Featured Speakers
Dani Shapiro
Dani Shapiro is the author of eleven books, and the host and creator of the hit podcast Family Secrets. Her most recent novel, Signal Fires, was named a best book of 2022 by Time Magazine, Washington Post, Amazon, and others, and is a national bestseller. Her most recent memoir, Inheritance, was an instant New York Times Bestseller, and named a best book of 2019 by Elle, Vanity Fair, Wired, and Real Simple. Both Signal Fires and Inheritance were winners of the National Jewish Book Award. Dani’s work has been published in fourteen languages and she’s currently developing Signal Fires for its television adaptation. Dani’s book on the process and craft of writing, Still Writing, has just been reissued on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. She occasionally teaches workshops and retreats, and is the co-founder of the Sirenland Writers Conference in Positano, Italy.
Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s a highly acclaimed writer, known for her ability to distill and convey complex ideas—from science to literature to stories from her own life—with levity and clarity.
She has an affinity for new tools and platforms, and she has cultivated a vast, passionate audience who actively engages with her and her work across many channels. With millions of copies of her New York Times bestselling books sold, more than 220 million downloads of her Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast, an enthusiastic following on her newsletters and social media, helpful and beautifully designed products, and the award-winning Happier app, she engages her audience wherever they want to be. She is an experienced and sought-after speaker and makes regular appearances across the media landscape.
As the founder of The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin has helped create an ecosystem of imaginative products and tools to help people become happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution,” she explains, “so there’s no ‘right’ way or ‘best’ way. We have to choose the way that work for us.”
She’s been interviewed by Oprah, eaten dinner with Nobel Prize-winner Daniel Kahneman, walked arm-in-arm with the Dalai Lama, had her work reported on in a medical journal, been written up in the New Yorker, and been an answer on Jeopardy!
After starting her career in law, she realized she wanted to be a writer while she was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Raised in Kansas City, she lives in New York City with her family.
Katera Noviello-Kapoor
Katera Noviello-Kapoor has been an integral leader in health promotion at 92NY for 10+ years. She works closely with organizations such as ACSM and American Council of Exercise as a Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist, Health Coach and Group Exercise and Subject Matter Specialist. She is also a certified pre- and post-natal fitness specialist. Katera is the creator of 92NY’s Spark Your Health, a health & wellness initiative which provides cutting edge health-related talks and programs to thousands of people all over the country and world. Katera holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from University at Buffalo and a M.S. in Fitness & Wellness Leadership from the State University of New York: Plattsburgh. Katera was a Division 1 Rower for the University at Buffalo and in her earlier career was the Head Coach of competitive gymnastics teams. Katera is also the owner of Veda Films, a health and wellness focused film company. Her mission is to connect children and adults to physical movement in a positive and joyful manner so it becomes a lifelong habit. Katera enjoys bringing positive psychology into her work and writes children’s books and novels in her spare time, along with sharing her love of nature and movement with her 3-year old daughter and husband.
Canyon Ranch Experts
Holly Benzenhafer
Holly is dedicated to helping our guests explore the deep meaning of their lives. Through individual, couple, family, or group sessions, she creates a safe space for resort guests where they may attune and attend places of spiritual pain and healing to find pathways to a life of intention, joy, and connection.
Chef Julien Ardouin
Julien is dedicated to creating exquisite cuisine for guests at Lenox. His Paris-trained experience in two Michelin-Star restaurants, and later as an Executive Chef at high-end restaurants, gives him the depth of experience to cater to refined tastes and to infuse luxurious meals and ingredients into the Canyon Ranch wellness experience.
Dan Marko
Dan helps guests explore how developing or deepening a spiritual practice can enhance personal and professional relationships. He provides individual consultations, group lectures, and workshops.
Maggie O'Mara
Maggie is committed to helping our guests improve their health and vitality through nutrition. She leads how-to classes and demonstrations that show best practices for planning and cooking creative, delicious meals that enhance wellbeing and fuel healthy lifestyle goals.
