Our Panelists

Event Planning

  • Erica Casner (she/her) is the founder of One 15 Events, a boutique wedding and event planning company that brings calm, creativity, and joy to every celebration. With over a decade of experience in weddings, mitzvahs, and large-scale events, she’s known for her inclusive approach and ability to make even the most complex days feel effortless. From vendor wrangling to timeline magic, Erica and her team keep the vibe fun and the day flowing smoothly. When she’s not planning events, she’s a boy mom, book lover, and big fan of late-night french fries.

  • Lauren Schaefer Goodner (she/her) is the Founder of The Get Together Events Co., offering peace of mind and damn good times to events in New York, Nashville, Chicago, and beyond since 2015. With 16 years of industry experience and at last count, over 2,000 events completed ranging from private dinners, concerts, conferences, academic lectures, funerals, graduation ceremonies, red carpet galas and over 500 weddings, Lauren is the Month-Of Coordinating force behind TGT. Lauren is a proud mom to one four legged baby, Joanie, and one two legged baby, Hank.

  • Sheavonne has always been the go-to person for weddings and events among her family and friends. In 2004, she decided to merge her passion with her expertise in impeccable event planning, leading to the creation of Events by Sheavonne.

    Her clients appreciate her impeccable style, keen attention to detail, and unwavering work ethic. Sheavonne is fortunate to have an exceptional team that any planner would admire. Together, they consistently surpass expectations to provide their couples with the ultimate wedding planning experience. Her journey as a wedding planner has allowed her the privilege of connecting with wonderful couples, and she genuinely enjoys uncovering their love stories and understanding their dreams for their wedding day.

    Sheavonne has built a network of top-tier vendors and has experience with some of the most unique venues. The primary objective of Events by Sheavonne is to ensure their couples enjoy an event filled with love, laughter, and steadfast support.

  • Carissa Campbell is the founder and creative lead behind Campbell Events, a NYC based wedding planning company known for its personalized approach, effortless aesthetic, and inclusive spirit. With over a decade of experience in hospitality and events, Carissa brings a sharp eye for design, unmatched organization, and a deep respect for individuality to every event.

Photography

  • Peter is a professional photographer based in New York City, known for his technical ability to get sharp and well lit shots especially at receptions and concert halls. He's shot both Grammy & Oscar award winners, professional athletes, Olympic Gold medalists, and more. You can find his work in newspapers, magazines, and around the city.

  • Amy Sims (she/her) is a wedding photographer based in Queens, New York. She has over 13 years of experience photographing weddings. Amy believes that great photography is made when our humanity is revealed. She strives to make everyone feel comfortable and at their best. Her style is warm and candid. Her documentarian approach is designed to artfully preserve the emotional memory of her clients' day while not impeding on their genuine experience.

  • Justin McCallum (he/they) is a photographer for vibrant people and joyful events in New York City and beyond. His goal is to affirm clients' love, make folks feel like total rockstars, bust a move on the dance floor — and take so many fabulous photos of y’all, obviously. Focusing on a truly personal approach to wedding photography, Justin believes the experience in front of the camera is as valuable as the photos he takes, making sure subjects feel seen, gorgeous and like themselves.

    Although Justin and his camera live in Manhattan in NYC, they bring our blend of documentary and editorial style to weddings and events everywhere across the five boroughs, from New England to California, and around the world. His work has been featured by The Knot, The New York Times, BRIDES, A Practical Wedding, Offbeat Wed, Munaluchi Bridal, Kleinfeld Bridal, Men’s Vows, GLAMOUR, TimeOut New York, the Wall Street Journal, Buzzfeed, and Reuters. Justin has won The Knot's Best of Weddings 10 years in a row (2016-2025) landing in their Hall of Fame and being selected to appear in The Knot's first ever commercial. Additionally, he has won the WeddingWire Couples Choice and Best of Zola awards, plus was named Thumbtack’s #1 Wedding Photographer in New York City.

  • Rima Brindamour (French for “a little bit of love”) is the founder and lead photographer at Brindamour Studios in Brooklyn, New York. With 16+ years of experience in the industry, Brindamour Studios is a full-service creative studio offering wedding photography, videography, content creation, photobooths, wedding-consulting services, and a getting ready suite in her Gowanus studio.

“Hope helped us through the process and gave us a ceremony we only could have dreamed of.”

— Salua & Dave

Venue

  • Jalisa Miller is a seasoned hospitality professional with over 12 years of experience in sales and events. Although a native New Yorker, she began her professional career in Philadelphia at The Ritz-Carlton, Hotel. After the start of the pandemic, she moved back to New York where she joined the Carroll Hall team as their Events Manager and will be celebrating 4 years in August 2025.

  • Jules Miller, has 10 years of experience in the events industry, 8 of which were spent as Production Manager at one of New York City's most popular wedding venues. Her understanding of this niche industry allows her to bring personalized service to her clients and the awareness and skill that comes with overseeing hundreds of events. The Revelry Cooperative is the perfect solution for new venues just starting out, or non-traditional spaces looking to add revenue, who want guidance in how to make the most of their location without the commitment of a full-time employee. 

