trauma and emotional healing. She is the author of Walk With Me: A Trauma Therapist’s Journey—Transforming Trauma Into Hope & Healing and its companion therapeutic workbook, and the developer of the Trauma Impact Phases™—Storm, Clearing, and Sunshine. Kelli brings both professional expertise and personal perspective to her work, having experienced divorce both as a child and in her own adult life. Her approach blends trauma-informed principles, practical tools, and faith in Jesus Christ to help others navigate painful transitions, rediscover hope, and create meaningful, peaceful, and joyful lives moving forward.

Brenda Armstrong serves as an adjunct instructor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University and is currently pursuing an EdD in Educational Leadership at the University of Utah. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Utah and spent more than 20 years in the fintech sector before transitioning to religious education, where she has taught and trained educators in the Seminary and Institute program for 13 years and currently teaches at Lone Peak High School.

In addition to her classroom teaching, Brenda serves as a regular session advisor at For the Strength of Youth (FSY) Conferences. Her passion centers on helping individuals, youth, and young adults navigate changing family dynamics, build resilience, and recognize their essential value in the Lord’s kingdom. Residing in Highland, Utah, she enjoys life with her adult children and their families. Outside of work, she loves football, golf, running marathons, and supporting the Kansas City Chiefs.

Crystal Bowman, MAS-MFT, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Arizona and Utah, with a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. In her private practice, Crystal helps individuals and couples navigate relationship challenges, difficult decisions, major life transitions, and the work of healing and rebuilding when life doesn’t turn out the way they expected.

A mother of six and a seasoned presenter, Crystal loves learning, teaching, and honoring pain while finding hope. She knows firsthand that life can be both deeply painful and profoundly beautiful. Having experienced divorce as a young adult and, more recently, the loss of her college-age daughter, Crystal brings empathy, courage, and authenticity to her work.

In her free time, she enjoys true crime shows, books, dancing, laughing, naps, and most of all, time with her family.

Jenie Connors is a Wealth Advisor at Diversify Wealth Management. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® professional who works with individuals, families, and business owners to help them organize, grow, and protect their wealth through every stage of life. Jenie’s practice is built on a deeply personal, micro-focused approach that combines comprehensive planning with genuine human connection.

Jenie’s planning style is collaborative, practical, and highly individualized. She integrates investment management, retirement planning, tax-aware strategies, and risk management into cohesive plans aligned with each client’s life and priorities. Whether supporting young investors, entrepreneurs, retirees, or those navigating major transitions, Jenie focuses on building long-term relationships and helping clients create strong financial foundations so they can move forward with clarity and confidence.

Jenie holds B.S. degrees in Economics and Personal Financial Planning from Utah Valley University (Magna Cum Laude). She maintains her Series 7 and Series 66 registrations and holds Life, Accident & Health, Disability, and Variable Contract insurance licenses. She has served on the Utah Financial Planning Association® Board, including roles as President and Board Chair, and currently serves as Pro Bono Director. Jenie is also President of the UVU Financial Planning and Wealth Management Advisory Board, a regular guest lecturer at UVU, and has been featured in KSL News, Utah Valley Magazine, and ThinkAdvisor.

Outside the office, Jenie lives in Orem, Utah, with her husband and is the proud mom of five amazing children. She is a devoted Green Bay Packers fan and enjoys long rides on her e-bike, singing, painting, and dancing with her husband on the kitchen floor. Jenie is passionate about mentoring, teaching, and empowering women through financial education and community involvement.

Jenie shares her story, Choosing Forward.

Christy Smith Gunnell is a religious educator teaching seminary in Eagle Mountain, Utah. After beginning her career as a seminary teacher in Orem, Utah, Christy stepped away from full-time teaching in 2011 to raise her family while continuing to teach at EFY (now FSY) and Education Week. She returned to Seminaries and Institutes in 2021, teaching in Colorado Springs and later as a coordinator in Fairbanks, Alaska, before returning to teach release-time seminary in Utah after an unexpected divorce. Christy earned her bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, a master's degree in Mental Health and Wellness from Grand Canyon University, and is the proud mother of three children. When not teaching, Christy loves to be out in nature, push her self at the gym, or consume frozen yogurt. Christy currently serves as Gospel Doctrine teacher.

Mary Alice Hatch is a philanthropist, women’s health advocate, and faith-based media creator committed to strengthening individuals and communities.

