Kristen Vadas and Kate Oliviero

Kristen Connolly Vadas (left) has been a television executive for nearly two decades before recently segueing into writing. Most recently, she ran the Alternative Programming department at the CW, where she developed and oversaw all of the network’s reality series and specials . Prior to the CW, Vadas was at Oxygen Media, overseeing the network’s west coast development and production operations. A graduate of Middlebury College, Kristen began her career in television at Nickelodeon. She lives in Venice Beach with her husband and two young children.

Creative nonfiction author Kate Barry Oliviero (right) began her writing career in advertising before transitioning into developing scripts for film and television. A graduate of Middlebury College, Kate was also a juried memoirist at the Aspen Writers Conference. She wrote her first book in fifth grade.