Board of Directors
Kirsten Ott Palladino
Founder, Executive DirectorKirsten Ott Palladino, she/her, is the executive director and editor in chief of Survivor Lit, which she founded in 2020. She’s a multi-award-winning seasoned writer and editor with 20 years in the media. Ott Palladino has served as a staff editor at several newspapers and magazines, both regional and national. Her work has been published in Washington Post, Equally Wed, Art & Antiques magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, Draft magazine, Executive Traveler magazine, Atlanta magazine, The Atlantan magazine, and more. She's been a guest speaker on air on CNN, NPR and several iHeartRadio shows and podcasts, as well as a speaker at multiple conferences around the globe. In 2010, along with her wife, Maria, the Athens, Ga., native launched Equally Wed, the digital leader for gay, lesbian, transgender, queer and bisexual weddings after realizing that nothing similar existed on the market when the couple was planning their own nuptials. She is the author of the book “Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding” (Seal Press, 2017). She is seeking a literary agent and publisher for her completed coming-of-age memoir, which chronicles her decade-long journey from a self-loathing sexually trafficked gang-rape victim in the south to a joy-filled journalist reckoning with her past.
Crystal Whiteaker
SecretaryCrystal Whiteaker, she/her, is a joyful, passionate brand and lifestyle photographer and brand/inclusivity consultant, for impactful brands and thoughtful people who want to make a difference. Crystal has 15 years of strategic, creative, process driven experience across multiple industries; including work in non-profits and high-level executive recruiting. She is a self-described "corporate trained, creative hippie." Feeling a desire to connect with people on a more genuine level, Crystal started Crystal Lily Photography in 2015 and grew it to a brand with clients across the country, including Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. She puts a strong focus on core values to create impactful photography, mentoring, and consulting experiences to help clients find clarity, confidence, and direction in their businesses. In addition to working with impactful brands, Crystal also takes on a select number of weddings to photograph each year. Crystal believes in giving back so a portion of her profits are donated annually to organizations that provide resources and support for women and the LGBTQ+ community. As an extension of the philanthropic element of her brand, Crystal is offering portrait sessions to trauma survivors as an opportunity to highlight who they are by giving them control over their own image, while rebuilding their confidence through photos intended to represent visual I am statements. Outside of her work, Crystal enjoys practicing yoga, spending time in nature, connecting with people, and exploring new places.
Marissa Korbel
Marissa Korbel, she/her, is the managing editor of The Rumpus, where she has written The Thread, an essay column, since 2017. Her writing has also appeared in The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Guernica, and in the critically acclaimed anthology, Burn it Down (2019). She works as a staff attorney for a nonprofit that serves sexual assault survivors.
