Iyanla Vanzant

Lawyer, best-selling author, life coach, and nationally recognized speaker Iyanla Vanzant has always defied the expectations. Hailed as among the "most dynamic African-American speakers in the United States" by Emerge magazine, Vanzant is a nationally recognized inspirational speaker devoted to showing others the way to transform their lives. An award-winning author of five New York Times Bestsellers, her works include Tapping the Power Within, Acts of Faith, The Value in the Valley, Faith in the Valley, and two new guides to self-awareness and spiritual fulfillment: In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want and One Day My Soul Just Opened Up: 40 Days and 40 Nights Toward Spiritual Strength. Her first spoken word record, In The Meantime: The Music That Tells the Story, debuted on the Billboard charts in the #2 position, where it remained for seven weeks.

Vanzant's personal experiences have given her profound insight into life which she utilizes in her approach to coaching others through life's challenges and difficulties. After she left her abusive first husband, she earned a BS in Public Administration and Education at Medgar Evers College and went on to earn a JD at City University of New York Law School at Queens College. With a solid education under her belt, Vanzant moved to Philadelphia with her children where she practiced as a public defender for three years. She later became an ordained minister, committed to a message based on the principles of divine power and self-determination.

With her daughter Gemmia, Vanzant founded the Inner Visions Spiritual Life Maintenance Center where she met Thomas Leonard, the father of "Virtual Coaching." With his support and encouragement, she offered classes focused on transforming difficult experiences into empowering ones that grew into Inner Visions, a multi-faceted institute that offers workshops and a three-year certification program in "Life Coaching and Ministerial Ordination." Vanzant went on to earn a Master's Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. At the same time, the Mahogany division of Hallmark cards created a line of cards and stationery after her work and she now writes a monthly column for the Church of Religious Science, also entitled "Inner Vision."

Vanzant appeared as a Spiritual Life Coach on the reality show Starting Over, offering a fresh insight and approach to the field of coaching and personal development. The recipient of numerous awards, she has been awarded the honor of "Tapping the Power Within Day" in Los Angeles for her workshop she presented in the city for African-American women. In 1994, she was named "Alumni of the Year" by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Education, an organization comprised of the presidents and administrators of the 117 predominantly black colleges in the US. She was also awarded an "Oni" by the International Congress of Women as one of the nation's unsung heroes. She has served as a National Spokesperson for adult literacy representing the Literacy Volunteers of America.

As the founder and Executive Director of Inner Visions Spiritual Worldwide, Inc., she continues to conduct workshops and lectures for thousands around the country hoping to inspire each listener to take a stand and create a better life, a better community, and a better world.