Our Speakers
Meet the voices shaping The MotherWell Conference.
Each of these remarkable leaders brings not only deep professional expertise, but also the lived wisdom that comes from parenting in all its forms. Through their stories, their work, and the journeys that shaped them, you’ll get to know the people behind the titles—and the parents and caregivers they’ve grown into along the way.
Keynote Speaker
Jessica Pawlicki, APRN, FNP-C, FPA, CFMP Founder & CEO of The Well-Rooted Collective Jessica Pawlicki is a Nurse Practitioner, entrepreneur, and founder of the Well-Rooted Collective — a multi-location, integrative healthcare ecosystem serving families, women, and adults through functional and root-cause medicine. With a passion for transforming healthcare from symptom management to true healing, Jessica has built a network of practices that prioritize personalized care, prevention and whole-body wellness. Jessica is deeply passionate about empowering families and women to take control of their health, advocate for themselves, and never settle for "normal" when it comes to how they feel. Through education, community, and innovative care models, she is redefining what modern healthcare can look like.
Jessica Pawlicki
Founder & CEO
The Well-Rooted Collective
.png)
Speakers
.png)
Neala Jensen earned a BA in Music History and Elementary Education at Rockford University and taught at two private schools in Rockford. After being fired for refusing to teach SAT answers to her class before the exam, she was invited to teach music at Rockford University while earning a Master's degree in Music from NIU. She spent seven years as an adjunct professor before marrying and raising a family. Neala has homeschooled her three children from kindergarten through high school. During those years, she taught piano, voice, and played for numerous church services and weddings. She currently leads a homeschool support group and serves on the board of Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) with her husband Chris. In 2025, Neala felt the Lord calling her back NIU, where she is pursuing a Master's in Instructional Technology with a Library Information Specialist (LIS) endorsement.
Neala Jensen
Homeschool Support Group LeaderIllinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) Board Member
Dr. Jana is a Board-Certified pelvic floor physical therapist and the owner of Chicago Pelvic Health. She specializes in pregnancy and postpartum care, including pelvic floor and core rehabilitation for women through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. She helps moms address concerns such as pelvic pain, leaking, prolapse symptoms, and diastasis recti. With a supportive, education-focused approach, Dr. Jana is passionate about empowering women with practical strategies to feel stronger, more confident, and well cared for during every stage of motherhood.
Jana Richardson
Board-Certified pelvic floor physical therapist
Chicago Pelvic Health
Dr. David Foss is a neurologically focused pediatric and family chiropractor with over 25years of clinical experience. He specializes in uncovering the root neurological causes behind today’s pediatric health crisis—from ADHD and autism to sensory processing disorders, anxiety, and seizures. As a PX Docs network practitioner, Dr. Foss blends advanced neurological insight with compassionate, precision care. His mission is deeply personal: he has an older brother with autism and two children of his own, one prone to seizures, experiences that shaped his relentless pursuit of answers. At Vital Wellness Center, the transformations he witnesses daily are nothing short of extraordinary.
David Foss
Pediatric & Family Chiropractor
Vital Wellness Center
.png)
Katie McManigal is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a leading voice in functional and regenerative medicine. As Co-Founder and Medical Director of Peak Health Institute, she specializes in chronic, multi-system illnesses. Her expertise is grounded in a near career as a NICU RN at Lurie Children’s Hospital, where she developed a strong foundation in managing high-acuity systems. Driven by her own journey through unexplained health challenges, she transitioned to a root-cause approach, focusing on helping patients navigate chronic disease through innovative therapies. Beyond the clinic, Katie is a dedicated mother of two whom she homeschools with her husband. She values building a life rooted in health, and adventure, and frequently travels with her family to explore new horizons. This personal commitment to vitality informs her professional mission: to help others optimize their health so they can pursue their passions with clarity and strength.
Katie McManigal
Family Nurse Practitioner
Peak Health Institute
Dr. Crystal Foresman Landers is a Naturopathic Doctor, Occupational Therapist and Certified Nutrition Specialist. In addition, Dr. Crystal is a homeschooling mother of three girls aged 13, 11 and 7. Dr. Crystal started her career as a pediatric occupational therapist in 2000,specializing in sensory integration and myofascial release. She returned to graduate school because she wanted to better understand the root cause of the health issues she was observing in both children and adults. Dr. Crystal graduated in 2012 with a doctoral degree in Naturopathic Medicine. She has special interest in mold illness, digestive disorders, children's health, PANS/PANDAS, vagus nerve integration, immune system support and skin-immune system integration.
