2023 SPEAKERS
Keynote Speaker: Shieva Ghofrany, MD
Shieva Ghofrany, MD FACOG has been in private practice since 2003 at Coastal Obstetrics & Gynecology in Stamford. After completing a liberal arts bachelor’s degree at Georgetown University she then completed a post-baccalaureate pre-medical program at Columbia University. She attended medical school at Tel Aviv University/Sackler School of Medicine after which she did her residency at Stamford Hospital/Columbia University. She then pursued coursework in “Integrative Health and Healing” through The Graduate Institute in Connecticut which she completed in summer of 2016.
Her coursework helped immensely when she was diagnosed in June 2016 with ovarian cancer and her newfound complementary knowledge improved her mechanisms of coping with her extensive surgical complications and 18 weeks of chemotherapy. Her cancer had arisen in the setting of her long history of endometriosis and her early detection at stage 2 helped solidify her belief that if women and doctors work together, we can STOP erroneously labelling ovarian cancer “the silent killer”.
As a mother of three, she has personal as well as professional knowledge of pregnancy, miscarriages and childbirth (having had six miscarriages, one vaginal delivery and two cesarean sections herself). Then in December 2009 she underwent weight loss surgery and continues to understand the CONSTANT struggle between food, weight and emotion--particularly for women. Given her multitude of “health” and particularly obstetric/gynecological experiences—she often quips that she is “not only the ‘hair club’ president, but also a client!”.
Born in America in 1970 to parents who emigrated from Iran after medical school. They pursued residency in the US where they ultimately decided to stay thus her upbringing was very influenced by the culture of her Persian roots. She and her sister (the Chief Justice of Miami-Dade County) had a strong role model of female strength as her mother began her medical school studied in the late 1950’s when it was not the norm in the US or Iran.
Dr Ghofrany enjoys media work and has been quoted in many online and print publications including articles in The Huffington Post, Parents Magazine, and Mind Body Green. As well, she continues to be listed in Castles-Connolly Top Docs each year, has taped videos for “the Bump”, “Web MD” and “Verywell.com” and most notably was featured in two episodes of PBS HUMAN:The World Within that aired May 2021 and is now available on Netflix.
Since February 2019, she has grown her social media presence (largely on Instagram) so that she can chat openly about “all things female”, focusing mostly on “increasing women’s knowledge to help decrease their anxiety” from 200 followers to almost 35K followers as of April 2022.
The Pandemic presented a unique reminder that women need and want QUALIFIED information as well as community and to that end in November 2020 she and partner Jenny Hayes Edwards launched their company called “Tribe Called V”, an online platform that aims to “increase women’s knowledge about their health in order to decrease their anxiety”. Their initial offering was their “my OB&ME” pregnancy program (including an eBOOK as well as monthly virtual meetings). They are currently working on their gynecology portal which will house videos delivered in Shieva’s candid, easily digestible vernacular.
In addition to her private practice, Coastal OBGYN, where she has been with her partners since residency finished in 2003, she has also consulted for various womens’ health/wellness companies including roles at Bodily, By Heart and Aspira Women’s Health. Each company offered a synergistic goal aligned with Shieva’s to provide women with a more robust ability to improve their knowledge and in turn their health.
Keynote Speaker: Lindsay Czarniak
Emmy Award and Gracie Award-winning broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak is a FOX NFL reporter and FOX NASCAR contributor. In 2021, she handles NFL game reporting duties alongside play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert and analyst Jonathan Vilma.
Czarniak joined FOX Sports in 2019 as a NASCAR studio host for NASCAR RACE HUB: WEEKEND EDITION and Thursday NASCAR RACE HUB shows, as well as a FOX NFL sideline reporter alongside play-by-play announcer Albert and analyst Rondé Barber. In 2020, she teamed with Adam Amin and Mark Schlereth to cover NFL games.
In June 2021, Czarniak earned a Gracie Award in the News Feature category (“Important Conversations with Lindsay Czarniak”) for her piece discussing racial issues that aired on SiriusXM Radio. She hosted CBS’ coverage of the brand-new weekly SRX Racing Series during the summer of 2021, and also hosted “On Her Turf at the Olympics,” a show airing on Peacock for NBC Sports dedicated to the female athletes at the Tokyo Games and the topics surrounding them.
Prior to joining FOX Sports, Czarniak worked at ESPN from 2011 to 2017, anchoring “SportsCenter,” “SportsNation” and “NASCAR Now.” During this time, she became the first woman to host the network’s coverage of the Indianapolis 500 on ABC.
Czarniak hosts a weekly podcast titled “The Artist and the Athlete with Lindsay Czarniak,” in which she explores the intersection of sports and music and pairs an iconic sports figure alongside a renowned musician for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation.
She previously hosted “Players,” a podcast in which she focused on country music artists and their sports interests. In August 2019, she embarked on a hosting role for Netflix’s reality racing competition series, “Hyperdrive.” Czarniak also anchored CNN’s “Bleacher Report” sports segments.
Prior to hitting the national stage, Czarniak spent several years as sports anchor and reporter at WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., anchoring daily sportscasts, reporting from major events and hosting “Sport Final” and “The Coaches Show” with Mike Shanahan. She also hosted and produced “Lunch with Lindsay,” a sports segment in which she interviewed renowned athletes, politicians and entertainers. While at WRC, she was a protégé of sportscasting legend and racing enthusiast George Michael, who called her “the best hire I’ve ever made,” and co-hosted “The George Michael Sports Machine” early in her tenure.
Her time at WRC earned Czarniak an Emmy Award, as well as a call by parent network NBC to serve as a pit reporter for NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage. She also hosted prerace coverage for Turner Sports’ six summer NASCAR races and reported for NBC Sports’ Heads-Up Poker Challenge. Czarniak also reported from the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, and the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing for NBC.
Czarniak’s first job in Washington was as an intern for WUSA as a college student before accepting a position at CNN as a production assistant. Her first on-air role as a news reporter was for WAWS/WTEV-TV in Jacksonville, Fla., before moving to WTVJ in Miami and FOX Sports’ Speed Channel as an ARCA RACING SERIES pit reporter.
Born in Harrisburg, Pa., Czarniak was raised in northern Virginia. She was immersed in sports as a young girl, as her father was a sports editor and reporter. Czarniak graduated from James Madison University in 2000 with a major in journalism and a minor in studio art. She played lacrosse and field hockey in high school.
Czarniak currently resides in Connecticut with her husband, Craig Melvin, and their two children. In her spare time, Czarniak enjoys country music and horror movies.