A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, an accomplished executive and dealmaker, a filmmaker and writer, and a mother of three active boys, Michealene Cristini Risley speaks from experience. Known for her compassion and humor, Michealene gives heart-felt speaking presentations that touch people at their core and are sure to make an incredible difference in how both women and men perceive themselves and their abilities to do incredible things in their lives.

Adaptable to any situation or timeframe, Michealene is able to capture the attention and minds of all audiences, every time.

PROGRAM TOPICS:

WOMEN AND THEIR VOICES
What do you want to do? How do you want to live your life? What one thing would you want to be remembered for? With this presentation, Michealene talks about women’s roles, the effect women have on the world, and how women can make change happen. This speech is designed to motivate and inspire women to use their voices to create social and political change.

WHERE ARE THE FEMALE FILM DIRECTORS?
Why is it so difficult for women to direct films? How can women support each other in order to get women to a point of equality in the film industry? How can we reinvent the Hollywood power structure to give women’s perspectives a chance to touch audiences?

As Co-Founder of Women’s Independent Cinema (WIC), Michealene supports the belief in giving emerging, talented female directors a fighting chance in an incredibly competitive male-dominated industry. Michealene explains that there are ample opportunities out there for one to realize her dreams, one just has to figure out which are the most viable prospects and ACT on them. Intended to inspire and stimulate action, Michealene allows women to understand that their visions and ideas cannot only be realized but also led in a direction of continued success if they act on the opportunities of today.

OVERCOMING SEXUAL ABUSE
Child sexual abuse is an issue that is incredibly difficult for America to recognize and deal with. However, it is an issue that needs immediate attention. Statistics show that sexual abuse does not discriminate against age, sex, race, religion, or class; instead, it affects everybody. What is preventing America from recognizing and taking action against this issue? What does this denial cost us as a society? What does it cost us individually?

As a survivor of child sexual abuse, Michealene discusses how she overcame this event in her life, why it is so important that this issue be recognized, and what can be done to eradicate this issue in America. Included in this presentation is a screening of FLASHCARDS, a 27-minute short film she wrote and directed that is based on her childhood experience.

THIS IS NOT THE LIFE I ORDERED
Michealene, along with Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, and Jan Yanehiro, coauthored This Is Not The Life I Ordered (April 2007). Together, they have a history of six marriages, ten children, four stepchildren, six dogs, two miscarriages, two cats, a failed adoption, and foster parenthood. One of them was shot and left for dead on a tarmac in South America and two have lived through the death of their spouses.

With this presentation, Michealene will speak about how this book is essential for those who are struggling with the countless issues we face in our lives, including work, family, and love, as well as the big questions of life and death. Michealene will also share how the Kitchen Table Group she was apart of with the three other authors was essential in helping her work through the issues she has had to face in her life and why it is important for people to create a Kitchen Table Group for themselves.