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Christina Shutt

Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum

Christina Shutt is the executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the premier institution for understanding the history and legacy of Abraham Lincoln and Illinois. She is a recognized leader in libraries and museums and is frequently sought after for her expertise in museum management and accreditation. Since her appointment in 2021, Shutt has worked with legislators to transform the position of Illinois State Historian to focus on underrepresented history, launched community outreach efforts to make the institution more welcoming and inclusive, and curated national award-winning exhibitions showcasing the diverse history of Illinois. Additionally, her innovative and collaborative leadership resulted in the ALPLM being awarded first-time national museum accreditation, a distinction only 3% of museums hold in the United States. Throughout her career, she has championed efforts to make libraries, archives, and museums more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible, believing that the heart of these institutions must represent the communities they serve. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Central Methodist University and holds two masters’ degrees in library science/archives management and history from Simmons University.

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Zelma Pierce Chamberlain

M.Ed Retired Educator

Zelma Pierce Chamberlain , M.Ed is a retired educator, with over 20-years of experience working with a non-traditional school population. Zelma has been meditating for over 39 years and has found that meditation is key to living a life of peace and love. Coping with stressful situations is not easy however meditation allows her the opportunity to navigate life’s challenges with grace and serenity. Zelma is the National Women’s Retreat Coordinator for Science of Spirituality. She facilitates and presents at women’s retreats and workshops around the country teaching a meditative technique that is widely respected and provides numerous benefits. Many have found her presentations direct, engaging and resonating with practical experiences that are enjoyed by all.

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Priyanka Kohli

M.B.A.

With a double master’s degree and extensive experience in the corporate world, Priyanka is passionate about creating balance and wellness in all aspects of life. In addition to her professional endeavors, Priyanka’s deep-rooted values of compassion make her a devoted advocate of the plant-based diet. Balancing the demands of career and family life, she embraces each moment with grace and determination. Having learned meditation at a young age, she enjoys teaching her two boys the benefits of meditation as well as crafting healthy, vegan recipes for her family. She is honored to be a part of this program and excited to help facilitate this empowering experience.

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Julie Clark

Certified Yoga Instructor

Julie Clark has an Associate’s degree in Applied Arts in Interior Design and graduated with Honors, working in her field for over twenty-five years. She is a RYT certified yoga instructor and has taught yoga for over thirteen years in various venues such as: adjunct professor in yoga at College of DuPage, Universal Spirit Yoga, Greenleaf Yoga Studio, Bolingbrook Park District, and the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. She has taught special populations and all levels of yoga (from senior to Vinyasa Flow Yoga) and launched her business, Many Moons Rising, bringing yoga to your doorstep where she teaches on location for retreats, home, and corporate events. Her practice is Native American inspired. She believes yoga is a transformative experience; when linked with the breath, it replenishes body, mind, and spirit.

Breakout: Restore & Rejuvenate. Attendees will be led through a series of restorative yoga postures to facilitate relaxation and rejuvenation. Please bring your mats.

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Kathryn Kruger

Ph.D.

Kathryn Kruger, Ph.D. is a poet and Blake scholar who taught poetry and world literature at University of Miami in Florida and Benedictine University in Illinois. Her book, Weaving the Word: the Metaphorics of Weaving and Female Textual Production is considered a pioneering work, intersecting anthropology, history, and literature. Her chapbook, Solstice, won the Poetic Matrix Chapbook Series in 2001. She has taught the contemplative practice of journaling for over twenty years and believes that the process of writing helps us understand ourselves and our place in the world. She serves on local non-profits and participates in the annual festival, Veggie Fest, in Lisle. As a student of meditation for over forty years, Kathryn attests to its impact on mental equanimity and emotional balance. When we are intentional about our goals and seek to serve others, our lives are transformed.

Breakout: Journal for Self-discovery. Journaling is a powerful yet gentle way to connect to our inner self, to ask our deepest questions and have the answers revealed in a language we can understand.

