Board of Advisors

KC Christensen-Lang, is the Owner and President of Happiness Is... an innovative company promoting "Powerful Tools For Positive Living." As a Joyologist, Success Coach, Keynote Speaker and Business trainer, she specializes in personal and business coaching to individuals worldwide, humor, laughter and stress reduction programs, staff training and seminars for companies, federal, state and town departments, hospitals, universities, schools, groups, assisted living facilities, senior centers and nonprofits.

With 30+ years of management, promotion and marketing experience and a former CEO of several agencies, KC is also a PR Consultant/Publicist for coaches, speakers, entrepreneurs, business owners and authors worldwide who want to grow their business, obtain increased PR and media coverage or promote their services or product.

She is co-author of the book, "Speaking Of Success" with Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul), Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager) and Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People.)

The mother of three boys, KC has worked with teens for years, raised millions for nonprofits and believes strongly in the positive mission of HeyUgly and it's exciting ability to support teenagers worldwide.

Tricia Fragen is a Chicago-based entrepreneur who created Strategic Office Solutions, Inc. to help business owners improve their businesses while creating more personal time by streamlining and improving business operations. She is founder of Normal Moments, a not-for-profit devoted to providing supportive services for families facing the challenges of critical childhood illness. She is passionate about our youth and understands the need to help them counter the challenges they face.

Nana Gilbert-Baffoe Nana Gilbert-Baffoe is one of the nation's leading young entrepreneurs. A recent graduate from the University of Illinois in Chicago, Nana created
S2SNetwork, a website dedicated to helping college
students save money on everything from text books to
plane tickets. He contributes his web development,
marketing and e-commerce expertise to Hey U.G.L.Y.
with unwavering dedication.


John E. Keilly is a managing partner of Strategic Partner's, LLC, a firm that helps clients better understand and act on the rational and emotional drivers of "big ticket" consumer purchases. Previously, he was a marketing and product planning executive with Ford Motor and one of the company's first brand managers. Keilly was a key player in the company's project to better understand the wants and needs of today's youth. He later led a similar consumer insight project that targeted the Baby Boomer generation. He is active in mentoring and helping young people make good choices and navigate their way through the complex modern world.

Sporty King is co-founder of Hey U.G.L.Y. He is an author, poet and international public speaker who inspires students and parents to have healthy self-esteem, a positive attitude, positive vocabulary and intolerance for bullying. He has reached over 500,000 students across the country through speaking venues at junior high and high school assemblies. Sporty is reaching teens through Hey U.G.L.Y.'s eM-POWERment Day in-school presentations during a time where it is said they can't be reached. But most important, he helps them change. Momma Hawk, former Principal of Paderewski School in Chicago says it best, "Sporty King transformed my entire student body. I know we have all had motivational speakers who have done something in our schools, but this guy is a miracle worker. Children and parents love him and my school has had remarkable growth in reading and writing under his services."

Leslie Kolber is the Regional Director for Connect with Kids; a community outreach initiative with television stations and school districts across the country. Leslie brings a passion for improving the lives of children and 20 years of sales and marketing experience to the Advisory Board. She is dedicated to helping kids get the tools they need to deal with the tough issues they face today.

Rieva Lesonsky, editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine has been covering the entrepreneurial marketplace for over 22 years, believes that the path to success lies in taking control of your own destiny. Her motto: "If you believe and if you persist, all things are possible," applies whether you're a 40-year old business owner or a 14-year old teenager. While she loves living in Irvine, CA, she remains a New Yorker at heart.

Matthew Levy is the president of Results Management Group, a management consulting firm that has a proven record of dramatically impacting bottom line business results by creating organizational environments in which people thrive. For more than 15 years he has inspired individual leadership and team effectiveness. He began his career as a director of Operation Snowball, a drug prevention program for teenagers that focused on values, communication, relationships and effective decision making to keep teens happy and safe. Some of those transformational principles drive his consulting business today where he works with some of the world's leading corporations. Mr. Levy holds an MBA from Thunderbird: Garvin School of International Management and a BA in International Studies from the School of International Service at American University.

Sue Markgraf is a media and public relations specialist, and an award-winning public relations practitioner, print reporter and editor, with nearly 25 years in the business. She has extensive experience in media communications and lifestyle reporting, and in issue management and media training. She opened Sue Markgraf Media & Public Relations in early 2006, with specialization in national and local-market-Chicago media relations. Markgraf’s experience includes work in education, nonprofit, corporate and agency environments. She is a founder of the Chicago Green Coalition, a network of public relations professionals dedicated to increasing national awareness of Chicago as a “green” tourism destination. She is married to Chris and is mom to Matthew, 20, and Sarah, 15.

Sylvia R.J. Scott is a special events marketer specializing in producing highly creative major special events to raise funds for non-profit organizations while creating a "branded" event for their endeavors. She creates programs for women's leadership conferences and initiatives along with designing empowerment events for teenage girls and young women. She is the author of the forthcoming book: Business Recipes for the Creative Teenager; the Do-It Generation's CEO. Scott has served as a role model for Women Helping Girls with Choices Conferences held at Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York. She served as advisor for the Girl Scouts of Westchester-Putnam's Studio 2B, By Girls for Girls initiative in 2004. She is a member of Association for Women in Communications and served on the Westchester Professional Chapter as President, Vice-President of Programs in 1995/96 and 2001/2002, and Clarion Awards Chair. Currently she is a mentor for two female Boston University seniors and founders of AllisonEve eye shadows.

Susan Spiers is Vice President, Strategic Development for Walsh Bishop Associates, a Minneapolis based architectural and interior design firm. The consummate strategist, trainer, speaker and team builder, Susan is passionately committed to helping others grow holistically and professionally. Her interest in youth goes back to her days teaching middle school and high school in inner city Philadelphia. She is currently a board member of MOAPP, Minnesota Organization for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting, active in Rotary, The Diabetes Institute of Minnesota and other charitable organizations.

Jeanie Stone, School Based Educator, is founder of Respect Day and the Respect Team at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris, Maine. A 17 year owner of a successful children's clothing store, she is currently the coordinator of violence prevention events and presents sexual violence prevention information for the Rape Education And Crisis Hotline organization throughout Oxford County, Maine. She worked with a teen
empowerment group to create an after school coffee house for teens; co-founded the Learning Center, an academic tutorial program; the Oxford Hills Skate Park, empowering teen boys to lead the project; and established ropes courses within the high school. Jeanie has 3 grown children who are married, and each of them have 2 children, all her pride and joy!

Lisa Washington, M.A. in Education is the educational correspondent for ABC-TV and a Kohl McCormick award-winning teacher.