    Jules was born and raised in the land of Prince, where she caught the hostessing bug while helping her mother prepare for her many dinner parties. This continued throughout college (oh so many themed bashes) and, after working in retail and music, finally  discovered her life's passion in events. She currently lives in Brooklyn and spends her free time snuggling with her Pomeranian, Waffles, going to the beach as much as possible, playing fierce games of celebrity and attempting to give her library card a better workout than her remote control. 

Catering

  • Jill Freiberg attended New York Restaurant School before working with some of the more notable names in New York City catering, including Abigail Kirsch and Glorious Foods. After becoming involved in the local food movement, Chef Jill moved to the Hudson Valley, where she continued learning from acclaimed chefs and developing her own unique style.

    Since moving back to NY 10 years ago, Chef Jill and the Jillicious Foods team have brought a passion for local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients to all their catering events — from black tie to rustic weddings, and from cocktail parties and wine dinners to casual BBQs — and always hand-pick all the ingredients.


  • Kendra's 15+ years in the hospitality industry began as a server and bartender during college before transitioning to a successful career in event management. After five years as a corporate event planner in the Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Chicago areas, she pivoted to event sales, serving as the Director of Catering & Special Events for a startup and later, Sales Manager at a Washington, DC-based winery. At Purslane, Kendra has consistently increased sales year-over-year, managing over $30M in event revenue while developing strong client relationships and providing expert guidance on achieving event goals within budget. Outside of work, Kendra enjoys Peloton classes, snowboarding trips, and spending time with family in the Outer Banks.

Therapy & Counseling

  • Hope Mirlis is a registered Wedding Officiant, an Ordained Non-Denominational Minister, and a Certified Yoga Instructor with a focus on pre-wedding mental health and mindfulness. A native New Yorker, Hope discovered a deeper sense of community and balance during her years living in Atlanta and the Bay Area—experiences that continue to influence her grounded, holistic approach.

    After returning to New York, she founded A More Perfect Union in 2012, where she has guided hundreds of couples as both a counselor and officiant. Through her work, Hope helps couples not only create meaningful wedding ceremonies but also build strong, lasting relationships rooted in intention, communication, and connection. She founded Ever After Academy in 2025.

  • Leandra is a certified Somatica® sex and relationship coach and a certified sexologist by the American Board of Sexology.  In her private practice Intimacy with Leandra, she works with individuals, couples, and polycules on anything under the umbrella of sex, relationships, intimacy, and dating.  Her experiential, body-based approach goes far beyond traditional talk-based methods to facilitate the deepest levels of healing.  

    After a lifetime of sexual shame being instilled in her from an early age, Leandra spent years doing the deep inner work to be able to enjoy a fulfilling sex life.  She is now deeply passionate about helping others liberate themselves from what society has engrained in them for decades, so that they can experience deeper connections, erotic empowerment, and a whole new level of intimacy.  

    Leandra sees clients in-person in New York City and online worldwide.  Connect with Leandra today, and start living your most unapologetically juicy life! 

    www.intimacywithleandra.com/www.
    instagram.com/intimacywithleandra

  • Dr Stephen Snyder is a sex and relationship therapist in Manhattan and a frequent guest on major media including NBCToday, The Times of London, Bride’s Magazine, New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Elle, Vogue, and Goop. In 2018 Dr Snyder was awarded the Nautilus Gold Book Award for Relationships and Communication for his first book, Love Worth Making - How to Have Ridiculously Great Sex in a Long-Lasting Relationship. Women’s health guru Christiane Northrup called it, “Hands down, the most practical, fun, and empowering book I’ve ever read on how to have a fabulous sex life in a committed relationship.” Dr Jennifer Ashton from ABC’s Good Morning America wrote, “Love Worth Making does for sex therapy what Hamilton did for the Broadway musical. This playful yet profound book reminds us that sex should be easy – and can be, once we learn to get out of our own way.”

  • Erin does relational work to help individuals, couples and other relational structures to figure out how to process, regulate, and articulate their feelings. She helps individuals improve communication and work through sexual challenges. Erin believes in an eclectic approach to therapy. She incorporates a variety of modalities from Narrative Therapy, CBT, EFT and Solution Focused, to name a few. Regardless of the modality Erin operates from a social justice, anti-racist, intersectional lens.

Matrimonial Law

  • Danielle has been working in matrimonial and family law since she attended law school. There, Danielle volunteered with the Sanctuary for Families, helping low-income, domestic abuse victims navigate the divorce process. Her work with the pro bono organization forged her interest in domestic relations law and a passion for providing efficient and empathetic legal services to clients faced with emotionally heavy legal matters.

    Prior to graduating law school, Danielle held internships with two private Manhattan-based matrimonial law firms, where she honed her knowledge of the practice. Upon her admission to the New York State Bar, First Department, Danielle worked as an associate matrimonial and family law attorney in private practice for ten years before hanging her shingle in February of 2020.

  • Janice Roven has been practicing law for over 35 years.

    Matrimonial and divorce clients take comfort knowing that she was involved in her own custody battle, which provided her with insight into the client’s perspective in a separation and custody struggle. Her post-custody reflection on the turmoil, the hostilities, the negotiations and the resolutions that arise in the divorce process make her uniquely qualified to meet her clients’ needs, both in and out of the courtroom.

