About Us

Lindsey Averill, Creator

Lindsey Averill is many things - a mom, a filmmaker, an academic, a writer, an activist, an aspiring novelist, a sake and sushi lover, a notorious trashy television watcher, an odd beauty secret keeper, an amazing dancer... really, the list is endless.  Lindsey received her M.F.A in Writing from Emerson College and Ph. D. in the Comparative Studies from Florida Atlantic University. The focus of Lindsey’s research is feminism, fat civil rights and the representation of fat bodies in popular culture. From 2005 to 2016 Lindsey worked as a college professor teaching women’s studies, literature and writing courses. In her spare time, Lindsey writes stuff for lots of cool media outlets, like CNN, xojane, Time.com, The Huffington Post, Alternet, Refinery29, and Bustle. Lindsey has also written academic stuff where she speaks to feminism – or a lack there of in young adult novels – like Twilight and the Hunger Games.  Basically, Lindsey is one of those public intellectual types, who has dedicated her life to ending the hateful relationships people have with their bodies and changing the national conversation about body image so that it focuses on effect the very real issues of bias and systemic prejudice. 

Staff and Crew

Melissa Mazza, Communications and Social Media  

Melissa is an eBusiness and marketing professional living in upstate New York, who graduated with honors from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY in 2006 with a BA in communications.  She is a passionate animal rights activist, dance and art enthusiast, forever student and spiritual follower.  In facing her own struggles, she holds a compassionate desire to help promote self-love, body positivity and appreciation of beauty in all shapes and sizes.

Jennifer S. Tafe, Art History Consultant

Besides being Lindsey's biggest fan, Jen is a Dean's Fellow at Boston University in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture. She spends her summers on archaeological digs and the rest of her time teaching undergraduate art history and trying to finish a dissertation on a Greek vase painter named Nikosthenes. Before moving to Boston Jen worked for several different museums within the Smithsonian Institution and The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. And before that she was constructing forts and playing Nintendo at Lindsey's house in Westchester, NY. 

Post-Production Sound Design, Raconteur Sound

Supervising Sound Editor, Marinna Guzy

Marinna Guzy is a sound artist and writer who takes occasional forays into photography and filmmaking. She is interested in the intersection of art and social justice, especially in relation to culture and the environment. When she's not hard at work as the Supervising Sound Editor at Raconteur Sound, she can be found crafting her next screenplay, poem, short story, or essay. She also spends far too much time researching additions to her slowly growing analog synth collection. Marinna holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Vassar College, and an MFA in Sound Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. 

Illustrator, Valerie Doty, The Tiny Hobo

Valerie, known as The Tiny Hobo by her fans, is an illustrator and indie jewelry designer. Described by ArtSpace of Hartford as "cute but politically charged", her work explores important themes such as feminism, equality, and resistance in a way that is accessible and enjoyable to viewers.
As an active member of the body positive community, her work is inspired by radical self love and showcases strong, bodacious babes who couldn't care less about society's beauty standards.Valerie is a also a published illustrator and her first book, Tennille and the Tale of Princess Penelope, came out in 2015.With her work she hopes to spread a message of love, inclusiveness, and affirmation to all of her viewers.

Interns

Madison A. Krall, Media Research Intern

Madison A. Krall is a twenty-something MA student / health communication researcher / lover of life based in Denver, Colorado.  She is passionate about women’s and gender studies, etymology, stylish athleisure wear, and ridding the world of negative body talk.  In addition to academic writing, she loves finding ways to incorporate wine and cheese into every meal, discovering the love languages of strangers, and playing cribbage with her super cool family.  A proud Christian feminist with a BA in psychology from Pepperdine University (and more years on a swimming pool deck than she cares to count), Madison now knows athletes come in all shapes and sizes, health is not a qualification of worth, and everyone deserves a size-friendly health care provider.  She adamantly believes we live in a world where people are inherently good and knows equality is possible when we each find opportunities to enact positive social change.  

Melissa McGowan, Media Research and Graphic Design Intern

Melissa McGowan is cleverly disguised as a responsible adult. A creative type with a perpetually optimistic outlook, she is pursuing a BFA in Photography while hoarding crafting supplies, laughing at awful puns, and consuming pop culture. She has long adhered to the idea that even though she lives in a larger body, she shouldn't be made to feel shame or guilt for it. In recent years, she’s even taken the brazen step to begin accepting and truly loving herself as she is, and this has made her an even happier and healthier person. She feels if everyone could learn to love their body as it is, the world would be a much more forgiving place. 

Sophie Silverman, Media Research Intern

Sophie is a Scorpio from New York. You'll probably see her in black, talking about Judaism, aliens and witchcraft. Currently, she is a screen studies major at The New School, with a concentration in fiction writing. She aspires to do what she loves. 

Jennifer Muscatel McLeod, Communications and Social Media Intern

Jennifer is a Real Housewife of Seattle who has more in common with Bethenny and Phaedra than she cares to admit. She graduated from Syracuse University many moons ago and has since worked in high end retail, education, mortgage lending and esthetics, but revels and excels most in raising her two children and being an on-hand and available mom. Being fat was never on her to do list, but learning to love  herself - all of herself - is. She has been working hard to check that off her bucket list, and looks forward to helping others do the same.

