Meet Our 2024 Speakers

Carrie Wata of House H2O, the First of her Name, Queen of the Ocean and Protector of the 7 Seas, Mother of Fish and breaker of Pollution!

The fun and charismatic founder of Afro Mermaid and sponsor of MerMagic Con is on a mission to break barriers in the black community. Attend her panel sessions and don’t forget to stop by her booth to learn how you can attend the Afro Mermaid Summit this summer.

Attend Carrie’s Session:
– Diversity and Representation in Mermaiding
Award Winning Underwater Photographer Brett Stanley is an internationally published artist known for his crisp and clean portraits of people underwater.

This touchstone of the mermaid world teaches underwater photography around the world and is returning to MerMagic Con to offer private underwater photoshoots as well as a new seminar for models and photographers alike.

Attend Brett’s Sessions:
– Book a photoshoot
– Underwater Photography for Mermaids
Mermaid Sparkles is a professional mermaid from Little Rock, Arkansas. She is best known for her work in the Netflix Documentary Series, Merpeople. She is a certified PADI Mermaid Instructor, Freediver, and scuba diver. Sparkles holds the title of Miss Mermaid Arkansas 2019-2023, and Sea Queen of Arkansas 2023.

With 20 years of ballet, 25 years of theater, and a decade of underwater practices under her belt she is a seasoned entertainer. She started mermaiding recreationally in the early 2000s, and started to work as a mermaid professionally in 2014. She currently performs with the renowned mermaid performance troupe, Circus Siren Pod. When she’s not performing with CSP, you can find her swimming at the Blue Zoo aquarium in Rogers, Arkansas.

Attend Sparkles’s Session:
– Underwater grace & poise
Mermaid Brizo has been performing since 2018. Brizo makes regular appearances at Jenkinson’s Aquarium in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ and she is a Circus Siren Pod performer. Brizo is an underwater performer but swims up to the mainland to offer Edu-tainment with conservation originzations, including NY/NJ Baykeeper, The Watershed Institute, The Sustainable Princeton Greenfest, and Save Barnegate Bay. 

Attend Brizo’s Sessions:
– Mermaid Brizo’s Ocean Show
– Ocean Trivia Game
Anatoliy is a founder and lead instructor at the www.MermaidSwimClub.org where he is a PADI Mermaid Instructor, Freediver Instructor, PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer.

Attend Anatoliy’s Session:
Complete Mermaid Safety
Yamê is a RYT® 200 Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher, a YOGABODY® Breathing Coach, a belly dance instructor with over 16 years’ experience, a current member of Circus Siren Pod and a professional mermaid for more than 5 years, with experience performing in aquarium tanks in addition to the following qualifications:
– NAUI Mermaid Level 1 Certification
– NAUI Freediver Certification
– SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Certification

Yamê has a passion for learning, teaching and empowering clients with the tools they need to reach their goals while creating peace and joy for themselves, from the inside out.

Attend Yame’s Sessions:
Breathwork for Mermaids
Cetea has been a professional mermaid since 2018 and with the Circus Siren Pod since 2021. She has SSI scuba, PADI freediving, and NAUI lvl 2 mermaid certifications, and has built her weight belt workshop around these disciplines and her years of experience working as a mermaid.

Attend Cetea’s Session:
– Weight belt basics
Nicole Zelek is an outspoken dive professional committed to making tangible change and improving safety within the diving industry. She is the founder of innovative NYC dive school SuperDive, nonprofit organization dedicated to “Underwater 4 All”, and new-wave training agency AQUAP. In her spare time, she pioneers the field of underwater kink as “the Sirenatrix”. Nicole invites others to question and reimagine diving norms to co-create a future where safe underwater recreation and connection to water are reclaimed as crucial human rights – not luxuries.

Learn more by visiting the NAUI and AQUAP sponsor booths in the Vendor Hall

Attend Nicole’s Sessions:
NAUI Mermaid Certification – Level 1

AQUAP training and Certification
–  The Risks That Weren’t Covered: Mermaiding Safety
Leigh Targaryen is a Maryland based mermaid and member of the Circus Siren Pod. Before she grew her tail, she has been a dancer, choreographer, instructor, and costume designer.

Attend Leigh’s Children’s Session:
– Dancing in an Octopus’s Garden
– Mer-movement 
Mermaid Chè Monique is a DC area based mermaid performer, model and MERtivational speaker. Being a mermaid was a lifelong dream of Chè’s and mermaiding is her way of reminding the world that anything is possible. Chè Monique’s high glam images spread messages of body positivity and defy stereotypes in a fun and celebratory way. Chè creates uplifting and motivational videos found on her YouTube channel.

