The White Willow Media Posse* consists of four talented, somewhat off-kilter, marketing specialists. Our business model is highly collaborative...and a lot of fun...'cause that's how we roll.
*Posse: "Your homies, your peeps, the gang of friends you hang out with that make you powerful." --The Urban Dictionary
Jean Ann Van Krevelen, The Decider
Jean Ann Van Krevelen has been called “one of the most influential gardening communicators in the country”. She is currently the President of White Willow Media, a new media marketing company focused on providing services to the gardening and horticulture industries. She recently served as the first Director of Social Media for Cool Springs Press.
In 2009, Jean Ann was signed to author the first social media savvy gardening book, Grocery Gardening. The book became a bestseller on Amazon and is currently in its second edition. She is also the co-host of the popular podcast “Good Enough Gardening.”
Jean Ann is a frequent speaker at trade shows and conferences. Speaking engagements in 2010 included:
- Independent Garden Center Show
- Garden Writers Annual Symposium
- San Francisco Flower and Garden Show
- Southeast Flower and Garden Show
- Chicago Flower and Garden Show
- All Iowa Hort Expo
Jean Ann has been named in the 2009 Top 100 Entrepreneurs on Twitter, 2009 Top 20 Green, Raw Organic Tweeters, 2009 Top 50 Tweeters in Portland, 2008 Top 50 People to Follow on Twitter, Top 30 Most Powerful and Influential Women in Social Media, and 30 Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter. She was also one of Portland Business Journal’s Forty Under Forty, and the Oklahoma Business Journal’s 50 That Make a Difference.
Follow Jean Ann on Twitter @jeanannvk, on Facebook jvankrevelen and via her blog, Gardener to Farmer
Ellen Wells, Flower Ink, Co-Conspirator
Being raised on New York State's oldest farm, Ellen C. Wells has always had her hands in the earth and an insatiable curiosity for the how things grow. This led to a degree in plant sciences from Smith College and a Master's degree in horticulture from Cornell University. She has since chosen to share her passion for the garden along the entire supply chain—from the breeders who develop new varieties to the growers who grows them and to the gardeners who enjoy them. Ellen currently heads up Flower Ink, a company which provides communication services for both consumer and industry publications. With Flower Ink, she is the Editor-at-Large for Green Profit, a trade publication for garden centers, and it's associated e-newsletter, buZZ; and Contributing Editor for GrowerTalks, for the commercial greenhouse industry.
Ellen has also written consumer-oriented articles for the Boston Globe, Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, Design New England, and others. Ellen also provides writing, editorial and marketing services for green industry companies, and gives presentations on everything from social media to gardening trends and beginning gardens for both industry and consumer audiences. She is a recipient of a 2010 Silver Medal bestowed by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Follow Ellen on Twitter @gardenquestion and on Facebook ellencwells
Mike Lieberman, Co-Conspirator
Mike prides himself as someone who walks the talk as a living, breathing demonstration of how one can live sustainably, anywhere. His blogs – Urban Organic Gardener and 365 Ways To Go Green teach people how to easily incorporate eco-friendly action into their lives. Mike has been featured in The Washington Examiner, HGTV’s Weekly Round Up, and MSN Money.
Mike has great depth of experience in website development, from conceptualization through execution to marketing and reporting, search engine optimization, pay per click campaigns and social media marketing. His experience spans through verticals including sports (Philadelphia 76ers), news, higher education (Rutgers Business School) and travel (VisitPA). The sites have been informational, e-commerce (MonsterTones) and lead generating (Tutor.com).
Mike has been named 10 Cute Men Busy Saving the World, 14 Gardening and Landscaping Gurus You Should Follow on Twitter, Top 20 Real Food Advocates to Follow on Twitter, Top 50 Green Folks on Twitter.
Follow Mike on Twitter @canarsiebk, on Facebook, canarsiebk and via his blog, Urban Organic Gardener
Teresa O’Connor, Co-Conspirator
Teresa O’Connor brings to White Willow Media a love of gardening and local foods combined with strong experience writing for several well-known brands around the globe.
As a marketing writer, Teresa has created communication materials for Ocean Spray Cranberries, Welch Foods, The Walt Disney Company, IBM, Wyndham Hotels, and Swarovski Crystal, to name a few. Her work has taken her from the Austrian Alps to Shanghai, China.
But her real love is gardening. Trained as a Master Gardener in California and Idaho, Teresa co-authored “Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Foods” with Jean Ann Van Krevelen. In fact, the two authors met on Twitter.
Teresa co-hosts the Nest in Style podcast, which airs interviews with leading garden editors, designers and book authors on iTunes. An ongoing contributor to National Home Gardening Club website, she writes regularly for Gardening How-To Magazine, Coastal Home Magazine and others. University of California Cooperative Extension and University of Idaho Extension have both featured her writing in educational materials.
Upcoming speaking engagements include:
- Idaho Botanical Garden’s “Rethinking Idaho Landscape Symposium”
- Northwest Flower and Garden Show
- Boston Flower and Garden Show
- Boise Flower and Garden Show
Thousands of gardeners and foodies know Teresa as Seasonal Wisdom. Follow her on Twitter @seasonalwisdom, Facebook Seasonal Wisdom, and her blog, Seasonal Wisdom.
