2021 Speakers

Tiffany is a princess, a tattoo artist, and a weightlifter. She loves making new friends and traveling around this world sharing stories about how our Abba King delights to surprise us with awesome adventures.

Nicki is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and best-selling author of the book and Lifeway Bible studies 5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn’t Quit and Why Her? + Rachel & Leah. Nicki’s newest book will be released in March 2021. Her family lives just outside Charlotte, NC where they own a farm affectionately called, The Fixer Upper Farm.

Becky is a writer, dreamer, believer, lunch packer and semi-recovering neat freak. She has published three books, raised two daughters into the tween years, and managed to convince one man since 1999 that she is still fabulous and worth the hassle. She loves matcha lattes, literary fiction, and Jesus—not in that order.

Courtnaye Richard is the founder of Inside Out Media Group, LLC – a faith-based PR, Marketing & Mentorship Agency. In her 15 years of experience, she has worked with platforms such as PBS, CBN, & TCT Networks, as well as local television and print publications. Courtnaye is also the founder of Inside Out with Courtnaye, a ministry that helps women grow in their walk with Christ from the heart and equips them to fulfill their God-given purpose. Courtnaye is also an author and contributing writer for ibelieve.com, Women’s Ministry Tools, YouVersion, and is a speaker of a host of women’s conferences. Her blog, Inside Out with Courtnaye reaches thousands of women across the globe and was listed as the Top 50 Christian Women Bloggers Every Woman Must Follow. She’s passionate about helping women make a greater impact in their personal lives, homes, church, community, and purpose.

Elisabeth Aaby is a wife and mom, author of the book Moms Who Matter, and serves as the Women’s Ministry Director at her church near Seattle. Like any good Seattle-area mom, she’s raised two coffee-loving daughters who currently work as baristas. When she’s not visiting them in their drive-thru (where she’ll actually order tea, not coffee), you can probably find her cheering on her son at a baseball field or out on a date with her husband somewhere in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. You can also follow her on Instagram here: @elisabeth.aaby. 

Coming at y’all from San Antonio, TX, Beckie cannot wait to share her heart with you. Hang on tight, it’s crazy, messy, funny, emotional, but this mama’s heart has a BIG story to share. God’s plan is so much different (and so much better) than what she could have ever imagined for herself, but watching Him write her story has been the single most incredible experience of her life. Beckie is married to Jake, a God-fearing, bearded, tattooed teddy bear and has two awesome kiddos; Maggie is 7 and Charlie will be 2 in January.  

With infectious warmth and wit, Deb Burma speaks with authenticity and passion. Faithful to God‘s Word, she shares His extravagant grace in Christ as she touches the hearts of women, meeting them in the moments of their everyday lives. (Visit Deb at her website, Extravagant Grace: www.debburma.com.)

Author of bestsellers, JOY: A Study of Philippians, and Living a Chocolate Life, Deb has penned an assortment of Christian-living books, Bible studies, retreat kits, and devotionals, including Sip, Savor, and Drink Deeply, Stepping Out, and her 2021 release, Be Still & Know, all published by Concordia Publishing House (CPH). Her work has appeared in several periodicals, including Today’s Christian Living.  

Deb earned a degree in Economics and Finance, then followed the Lord’s lead to direct women’s and family ministries while raising a family and pursuing additional training in writing, speaking, and theology under the direction of noted authors, editors, and theologians.

Deb has spoken at national and regional conferences across the country, as well as retreats and ministry events. She has led workshops and sectionals for the Best Practices for Ministry (BPM) Conferences, the Women’s Leadership Institute’s National Conferences, and more. Her ministry travels have taken her to 27 states and Canada, aboard a Caribbean cruise ship, and continue to lead her down the street to her home church.

Raised on a ranch in South Dakota, Deb and her family shared adventures residing in five different states before calling Nebraska home. Deb is a follower of Jesus, a pastor’s wife, and the proud mother of three amazing young adults. She’s a blogger, a women’s ministry leader, and a self-proclaimed coffee/chocolate connoisseur. (She never travels without chocolate in one hand and a flavored hot latte in the other!) Above all, Deb is a grace-filled woman of God.

Courtney “CC” Corrente is a college student, volunteer coordinator, organization-enthusiast, and Christ follower. She is currently a Junior in college and studies Strategic Communications at Liberty University. She loves writing, spending time with family, and studying the Word all while drinking an iced vanilla latte. 

LaToya Edwards is a Christian life coach and writer. She helps Christian women overcome fear through bold and courageous faith so they can walk victoriously through trials, knowing God is with them, every step of the way. You can learn more about LaToya on her blog, Women Finding God.

