Meet Your Instructors

Our world-class team includes award-winning authors, professional editors, and literary agents. That means you are learning from true professionals who are publishing books, keeping their fingers on the pulse of market trends, and teaching from experience, not theory.

CEO & Co-Founder

BRETT HARRIS

Bestselling author of Do Hard Things and Start Here.

Director & Co-Founder

Kara swanson

Christy award-winning author of Dust and Shadow.

Nonfiction Director

Jaquelle Ferris

Bestselling author of This Changes Everything.

WRITING INSTRUCTORS

These are the professional editors and authors who give our students individual feedback on their writing on a weekly basis.

Fiction Department Director

KATIE PHILLIPS

Professional editor and author branding coach.

Head Fiction Instructor

LAUREN HILDEBRAND

Associate editor with Havok Publishing & fantasy author.

Head Fiction Editor

Jen Lindsay

Professional editor and writing coach.

Writing Instructor

KATIE WILLIAMS

Professional editor and
speaker.

Writing Instructor

JOANNE BISCHOF Dewitt

Christy and Carol award-winning author.

Writing Instructor

Haylie Hanson

YA author, education specialist, & disability advocate.

Editor

Mollie reeder

Filmmaker and author of The Electrical Menagerie.

Editor

Claire Banschbach

Professional editor and author of 10+ fantasy novels.

BUSINESS INSTRUCTORS

These are the successful entrepreneurs who coach our students to develop and launch their own profitable businesses.

Head Business Coach

BRIAN o'REAR

Founder of a multi-million dollar home inspector franchise

Business Coach

Becky Kopitzke

Nonfiction author and 6-figure digital marketing coach

Business Coach & Editor

Margaret mcgriff

Digital content strategist & fantasy adventure author.

Business Coach

Jason Kempson

Consultant and business development director

Business Coach

Chad Kopitzke

Public speaker and founder of a talent management firm

Business Coach

Audrey Wilkerson

Entrepreneur with almost 20 years of experience

EXPERTS-in-residence

In addition to our regular instructors, we also bring special guests in on a regular basis to speak to our students. Here are our current experts-in-residence.

Expert-in-Residence

Steve laube

Literary agent and head of Enclave Publishing.

Expert-in-Residence

TOSCA LEE

NYT-bestselling author of 11 novels.

Expert-in-Residence

EDWINA PERKINS

Managing Editor of Harambee Press.

Expert-in-Residence

MARY WEBER

Award-winning author of the Storm Siren trilogy.

Expert-in-Residence

Tricia goyer

Award-winning author of 80+ books.

Expert-in-Residence

LORIE LANGDON

#1 Amazon bestselling author of Doon and Olivia Twist.

Expert-in-Residence

CJ REDWINE

NYT-bestselling author of the Defiance trilogy.

Expert-in-Residence

NOVA MCBEE

Award-winning author of the Calculated series.

Student success team

We don’t let students fall by the wayside. These team members help our students have the best experience they can within the program.

Student Success Director

Cassie porath

Guides students to achieve sustainable progress.

Student Success Manager

Abi lyn voss

Connects students to community and resources.

Student Success Advisor

Kyla carter

Helps students keep on pace with their annual goals.

Student Success Advisor

Alyssa guthrie

Helps students keep on pace with their annual goals.

Student Success Advisor

Faith Blum

Helps students keep on pace with their annual goals.

Student Success Advisor

Kellyn Roth

Helps students keep on pace with their annual goals.

Student Success Advisor

Sequoyah Branham

Helps students keep on pace with their annual goals.

Student Success Advisor

Naomi Sowell

Helps students keep on pace with their annual goals.

ADMINISTRATION & ADMISSIONS

Program Administrator

Amy williams

Finance Director

Diana crowe

Administrative Assistant

Brianna tibbetts

Director of Admissions

Josiah degraaf

Admissions Advisor

Sarina white

Admissions Advisor

Sarah Pagel

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