Kathy Eldon
Raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and educated at Wellesley College, Kathy Eldon has worked as a teacher, journalist, author, film and television producer in England, Africa and the United States. She and her daughter Amy Eldon Turteltaub are co-founders of Creative Visions Foundation, a global organization that supports “creative activists” who their creative talents to change the world around them. Creative Visions Foundation was inspired by the life of Kathy’s son, Dan Eldon — artist, adventurer and activist — killed in 1993 while on assignment for Reuters News Agency in Somalia. CVF has assisted more than 100 artists, filmmakers, playwrights, leaders of social movements on five continents who use media and the arts as vehicles of social change.
Kathy is also the founder of Creative Visions Productions, which produces socially conscious films, including “Dying to tell the Story”, a TBS special about about front line correspondents hosted by Amy; “Soldiers of Peace, a Children’s Crusade, a CNN film profiling the Children’s Peace Movement in Colombia, and “Global Tribe,” a cutting edge PBS series hosted by Amy featuring grass-roots creative activists. Together with Julia Roberts, Kathy is the Executive Producer of “Extraordinary Moms,” a special for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) about the power of mothers to transform the world. Included in the show are Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rosie O’Donnell, Christiane Amanpour and three less famous, not no less incredible mothers. Currently in development is “Prized Women,” a series with the Nobel Women’s Initiative about the seven living Nobel Peace Prize winners, and “State of Grace, Dying in America.”Creative Visions Productions is producing “Journey,” a feature film about Dan, directed by Bronwen Hughes (“Harriet the Spy,” “Forces of Nature,” “Stander.”)
Kathy is the author of 17 books, including “Angel Catcher,” “Soul Catcher,” and “Love Catcher” (Chronicle), a series of popular self-guided journals written with her daughter Amy Eldon that help people negotiate loss and grief, find their purpose and introduce more love in their lives. Kathy edited the acclaimed collection of Dan’s journals, “Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon” (Chronicle), and has also written a variety of popular cookbooks, eating out guides and children’s social history books. Harper One will publish her memoir in Spring 2012.
Kathy has been profiled in a number of books, including Arianna Huffington’s “On Becoming Fearless,” “Those Who Dare: Real People, Real Courage” and “Fearless Women.” Kathy was named one of MSN’s “10 Amazing Women You Have Never Heard Of,” together with Nobel Peace Prize winners Wangari Mathai and Jodi Williams. Some of her other awards include the Euro-American Women’s Council’s Artemis Goddess Award, the Way Taya Foundation’s Award and the “Young Audiences New York Children’s Award” for her work with young creative activists. Kathy was also named a Civic Ventures Purpose Prize Fellow.
Kathy hosts “Caught in the Act”, a Huffington Post video blog that features dynamic creative activists- and has herself been featured on countless television and radio programs globally, including several appearances on Oprah and a segment featuredon Oprah’s “Producer’s Favorites.” Kathy, a popular motivational speaker, has served on the board of the Overseas Press Club Foundation and is currently on the board of Video Volunteers and CALL2ACTION. She lives in Malibu next to the Dan Eldon Center for Creative Activism, a vibrant hub for individuals who want to help change their bit of the world.