It was as a student at the University of Cape Town that Judy developed a passion for ministry and went on to attend the Alliance Theological School in Nyack, NY to pursue a Master’s of Divinity. There she met her husband Dennis Episcopo and together they committed to a life in ministry. In February 1997 they moved to Appleton and Judy began as a volunteer in Appleton Alliance’s Women’s Ministries and in 2002 she joined the staff.  

 Judy is the proud mom of three grown children. In her spare time she loves to read and hang out with her family and friends. She also doesn’t mind traveling when the occasion arises! 

In the past few years, Anna Franklin has emerged as a leader in the home staging and interior design industry in Wisconsin. She is CEO and Founder of Stone House Collective. She believes that every home has a story to tell and bring it to life. She was awarded Real Estate Staging Industry’s Most Influential People by RESA in 2020. Anna lives with her family in a Stone House in the Milwaukee Area. A mom of almost 3, wife, Christian, sister, daughter, friend, boss of a small yet growing business and leader…life can get a a bit overwhelming at times

BIO: Raised in Appleton, Wisconsin Donna Johnson is one of the leading professionals in Network Marketing.  For 34 years, she has built one of the largest global organizations in the world with her Independent Arbonne business.  Donna received the Lifetime Achievement Award in her Profession in 2019, only the 7^th to receive, and the 2^nd woman behind Mary Kay Ash.  She sits on the Ethics committee for her industry and is sought after for leadership with integrity & wisdom.

Donna is married with 5 adult children and 8 grandchildren. She and her husband Thomas reside between Wisconsin, Arizona and Sweden. Their charity “Spirit Wings Kids” funds 3 orphanages in India & Uganda.

Kristen Leavins is a loving wife, devoted mom, faithful daughter, and loyal friend. At the same time, she is also a sinner who fails daily, desires repentance and seeks forgiveness. She is an extroverted, fun, fear-of-missing-out kind of gal. She has been married to her college sweetheart Dr. Danny Leavins for 25 years. In those years, she has been a missionary in Moscow, Russia, a public school teacher, a pastor’s wife and an elder’s wife. At present, her life is filled with family and friends, homeschooling three of her four children (one is now at UW Madison), tutoring others’ children, managing a household, and teaching dance which is also her favorite choice of exercise. She has a passion for marriages and women, longing for all to receive the forgiveness and faith that Christ offers. Her hope and desire is for your heart and hers to kneel in awe and worship at the feet of Christ recognizing the love we have in Him alone. Kristen has in no way all of the answers to life, but she loves to teach and share her heart in hopes that it brings glory to Christ and draws you nearer to Him. 

Tera stepped into full-time ministry nine years ago after working professionally in the Marketing and Business field. She continued her education by earning her master’s degree at Moody Theological Seminary in 2016. Tera is relatable and is known for her ability to warm up a crowd and make them feel welcome and encouraged along with making them laugh. Because of her broken past, she has a heart of empathy and grace for people in all different seasons of life. She believes that being authentic and vulnerable are key to building relationships of trust, especially in hard topics within the church. When it’s warm outside, you will find Tera sneaking away from her office or trying to convince co-workers to meet outside. She is married to Trevor, her red-bearded husband. The two are foster parents who do respite care for kids in crisis. Together they enjoy acting like big kids and differing on what is the right temperature to set their home thermostat.  

Suzan Myhre is a happy grandmother to Maya -2 years old. Maya has taught Suzan that life in the slow lane is where its at. Suzan is married to Chris for 37 years. She has three adult children, two girls who are married and a son. It has been a joy for Suzan to be called by God to do counseling for over 30 years. She specializes in couples counseling, and trauma work. Suzan is trained in EMDR and Brainspotting, two very effective therapeutic methods for getting “unstuck”. She currently works part time as a therapist, and is home part time learning from Maya and just having fun. She loves to bake banana bread, go for long walks in the woods at a snails pace and laughing with anyone who is willing. 

Ginny Olson has been involved in ministry for several decades on various levels: speaker, writer, youth pastor, and professor. She is the author of Teenage Girls and the co-author of Youth Ministry Management Tools 2.0. Whether through speaking, writing, or coaching, Ginny is committed to seeing women grow in their faith and leadership. Currently, she is the Director of Youth Ministry for the Northwest Conference, a regional office of the Evangelical Covenant denomination.