A longtime advocate for women with endometriosis, Mary Alice founded the Boston Center for Endometriosis at Boston Children’s Hospital and co-founded Project Endo, an educational initiative focused on improving awareness, diagnosis, and treatment. She has worked alongside congressional leaders, including Senators Orrin Hatch and Elizabeth Warren, to secure and expand federal research funding for endometriosis.

Mary Alice is also featured in the award-winning PBS documentary Below the Belt, which has brought international attention to endometriosis.

In 2019, she created What Now, a podcast offering thoughtful conversations about faith, life, and culture for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mary Alice is happiest when she is strengthening her LDS community by serving in the Orem temple, working at the Provo MTC, and teaching temple prep in the BYU YSA 4th stake.

Courtney Merrill Moffat grew up in Littleton, Colorado. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Purdue University. She served a mission in Santiago, Chile and earned a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from BYU. Courtney has worked in a variety of therapy and leadership roles within the field of adolescent and young adult treatment, living and working in Arizona, Utah, Vermont, and Washington, DC. She started her own private therapy practice in Utah in 2024 and occasionally works as an adjunct faculty at BYU.

Courtney married Rob Moffat in 2015 at the age of 37 and has one amazing daughter, Sabrina. As an active member of the church who was single far longer than she wanted to be, and who experienced fertility issues and survived breast cancer, Courtney's interest in different types of grief is both professional and personal. She has written and presented on the topic of grief, gratitude, and grace in various settings around the country.

Courtney is currently serving with her daughter's group in Activity Days, speaks regularly for various events, and spends the rest of her spare time with her husband and daughter, skiing, traveling, playing games, enjoying the theatre, and connecting with extended family and friends.

David Morgan is the oldest of eight children, father of six, grandfather of two, and has been married to Kristyn Morgan for almost three decades. He is a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dr. Morgan received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Master of Science in Counseling and Guidance, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology, all from Brigham Young University. He has worked in the mental health field for more than 25 years and has been a licensed psychologist for almost 20 years. Dr. Morgan maintains a private psychology practice in Washington State. He loves reading the scriptures and learning about the lives of those who wrote them, indoor cycling, 80’s music, the beach, Disneyland and being with family.

Heather Nemelka is a keynote speaker and founder of Elavare, a nonprofit that helps women build confidence, return to the workforce, and grow in their careers. She speaks on burnout, reinvention, confidence, and major life transitions, helping people see that even when life does not go as planned, there can still be purpose, growth, and possibility ahead.

Heather’s story of reinvention is personal. After 18 years as a full-time mother, she returned to the workforce in her 40s while navigating divorce and raising five children. She went on to earn her MBA and build a successful career leading global marketing and business initiatives for technology companies. Heather holds a B.A. in Communications and an MBA from Brigham Young University. She chairs the Silicon Slopes AI Chapter, serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards, and is Stake Relief Society President on the BYU campus. Her work has centered on leadership, workforce development, career growth, and helping people recognize their potential before they have all the proof.

Outside of her professional work, Heather is the mother of five and grandmother of two. She loves hiking, traveling, and working through her List of 60 Things Before 60. She also continues to ask a question that has shaped much of her own life: What do I still want? Heather believes divorce may change the future you pictured, but it doesn't mean the best parts of your life are behind you.

Jennifer’s greatest accomplishment is as a wife, mother to a combined family of 11 kids and 14 grandchildren. She is also an author, speaker, motivator, and resilience teacher whose work focuses on helping others navigate life’s most shattering moments and emerge with renewed strength, clarity, and hope. Drawing from more than four decades as a professional ballet dancer, choreographer, and educator, she brings a unique perspective on discipline, perseverance, and the power of the human spirit.

As a soloist with the Utah Regional Ballet (now Utah Metropolitan Ballet) and later Assistant Artistic Director of Rocky Mountain Ballet, Jennifer spent decades refining both technical excellence and the inner fortitude required to keep moving forward. She translated those lessons into her transformative Unconquerable Spirit seminar, which she developed while teaching at Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts, guiding students to push past perceived limits in dance and in life. 

Today her primary focus is sharing the wisdom gained from her own life altering defining moments—experiences that left her piecing her world back together in ways she never anticipated. Through her forthcoming book Defining Moments and her Defining Moments vlogs, she opens her journals to reveal the raw realities of trauma, loss, depression, and rebuilding, including challenges surrounding her first husband’s life-altering traumatic brain injury and the subsequent chapter of divorce after 20 years of marriage. In the aftermath, while numb, broken, and extremely vulnerable, she entered a subsequent marriage that brought further trauma through patterns of control, devaluation, and emotional hardship. Yet those very experiences became the catalyst for profound healing. Drawing on the discipline, resilience, and determination she first learned through ballet while growing up, she discovered that the only true healing comes from the Savior, Jesus Christ. Through Him she was able to heal and rebuild into the strong, resilient person she is today.