Mandy Holverson, Media Research Intern

Mandy is 28 and from Houston Texas. Super busy, Mandy works as a pet-sitter and occasional make-up artist. Mandy calls herself an audiobook-aholic (they keep her sane while driving to pet clients all day), and she enjoy most genres, but paranormal stuff is her favorite. Mandy is also also really into true crime, history, and anthropology. Being a well-rounded nerd means that she throws in a healthy dose of sci-fi (Doctor Who, Firefly) and animation (MLP, Sailor Moon) when she can. Mandy also LOVES Halloween! She's been nerdy her whole life, and doesn't plan on changing anytime soon. Most importantly, Mandy is passionate about women's and fat people's rights and has a blog on Tumblr called Big Nerdy Girl. Mandy's been married for 9 years, so sorry, She's off the market ;)

Viridiana Lieberman, Creator

Viridiana Lieberman is a filmmaker and writer who has also been known to podcast, obsessively watch sports, ride a bike and enjoy a nice whiskey. She received her BFA in Film from the Miami International University of Art and Design and her M.A. in Women's Studies from Florida Atlantic University. After a decade of editing television and film, Viridiana began directing her first documentary feature, Behind the Octagon, chronicling the musical Lesbian Love Octagon. This documentary was chosen to be workshopped at the 2013 CineSLAM Program at the Pride of the Ocean Film Festival. In 2014, her book Sports Heroines on Film: A Critical Study of Cinematic Women Athletes, Coaches and Owners was released by McFarland Publishing. She worked on Back on Board: Greg Louganis which aired on HBO in 2014 and Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper which aired on HBO in 2016. In 2017, two films she edited premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, I Am Evidence, an HBO feature documentary investigating the national rape kit backlog and Love the Sinner, a short documentary exploring the connection between Christianity and homophobia in the wake of the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. She just finished editing the feature, The Sentence, which is world premiering at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

Jen is an LA-based composer, and the founder and first violinist of Queertet, LA’s premiere LGBT string quartet.  A recent graduate of USC’s prestigious Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program, they previously attended Los Angeles County High School of the Arts, studied music and psychology at Bennington College, and completed UCLA Extension's film scoring program. In addition to film, they compose and perform for theater and dance productions, most recently in the Mel Brooks production, Hitler’s Tasters, at the Geffen Playhouse.

Sara Roma, Motion Graphics

Sara Roma is motion graphics artist who is passionate about all means of creation, film, animation, design, and whatever medium inspires her next. In 2017 she will graduate from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA and go on to new creative endeavors. Pop culture enthusiast and curator of visual curiosities, art, music and obscure media she makes it her goal to always be learning something new. She's an active member of DIY spaces and has collaborated on zines and events in her community. She has led, and now volunteers, with an art therapy group at the local hospital and believes the beginning of changes starts with understanding people outside of our immediate cultural bubble and how to best communicate with them. In personal art and study she is interested in the deconstruction of cultural beauty norms, destigmatizing mental illness, alternative spiritual practice, and promoting a culture of awareness and community. She also loves cats, breakfast, and yoga.

Re-Recording Mixer, Colin Lechner

Colin Lechner began his journey as a storyteller and entertainer at the age of 6, participating in community theatre and taking music lessons in both voice and piano. By the time he turned 12, he was playing the mandolin professionally with Carin Mari & Pony Express, performing widely in the United States for 11 years. Colin was responsible for meeting all of the band’s sound needs both on stage and in the studio. He served as the principal recording and mixing engineer for 4 of the bands albums. Colin attended and graduated from the Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, OH. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Theatre Arts, and in 2014, he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in sound design from the Savannah College of Art and Design, graduating with the highest honors, as Presidential Medalist. Colin’s master’s thesis appeared in the Summer 2015 Cinema Audio Society Quarterly. Independently, he has also published a number of sound effects libraries. In 2016, the Savannah College of Art and Design awarded Colin the Alumni Atelier Artistic Residency and commissioned him to design Ports and Portals a soundwalk in the historic city. Colin is Operator Certified for Pro Tools 11HD, and Icon Mix Expert Certified.

Nico, Cassanetti, Senior Editorial Intern

Nico Cassanetti graduated from The New School in New York City with a degree in creative writing, and is currently pursuing an MFA at Florida Atlantic University in the same.

She is currently a contributing writer and editor for the international publication LIFE|STYLE Magazine, as well as the forthcoming LIFE|STYLE WOMEN from the same publisher. She has also written for Muses & Visionaries, Abramsbooks.com, TheFasterTimes.com, Florida Atlantic University and reviewed great literary works on index cards for her staff picks at Bookcourt, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn.

ZsaKosha "Kairo" Redick  Communications and Social Media Intern  

Kairo is a lover of the underdog and a BIG supporter of all things fluffy! She is also addicted to learning new things. She currently holds a B.A. in Psychology, an M.B.A. and is pursuing her B.S. in Electrical Engineering. Extremely spoiled, she works hard to get what she wants. An aspiring writer, Kairo is currently working with a publisher on producing her first novel with a plus sized main character. Kairo is everything her name says @KockyFatBitch. Even though she is new to the Body Positive Movement she has jumped in head first.

Danitza Nunez, Production Intern

Danitza is an aspiring screenwriter and documentarian. She photographs musicians and makes music videos. Above all, She's a glitter enthusiast.

Amanda Barr Communications and Social Media Intern

Amanda Barr is an intersectional feminist. Her activism has included a full-time job on a reproductive rights campaign; participation in her local IWW, especially in facilitating its anti-sexual harassment efforts; serving on her city's district advisory board; and writing for a local LGBT mag. Besides volunteering, she loves making art, writing, practicing Buddhism, getting tattoos, reading books, drinking too much coffee, and cranking up industrial music. She believes in fierce body positivity, deconstructing the gender binary, and embracing diversity in all its forms. Amanda has a BA in psych and plans to enroll in graduate studies in the coming months. She is interested in the mind-body connection, particularly as it pertains to pain management, body image, and emotional regulation.