Sharpen and Liv2BMe co-Founders been working towards launching Liv2BMe -- a supportive app for teen girls (thirteen to eighteen) and community mentors (female college students).
Our project will roll out as a research study in collaboration with the below team. Sharpen's peer resiliency mentoring curriculum will be powering the Liv2BMe program, infusing both mentors and mentees with daily interventions that build resilience, strength and mental fitness. The trained mentors will be facilitating conversations and activities that have shown to improve the protective factors for disordered eating, trauma and emotional wellness. The entire study will extend for 6 weeks, after which time we will strategize next steps.
Read more about the curriculum, research and evidence-base here:
Liv2BMe Leadership / Research Team
Liv2BMe Research Assistants and Marketing Interns
Meet the Liv2BMe Team
Cindy Abel
Liv2BMe CEO and co-Founder
Cindy Abel's career started after graduating from the University of Dayton with a degree in Management Information Systems. She immediately joined the Anderson Consulting firm (now Accenture) and successfully rose quickly through the ranks during her eight-year tenure. After leaving Accenture, Cindy and her husband, Kevin, founded Abel Solutions, a business solutions consulting firm. The Abel’s sold their company in 2015.
After finding professional success, Cindy decided to focus her efforts on giving back. Cindy is CEO and Co-Founder of Liv2BMe, a positive, supportive social app for teen girls that inspires healthy self-images through kind interactions and meaningful connections. Cindy has also served as Interim CEO of Hands on Atlanta, served on the Hands On Atlanta Board of Directors, serves on the Advisory Board of Hands On Atlanta, serves on the Board of Directors at Leadership Sandy Springs and Voices for Georgia’s Children, and serves as Co-Chair Advisory Council for CARE Women’s Network Atlanta an organization working to fight poverty globally in the world’s poorest communities. Cindy also joined AJFF as a Development Committee Co-Chair. Cindy and Kevin have three adult children.
Robyn Hussa Farrell, MFA, E-RYT
Sharpen CEO and co-Founder
Robyn Hussa Farrell, MFA, E-RYT co-founder and CEO of Sharpen, has spent the past 20 years collaborating with state agencies, educational systems, public health and psychology researchers to build and deliver evidence-based mental health prevention programs for K-12 schools and communities. Robyn’s experience working in collaboration with researchers in schools developing peer resiliency programs led her to see a need to scale her community-based programs through technology. She and her husband, Tim, have developed a robust library of documentary films covering hundreds of mental health topics, featuring the nation’s top researchers. These films are the basis for the content within the Sharpen technology platform which has been deployed in research collaborations involving child and adolescent mental health since 2014. In particular, Hussa’s professional development programs have been utilized by over 500 agencies, schools and universities.
Robyn is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) and The International Association for Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), as well as a certified trainer for NAMI NH CONNECT Suicide Postvention program. Robyn served as the Resilient Schools mindfulness trainer for 3 years throughout SC Resilient Schools initiatives, is Founding Member of the Eating Disorder Recovery on Campus in Boston and has presented at more than 50 national medical and educational conferences. Her publications include being a chapter author in Yoga and Eating Disorders: Ancient Healing for Modern Illness, the "5 Minute Mindfulness" curriculum and over 500 award-winning psycho-educational modules within the Sharpen system. She and Tim live in San Diego with their new pug puppy Maggie Mayhem.
Duke Biber, PhD
Researcher
Duke Biber has been working for the Department of Sport Management, Wellness, and Physical education at the University of West Georgia since 2018. Dr. Biber has his Doctoral degree in exercise psychology from Georgia State University, a Masters degree in sport psychology from Georgia Southern University, and is a Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBCHWC). He has experience teaching sport and exercise psychology, mental and emotional wellness, health behavior change, weight training, and a variety of fitness courses. His research interests include psychological determinants of exercise as well as identity development, self-compassion, mindfulness, and spirituality. He and the Wolf Wellness Lab recently received funding from the DBHDD to implement the Sources of Strength opioid and suicide prevention program at Central High School. He is also the Co-PI of the 5-year Girls Empowering Movement (GEM) statewide initiative (funded by the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation) alongside HealthMPowers. In addition to teaching and research, Duke has served as the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) trainer in central Virginia and sport psychology consultant for athletes at Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Southern University, and Georgia State University. Dr. Biber recently published an ebook and online course to promote resilience, positivity, and flourishing entitled The Power of Positive Emotions.
