2025 keynote Speaker
beth holloway
How does one muster the courage to persevere in the face of sheer adversity? Do we all have the capacity to overcome tragedy? How does one keep going? You will be uplifted by the remarkable story of Beth Holloway. How does she stay strong? Imagine being able to apply her philosophies of courage, dedication, faith and strength to your own life.
By her own account Beth lived a quiet, somewhat uneventful life as a speech pathologist (B.S., M.S.P.) for children with special needs for 24 years. Her life changed quite dramatically in the summer of 2005 when her daughter Natalee disappeared on the last night of her senior high graduation trip to Aruba. This tragic story became the leading news mystery when it happened, and continues to make headlines today. Beth has appeared on every television network in the nation as well as on international TV and radio and in international newspapers, capturing the world's attention as she searched for her daughter.
Barbara Walters selected Beth Holloway as one of the world's most fascinating people for her perseverance in seeking answers to what happened to Natalee.
Beth has delivered her message of hope, faith and personal safety to young adults and people of all ages all across the United States. To date, she has presented her message to tens of thousands of students and parents alike in high schools, colleges, churches, local and national conventions and other venues, and to law enforcement officials, Attorney Generals, Mayors' Conferences, professional associations, prayer breakfasts and many others.
As a New York Times Best Selling author ("Loving Natalee" - also a Lifetime Movie) and a veteran educator, Beth continues to work on educating the public on safer travel. To that end she offers her half-day Travel-Ed Workshop to all ages.
ABC 20/20 filmed a documentary with Beth, which aired in November 2019.
other Featured speakers
julie murray
Julie is the sister of Maura Murray, who has been missing for over 20 years. Maura's story has been covered extensively by various media outlets, TV channels, and podcasts but never by a family member until Julie hosted Season 1 of Media Pressure Podcast earlier this year.
Julie also created the #EngageWithEmpathy campaign that encourages the ethical shift in true crime content.
Haley Gray
Since 2016, Haley Gray, a certified victim advocate, has established herself as a respected researcher and writer in the true crime podcasting space, contributing to over 20 podcasts with a focus on ethical, victim-centered storytelling. Specializing in unresolved cases, Haley collaborates closely with families to raise awareness and support for ongoing investigations. Guided by a commitment to ethics, integrity, and compassionate advocacy, she is also the Founder and CEO of True Crime Podcast Training, an educational platform dedicated to promoting best practices within the true crime community. In addition, Haley serves on the board of The Bridegan Foundation and volunteers with the Light the Way Missing Persons Advocacy Project. Through her completion of the NOVA Victim Assistance Academy, Haley also brings her skills as a certified victim advocate to her work.
Laurah Norton
Laurah Norton, is a writer, researcher, and host of The Fall Line podcast. On The Fall Line, Laurah focuses on cold cases from the American Southeast. She also hosts One Strange Thing podcast that shares unexplainable stories found in American news archives.
Laurah has 15 years of research and writing experience as a former academic in literary fiction, creative nonfiction, and archival and primary research.
Laurah released Lay Them to Rest in 2023, a true-crime book that shares Laurah’s experience while assisting in identifying a Jane Doe homicide victim found in an Illinois state park in 1993.
Madison McGhee
Madison McGhee is the host and creator of the breakout independent true crime podcast, Ice Cold Case, where she is actively investigating the unsolved murder of her father, John Cornelius McGhee. After living without answers for over two decades, Madison took matters into her own hands and launched a podcast that took the true crime genre by storm. Not only does she delicately balance the emotional side of losing a father to murder with truth-seeking and fact-finding, but she also captivates the listener with her unique style of storytelling. As a television and film producer based in Los Angeles, California, Madison is not new to the art of creating. But with her peaked interest in the audio space, while Ice Cold Case is her first podcast, it may not be her last.
Alison duiker
Alison Duiker is the daughter of Lonene Rogers, who has been missing for over 44 years. She is the author of the captivating memoir: A Daughter’s Journey and Story of Resilience. The memoir deep dives into the events leading to her mother’s disappearance, growing up in the shadow of a mystery and overcoming it all in the name of RESILIENCE and love.
Lonene’s story has been featured on numerous network news syndicates, media outlets, journalistic reports, and podcasts. Alison aspires to break the decades of ice that inactivity, inaction, and incompetence have created over her mother’s four-decade-old cold case. Through her relentless pursuit of justice, and decades of unsuccessful investigative work by law enforcement; Alison has started a new passionate journey, the pursuit of legislative change called LONNIE’S LAW.
