Ricki Lake

About Ricki

A pop culture icon who has built a career on her candid, “straight talk” sensibility and her authentic, relatable nature, Ricki Lake has maintained a worldwide fan basethat is a true cross-section of age and ethnicity.  Her approachable appeal has charmed international movie and television audiences for more than two decades, and she has managed to reinvent herself at every stage of her career.  As “Tracy Turnblad,” the zaftig heroine of the original John Waters’ film HAIRSPRAY, Lake made an acting debut that positioned her as an “entertainer to watch” in Hollywood.  Later, with a surprise turn as a talk show host, she met with unprecedented success and earned her place as a beloved media personality across the globe.
 
Ricki made her much-anticipated return to TV with The Ricki Lake Show, an all-new talk show from Twentieth Television in September 2012. Lake has also completed work on a memoir, NEVER SAY NEVER: FINDING A LIFE THAT FITS, for Simon & Schuster’s Atria imprint, on shelves now.  She has, in addition, become an online voice for mothers, providing editorial contributions to outlets including Momformation – all while showcasing her dancing ability as a beloved finalist on Season 13 of ABC’s DANCING WITH THE STARS.
 
Some of her latest roles – surprisingly, an independent filmmaker, family advocate and author – have kept her uniquely charming perspective firmly in the public’s consciousness. Lake executive produced the critically acclaimed documentary THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, which debuted at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and examined natural childbirth in the United States. Lake and director Abby Epstein released a four-part, follow-up DVD series, MORE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, in 2011 offering invaluable information and featuring birth stories from some of Hollywood’s most notable celebrities.

Ianthe Jones

About Ianthe

Ianthe Jones is a Daytime Emmy award nominated television producer with a passion for storytelling, a head for the big picture and an eye for detail. With a career spanning talk, game, dating, news magazine and reality shows, Ianthe, who “loves the smell of the studio stage,” believes everyone has a story and says bringing those stories to life “rocks my world.”

When not on set or location, the smart, sassy and single Ianthe can be found giving back to the community as a volunteer, spending time with her BFF – AKA Grandma – and enjoying the sweet sounds of karaoke (that’s right, she owns two machines).

Peter Johansen

About Peter

What do Chelsea Handler, Sharon Osborne, Martin Short and George Lopez have in common? One Peter Johansen. A television veteran of almost two decades, Peter has produced virtually every genre of talk show and brings a much-needed male perspective to a predominantly female team. As supervising producer, Peter most looks forward to turning his marital squabbles and parenting issues into entertaining fodder for the show.

 Peter can also been seen so-called "acting" in the Sundance-winning film, The Brothers McMullen. One look at his performance and it's clear why he returned to his role of producer.

Josh Sabarra

About Josh

A veteran marketing, publicity and corporate communications executive with comprehensive management experience in theatrical motion pictures, television and home entertainment, Josh Sabarra is highly skilled in all aspects of entertainment marketing and public relations.

Most recently, Sabarra served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Publicity for A&E/Lifetime Networks, responsible for the high profile and successful launches of such series as Project Runway and Sony’s hit comedic drama Drop Dead Diva. In addition, he oversaw top-rated movie projects including Coco Chanel (starring Shirley MacLaine), Living Proof (starring Harry Connick, Jr.), Prayers for Bobby (starring Sigourney Weaver) and Georgia O’Keeffe (starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons).

As Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications and Publicity for New Line Cinema/Home Entertainment, Sabarra spearheaded campaigns for blockbuster films including Elf, The Lord of the Rings, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers and Hairspray. Previously, as Vice President of Media Relations at Miramax Films, he handled a variety of special projects and film/awards campaigns including Kill Bill, The Station Agent and Cold Mountain.

Prior to his executive role at Miramax Films, Sabarra was Director of Publicity and Communications for Warner Home Video, where he oversaw campaigns for the Harry Potter franchise and studio classics such as Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and Giant.

Beginning his career with Buena Vista Pictures Marketing (Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures), Sabarra worked on theatrical publicity campaigns for box-office hits Hercules, Mulan, Armageddon, Toy Story 2 and The Sixth Sense.

Josh Sabarra graduated from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, with a dual degree in Motion Pictures/Communications and Psychology. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where he is a Consulting Producer of The Ricki Lake Show and Executive Producer of the cable television movie Nancy Grace’s The Eleventh Victim. He is also a frequent on-air contributor to CNN Headline News.