After a season of deep self-reflection and healing with God, Jennifer met her current husband, her eternal companion, Bryan. She now speaks alongside him, offering insights on partnership, healing, and thriving after major life transitions. Together they have founded the nonprofit Seeingi2i, a program created to support pre, current, and post-missionaries with the guiding focus “for what comes before the mission and everything after.” Their vision is that participants’ feet will be set firmly on the path of a one-to-one relationship with God so that, whatever happens in their lives, their foundation can remain strong and secure with purpose and direction. 

She continues to teach, create, and encourage others to find their own unconquerable spirit—believing that the toughest moments can become the very ground from which renewed strength and purpose grow. 

Bryan is a husband to Jennifer Packham and is a loving parent to a combined family of 11 kids, 8 spouses, and 14 littles. Some of our kids have others as fathers and that’s ok, he did too. His favorite place to be is with Jennifer. The best part of every day is being eye to eye with Jennifer and giving her a kiss. She became the story that he does not remember how it began but he knew it was a part of the plan for his life on earth that will finally lead him into eternity. Eternity is still here, mortality just added a clock to it for a little while to see how long it would take to learn what God is teaching.

Bryan has been teaching since he was in the second grade. It’s part of his purpose. His daughter said, “There are actually six love languages, and yours is sharing truth". Everything good gets better when we share it. So, Bryan has learned to be a good sharer. This is step one of many steps in learning how to serve. He has taught for well-respected companies like Franklin Covey and led international sales teams while living overseas. He has lost fortunes and made fortunes in personal and professional ventures. He is passionate about missionary work and leaving others better than he found them.

His greatest love is his 1:1 relationship with Heavenly Father and his certainty that God loves him. He knows that Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day so everything ever promised will happen as Jesus promised it would. And that the Holy Ghost is a personal companion who never leaves and can be felt in the darkest places when truth is needed.

Bryan has been married and divorced after 24 years, and against the odds received two annulments that began during both honeymoons. He eventually learned to ask the most difficult questions early in the dating experience after learning the hard way what dating after 30 is like. He has been working on improving himself since he was young, beginning with damage control from being raised by three hippies from the 60’s. Life doesn’t always begin as expected. Yet his tenacity to get back up and his love of learning led to his favorite compliment, “you are a truth seeker.”

He sees divorce as train wreck on a pitch-black night where there are random fires, cars derailed laying sideways, people wandering in and out of the smoke and a few capable people helping. His thoughts are, “dating is hard because healing from a broken heart or incomprehensible situations is not always like a cut, sometimes there are splinters and beams and he couldn’t heal until they were pulled out.”

He has traveled around the world and has been to every state in the US. He loves a good adventure. He believes all people are awesome; some just don’t know it yet. Some of his favorite topics are hope, discovering the loving nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and the countless blessings that come from listening with his heart to the incredible blessing of the Holy Ghost.

Pamela Raleigh raised her 6 beautiful children in Utah and Oregon and they are now raising her 12 delightful grandchildren. Pamela graduated from BYU with a BS in Family Studies in 2015 and subsequently worked as a trauma educator and certified as a Clinical EFT practitioner. She loves playing tennis, hiking in beautiful places, making meaningful connections with others and engaging in spiritual conversations. She is grateful for friends whose dancing, adventuring and laughing has been therapeutic. The Savior has been her truest friend through difficult years of marriage and divorce. He’s bestowed countless gifts of healing and tender care on her. What a good God we have in Jesus Christ!

Stephanie Shepherd grew up mostly in Orange County, California but wrapped up her adolescence in Utah County. She is one of nine children, having enjoyed a rather chaotic but enriching upbringing. She has five children and four grandchildren, all who thankfully live nearby. Stephanie received a Bachelor’s degree from BYU where she studied Business Management. She has the privilege of working for a local aviation company as the Controller and HR Director. She loves both her job and the people she works with.

Stephanie has spent close to a decade researching the effects of gratitude and a positive mindset on one’s overall wellness. She has personally implemented mindful gratitude practices that drastically improved her life and has begun sharing her methods with those around her.

