South by Southwest (SXSW) has always been known for its annual 2-week gathering that brings breakout music artists, creatives, tech geeks, and industry executives to Austin, Texas. A multi-destination of film, interactive media, music festivals and conferences. For the first time ever, they introduced their SXSW Wellness Expo and featured its first panel of women of color.
Sit back and get acquainted with some of the top leaders in the mind, body and spirit wellness realm.
Wendy Lopez
Co-Founder of Food Heaven Made Easy
A lover of food, cooking, and nutrition, Afro-Latina, Wendy Lopez ascends from the Dominican Republic and was raised in the Bronx, New York. Exposed to chronic illness among her family and
community members, she grew up witnessing what diabetes and hypertension can do.
After recovering from a personal scare herself, she sought-out a career in nutrition and wellness. Currently the clinical outpatient dietitian at Open Door Family Medical Center in Port Chester, NY, when she’s not pushing her initiative through food and nutrition blog, Food Heaven Made Easy, she’s providing services for pediatric, women’s health, and general medicine clinics.
Dana Oliver
Beauty Director of Yahoo Lifestyle
A native of South Carolina, Dana Oliver holds the position as beauty director at Yahoo Lifestyle. Overseeing day-to-day beauty news, in-person interviews, celebrity features and market coverage, she has made a name for herself in the beauty industry as a community content leader. She was most recently the executive fashion and beauty editor at The Huffington Post and her work has also appeared on Stylelist.com, Glamour.com, AllHipHop.com and The NY City News Service.
Lalah Delia
Vibrate Higher Daily
A Los Angeles-native, Lalah Delia is a Certified Integrated Wellness Coach, Certified Spiritual Practitioner & Writer. Founder of Vibrate Higher Daily, at the
core of her practice, is the belief that the frequency of our mind, body, spirit, and environment, plays a determining role in the state of our vibrational-health.
Devoted to advocating for pushing positive lifestyle, positive community and personal transformation forward, through the mantra, discipline, and practice, of vibrating higher daily, Lalah’s platform celebrates vibrational liberation and wholeness.
Desiree Verdejo
Vivrant Beauty
A former lawyer turned natural beauty entrepreneur, Desiree Verdejo left her corporate life to pursue a lifelong passion of breaking into the world of beauty. Shortly after her departure, she opens the doors to her nestled brick-and-mortar store, Vivrant Beauty. Dedicated to diverse, woman-owned, ingredient-conscious products, her brand is a premium offline and online beauty destination, located in the heart of Harlem, New York.
Dr. Tiffany Lester
Integrative Medicine Doctor at Parsley Health San Francisco
A new face and voice to the health and beauty world is Dr. Tiffany Lester. Leading the conversation in conventional and alternative medicine, she prompts communities to ponder, “what happens when you’ve
exhausted all conventional medical options, and you’re still sick?” As an Integrative Functional Medicine Physician and the Medical Director at Parsley Health in San Francisco, Dr. Tiffany is out to change lives by addressing the symptoms in her patients and her followers that lead to chronic illness.
Dr. Crystal Jones
Healers Collective
Dr. Crystal Jones is a multi-faceted Healing Facilitator and Certified Medical Doctor. A spiritual guide for the influencers of the universe, namely women, her private practice focuses heavily on accessing personal power and curating effective self-healing practices.
Fluent in multiple languages of healing, she is also founder and COO of full service traveling wellness production company, The Healers’ Collective. Featuring a range of services from fresh pressed organic juices and hand-crafted teas to chiropractic, yoga, sound baths and massage therapies – all set with an aromatic ambiance and live DJ.
Her space represents a guide for women that are ready to dive into their hidden places to heal.
Siraad Dirshe
Beauty Editor of Essence
A New York-native and Beauty Editor for Essence Magazine, Siraad Dirshe is a
notable fashion and beauty writer that has written for Black Girl In Om, Refinery 29, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Popsugar, Elle, Nylon, and many other notable publications and platforms. In her work, she has pushed the narrative of the importance of representation of melanin in the beauty world. She makes it her responsibility to help make the industry a place where we see ourselves reflected and also to shine a light on the issues and people that black women find relevant and important.
Lauren Ash
Black Girl In Om
A wellness visionary, yoga teacher, meditation instructor and creative writer, Lauren Ash is a fresh face to the world of wellness, mindfulness, and health. As an official partner and contributor to SXSW Wellness Expo, her contributions propelled the direction of this year’s panelist guests and selections. Creating a new platform for women of color in beauty, wellness, content, medicine, and health.
When she’s not cultivating lifestyle brand, Black Girl In Om, she dedicates her time to creating meaningful experiences and content for marginalized communities and women of color.
Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.
By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from BlackDoctor.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
