Brooke Shannon

Brooke Shannon is the Executive Director and founder of Wait Until 8th. She lives in Austin with her husband Michael and three daughters. Brooke has a Master's in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University and B.A. in Political Science and Communications from the University of Miami.

Brooke works with parents and communities across the country to help families establish a healthy relationship with technology. She is a national speaker on how to parent in the digital arena and has given keynotes to the American Enterprise Institute, and numerus schools and churches. 

She also is a resource to the media. She has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC national news, NPR, and CNN Headline News.

Jessica blacklock

Jessica Blacklock lives in Austin with her husband, Jimmy, and three daughters.  She is a corporate lawyer and co-founder of Potts Blacklock Senterfitt, PLLC.  Jessica received her law degree from The University of Texas School of Law, and also received a bachelor of business administration from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.

As a lawyer working with start-ups, Jessica knows that smartphone and tablet technology is a critical driver of innovation. As a busy working mom, she uses tech to increase her efficiency and give her more time with her family.  But Jessica sees how easily children turn into zombies in front of a smartphone or tablet.  Jessica believes we can balance the advantages of technology with protecting our children’s development.  And through Wait Until 8th, she wants to empower other parents who feel the same way.

Megan Whitley

Megan Whitley lives in Austin with her husband, David, and their two young children. Megan Whitley joins Wait Until 8th with more than a decade of digital public relations and public affairs experience across agencies, consumer brands and political campaigns. She spent three years in an Austin technology startup (acquiring ‘grit’) and currently holds the position of Director of Social Media for GOSMiLE.

Whitley’s abiding love for her two young children, and her many years of immersion in online media and advertising has culminated in her compelling desire to devote herself to driving the mission of Wait Until 8th forward. Whitley holds a BA in Communication Management from the University of Denver. Whitley loves playing tennis, exploring the outdoors with her children, and relishes date nights with David.

Ben Cannatti

As a husband, father of four children, and native Austinite, Ben Cannatti’s heart is bent toward service. He brings to The Wait Until 8th board over 20 years of experience of designing and creating organizations and operations to raise awareness, influence opinion, build consensus, and impact policy decisions all across the United States. Ben’s company, Caleb Consulting is a full service political, communications, and advocacy firm built on the premise of serving and leading well. The firm has a unique combination of local, state, and national experience developed through creating advocacy and engagement strategies for clients in the political, public policy, and corporate arenas.

DR. CATHERINE STEINER-ADAIR

Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair is an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, school consultant and award winning author.

Author of the award-winning book, The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age, Dr. Steiner-Adair examines ways in which the wonders of technology and media also change how children learn and grow, and shows parents and educators how to reap the benefits of tech while reducing the risks it poses at every stage of child development. In The Big Disconnect (cited as a Wall Street Journal TOP 10 Best Non-Fiction 2013) and in her work internationally as a speaker and consultant, Dr. Steiner-Adair identifies digital age challenges for parents and educators, and ways to strengthen children’s social and emotional development to help them grow to be responsible, resilient, confident, and capable young adults.

Naomi Schaefer Riley

Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute focusing on issues regarding child welfare as well as a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. She also writes about parenting, higher education, religion, philanthropy and culture.

She is a former columnist for the New York Post and a former Wall Street Journal editor and writer, as well as the author of seven books, including, "Be the Parent, Please: Stop Banning Seesaws and Start Banning Snapchat: Strategies for Solving the Real Parenting Problems."

In Be the Parent, Please, Naomi draws from her experience as a mother of three and delves into the latest research on the harmful effects that excessive technology usage has on a child’s intellectual, social, and moral formation.

Sarah SieGand 

Sarah Siegand is a wife and mother of two boys living in Nashville, TN. In 2015, she and her husband Jesse started an online safety campaign called “Parents Who Fight,” a response to some troubling situations involving her sons’ classmates stumbling upon dangerous content online. Sarah is passionate about helping parents protect kids online through parent workshops, webinars, and in-home tech consultations.

Parents Who Fight aims to give practical tools to parents so they feel equipped and inspired to prepare their children for a life of wisdom and boundaries in the digital age. As a mom, Sarah has been grateful for the way her sons (tween and teen) have chosen to embrace the idea of delaying smartphones and social media until high school. 

ariella Feldman

As a mother of two, and former tech executive, Ariella partnered with Wait Until 8th because she is passionate about changing the way children grow up with technology.

In December 2021, she left META after four years where she ran a team responsible for video products across Facebook and Instagram. Before that, she started her own venture backed business at the intersection of technology, media and commerce (Violet Grey) that was recently acquired by FarFetch.

As a Harvard Law School graduate, she practiced law briefly at a white shoe firm before switching to technology with her first job as a Product Manager for a skyrocketing e-commerce start up.

Joe Clement & Matt Miles

With a combined 30 years of experience improving education in Northern Virginia, Joe Clement and Matt Miles are passionate about supporting and advocating for students’ best interests. They have taught government, psychology, political science and world history. They are coaches and mentors who care deeply about students and their education.

Matt and Joe also are co-authors of Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber. On a mission to educate and empower parents, they provide many real-world examples and cite multiple studies showing how technology use has created a wide range of cognitive and social deficits in our young people. 

