Who We Are
Career Puppy, Inc. is a career development and networking company designed to provide a unique web based service to assist youth and career-transitioning individuals in finding rich, fulfilling careers through inspiration and innovation.
Career Puppy produces all of its career videos. We hand pick individuals who are passionate and successful in their careers and have a compelling story to tell. All of the people we interview are committed to serving as a resource for others who are finding their path, and making their mark.
The Leadership
Gwen Schiada, Psy.D. President and Co-Founder. Dr. Schiada is a Clinical Psychologist and originator of the concept behind Career Puppy, Inc. Throughout her career she has been passionate about utilizing the positive power of media as a tool to improve people’s lives. Dr. Schiada has worked in the federal government, university, non-profit and corporate sectors on critical topics related to positive youth development and community change.
Dr. Schiada is recognized as a dynamic national trainer who has facilitated multi-media workshops with hundreds of students, parents and educators to help them become effective agents of change in their own lives. She has also served as a guest expert on a number of television, web and radio programs including CNN and PBS. Dr. Schiada’s passion for helping people reach their potential stems from her own experience as a struggling, high-risk adolescent with dormant dreams who went from a GED to a Ph.D. level education. She recognizes, from both a clinical and personal perspective, the power that exposure to opportunity, connection to mentors and having the tools to get from here to there can have in changing the trajectory of one’s life. Her mission is to provide those same resources to others through Career Puppy, Inc.
Dr. Schiada is originally from the small beach community of Santa Barbara, California and now lives on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland with her husband Aric and their dog Bailey. She serves as an elected council woman for the small town of North Beach and is committed to maintaining its rare beauty and strong sense of community.
Stephanie Cosby, RN, BSN, MPH, Vice President & Co-founder. Ms. Cosby is a public health professional who brings a rich educational and occupational background to Career Puppy with a unique combination of media expertise and a keen understanding of sociological and health issues. She has lead media projects focused on public health issues affecting youth and has won several national awards for health promotion video programs.
Her career path has been anything but a straight line. As a teen, she didn’t have a clear sense of what she wanted to be when she grew up. But while attending the University of Florida she discovered her love of film and video. After graduation she worked in Hollywood at The Post Group, an industry leader in video post-production. However, she had a nagging desire to help people, not just entertain them, so she left Hollywood to begin work on her nursing degree. After completing her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Emory University she worked for over 10 years in various aspects of nursing; all the while looking to wed her expertise in media with health promotion. The result is Career Puppy; a cutting-edge resource that empowers people to find their career passion, and in doing so improve their emotional and mental well-being.
Ms. Cosby recently graduated from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with her Masters of Public Health and a certificate in Healthcare Communications. Her studies focused on behavioral change, communication strategies and working with special populations. Building Career Puppy is her way of practicing the school motto of “Protecting Health, Saving Lives …Millions at a Time".
Ms. Cosby grew up on the island of Key West, Florida and currently lives on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland with her husband Gary and their two dogs Ripley and Hudson. She serves on the North Beach Planning and Zoning Commission and is active in the Rotary Club of Northern Calvert and the Bay Business Group.
The Advisory Board
Karen Francis, M.A. Ph.D. Candidate. Area of expertise: mental health and cultural competence. Karen was born and raised in Jamaica, West Indies. She grew up in a racially and ethnically diverse family and community, an experience that she feels has been a real gift and an asset that has prepared her for life. “I grew up in a very diverse environment providing exposure to foods, traditions and customs that have served to open my mind and contribute to the person I am today.†At the age of sixteen Karen came to United States to enter college. Karen is a Senior Research Analyst at American Institutes for Research (AIR). She also serves as the on-site consultant on Cultural and Linguistic Competency to the Child Adolescent and Family Branch (CAFB), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), _Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS. In her role on SAMHSA’s Disparities Workgroup she provides support and guidance in addressing racial/ethnic disparities. She lives in Washington, DC with her son.
John Marston, Ph.D. Area of expertise: education. Dr. Marston has over thirty five years of experience as a special education teacher, special education principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and as a central office administrator of alternative school programs and character education. For fifteen years he has been an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia, the George Washington University, and currently with the Johns Hopkins University. He has presented at a broad range of professional conferences and led professional development workshops in a wide range of subject areas specializing in the areas of behavior management, social skills, and professional renewal. In addition to his skills in behavior management, instruction, and teacher training, areas of expertise include facilitation and problem solving for working groups, recognizing the diversity of abilities, styles of individual group members, and conflict resolution.
Deborah O’Neal, MBA. Area of expertise: corporate culture and human resources. Ms. O’Neal is an executive in Accenture’s Strategy Practice. She has more than 13 years of experience helping global businesses achieve strategic objectives through enterprise transformation, culture and change management, and organizational design. She has vast experience in enabling change and driving results during major events such as a merger, transformation, restructuring or major cost reduction initiative. In addition, she has served as an executive recruiter as well as advised small firms on talent management initiatives. Prior to joining Accenture and following graduate school, Ms. O’Neal worked for CSC Index, Korn/Ferry International, THINKologies, and her own consulting firm, Newgrange Solutions. A native of Atlanta, she lives there with her husband and daughter.
Rajiv Rimal, Ph.D. Area of expertise: risk perception and risk communication. Dr. Rimal is an Associate Professor and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society. He studies how individuals process health information, particularly information dealing with various risk factors. Dr. Rimal's research also focuses on the influence of societal norms on individuals' behaviors. He recently concluded work on a number of projects designed reduce HIV infection in various countries in Africa, including Malawi, Uganda, and Ethiopia. His research adopts a social cognitive theory framework in understanding and changing individuals’ behaviors across a variety of health domains, including behaviors pertaining to HIV prevention, skin cancer prevention, and substance use. Dr. Rimal grew up in Nepal, but currently lives in Baltimore with his wife and daughter.
Arianne Schumacher, Student. Area of expertise: media and youth perspective. Miss Schumacher is a senior in the University Honors Program at San Diego State University studying Communication and Television, Film and New Media. Her youth perspective is an invaluable asset for CareerPuppy.com™. During her college experience, she has functioned as a resident advisor and peer counselor providing mentorship to over 600 freshmen and has seen first-hand the consequences of drug and alcohol use by students who lacked direction in their lives. Even before graduation from college, she has acted as a consultant for successful public relations campaigns and led a team that developed a youth targeted website for the United Way/Combined Health Agencies “CHAD†Campaign of Southern California.
