National Eating Disorders Association Gala 2026

JENNETTE MCCURDY

Jennette McCurdy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose unflinching honesty and dark humor have made her one of the most compelling literary voices of her generation. On January 20, 2026, she released her highly anticipated fiction debut Half His Age, which immediately became an international bestseller. The novel follows 17-year-old Waldo as she enters into a relationship with her high school teacher, exploring themes of female rage, power, desire, and agency with McCurdy's signature dark humor and unflinching honesty. 
 
In 2022, McCurdy made publishing history with her memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, which stayed at #1 on the NYT bestseller list for eight consecutive weeks, remained on the list for 90 weeks, and has sold over 3 million copies. 
 
In addition to her impressive literary resume, Jennette is an accomplished creator. She has written and directed multiple short films including Strong Independent Women and Kenny, which was featured on Short of the Week and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the Florida Film Festival. Her works have also been published in the Huffington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and The Hollywood Reporter. She is currently adapting Half His Age, which she is attached to direct.
 
As a result of her accolades, Jennette has been honored as part of Adweek's 2023 Creative 100, celebrating the most innovative and visionary talent across marketing, media, and culture, as well as with an inclusion in the 2022 TIME100 Next list, a compilation of emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. 

Kristina Saffran

Since recovering from anorexia as a teenager, Kristina has been on a mission to ensure that all families have access to eating disorder treatment that works. Kristina Saffran is the co-founder and CEO of Equip, a virtual program that delivers modern eating disorder treatment through evidence-based care that promises lasting recovery at home. Prior to Equip, Kristina founded Project HEAL, a leading grassroots eating disorder non-profit dedicated to treatment access. Kristina is an Ashoka Fellow, a Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneur, and an honoree on Inc.’s Female Founders 100, Fortune’s 40 under 40, and INSIDER’s 30 under 40 in Healthcare recognition lists. Kristina graduated from Harvard College with a bachelor's degree in psychology.