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Linda Kordich

Co-Founder of the Juiceman Company with husband Jay Kordich

Linda Kordich (co-founder of the Juiceman Company with her husband Jay Kordich, Wellness Coach, and author) has been a vegetarian since 1966 and Vegan since 1990. She has been coaching and teaching juicing since 1974 and was the co-founder of the Juiceman Company which was responsible for inspiring millions of people on television for several decades. She married Jay Kordich in 1981, known by millions as the Juiceman and Father of Juicing for 36 years until his death at 93 in 2017. She was also the co-author of Jay’s #1 New York Time’s best-selling book, the Juiceman’s Power of Juicing which sold several million copies as well as being responsible for selling millions of juicers throughout the USA. She’s been on many national tv talk shows and radio programs inspiring others to juice and live a plant-based diet. Since then, she’s produced, designed and published their beautiful book, Live Foods / Live Bodies and their multimedia Living Health Program, as well as producing her Juicing Masterclass to help inspire others to become juice therapists. She’s now 68 years old and the mother of two boys, 38 and 40, who are both committed vegans.

Breakout: Juicing for Inner and Outer Beauty. Join a juicing excerpt and discover how you can enhance every aspect of your health, energy, and beauty—within and without!

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Linda Scotti

R.N., B.S.N., M.A.

Linda Scotti is a Registered Nurse and Educator. She has traveled the globe and lived on 4 continents, working as a nurse, educator, and counselor. Linda has been a vegetarian for more than 50 years, and her love for living a healthy lifestyle and keeping fit is what inspires her to share her knowledge and research on the healthy aspects of a vegetarian diet.

Breakout: The Secret of Herbs & Spices. We use herbs and spices to add flavor to our food, but how many know that for thousands of years people have been using these powerhouses of nutrition for their healing properties?

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Poonam Gupta

M.Phil.

Poonam Gupta holds a Masters of Philosophy degree from the University of Delhi, India, and has received extensive formal yoga training both in India and the United States. With certifications as a yoga therapist, an ERYT 500, a pre-natal Yoga Teacher (RPYT), and a Children’s Yoga Teacher (CYT), Poonam has honed her expertise in various aspects of yoga. Growing up in India, Poonam was immersed in yogic training at home, guided by her father, who imparted to her the essence of yogic philosophy. Alongside learning the paths of yoga, kriya, and asana, she gained proficiency in Hindi and Sanskrit languages, devotional singing (Kirtan) and meditation. As the Director of Universal Spirit Yoga, Poonam remains committed to conducting yoga teacher trainings and classes. She also serves as the yoga co-chair at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. In addition to her instructional role, she has authored the books Yog or Yoga: The Words and Music of Yog and Yoga Manual for Teachers.

Breakout: Restore & Rejuvenate. Attendees will be led through a series of restorative yoga postures to facilitate relaxation and rejuvenation. Please bring your mats.

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Shweta Duggal

M.D.

Shweta Duggal, M.D. is a Board Certified physician in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a loving mother of two, who is passionate about helping people reach their highest potential and move beyond their limitations. Born and raised in Dubai, UAE, she received her medical degree from Gulf Medical University and served as the nation’s first female Chief Intern. She is a proud Rush University Medical Center residency graduate who now serves a diverse patient population in the Greater Chicagoland area for Medrina, the nation’s largest Physiatry group, helping to restore quality of life. She is a strong advocate of making a positive impact in the world through selfless service and community engagement.

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Rimjhim D. Stephens

M.D., R.H.N., Health & Nutrition Strategist at Nature’s Path

Dr. Duggal Stephens is a champion of health. As a Health and Nutrition Strategist, she keeps us on the cutting edge of nutritional advice and health initiatives. Trained in medicine at Manipal University and the University of the West Indies, Dr. Duggal Stephens has always been drawn to healing through food. She went on to study nutrition science after completing her medical degree, and since then, her extensive knowledge has allowed her to help many patients manage their illnesses for which food was often a common denominator. She acts as a wellness guide both within our community and in the wider world. Dr. Duggal Stephens and her husband, Arjan Stephens, co-created Love Crunch granola and spearheaded Nature’s Path’s “Bite4Bite” initiative, through which up to $1 million is annually donated to food banks in need. In March, 2025, she received the King Charles III Coronation Medal, which is awarded once in a reign to recognize those community leaders who have made significant contributions through service, mentorship, and advocacy. A skilled teacher and writer, Dr. Duggal Stephens is also a lifelong meditator and has contributed to Meditation as Medication for the Soul. In her spare time, she mentors a global young adult group that focuses on ethical leadership, service, and conscious living.

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