IBPA Publishing University 2025

Wiley Barnes, Chickasaw, has spent twenty-four years forging a career in publishing, writing, printing, photography, and graphic design, with the last seventeen years at the Chickasaw Nation. During that time, he has had the pleasure of working on a number of projects that promote Chickasaw culture and celebrate Chickasaw people. C is for Chickasaw, his first children’s book, received a Gold Benjamin Franklin Award for Best New Voice: Children’s/Young Adult, a Bronze Moonbeam for Multicultural Nonfiction Picture Book, and was an Oklahoma Book Award Finalist. In 2017, C is for Chickasaw was... Read more

Keri-Rae Barnum is an international speaker and marketing expert who has empowered hundreds of authors to launch their writing careers with confidence and success. She specializes in platform building, dynamic book launches, and innovative marketing strategies that have propelled numerous titles to bestseller status. Keri is the owner and CEO of New Shelves Books, and one of Book Camp's 40 under 40 in publishing, a recognition of her impactful contributions to the industry. Discover more about Keri and connect with her at www.NewShelves.com.

Alexa Bigwarfe is the founder and CEO of Write|Publish|Sell, a company dedicated to helping authors professionally self-publish and market their books. She is also the founder and host of the Women in Publishing Summit and owns two hybrid publishing houses. A recent near-brush with death forced Alexa to think hard about what would happen to her business and publishing houses had she not survived. She's now ensured her business, clients, and family are protected in the case of death or severe illness.

Brandon is a personal branding specialist and a former Coca-Cola and Apple advertising executive with over 22 years of experience at Madison Avenue advertising agencies advising top FORTUNE 100 companies on brand strategy. In 2018, he launched the Brands On Brands podcast, which is consistently ranked as a Top 5 Branding Podcast on Apple Podcasts. This session comes from Brandon's new book, Front & Center Leadership, published July 31st 2024!

Lindsy Bivens is a powerhouse consultant, publisher, and dynamic speaker who has empowered countless authors, entrepreneurs, and leaders to transform their stories into movements. As the visionary behind The Author’s Pen, LLC, Lindsy has personally guided over 100 authors and impacted thousands more through her live events, seminars, and educational resources. With global reach, her expertise in crafting compelling messages has made her a sought-after strategist in the writing and publishing world.
As the producer and host of the My Message Matters Conference Tour, Lindsy inspires individuals... Read more

Dr. Kurt Brackob is editorial director for Histria Books, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kurt has worked for over 20 years in the publishing industry. He is a historian and author of several books including Scanderbeg: A History of George Castriota and the Albanian Resistance to Islamic Expansion in Fifteenth Century Europe and Mircea the Old: Father of Wallachia, Grandfather of Dracula.

Tieshena Davis is the CEO of Publish Your Gift®, a hybrid publishing firm specializing in author branding for leaders at the top of their field. She is a seasoned award-winning entrepreneur, author and board director with over 24 years’ experience in strategic management, growth leadership, and corporate training. Tieshena currently serves as an executive advisor at her consultancy Ekpansa, holds a certificate from MIT in Business Process Design and is a graduate of Yale University’s Book Publishing Executive Program... Read more

Maria Dismondy uses her experiences as a former educator and author for over a decade to work with writers on getting their messages into the world as the publisher at Cardinal Rule Press. Maria is the founder of Making Spirits Bright, a nonprofit dedicated to providing access to diverse, relevant and age appropriate books for children in Detroit and surrounding areas.

Angela Engel is the visionary founder of The Collective Book Studio, a publishing company committed to honoring the author’s voice throughout the entire creative process. With a rich background in traditional publishing, Angela has a keen eye for bringing beautifully crafted books to life. Her passion for literature and innovative thinking infuses every project she undertakes, ensuring that each book reflects the unique vision of its creator. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Angela now resides in Oakland, California, where she has cultivated her career working with esteemed names in the industry such a... Read more

ABOUT ME

Hi everyone! I am Mary Catherine, Owner and Executive Producer at The Audiobook Experience at Voice Over Vermont, LLC - a boutique audiobook production company. I delight in working with authors to bring their stories into the world, either using their voices or finding the perfect narrator for their audiobook. Writers and publishers from across the United States put their trust in me to give voice to their stories. If you are audiobook-curious, book an "Ask the Expert" consult using the link above. 

