ABOUT CREATIVE VISIONS

Kathy Eldon has worked as an award-winning film and television producer, best selling author and journalist in England, Kenya, and the United States. In 1998, Kathy and her daughter, Amy, launched Creative Visions Foundation, inspired by the life of her son, Dan Eldon – Reuters photojournalist, artist, and creative activist. Creative Visions, a United Nations non-governmental organization, has helped incubate more than 500 projects and productions on five continents. In 2004, CV launched Rock your World (now called Creative Changemakers) a free online curriculum for middle and high school students, based on the Declaration of the Human Rights and the United Nations Sustainable Goals. The program, now partnered with Discovery Education, the largest educational platform in the world, is available online to 44 million youth globally.

In 1990, Kathy founded Creative Visions Productions to produce entertaining and impactful films that would inspire people to take action around critical issues. Documentaries and films that Kathy has produced have been distributed through global outlets including, Columbia Pictures, Netflix, CNN, PBS, TBS and OWN. Her many EP credits include Emmy-nominated “Dying to tell the Story,” Extraordinary Moms, an Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) special, that features actor, Julia Roberts, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and CNN Chief Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour and The Journey is the Destination, a feature about her son Dan’s life. Now available on Amazon, the award-winning film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

A graduate of Wellesley College, Kathy is the author of 17 books, including cookbooks, self-help books, social history books for students, and the best-selling collection of her son’s journal pages, The Journey is the Destination . Kathy is the author of the popular Catcher series of guided journals, published by Chronicle Books. Harper One published Kathy’s acclaimed memoir, In the Heart of Life . Her most recent book, Hope Rising, a collection of engaging spoken word poetry, inspired a 90-minute special presented by luminaries including Julian Lennon, Marianne Williamson, Kweku Mandela, Diva Zappa, Rain Phoenix and Joe Sumner.

Kathy, a popular speaker, has been featured on countless television and radio programs globally, including several appearances on Oprah. Her many awards include being nominated as a Point of Light by Kweku Mandela on the anniversary of his grandfather’s birthday. Kathy, who served as a Malibu Arts Commissioner and with the Malibu Chamber of Commerce, lives with her husband, designer Michael Bedner, a few steps away from the Dan Eldon Center for Creative Activism, a vibrant hub for creative individuals who want to help change their part of the world for the better.

See more at: www.kathyeldon.com

Amy was born in England and grew up in Nairobi where she attended the International School of Kenya. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in Communications, she moved to Los Angeles where she began her career in media with the Emmy-nominated documentary, Dying to Tell the Story, which she brought to TBS.

She was the associate producer and presenter of the film that wove the story of her brother, photographer Dan Eldon, who was killed while working as a photojournalist with Reuters News Agency in Somalia in 1993, together with those of other journalists working in conflict zones around the world. The 90-minute film was nominated for an Emmy and was short-listed for an Academy Award.

Amy also co-produced an acclaimed CNN documentary, Soldiers of Peace, a Children’s Crusade, for CNN. In 2003, she was the host and co-creator of Global Tribe, a PBS series about “change-makers,” —ordinary people finding solutions to the challenges they face. In 2011, together with Julia Roberts, Amy exec-produced Extraordinary Women, a 90-minute special for OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network) which featured Julia Roberts, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rosie O’Donnell, Christiane Amanpour and three other exceptional women. Aired on Mother’s Day, the film illustrated the power of mothers to change the world around them.

Amy, the recipient of the Young Alumnae Award from Boston University and the Young Audiences of New York Award, has written four books, all published by Chronicle Books: Soul Catcher: A Journal to Help You Become Who You Really Are; Angel Catcher: A Journal of Loss and Remembrance, Love Catcher: A Journal to Invite Love into Your Life, and Angel Catcher for Kids.

Amy is co-founder and co-chair of Creative Visions Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to supporting creative activists who use media and the arts to create awareness of critical issues and catalyze positive change. Located in the Dan Eldon Center for Creative Activism in Malibu, the foundation has overseen more than 100 projects and productions on five continents that have touched more than 100 million people.