    Janice has written wills and prepared trusts for clients who seek to determine precisely how their assets will be distributed and their legacy continued when they no longer can speak for themselves.

    Janice has appeared on NBC News and has published many articles in legal trade journals and various other publications.

    Janice is one of the few women lawyers in New York State with a Master’s Degree in Litigation, which she obtained at Emory University School of Law. She previously earned her law degree from Emory and completed the National Institute of Trial Advocacy Program. Janice is admitted to practice law in New York, New Jersey and Georgia, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States. She graduated with Honors in Political Science from Barnard College, Columbia University.

  • Grace M. Borrino is a Partner at Abrams Fensterman, LLP.

    Ms. Borrino practices in the area of matrimonial and family law. During law school, Ms. Borrino was a law clerk at the boutique law practice, Caruso, Caruso & Branda, P.C. She joined Caruso, Caruso & Branda, P.C. as an associate upon her graduation from Brooklyn Law School. Ms. Borrino initially practiced in the areas of Matrimonial and Family Law, Real Estate and Civil Litigation. Since then,

    Ms. Borrino has practiced exclusively in the area of Matrimonial and Family Law since 2010.

    Ms. Borrino has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers in the Area of Family Law from 2013 through 2020 and has been named a Super Lawyer in the Area of Family Law each year since 2023. She also is the 2019 Recipient of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Champions of Justice Honoring Women in Law and Administration of Justice and the 2018 Recipient of the Brooklyn Power Women in Business.

    Ms. Borrino is currently on the executive board of the Brooklyn Bar Association, where she serves as the recording secretary and is also a member of their Family Law Committee. She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association and is part of their Family Law Section.

    Ms. Borrino is a past-president of the Bay Ridge Lawyer’s Association and has been an active member since 2005. She is frequently a guest lecturer at the association on the area of Pre-Nuptial Agreements. Ms. Borrino currently serves as 1st Vice President of the Columbian Lawyer’s Association of Brooklyn.

    Ms. Borrino received her Juris Doctor Degree from Brooklyn Law School where she was awarded the Richardson Merit Scholarship and was chosen to participate in a selective and innovative law school clinic representing low-income cooperatives. Ms. Borrino graduated cum laude from Saint John’s University where she received the Academic Excellence Award in her major. She was also inducted as a member in the scholastic honor society, Phi Eta Sigma.

    Ms. Borrino is admitted to practice in the State of New York.

“Because of Hope’s care, attention, and presence, what could have been a mundane ritual was transformed into a hand-tailored ceremony and a true celebration.”

— Chris A.

Financial Planning

  • I've always been passionate about personal finance. As soon as I started earning an income, I wanted to be intentional and efficient with how I was saving. As I quickly learned, there is a ton of information out there, and everyone has their own opinions on how to best save and invest, which further complicates the situation.

    My unique background has a huge influence on the work that I do. As a survivor of Leukemia after a two-and-a-half year bout in my childhood, I value putting proper protections in place for your plan to make sure you don't deplete your savings more quickly than expected, even in a worst-case scenario like my unexpected cancer diagnosis. I focus my practice on defensive planning, offensive planning, and wealth distribution planning. All of these areas must work together to address any successful long term plan. 

    Outside of my professional endeavors, I am married to my wonderful wife Sasha. We currently live in New York City and love to ski, try new restaurants, and travel to Maine (my home state) as frequently as possible.

  • Katie graduated from the Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia in 2007 and began her practice at a financial planning firm. She aspired to provide a different type of planning for her clients, one that was more comprehensive and rooted in thorough cashflow planning. As such, she set out on her own in 2011 and founded Stable Waters Financial.

    Her process evolved until it became the streamlined system that SWF operates today, which begins with an intensive cashflow and behavioral finance analysis in order to create or reshape good financial habits. You can read more about the planning process under the “Process” tab.

    The next chapter of SWF will be building out the Advisory and Operations team, so we can distribute our effective planning process to a greater population. We are interested in, and committed to, the development and growth of female financial planners.

    Katie resides in Athens, Georgia with her husband Brandon. They enjoy traveling and are always planning their next adventure. Her previous community involvement has included the Women of UGA planning committee, volunteering in patient feeding at the Shepherd Center, Junior Committee at Shepherd Center, serving as an officer on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer, the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary in Athens, the Board of Directors of the Junior League of Athens, the Board of Trustees for the Junior League of Athens Endowment, and coordinated the Big Hearts Banquet for Extra Special People, Inc. for five years.

    Her clients reside in Georgia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Texas and Virginia, but she is open to adding new states if it is a good fit.

Home Organization

  • Florence has worked for more than twenty years in France, the United-States and the Middle East. Through her connections and exceptional organizational skills, she has succeeded in building a diverse network of talented and gifted individuals.

  • The Personal Helpers is here to improve your life and make everything easier for you. We can organize your home, space, routine, and anything else you might need help with. 

    Getting organized is a Lifestyle, and we connect to get organized by putting focus on what is important to you.