From your first conversation you’ll be met with professionalism, curiosity and warm... Read more

Florenza Lee is a multi-award-winning author and publisher known for her captivating children’s books that emphasize social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and manners. Dubbed the Book Doula, she has guided many writers to publication and founded Words to Ponder Publishing Company, LLC, Clear Choice Coaching Solutions, LLC, and A Place to Ponder, Inc., all promoting diversity and inclusion in literature. Her commitment to community service and literacy is clear through her involvement in national literary and civic organizations and her podcast “On the Air with Florenza.” Florenza holds a bachelor... Read more

Arthur A. Levine is the President and Editor-in-Chief of Levine Querido, a new independent publisher dedicated to finding and publishing brilliantly illustrated and written books from a diverse spectrum of creators across the United States and around the world including Printz and Newbery honor author Daniel Nayeri, Newbery Medalist Donna Barba Higuera, Darcie Little Badger, and Anton Treur. Throughout his career he has been identified with the editing and publishing of such world-renowned authors as J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, Emma Donoghue, Shaun Tan, and others. He is proud of a career-long commitment to i... Read more

Melding a passion for design, printmaking, and photography with a background in science and engineering, Paul Nylander loves creating unique, well-crafted, and intriguing books. Collaborating with authors, artists, businesses, and small publishers, he attentively adapts their visions, balancing the broad market needs of cover design with the focused details of typesetting to craft books that deeply resonate with their readers. As an advocate for indie publishing, Paul has lent his expertise as a board member of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association and the Minnesota Book Publisher Roundtable... Read more

Leigh Pierce is a Key Accounts Sales Manager at IngramSpark, part of Ingram Content Group, and has been with the company for seven years. She started her career in Customer Support, where she quickly moved through the ranks before transitioning to the Sales team. As a Key Account Sales Rep, Leigh promotes the growth, sales, and brand of the IngramSpark platform to independent authors and publishers, along with providing education to the industry on how best to utilize Ingram’s Publish-On-Demand (POD) services for bringing a new book to market or for breathing life into an out-of-print title. Leigh received

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Mary Rasenberger is the Chief Executive Officer of the Authors Guild. Prior to joining the Guild in November 2014, Mary practiced law for over 25 years in the areas of intellectual property, media and technology, with special expertise in copyright law. Most recently, Mary was a partner at Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard where she counseled publishing, media, entertainment, internet, and other technology companies, as well as authors and artists in all areas of copyright and related rights, including licensing, litigation, infringement analysis, policy, enforcement and digital rights. From 2002 to 2008 Mary w... Read more

Joylynn M. Ross is a 30+ year literary industry professional and the CEO of Path To Publishing, Co-founder of Path To Connections, and President of PTP Press. Joylynn has served on every corner of the publishing world and literary industry map. From self-published and traditionally published author, to literary agent securing book deals for her clients with major and indie publishers, to working with and for major and indie publishers as an acquisitions editor, ghostwriter, and freelance editor, to starting her own literary service provider firm and traditional publishing imprint; Joylynn has partnered with... Read more

Dr. Ayo Sekai stands as a force in academia, championing equity, intellectual rigor, and the amplification of Black scholarship. With over 20 years of groundbreaking leadership in publishing, she is the visionary Founder, CEO, and Publisher of Universal Write Publications, LLC (UWP), a beacon for transformative, peer-reviewed works by Black scholars, harnessing the collaborative power of allyship, and community. Earning her PhD. in Political Science with International Relations and Black Politics specializations from Howard University, she honed her scholarship on Linguistic Imperialism. Her groundbreaking research i... Read more

Icy Smith is the founder of East West Discovery Press, a publisher and distributor of multicultural and bilingual books in many different languages, with the mission of promoting understanding among people of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Smith has written award-winning historical fiction and nonfiction titles on little-known histories and social injustices. She has received numerous prestigious accolades including the National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color Author Award for her “substantial and lasting contributions to the understanding of diversity and a multicultural socie... Read more

Juliet Wills: I started in publishing while still in High School as the receptionist of a literary agency. Early in life I discovered a passion for inspiring our youth to read (I started as a reluctant reader myself, and with a great book fell in love with reading, so I know how important this is). I have worked with thousands of educators, librarians, and youth specialists to engage our young readers with quality works that get them reading more. We have unabridged audio dramas created with cinematic quality sound effects and music that literally place you IN the story. These are perfect for audio enthusiasts

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