Amy is married to director Jon Turteltaub and is the mother of two sons, Jack and Daniel and daughter, Arabella.

Pat Chandler is the CEO of Creative Visions and brings more than 25 years of business, marketing and media management experience and expertise to the organization.

She comes to Creative Visions from Points of Light where she served on the executive team for eight years holding positions as SVP of Marketing and Corporate Partnerships, Chief External Affairs Officer and Senior Advisor to the CEO. Points of Light is the largest volunteer management organization in the world and has a mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world.

Prior to her tenure with Points of Light, she was Chief Operating Officer of SWI Consulting, Inc., a company that specialized in managing and activating the philanthropy and social influence of athletes and entertainers. Chandler was President of The Home Depot Foundation and head of Community Affairs for The Home Depot for five years. In these roles, she managed and designed the company’s corporate social responsibility, civic engagement and philanthropy programs.

She served as President and CEO of Chandler Communications, a full service marketing and public relations firm headquartered in Seattle, for nearly 10 years and was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington, Bastyr University and Seattle Community College’s Center for Business Development where she taught marketing and public relations courses. Early in her career she also worked in the media as a television producer and print journalist and was managing editor of the True Citizen, a weekly newspaper in Tacoma, Washington. She is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington and holds degrees in Political Science and Urban Planning.

Grace originated the accounting position in Creative Visions Foundation and created operating systems that have supported it to become an organization making meaningful impact on social good.

Grace is a CPA with an accounting practice in California. Her credits include Sr. Manager in the business management group at Ernst & Young. She has been a board member for the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, co-created and chaired their Business, Entertainment and Technology committee, and was active in their Finance committee.

Grace spoke to numerous organizations while a member of the National Speakers Assn. Grace graduated from California State University-Northridge and earned a masters degree in taxation. Appreciation to all who are tapped in, tuned in, and turned on to being creative activists.

Kathy brings over 20 years of multi-faceted executive leadership experience and success in the non-profit sector. After working with IBM and Wang Labs in sales and marketing, Kathy started her non-profit work as Executive Director of Kids Care Clubs, a youth development program with over 2000 clubs.

Points of Light Foundation acquired Kids Care Clubs, and Kathy spent 16 years with their youth and family programs division, generationOn. As the Senior Vice President of Programs, she created, implemented and managed youth development and leadership programs and campaigns. Later, as the Senior Vice President of External Affairs & Communications, Kathy was responsible for originating, building and retaining relationships with partners and major funders, managing the marketing and communications team and leading the organization through periods of substantial growth and transition.

Since leaving Points of Light in 2016, Kathy has worked as a corporate social responsibility and philanthropy consultant with clients that include the Hasbro Children’s Fund, Voices of September 11, the United Way Worldwide, InnerView and Creative Visions.

A Los Angeles native, Alicia Dougherty attended the Archer School for Girls and Loyola Marymount University. She graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in Art History. She was a two-time winner of the Kalin Hart Talbott Art Scholarship, which is awarded for leadership as a K-8 teacher with LMU’s ARTsmart program, a volunteer-based program that provides art education in public schools.

During college, Dougherty was president of the Art History Club and worked as a make-up artist on multiple student films, photo shoots, and events. In addition to her bachelor’s degree, she received certification as a make-up artist from Make-up Designory in Burbank. After an internship at Creative Visions in 2012, she was recruited to be the Founder’s Advisor. Over the next five years, she went on to become the Director of Operations, Communications and Dan Eldon Legacy.

Miriam was born in Germany and moved to the United States during her teenage years. She received her BA in English from Northern Arizona University.

While completing her MFA in creative writing, Miriam stumbled upon teaching. What began as a means to pay the bills became a lifelong passion. In the last twenty years she has taught a variety of English classes, including AP literature and creative writing, in middle school and high school classrooms. While teaching, she realized the importance of incorporating both visual and preforming arts into the academic classroom as well as teaching students how to find their voices and their places in their communities and in the world at large.

Miriam has been an adjunct composition and literature instructor at numerous colleges and universities, including Northern Virginia Community Colleges and City University of New York.

