AC Gaughen

AC is a young adult author and freelance writer.  She’s been writing since she was in grade school, hiding her notebooks inside of textbooks so she could get away with it during class.  During her school years, she knew she wanted to be a writer, but she lacked confidence.  Occasionally she would submit things in class, especially once she got to high school, and the teachers that encouraged her helped her gain the confidence to pursue writing as a full time career.  Her debut YA novel, Scarlet, will be released in February 2012, and she knows there are other young girls out there who need the same encouragement that she got to put pen to paper and set the world on fire.

Leah Moschella

After returning from her first extended stay in sub-Saharan Africa, Leah was convinced of one thing: empowerment of women and girls is essential for the world to transcend poverty.   With this mindset, Leah began work in New York City’s homeless women’s shelters, led cultural immersion and service trips to address education and gender issues in Central America, and in 2007 was selected as one of four delegates from the United States for a peace-keeping leadership conference in Tunisia, Africa.  In 2010, Leah founded Boston GLOW as an avenue to generate positive leadership opportunities for women and girls.   Leah continues to work as a young adult education and career counselor in Boston.  She holds a Masters Degree in Community Justice – Gender and Youth from Northeastern University and a BS in Sociology and Gender Studies from Fordham University.  

Emily Copeman

Emily began her writing career with a children’s column in her town newspaper at age 10 and was published in her first book at 16.  She studied English and Business Management at Skidmore College in New York, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and as a tutor and curriculum advisor for the English and Liberal Studies departments.  During a semester in London with Boston University, she studied British journalism and interned at the Guardian Newspaper, where her first business writing was published.  Today Emily is a Producer for a boutique post-production company based in Boston.  She volunteers in Boston area schools helping young students develop their writing, serves as the organizer for Boston GLOW’s annual IGNITE the NITE fundraiser and is a proud member of the GLOW Board of Directors.

Jenna Paone

Jenna is a songwriter, vocalist, and pianist based in Boston. Together with her band, City of Squares, she tours throughout Massachusetts and up and down the east coast.  The band’s debut EP was released in September 2010 and they are currently working on a brand new recording project. Jenna is also in the process of recording her first full length solo album, which will be released in Spring 2012. Additionally, this Syracuse University graduate is a classically trained ballet dancer (Royal Academy of Dance), actress, and playwright with over 25 years of experience in the performing arts who has performed at the internationally acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Scotland) and studied at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (London) in addition to numerous other venues. In addition to her work on the GLOW Board of Directors, she lends her talents to local dance studios and after school programs such as the 21st Century Program in Lawrence, MA, and volunteers as a member of the Junior League of Boston at other city organizations. Each year, she and the band perform at Boston GLOW's IGNITE the NITE fundraiser. For more information about Jenna and City of Squares, please visit www.cityofsquares.com.