Chè Monique is the founder of Society of Fat Mermaids, a size inclusive clothing line and celebratory community. You can find Mermaid Chè Monique online at www.mermaidchemonique.com

Attend Chè’s Sessions:
– Diversity in Mermaiding (Panel)
– Fat Mermaids Make Waves (Panel)
Becky is a special effects makeup artist and silicone prosthetic sculptor. She graduated from cinema makeup school in Los Angeles and has over 15yrs of costuming and character entertaining experience. Her work has been featured nationwide in a variety of  magazines and media outlets.

Attend Becky’s Sessions:
– Intro to Working With Silicone (With Take Home Dragonskin Mercessory)
Graceanne Taylor, Mermaid Brizo, has many skills in water and loves to swim as a mermaid but has a life passion for education. She has been a professional mermaid for 5 years and an informal environmental educator for over 10 years. Graceanne studied marine science at a vocational high school and went on to receive a bachelors of science in marine science from Stony brook University. Through the lens of her mermaid performance, she strives to empower people and mers alike to use education as a tool to help our planet.

Attend Brizo’s Sessions:
– Ocean Trivia Game
– Mermaid Brizo’s Ocean Show
Mermaid Charlotte has been an aquatic performer since 2017. She is a member of the Circus Siren Pod’s elite performance team – the Atlanteans, performing in casinos, at festivals, international venues, and event appearing on magazine covers.

In 2018 she began repairing, altering, and doing general maintenance work for the pods’ tails, eventually branching out on her own to repair tails for mermaids across the country. You can visit Mermaid Charlotte at her booth, The Siren’s Surgeon, in the vendor hall to discuss repairs or alterations to you tail.

Attend Charlotte’s Sessions:
– Intro to Tail Repair
– Tail Repair Clinic (Bring your tail for basic repairs, take-home repair kit included)
Helena The Mermaid is a professional mermaid and artist, who enjoys sharing with others the joy of making art and crafts with others. She teaches others no matter your experience, level, or abilities you can find comfort and peace with art.

Attend Helena’s Sessions:
– Fun with water: watercolor for beginners.
Nicole is a professional jack of all trades. As a professional circus artist to mermaiding in tanks! She has performed in different arenas and stages, learning the tricks and trades along the way! Nicole specializes in getting it done, be it the hands on hard work, to the booking and negotiations of gigs, to building relationships with companies and clients! She has made major moves in the short 3 years of her professional career!

Attend Nicole’s Sessions:
– Book that Gig!
In just the short span of 3 years Merman Andy has professionally performed in over 5 countries, won the International Competition, King and Queen of the Seas, become an Official Mertailor Ambassador as well as the first Merman on the Official PADI Mermaid Team. Alongside PADI, Merman Andy works to preserve and reforest kelp forests in and around Southern California. Merman Andy is also the co-owner of Merfolk Media a new content creating company based in Southern California that has worked for some of this biggest Mer-people in the industry, two short films, and The California Mermaid Convention.

Attend Andy’s Session:
– Content Creation with Merman Andy
– Diversity and Representation in Mermaiding
Cassie was born into a traveling dance company and started performing as soon as she could walk. She has performed all over the world putting together sets, coreography, costumes, and makeup. She is convinced her life is a musical. If she’s not being a mermaid, you can find her dancing.

Attend Cassie’s Session:
– Intro to Dance: Movements for MerPeople
Izriella has been a professional mermaid performer with the Circus Siren Pod for 7 years. With experience performing at corporate events, casinos, travel tanks, aquariums, and Renaissance fairs. I’m advanced open water scuba certified, free diving certified, CPR/First Aid certified.

Izriella began mermaiding in Aquariums in 2016 and quickly joined the Circus Siren Pod the following year, becoming one of the original Atlantians and debuting at Harrah’s casino. Possessing a breath hold of over 3 minutes, both freediving and lifeguarding certifications, this siren of the deep specializes in bringing her unique dark etheral underwater grace to captivate audiences at the Pennsylvania, Carolina, and West Virginia, Renaissance Fairs, earning her the nickname “The Abyssal Siren”.

After 2 years perfecting her underwater performance she now teaches “Intro to Mermaiding” for both kids and adults at the largest mermaiding convention in the world. An avid CHOW convention attendee Izriella’s future endeavors are set on focusing her efforts on marine conservation, protection, and education to our coastal homes in the years to come.