Crystal Foresman Landers
Naturopathic Doctor, Occupational Therapist, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Living Tree Natural Health
.png)
Lisa is a Homeschool Mom of 4 thriving students, has managed and operated homeschool enrichment programs in DuPage County for the past 5 years, is admin for DuPage County Homeschoolers FB Group, is a homeschool advocate and consultant, passionately fought against legislation for HB2827, and loves to encourage other parents to take control of their child's education by homeschooling. Lisa loves to share her experiences, resources, encouragement, and guidance with other parents. Homeschool is the New Normal.
Lisa Edison
Homeschool Mom
Thrive Homeschool Enrichment + Consulting
Dr. Jennifer “Jenny” Mercier, ND, PhD, is an internationally recognized women’s health expert, midwife, scientist, and the founder of Mercier Therapy®, a pioneering pelvic organ mobility modality that has transformed fertility and pelvic pain care worldwide. With more than 24 years in private practice, she has helped hundreds of couples conceive naturally and has spent nearly two decades training healthcare professionals across the globe in her evidence-based manual approach. Dr. Mercier is the creator of the Shared Journey Fertility Program, an integrative framework supporting natural conception, IVF preparation, and pelvic health restoration. She is also the producer of the documentaries Fertility: The Shared Journey (2014) and the forthcoming Conceiving Miracles (2026), and the author of Conceive (2021) and the upcoming Restoring Balance. Through her clinical work, teaching, and storytelling, Dr. Mercier remains dedicated to elevating women’s reproductive wellness and advancing a deeper, more restorative model of pelvic health care.
Jennifer Mercier
Women’s health expert, midwife, and scientist
Mercier Therapy Professional Training and Expect A Miracle
.png)
“Birth is a lifestyle” is more than a phrase for Carol Wachniak —it’s how she lives and serves. For over four decades, Carol has led Doula Family, a three-generation doula and midwifery family legacy business. Who has supported more than 4,000 families and delivered over1,200 babies. As a seasoned doula since 1980, certified childbirth educator, midwifery assistant, homeschool mom of eight, and grandmother of thirty-one, she brings both deep professional expertise and real-life motherhood experience to every room she enters. Carol has hosted an Unwed Mothers Ministry in her home for 20 years, built the largest LinkedIn Birthing Community with thousands of professionals, and created the Doula certification to train and mentor birth and postpartum doulas, specializing in home birth. Her life’s work is helping mothers heal, feel seen, safe, informed, and empowered making her a trusted, authoritative voice for new moms nationally and internationally.
Carol Wachniak
Founder & Director
Doula Family
Rachel’s first memory of home birth was watching her sibling welcomed at home, surrounded by love. She decided when she was young that she wanted to be a nurse and work with babies, and home birth is a true dream for her. Rachel was homeschooled and was raised in a family a service, with her dad as a pastor of a local church. Rachel has owned Midwives Care LLC for nearly a decade, and it is now a well-known and established practice. Rachel currently homeschools her children, and enjoys volunteering for her church and local co-op. She has had two home births.
Rachel Harris
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) & Owner
MidwivesCare LLC
.png)
Former Christian school board member; hired to strategically help launch a high school. Initially employed as Human Resources Director, my role morphed into Chief Operating Officer for a PreK-12 school.
Barbara Tests Butz
Teacher and Former School COO
Amy Mason is an author, speaker, and life coach passionate about helping women navigate seasons of change with courage and clarity. She is the author of more than 13 faith-based devotional books, with over one million copies sold worldwide. Amy currently serves as the Director of Communications and Impact at Rising Lights Project, a nonprofit that provides meaningful programs and community for young adults with disabilities. Through her coaching, Amy comes alongside women who are stepping into new chapters of life—whether rebuilding after divorce, pursuing greater health and wholeness, navigating parenting a child with a disability, or rediscovering long-held dreams. Drawing from her own life experience, faith, and years of leadership in the nonprofit and publishing worlds, Amy helps women find their voice, take ownership of their story, and move forward with confidence. Her message is simple but powerful: your story isn’t over—your next chapter can be your strongest yet.
Amy Mason
Author, Life Coach, Director of Communications
Rising Lights Project