She has also, in the last decade, created curriculum for several organizations, such as Pearson and Arizona State University Digital Prep, exploring and developing innovative and effective methods of digital teaching that meet the needs of a wide and diverse body of teachers and students.

As the Director of Impact Education, Miriam is thrilled to combine her experience in curriculum development with her love of teaching and art to help young creative activists achieve their goals.

Debra joins Creative Visions as the Fiscal Sponsorship Senior Program Manager. A dedicated community leader and award-winning documentary filmmaker, Debra celebrates the untold stories behind music, people, and places that shape our world. Her work explores the rich tapestry of human experience, from underground cultures to iconic figures. Whether through compelling narratives or impactful advocacy, Debra brings a unique perspective and deep commitment to every project.

With a comprehensive skill set encompassing story development, archival research, writing, producing, shooting, and editing, Debra is a master storyteller. Her ability to craft character-driven documentaries is infused with creativity and depth. Her influences include filmmakers like Ray Balberan and Albert Maysles and the soulful music of Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.

Her acclaimed documentary, “Beats, Rhymes, and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest,” produced alongside Michael Rapaport, garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, including a Producers Guild Award and a Grammy nomination. Beyond filmmaking, Debra is a dedicated arts educator with a proven track record of empowering youth through media. As the founder of the San Francisco-based non-profit “Conscious Youth Media Crew,” she pioneered youth leadership programs focused on digital filmmaking.

Debra is drawn to cinema verité style, raw and authentic stories that reflect the diversity of real-life experiences. Her films have explored lowrider culture, environmental injustice, and the lives of artists and youth in hip-hop communities worldwide. With a vast network and a deep commitment to social impact, Debra is a driving force in creating positive change through film, music, art, and culture. She is currently directing a feature documentary about the transformative journey of the Zulu Nation.

Sarah Fanslau is a seasoned impact evaluation and organizational development leader with over 15 years of experience driving strategic initiatives for nonprofit and social impact organizations.
Throughout her career, she has demonstrated exceptional ability to scale programs and develop strategic partnerships.

Her expertise spans applied research methodology, program evaluation, and organizational capacity building, with a proven track record of managing remote teams and achieving measurable impact. Sarah has authored multiple publications on community cohesion, youth leadership, and social policy.

Sarah holds an M.Sc. in Evaluation & Applied Research from Claremont Graduate University and an M.Sc. in Social Policy & Development Studies from the London School of Economics. Fluent in multiple languages and experienced in international development contexts, she brings a global perspective to creating sustainable social change through evidence-based program design and implementation.

Sterling joins the Creative Visions team as a seasoned content strategist with a proven track record of growing audiences across audio, digital, and television platforms.

She received her BA from the University of Southern California and began working in content strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery. She spent 6 years leading the Science Channel and Animal Planet programming teams, where she implemented creative strategies to drive significant audience growth. After leaving Warner Bros. Discovery, Sterling began working in digital content strategy and marketing as a podcast and social media producer.

As the Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications, Sterling is thrilled to combine her experience in content strategy and marketing with her passion for creating positive change through storytelling.

Alejandra brings a distinct perspective to her work, shaped by her experiences as a first-generation student of Mexican heritage. She is deeply committed to promoting equity, inclusivity, and community impact in all aspects of her professional journey.

Currently, Alejandra serves as Program Manager, Grants, and administration at Creative Visions, where she manages key relationships with grantees, oversees youth programming, and coordinates fundraising and donor relations. She works closely with cross-functional teams to streamline processes, set goals, and resolve challenges, ensuring the success of Creative Visions’ programs and initiatives. Alejandra is dedicated to empowering youth and creating programs that are impactful and accessible to diverse populations.

With a Master’s in Education Leadership and a passion for youth development, Alejandra has developed expertise in program evaluation, project management, and interdepartmental collaboration. She brings a culturally aware approach to her work, ensuring that all programs are inclusive and aligned with the needs of the communities they serve.

Alejandra is passionate about continuous learning and finding innovative ways to improve systems and communities. She thrives in collaborative environments and is deeply committed to making a meaningful impact through her work at Creative Visions