Attend Izriella’s Session:
– Intro to Mermaiding for Adults
Tiffany Beckler has been doing Makeup, Hair, Bodypainting and Mermaiding for over a decade! You might have seen Tiffany Win First place in the underwater challenge on season 3 of Body Painting show SkinWars! Now Tiffany has devoted her work into creating innovative waterproof cosmetics for cosplayers, entertainers, professional makeup artists and mermaids!

Attend Tiffany’s Session:
– Waterproof Fantasy Makeup

Eagle Scout, Licensed Boat Captain, former community theater actor, pirate re-enactor  and most importantly Head MerWrangler for the Circus Siren Pod, Capt. Randy Ironman is one of the leads for the Operations Team at MerMagic Con.

Attend Randy’s Sessions:
– Merwrangling 101
– Merwrangling 201
Founder and Owner of MerMagic Con, Morgana is also the creator of the Circus Siren Pod, a world renown team of international mermaid performers.

Morgana began mermaiding in 2012 as an additional skill to add to her robust portfolio of circus arts. By 2015 her mermaiding bookings surpassed those of her primary art form, aerial dance, and became her new focus. In 2016 Morgana founded the Circus Siren Pod, the mermaid arm of her company Circus Siren Entertainment.

Morgana has installed annual tank shows in Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, with more sates coming in 2023. A recognized expert in the budding field of Mermaid Tanks, she also teaches an online seminar on how to create an manage a mobile tank show and is the only Mermaid-educator ever to be invited to present at DEMA.

Today Morgana’s work is featured across the globe in articles from the Washington Post, CNN, and Netflix in addition to her company’s and live events.

(Morgana is available for press interviews. Please email mermagiccon@gmail.com to schedule)

Attend Morgana’s Session:
– Mermaid Mentoring Coffee Q&A
Alexis Jennings is a professional mermaid that is apart of the renown Circus Siren Pod and is decorated with several marketing business competition wins, a strong social media presence, a background in color theory and the consumer mind, a small business owner, a life long performer in dance even making an appearance with Spirit of America Productions in the 90th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Alexis has a Bachelors of Science in Marketing along with a minor in Entrepreneurship and is currently finishing up her MBA.

Attend Alexis’s Sessions:
– Marketing for Mermaids
– Tricks in Tails
The powerhouse team from SUBMERGE returns with a unique set of underwater modeling experiences offered year round in diverse and unique aquatic environments. From our themed studio pool sets, to the untamed beauty of the Florida Springs, and the grandeur of warm tropical ocean waters, we’ll take you on a submersive modeling adventure unlike any other.

Attend Submerge Underwater’s Sessions:
Book your Photoshoot
J. B. Spector is a self-published author of The Mer-Prince Adventures and calls the Philadelphia area his home. He began writing in high school and has been supported by his friends, family, and fans through every step of the journey. As a pediatric physical therapist by profession, he enjoys helping children explore their environment through the use of their imagination. He hopes that Thomas’s story will be spread across the world and that children and adults of all ages will enjoy his adventures.

Meet J.B. Spector at his booth in the vendor hall or attend his session:
– Author Reading from Mer-Prince Adventures
Laura Jones is a mermaid entertainer based out of Central Maryland. She manages her family’s dive operation, SOS Diving, and has over a decade of mermaid experience. She is a scuba diving and mermaid instructor through PADI, an Emergency First Response Instructor, and an active public safety diver with her local fire department.

Visit the S.O.S diving booth in the vendor hall and attend Laura’s Sessions:
– Building your e-MER-gency kit
MerPreneur and CEO of MerMapp, Corinna Schwozer (aka “Coraluna”, born and raised in Germany) stumbled upon a MerTailor mermaid festival in Crystal River/Florida, winning her first merOutfit as Miss Crystal River Mermaid in 2019.

From there it didn’t take long for her to see the beauty, empowerment and freedom that mermaiding brings to people and nature.

Using her background in Psychology, UI/UX design and product management, she decided to hire her own developer team and dive into creating MerMapp, an app for everything mermaid – investing her own money, time and passion next to juggling a full-time job. By now the team has grown, adding her husband and graphic designer, Julio Sanchez-Bello, the community manager MedeaMermaid and nobody less than Andy the MerKing as MerMapp’s new representative to join her in this venture to create a global, modern, fun platform to connect mers all over the world and contribute to saving our oceans.

Attend Corinna’s Session:
– MerMapp – Connecting Mers Globally
Merfolk Nettles has been involved in the LARP and Tabletop Roleplaying communities for over a decade. They professionally hosted Dungeons and Dragons games and designed LARP games in Ohio before moving to the DC area. They enjoy costuming, art, and have an interest in both magical and native wildlife.

Attend Nettles DnD sessions:
– Dice in the Deep