Katie Darby Hein, PhD
Researcher
Dr. Hein is currently a clinical assistant professor and internship coordinator at the University of Georgia. She is very enthusiastic about teaching and helping her students become effective specialists within public health. Dr. Hein’s area of expertise includes women’s health, community health, health disparities, and program planning. She received her PhD in health promotion and behavior from the University of Georgia in 2004. Dr. Hein is interested in creating/researching systems to ensure students are prepared and proficient in public health.
Martin Eaton, PhD
CEO of Head's Up Checkup
Dr. Eaton is also the founder and owner of Well Family® by Well Street Psychological Group, Inc., a psychological and educational services provider in Orange County, California since 2003. Well Family specializes in working with families with children and adolescents. As the owner of Well Street, Martin has created and maintained numerous partnerships with schools and healthcare providers. He is a well-known and sought-after speaker on the topic of behavioral health disorders and treatment and often provides in-service training on these topics for teachers, primary care physicians, and hospitals. A former graduate professor in Learning and Memory at University of Southern California, Dr. Eaton has a BA in Social Ecology from University of California, Irvine; an MA in Intercultural Studies from Biola University; and a Ph.D. in Clinical and Educational Psychology from University of Southern California. He lives in Orange County, California with his wife and 4 children. Martin is an avid cycler and has participated in the 3003-mile Race Across America for charity twice.
Rachel Rothman
UGA Public Health Intern
Rachel Rothman is a senior undergraduate student from the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia, majoring in health promotion with a global health minor. She has a particular interest in studying the intersection between health and behavior, minority health, addressing health disparities, and research/program planning. After she graduates in May of 2022, she plans on pursuing her Master’s of Public Health at an accredited institution to better prepare her for a future career in this field.
Rylee Fitzgerald
UGA Public Health Intern
Rylee Fitzgerald is a senior undergraduate student from the University of Georgia. She is majoring in health promotion. Throughout her time at the University of Georgia, she has focused on studying topics in maternal health, chronic diseases, and disparities within specific communities. Rylee is passionate about helping people and plans on becoming a physician assistant after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in May 2022.
Tiffany Nguyen
UGA Public Health Intern
Tiffany Nguyen is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health majoring in health promotion. She has spent the majority of her undergrad researching the mental/ physiological effects of various populations and analyzing various risk factors contributing to infectious chronic diseases. After graduation in May of 2022, Tiffany plans to continue her education in PA school to apply her skills of health education, communication, and program planning in order to improve the health/ wellbeing of individuals and the surrounding community.
Vivi Ngo
UGA Marketing Intern
Vivi Ngo is a junior undergraduate student at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business studying marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing. Throughout her undergraduate studies at UGA, she has spent time learning about ethical marketing, consumer behaviors, and marketing research. She is also a resident assistant in a 1st year residence hall where she curates a welcoming environment for students and follows a curriculum to teach skills that promote student success. Vivi is passionate about building strong community, social impact, and technology. She hopes to enter into a career that encapsulates her passions after graduating in May of 2023.
Rachel Ziner
UGA Marketing Intern
Rachel Ziner is a senior at the University of Georgia, studying Advertising, with a minor in French and Theater. Upon graduating with her A.B, she is returning to the University of Georgia to pursue her Master's Degree in Emerging Media. As a previous Girl Talk leader, she has always had a passion for supporting teenage girls and helping them feel connected to others. Rachel has worked on the liv2bme marketing team since August 2020 in content creation, social media analytics, and project management. In her free time, Rachel enjoys crafting, going for walks, and spending time with her friends. She cannot wait to be a part of the next generation of social media!
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