Based in Colorado, Risa August is an author, Speaker, Gestalt practitioner and Patient Advocate for rare pituitary diseases. She has been sharing her story for the past five years, and more recently in her memoir The Road Unpaved – Border to Border with a Brain Tumor and a Bike. In addition to speaking at conferences for leaders in pharmaceuticals, medical professionals, and patients, her work is published on blogs and in other smaller publications. Her most popular personal essay, “Marshmallow Clouds,” has been translated into Spanish. Through her personal transformation, Risa has learned and practiced removing limiting beliefs, shifting her perspective, and embracing a full life.

Risa has a B.A. in geography, a certification in the Gestalt Coaching Method, and a certificate in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. She has been living with a pituitary tumor and rare disease for over a decade and offering words of inspiration and information to audiences in hopes of saving others from heading down a bumpier road.

A girl with sparkles in her hair and once an Ironman athlete, Risa still has a passion for her bike and barbells. With her genuine curiosity and love for trying new (and old) things, you may find Risa taking Bollywood or hip-hop dance lessons, trying a silks aerialist or boxing class, going indoor skydiving, or guiding an inspirational workshop in creativity.

Risa August, patient advocate

Terry Tucker is a speaker, author, and podcast guest on the topics of mindset, motivation, and self-development. He is the Founder of Motivational Check LLC. Terry has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The Citadel and a Master’s degree from Boston University. Among his many diverse roles, he has been a college basketball player, a marketing executive, a hospital administrator, a SWAT Hostage Negotiator, a business owner, and for the past 13 years, a cancer warrior.

He is the author of the book Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles To Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life, and a featured author in the book Perspectives On Cancer, Stories of Healing, Hope, And Resilience. Terry has also been published in Authority, Thrive Global, and Human Capital Leadership magazines, along with being quoted and highlighted in the books Your Blueprint for Purpose by John Creekmur and Audaciousness, Your Journey To Living A Bold And Authentic Life by Maribel Ortega and Helen Strong. 


Terry Tucker, author, speaker and patient advocate

Kimberly Warner is a filmmaker, author, and patient advocate whose work explores what it means to live fully in a body that doesn’t always feel well. After studying pre-med and biology at Colorado College and pursuing graduate training in naturopathic and classical Chinese medicine, she veered from a clinical path toward a creative one, trading diagnostics for documentary and turning questions of health into stories of meaning.

After developing a rare neurological disorder in 2015, Kimberly turned her artistic focus inward, embracing stillness, intimacy, and relationship as the foundation of her work. In 2019, she launched Unfixed, a media project that now includes award-winning films, limited series, podcasts, memoirs, and live roundtables. Her work has been recognized by PBS, Harvard Medical School, and the Invisible Disabilities Association, among others.

Kimberly leads a larger advocacy role within the chronic illness community where she writes and speaks about her own patient experience. She is a member of the Global Advocacy Alliance, the PPAA (Patient and Physician Advocacy Alliance,) is a visiting faculty member with Global Genes, helped create a Course for Clinical Confidence—a medical school certificate course, is on the editorial board of the Journal of Health Design and is an ambassador for VeDA. She is also Life on the Level’s Best International Contribution Award, Rainbow Advocacy’s Most Innovative Storytelling Award, and the recipient of the Invisible Disabilities Association’s Media Impact Award. 

Her forthcoming memoir, Unfixed: A Memoir of Family, Mystery, and the Currents That Carry You Home, will be published by Empress Editions in October 2025.

She lives in rural Oregon with her husband, David, where they tend their small farm between creative projects. When she’s not editing films, harvesting calendula, or writing for her beloved Substack audience, she’s practicing what she preaches: loosening her grip, staying curious, and letting uncertainty become a place of peace.

Links: 
Preorder memoir: https://a.co/d/185zEos
Main website: https://unfixedmedia.com/
Substack (for essays and interviews): https://unfixed.substack.com/
Tax deductible donations: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTIyMDgx 
2025-26 projects
* Unbound (short film): https://unfixedmedia.com/unbound
* Unsung (short film): https://unfixedmedia.com/unfixed-unsung
* Liberation of Being (patient memoir): https://unfixedmedia.com/liberationofbeing
* Unfixed: What Time Makes of Us (feature film, focusing on 6 members of the original cast of the Unfixed docuseries) 



Kimberly Warner,  filmmaker, author, and patient advocate, 'Unfixed'.

The Health Design Podcast brought to you by the Journal of Health Design(www.journalofhealthdesign.com). Features interviews with the world's leading health design experts including clinicians, designers, patients, authors and researchers. Better health by design.

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