Jill Castle is a pediatric dietitian and one of the nation’s premier childhood nutrition experts. Known for her ability to blend current research, practical application, and common sense, Jill’s work empowers families to nourish and nurture their children for a lifetime of health and happiness. With her paradigm-shifting, whole-child approach, she inspires parents, healthcare professionals, and organizations that serve children to think differently about young people’s health and wellbeing. A sought-after speaker, advisor, and media contributor, Jill has educated a range of audiences with her up-to-date, practical insights on childhood nutrition. She serves as an expert reviewer for Parents.com, has been featured as a guest expert in CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Forbes, Newsweek, Time, and many other outlets. Jill is the founder and CEO of The Nourished Child®, a nutrition education website and podcast for parents, and the author of six books including Kids Thrive at Every Size, Eat Like a Champion, Try New Food, and coauthor of Fearless Feeding. Jill is the mother of four adult children and lives in Massachusetts with her husband.

Amy Qazi is a licensed and registered dietitian in Nashville, Tennessee, and currently serves as the Senior Manager of Innovation & Programs at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, the largest hunger relief non-profit in the state. With nearly nine years of experience in the food security and public interest sectors, Amy has been dedicated to improving access to nutritious foods in her home state of Alabama, and now in Tennessee.

Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Auburn University and completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In her role at Second Harvest, Amy oversees feeding programs catered to all walks of life, strategic partnerships, and food is medicine initiatives, all aimed at promoting better health outcomes for under-resourced communities.

In addition to her work at Second Harvest, Amy is a committed preceptor for dietetic interns and medical students, offering mentorship to future health and allied health professionals. She also serves on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Dietetic Internship Advisory Board and holds positions on several key food security and health equity groups across Tennessee.

In her spare time, Amy is a ceramic artist and an avid food lover. You can always find her exploring the food and farmers’ market scene or at a local coffee shop in Nashville.

Lauren Cromer is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the WIC Director for Davidson County in Nashville, TN.  Lauren graduated with her BS in Food and Nutrition from Carson-Newman College in East Tennessee and received her MS in Nutrition Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Returning to Tennessee, Lauren completed her Dietetic Internship from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2005 and has been working as a Registered Dietitian ever since.  While she has worked in a variety of areas within the nutrition field including food service and teaching, her passion and main career focus has been working with families on developing healthy behaviors at home and early in life.  Lauren has two children, ages 7 and 11, and has enjoyed practicing what she preaches at work in her home with her own family. 

Keita Cole is the Nutrition Services Director & Dementia Coordinator at the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (DDA). In her current position she oversees the Nutrition program for the entire state of Tennessee including both home-delivered and congregate meals. Tennessee has over 200 nutrition sites across 95 counties. Keita also educates and trains others on brain health and dementia to help make Tennessee a more dementia friendly state. With more than 10 years of experience in the aging network, she brings extensive knowledge of home and community-based services and aging advocacy to her position. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Keita has a passion for serving others through a person-centered approach that allow independence, choice, and dignity. Keita completed her Certified Volunteer Administrator (CVA) credential in April 2021 and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Health and a Healthcare Management Certificate from East Tennessee State University.

Karman Meyer is a dietitian with 15 years of experience in the field, having worked in clinical settings, behavioral health, and culinary nutrition. She is the author of “Eat To Sleep: What To Eat & When To Eat It for a Good Night’s Sleep” and “The Everything DASH Diet Meal Prep Cookbook”. Karman is the host of a 1-hour PBS special program based on her book, Eat To Sleep, which began airing in 2023. She is the founder of TheNutritionAdventure.com, a recipe website, and co-founder of NourishWell Network, a consulting company providing wellness programs & culinary events to businesses & residential communities.