Speakers

Physiologically speaking, why do we feel so good in a beautiful environment? What happens in the body when we experience beauty? Scientists have wondered about this for years—and now we have answers, both to the “what happens” and the “why.” Join me as I share these remarkable findings.

Carol Woodard was born and raised in San Francisco. From an early age, she knew she wanted to pursue one of two paths: medicine or interior design. When it came time for college, she attended UC Berkeley as a pre-med major. But by the end of her junior year, she realized she was ahead of her time—medicine was still largely a world for white men, and she did not see a place for herself within it. She ultimately graduated with a degree in Child Development.

She went on to meet her wonderful husband, raise four children, and today enjoys five grandchildren. Somewhere along the way, she came to an important realization: medicine is often reactive, while interior design—when done thoughtfully—can be profoundly proactive.

She returned to one of her original calling, studied interior design, and became a professional designer. Over the years, she has also earned certification in Applied Color Psycho-Physiology and, more recently, in the Neuroscience of Design.

Her practice has always focused on creating interiors that support the health and well-being of those who occupy them. Intuitively, she has long understood the healing power of a well-designed environment. Today, that intuition is validated by hard science.

Cynthia Gregory is an award-winning writer and author of Journaling As Sacred Practice: an Act Of Extreme Bravery (2016), What Is Possible From Here (2021), LOVE NOTES From the SOUL (2024), and LOVE NOTES From the SOUL 2.0 (2025).  She is a member of the California Writers Club, Redwood Writers Chapter, and a member in good standing of the International Coaching Federation.

Cynthia’s mission is to help shift-makers and cultural creatives translate their meaningful life experiences into compelling stories. She does this through hands-on writing workshops, individualized author coaching, and transformational writing retreats that support writers at every stage. She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from Gonzaga University and her master's degree in literature from Mills College.