Josh Golin

Josh Golin is Executive Director of the FairPlay, which educates the public about commercialism's impact on kids' wellbeing and advocates for the end of child-targeted marketing.  FairPlay is the home of  the Children’s Screen Time Action Network, a coalition of practitioners and educators working to promote a healthy childhood by reducing the amount of time kids spend with devices.  

Josh's media appearances include Today, NPR, Good Morning America, and Fox and Friends. Josh’s daughter Clara is a vocal advocate for limited screen time who is not shy about reminding her parents that she is infinitely more interesting and important than the content on their devices.

mark soohoo 

Mark SooHoo and his wife Annie are organizing Wait Until 8th efforts in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette. He has nearly 25 years of marketing, communications, and digital experience leading teams at Health Action Alliance, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Ventec Life Systems, and agencies, including Edelman and Burson. While he is passionate about the power of social media and digital tools, he believes parents should carefully consider the benefits and downsides of constant smartphone access, which is why his family has taken the Wait Until 8th pledge.

ELAINE TRULL 

Elaine Trull is a native of Austin, graduated from the University of Texas and is a full-time mom. She and her husband, Asa, have two children. Elaine has observed that young minds are like sponges; they are wildly curious, but lack discernment. Elaine believes our children deserve the opportunity for their minds to be filled with all the wonder this world has to offer, free from the dangers of the internet, predators and the snares technology uniquely provides. Without the distraction of a smartphone, children can foster relationships, build communication skills and grow their imagination - priceless assets for life.

becky cover

Becky Cover lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters. Becky has a B.A. in Psychology from UC Davis and a Masters of Education/Teaching Credential from UC Santa Barbara. Over the past 15 years, Becky has taught students ranging from 2nd to 8th grade. She is on the Executive Board of her local schools’ community foundation and is a School Ambassador for ScreenSense.org, a community-based resource to support families and educators creating a healthy relationship with tech. As a parent and an educator, Becky values the upsides of technology, but believes that smartphones can have downsides for children and their developing brains. She is excited to mobilize Wait Until 8th in her community.

gretchen shanahan

Gretchen Shanahan lives in Overland Park, Kansas, with her husband and two children. As a digital wellness educator and coach, she enjoys the transformational experience of bringing families from feeling anxious and defeated to ease and confidence in their screen use.  

Through her commitment to digital wellness and advocacy, she collaborates with other like-minded professionals advocating for child protection related to digital media and marketing. Gretchen encourages parents to trust their instincts and join other intentional parents in protecting the childhood all children deserve.

Janine McKenna

Janine McKenna is a credentialed school counselor and teacher who has worked with middle school students in Los Angeles County for more than ten years.  She holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts, a master’s degree in Counseling and is a member of the California Association of School Counselors.   

Seeing her own students struggle with social media and technology, Janine first came to Wait Until 8th as a concerned parent and signed the pledge. Janine is excited to serve as a local voice to support parents as they strive to make informed decisions that align with their values.  She lives with her husband and their two children in Los Angeles. 

Teresa Cook

A Massachusetts native, Teresa lives in the suburbs of Boston with her husband and two young daughters. Holding a BS in Psychology and an MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, she works as an executive and team coach in her role as a Talent Development Consultant for a Big Four Accounting Firm. 

Teresa believes research is clear on the negative impact smartphones can have on children and adults alike. As a result, she is devoted to making a smartphone-free childhood a possibility for all of the children in her community. 

carmen beck 

Carmen Beck lives in the Austin area in Lakeway with her husband and two daughters. She actively participates in her children’s elementary school community as a member of the PTO board. Professionally, she works in marketing and development for a pediatric research nonprofit consortium and conference.

After thoroughly researching the effects of smartphones and social media on both children and adults, she was resolute in her decision to sign the Wait Until 8th pledge for her family. Now, she is committed to supporting and empowering families in the Lakeway community who have also embraced the pledge. Let’s delay, Lakeway!

Pamela Boccia

Pamela Boccia has taught high school for more than 15 years. Having witnessed first-hand the impact of smartphones and social media on her students, she believes strongly in the social, emotional, and academic benefits of delaying and limiting smartphones and social media. Pamela has a B.A. in English and an M. Ed. in Secondary English Education from Rutgers University, as well as a certification in Special Education from New Jersey City University. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children in Cranford, New Jersey.

Keri Langerman

Keri Langerman is a costume designer working in film and television. Through this work,  Keri has seen first-hand the power of bringing people from different backgrounds together. These experiences drive her passion for community-building that is centered on inclusion and belonging.

Through listening to personal stories of parents who regret giving their children smartphones and reading about the negative impacts of early exposure to social media on children, Keri was moved to take the WU8th pledge. Keri is now dedicated to supporting families who have taken the WU8th pledge in her area.

Keri lives in Fairfield, CT where she and her husband are raising their two children.

Summit, New Jersey Local Voices

Amy, Jacqui, Jodi, Traci and Samantha reside in Summit, NJ, and are moms to 13 elementary and preschool-aged children in the Summit school district. They came together with the shared belief that they must collectively delay smartphones and social media for their kids in order to preserve their childhoods and protect their emotional and physical well-being. These women are providing local parents with the support needed to confidently make the decision to delay smartphones and social media for their children. They have seen an incredibly positive response from the Summit community!