Barbara Smith embraces every opportunity to ski, attend the temple, and reflect on her blessings. Her love for life and people of all ages is evident in her genuine interactions with others. Barbara is recognized for her exceptional ability to listen and discern needs, finding energy in serving those around her.

Whether fostering relationships with neighbors, associates, family members, or students on campus, Barbara is dedicated to building meaningful connections. In her role as a teaching professor at BYU and in schools, she has devoted numerous years to educating students with disabilities and instructing their teachers and family members.

In her own family of five grown children and spouses with a pack of grandchildren she leads out in creating fun memories. She participates in outdoor activities and sports and enjoys reading and music.

A lifelong learner, Barbara has demonstrated significant growth in resilience, faith, and courage over the past four years since her divorce. She finds inspiration from joyful and fun-loving friends, who motivate her to thrive amidst adversity.

Logan Steele was raised in Glendale, Arizona, the youngest of five, and can best be described as "indoorsy." He is known for almost passing 9th grade Spanish and being awarded the Rose Lane youth soccer trophy for, “participation.”

Logan began a career in television working for the Late Show with David Letterman. He went on to become a producer for game shows and reality TV, including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and The Apprentice. He now works for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he manages broadcasts for the Priesthood and Family Department and oversees the Scriptures video series. Most recently, he launched The Single Adult Podcast. Logan is grateful for the opportunity to be part of this incredible conference.

Dr. Jacob P. Sybrowsky is a Wealth Advisor at Diversify, serving ultra-high-net worth families and professional athletes through the firm’s multifamily office. He partners with clients navigating complex financial lives, helping them preserve, grow, and thoughtfully transfer wealth across generations. Jacob’s approach centers on stewardship, intentional planning, and strengthening family relationships, ensuring financial decisions align with long-term legacy goals.

Jacob takes a highly customized and strategic approach to advising, designing bespoke solutions for complex portfolios that often require advanced tax strategy, intergenerational planning, and coordinated wealth structuring. With deep expertise in multigenerational wealth transfers, he helps families prepare not only financially, but relationally, for the responsibilities that come with significant wealth. In addition to serving families, Jacob works closely with athletes and young professionals, guiding them through contract planning, tax considerations, and long-term wealth strategy. His goal is to provide clarity in complexity while building durable, values-centered financial frameworks.

Jacob earned his Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Texas Tech University, where his research on intergenerational wealth transfers has been presented internationally. He also holds a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development and a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics with a minor in Korean from Brigham Young University.

Prior to joining Diversify, Jacob founded the Personal Financial Planning program at Utah Valley University and later served as Associate Dean of the Woodbury School of Business. He has a proven track record of building innovative academic programs and fostering strategic partnerships. At Diversify, he focuses on expanding the multifamily office platform, developing strategic collaborations, and mentoring the next generation of advisors.

Outside of the office, Jacob enjoys running, fishing, and camping with his wife and their five children. His global perspective, shaped by international speaking engagements and service as a Korean-speaking missionary in the California Los Angeles Mission, informs both his professional and personal commitment to connecting meaningfully with families from diverse backgrounds.

A single mom of two wonderful children, William & Charlotte, Emily is an active member of the LDS church who has found peace & power through her covenantal relationship with the Lord as she navigates co-parenting with an LGBTQ+ former spouse (who is also her best friend!).

The oldest of eight children, Emily was raised in Belmont, Massachusetts & Eagle, Idaho. Her family moved to Utah as she began college at BYU, and she has loved having most of them still close by. After serving an LDS mission in Romania, she returned to the Y to study human development, with a special interest in healthy sexuality & child development.

An avid performer her entire life, she joined the BYU Young Ambassadors in college and found unique fulfillment in sharing the gospel through song & dance around the world. She had the special opportunity to participate in that group with her former spouse, Preston, who is also a talented actor and singer. They both still perform and sing to their children daily.

During the early stages of her separation & divorce Emily was called to serve as a teacher in the Relief Society in her ward. Studying and teaching the words of the prophets brought added strength, guidance, and peace as she navigated the complex aspects of her new relationship with her former spouse. She is forever grateful for the beautiful relationship they’ve chosen to have as friends and co-parents. She is now serving others in travel, as she plans their trips around the world, and finding joy in her relationships with her children, family, and closest friends. Her love for and tender relationships with her Heavenly Father and her Savior are the greatest blessings in her life.

For about 30 years, Dr. Matt Townsend has been entertaining and educating audiences with his unique lessons on life, love and leadership. He blends humor and story-telling to inspire and motivate healthier living.