Lonnie’s Law would propose that after a case has been unresolved for a period of twenty years, law enforcement would be required to allow families of the missing an opportunity to read the case file in a secured setting. this proposed Law also offers families the right to understand what efforts have been taken to solve their loved one’s case. It creates a checks and balance system, or a full transparency step between Law Enforcement and families.
Jen Rivera
Jen Rivera is an investigative journalist, podcast producer, and the founder of Reignited Media and Shores of Strength (SOS), a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for victims and their families. With a background in marketing communications and journalism, Jen has spent over 15 years in digital media, with a deep focus on ethical storytelling.
As the co-founder of Fire Eyes Media, a woman-owned production company that produces impactful true crime podcasts, Jen is passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless. She has hosted and produced several podcasts, and through her work, she ensures that victims' voices are at the heart of every story. Jen’s mission is to raise awareness about true crime cases and empower families with the tools they need to advocate for justice.
Her work, both as a podcaster and advocate, centers on creating a platform for victims' families and promoting positive change within the true crime community.
Claressa patton
Grief is a universal experience as both individuals and service providers. It is important to learn strategies to cope with it personally and professionally. I will discuss my book, Healing In Pieces. The book is about trauma, emotional restoration, and putting life together one piece at a time.
Grief can be a result of death, divorce, incarceration, financial changes, as well as other things.
I will discuss the process of healing, how that can look different for everyone, and the importance of acknowledging personal grief.
I will discuss secondhand trauma and self-care through the lens of a Victim Advocate.
The main focus is to empower, inform and encourage. The participants can expect positive energy, positive conversation, and positive affirmations.
Crystal Gutierrez
Crystal Gutierrez is the host and one of the investigators of Beyond The Case, an online web series focusing on finding the missing. Crystal is an Emmy award-winning journalist. Her background includes nearly decades as a television news anchor/reporter covering stories that are now a part of history including the sweeping drug cartel violence in Mexico, presidential campaigns, DOJ investigations into police violence, and much more. But, Crystal has also interviewed a mom who went on a nationwide crusade to change laws after her daughter was murdered, sat down with a woman searching for her missing sister, shared an afternoon with the woman who escaped the Toy Box Killer ... and cried with families who faced heartbreak after a tragedy. Those interviews were part of the driving force behind Crystal leaving TV news, founding her own production company, ERREZ Entertainment, and starting Beyond The Case.
There are more than 22,000 people considered missing every year, in the U.S., thousands have gone cold. Detectives and reporters hear about the cases, but oftentimes the public doesn’t. Across the U.S., many families are left with the aching question, “Where is my loved one,” and no answers. Through “Beyond The Case,” I hope to change that. It's time to give these cases the media exposure they deserve.
Traci Onders
Traci Onders is a skilled IGG practitioner and a member of the AdvanceDNA team, contributing research on both unidentified human remains and criminal case types and a team leader at the DNA Doe Project. As Program Assistant at the Ramapo IGG Center, she enjoys sharing her passion for investigative genetic genealogy and resolving unsolved cases while helping students learn IGG methods, techniques and skills. With more than 9 years of experience applying Genetic Genealogy methods and resolving hundreds of cases, Traci also brings extensive experience and training in mediation, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion and many years of leadership in a wide variety of community volunteer organizations. As a confident presenter and educator, she enjoys sharing her experience and advocating for the unidentified.
Allen Grasser
The day after Memorial Day, May 30, 2023, Allen Grasser received a phone call that would profoundly change his life. His brother, Norman Grasser, had finally been identified after being missing for 43 years! Allen, a lifelong native of the Chicago area and retired professional at the "Chicago Transit Authority" for 35 years finally had some answers that he and his family had been searching for over four decades. Allen, an avid genealogist continues to uphold his brother's legacy by preserving and expanding the genealogical work that Norm actually began, by him formulating the foundation of the Grasser Family History before his disappearance in 1980. Allen currently operates and maintains the 123 year old century "Grasser Family Farm" in Porterfield, Wisconsin.
JAZ
Jaz, founder of Missing In America Network, an organization dedicated to assisting families in locating missing loved ones and raising awareness about missing persons cases across the United States. Jaz brings years of experience and compassion to the forefront of missing persons advocacy. With a mission driven by empathy and a commitment to finding answers, Jaz has supported countless families through the heart-wrenching challenges of locating missing loved ones. Her work with Missing In America Network has become a beacon of hope, fostering collaboration among law enforcement, volunteers, and communities across the country.