Jackie Morgan MacDougall

About Jackie

Jackie, originally from the ‘burbs of Boston, was born the eleventh child (of 13) in an Irish family who clearly didn’t have cable. At 23, she packed up her compact car and moved to Los Angeles, spending the next 14 years working in network and syndicated television. In 2006, Jackie's career shifted to the ever-glamorous World Wide Web as founding editor/spokesperson of a parenting site, produced by Warner Bros. Since then, Jackie has grown a following as co-host of Broadscast as well as on her personal blog, The Silver Whining.

Jackie parks her minivan in the 'burbs of Los Angeles where she entertains her husband and three kids with gems like “don’t make me come back there” and “do you live in a barn?”

Lupe Haas

About Lupe

With 20 years in the entertainment industry, Lupe has made her way around Hollywood without even one stop on the proverbial casting couch. Her variety of experience in feature films, publicity – both general market and Hispanic -- and television production lead the proud Latina to her first online gig in 2008. Lupe can now be found glued to a computer 23/7 (hey, we all need a pee break).

An aspiring filmmaker, Lupe is the founder of CineMovie.TV and has plans to write/produce a short film. On weekends, you can find the married L.A. native spending time with her parents, sister and precocious 7-year old niece. 

Charlie Capen

About Charlie

Charlie Capen is co-founder of “How To Be A Dad,” an entertainment site for dads, moms, and those with no plans of procreating, whatsoever. Not so much a “how-to,” but a “how-not-to” the site is centered around two sleep-deprived friends with nothing left to lose but their sanity as they navigate fatherhood and try to look smart doing so. They’re not experts, but that isn’t gonna stop them from pretending. Charlie’s work has appeared on the front pages of Babble.com, Huff Post Parents, Art of Manliness, BabyCenter, AOL, Neatorama, Laughing Squid, Reddit, and a host of other websites that smell delicious.

Allana Pratt

About Allana

Allana Pratt embodies 'Living Sexy', loving exactly who you are, being unapologetically radiant so your relationships thrive & family flourishes. Author of 'How To Be And Stay Sexy' for women, 'The Missing Handbook to Motherhood' for moms and 'Get Her To Say Yes' for men, she's an Intimacy Expert on CBS, TLC & FOX and a booked solid Relationship Coach. People Magazine reported Allana was the first person Leeza Gibbons called for coaching when she signed on with Dancing with the Stars.

Heather Frey

About Heather

Heather Frey, founder of SmashFit.com, is a trainer, fitness strategist, and figure competitor who can be sharing her message on TV, web and in magazines across the country. Heather's success is based on the sole principal that fitness is all in the mind and by motivating and reconditioning the mind, anything is possible.

Kim Goldman

About Kim

Kim Goldman has spent the last 18 years of her life as a victims’ advocate.  She travels the country as an impassioned public speaker on victims’ rights, the role of the media, judicial reform, and other related topics.  Her advocacy doesn't stop there; she spends her days as the Executive Director of the Youth Project; a non-profit organization that provides counseling, crisis intervention, support groups and outreach to teenagers, 12 -18 years old.

As an accomplished writer, Kim was a contributing author to the NY Times Bestseller; His Name is Ron, Our Search for Justice (1998, William Morrow & Co.)  And in 2007, Kim authored two chapters for the NY Times Bestseller; If I Did It, Confessions of the Killer. (2007, Beaufort Books) She is also the founding Co-Chair of The Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice as well as a member of the California District Attorney’s Association Victims Rights Committee, Advisory Council Member for Crime Survivors Inc., Advisory Board Member for Habitat for Heroes, Stakeholder for Vision 21, Board Member with National Center for Victims of Crime, and collaborates with numerous other organizations.

Sarah Shewey

About Sarah

Sarah Shewey is the founder of Pink Cloud 9, the first agency to represent wedding professionals that are exclusively focused on servicing the needs of DIY (Do-it-Yourself) couples. In the wedding business since 2002, Sarah has a unique approach for creating sustainable weddings and innovative events. Her favorite wedding tradition is the first dance, while her least favorite would have to be the awkward garter toss.

Steve Truitt

About Steve

Steve Truitt is a performance coach, TV host, and sought-after motivational speaker.   Known as “The Now What? Coach,” Steve specializes in the fields of addiction, relationships, and personal transition... the go-to guy for all things related to self-esteem, purpose, and recovering from a personal or professional breakdown.

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