Matt has graduated from the University of Utah, BYU and Fielding Institute and has completed his bachelor’s degree, a few master’s degrees and his doctorate degree. Matt has his own coaching practice where he helps individuals and couples with their marriages, parenting and anxiety.

Matt has been seen for 19 years on KSL’s Studio 5 and can now be seen weekly on KSL Television’s, The Noon Show with Brooke Walker. He has a book called Starved Stuff: Feeding The 7 Basic Needs of Healthy Relationships, a popular pick among those searching for better relationship skills and can be found on his website.

Years ago Matt served a mission to Cordoba Argentina and has enjoyed serving in various church callings through the years.

Matt has served as the Bishop of a YSA Ward more than 25 years ago. His latest favorite callings have been as an Institute teacher and serving in the bishopric of a YSA Ward.

Married for 35 years, Matt and his wife Mardi reside in Draper, Utah. They are the parents of 6 children: one girl and five boys, 5 bonus in-law children and 8 grandchildren...with one more grandchild on the way and his last child gets married next month!

Stacie Walton is a Certified Education, Health, and Remarriage Life Coach helping individuals and couples—whether divorced, widowed, or cautiously considering remarriage—find practical tools, real skills, and newfound hope. Stacie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Utah State University and brings over 30 years of education and business experience to her work, including her signature "Podcasts from the Pantry" on Marco Polo.

In her own home, Stacie has spent nearly 15 years in the trenches successfully blending two families with 7 kids. She knows firsthand that when a bird and a fish fall in love, blending two different worlds takes real tools, the "3rd way" mindset, and plenty of grace to build a home where everyone belongs. Deeply anchored in her faith, Stacie believes with all her heart that Jesus Christ wants us to be genuinely happy and that second chances are a beautiful part of Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness. She loves serving the youth—having served on both the stake level and currently in her ward as Young Women President.

When she isn't coaching or serving, Stacie is all about family and celebration! She loves hiking, walking, traveling, and continuing to date her husband, Jim. They live by the 777 rule—where even a trip to the grocery store becomes a fun date!—and, of course, playing with their 9 grandchildren. If you know Stacie, you know the holidays are her absolute favorite time of year. From October through January, if there’s a reason to celebrate and build epic family traditions, she will take it and run! Stacie combines humor, hard truths, and real-time tools to help couples create enduring relationships that truly thrive.

As an expert people developer with a knack for talent management, Noelani has more than twenty years of experience in developing and executing people strategies across organizations.

Her contagious enthusiasm fosters a positive and engaging work environment that leads to unforgettable student and client experiences. Noelani has super powers in coaching and mentoring, presentation development, and organizational culture to help individuals and teams discover and leverage their unique talents and potential. She partners with external stakeholders and private clients to provide consulting and training in strengths-based leadership principles, personal development, and branding. Noelani a wife and mother of 2+4 and a director of fun.

Chris fell in love with the scriptures while preparing for and serving a mission in Montevideo, Uruguay. This love for God's word, coupled with his youthful personality, led him to pursue a career in Seminaries and Institutes. He taught release-time seminary in Davis County, Utah, and spent and five years writing seminary curriculum. In 2022, an opportunity to write Come, Follow Me pulled him away from Seminaries and Institute. He is currently a product manager in the Priesthood and Family Department of the Church, recently over the Children and Youth program and currently with Topics and Questions and Life Help content.

When not at work, Chris can be found seeking adrenaline and mountain air through coaching his kid's mountain bike team, running on local trails, or dangling from a rope. He married Angela Christopheson in 2007, and they are the parents of six children.

Jenn Zingmark is a life coach, speaker, and podcaster who is passionate about helping men and women partner with the Lord to find hope, healing, and happiness through life's most difficult trials, especially separation, betrayal, and divorce.

Drawing on her own experience with divorce, Jenn helps others discover that even when life doesn't unfold as they hoped, God can still bring healing, purpose, peace, and joy. She coaches individuals across the United States through her signature programs, Faith-Filled Divorce and The Joyful Covenant Woman, combining practical tools with gospel-centered principles to help people heal emotionally, strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ, and move forward with greater faith and confidence.

Jenn also hosts the weekly podcast Find the Joy with Jenn, where she shares gospel insights, practical tools, and encouragement for navigating life's unexpected challenges. At the heart of her work is a simple message: no matter what life looks like today, the Savior is still walking beside you, and with Him, healing and joy are always possible.