Sarah Schultz is a Middle School Math Teacher and an avid Kingdom worker for Jesus. She speaks, trains and presents for Dignity Revolution, a social-emotional and mental health and wellness curriculum that empowers and educates students to “stand up for the value and worth of every person.” She is passionate about connecting through authentic relationships, cultivating the potential in others and exhorting others to live in relationship with God. She is an avid Green Bay Packers fan, adores her role as “auntie,” cherishes her Bernese Mountain Dog Berkeley and thrives in sharing and showing  Jesus to as many people as possible.

Kteile Smith is a wife, mother of four, and health care worker with a passion deep connection. Her day to day could be best described as “managed chaos” fueled by Jesus’ grace and caffeine. When she comes up for air, she loves connecting with other women one on one or in a small group. Kteile loves to ask the sometimes-uncomfortable questions in an effort to truly know others at a heart level. Her passion for connection is driven by a desire for women to know how loved and chosen they are by the One who chooses her (and you) over and over again.

Ellen is a wife, mother of three and one of ten children. Jesus, her husband, children, siblings and parents are her nearest and dearest. Spending time with the people closest to her is what she cherishes the most. Although, a book in hand and peace and quiet sounds heavenly too. Ellen enjoys boating, walking, writing, reading, thrifting and retail shopping. Ellen has always had a passion for style and never stopped spinning in the mirror. Ellen is a natural “sharer” which has lead her to start a style meets encouragement through faith Instagram account for all to see. Most recently she launched a blog, Madenewstyle.com, encouraging women as a sister does a sister.    

She believes in the good, thrives on learning from others through simple recognition, challenges herself to “make right cool” and strives to live within the pace of grace. Her dedication to family is a strength and the love she has for Jesus cannot be denied. She’s proud of where she came from, values the life she has been given and recognizes the experiences that have shaped who she is. She is a sister and friend who is loyal and fierce.  She lives big, loves words, cries through competition, is passionate to extreme, wears her emotions on her sleeve and greets the challenge of embracing T.O.D.A.Y.

Heather Voss is a daughter first, wife and mother to 3, all of which fill her soul.  She lives in Menasha, WI with her feet on the ground, heart in her home, hands in the community, head in the clouds and soul preparing for heaven.

Kristen Zeimet is on a mission to share the Gospel with everyone she meets.

She grew up in a small town in Missouri, she went to church with her family and learned early her love of Jesus and serving others. From there she earned a degree in Public Relations and then worked on a Cruise Ship. Once returning to land, she earned her teaching degree in Special Education and a Master’s Degree in Education Admiration while she was teaching at an Alternative High School. During her time teaching, she met a pastor who discipled her. It was awesome and renewed her relationship with Christ.

During this time, she also met her future Husband- online. Once they were married, they moved twice before landing in Appleton, WI for his job. They have 3 beautiful children with whom, she is home with full time. Kristen stays busy serving others and with the kids. She has a huge heart for Jesus and longs for everyone to know Him as she does. Kristen loves to play board games and travel with her family. In their free time you can find her family on their bikes or in the water.

Emily has a passion for using her God-given abilities to inspire genuine, and vulnerable worship in the souls of those she’s put in front of. She is 20 years old and works as the Assistant Worship Leader for Pathways Church in Appleton, WI. She has a heart for youth and also works in student ministry at Pathways, and is currently a virtual student at Regent University pursuing a Bachelors in Ministry.

Eliza Leavins is an extroverted, talented, high-energy, 17 year old girl who loves to serve others. She is the second eldest child in a family of six. Eliza loves anything that relates to art. She enjoys spending her time dancing, painting, singing, playing her violin and guitar, as well as writing songs. Eliza has always been homeschooled and is a senior in high school. She is excited about what she will learn during this school year. She is currently a worship leader in her youth group at Calvary Bible Church. She attends Christ the Rock church and is a part of the worship team there as well. Eliza tries everyday with the help of the Lord to pursue him in everything she does. Eliza has a loving heart for serving others and wants to become  a nurse. She desires a strong relationship with the Lord and desires that for others as well.  

Ayiesha Woods-Hillery is a Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, musician and now wife and mother. Ayiesha is a multi-talented artist who has certainly made her mark in Christian music and ministry.

Ayiesha and her husband, Joseph Sr. currently live in Central Florida with their 4 boys: Joseph II, Benjamin & Asher, and Gad born July 2020. Their family motto is “Love God, Love People. Serve God, Serve People.”

Joseph – MD & Drummer, David Pearson – Bassist and Deborah Pearson (David’s Mother) – Vocals. They serve on our worship team at church.