Balance – Meet the Team
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Nana K. Twumasi
VP and Publisher, Balance
My 20-year (and counting) path through the industry has taken me from an independent children’s book publisher in Minneapolis, Minnesota to John Wiley & Sons, and on to Callisto Media, where I built a self-help and trade-psychology publishing program from the ground up. I acquire books on health and wellness inside and out, for all the spaces life occupies, in all the forms and shapes it takes. I’m proud to have worked with such authors as Dr. William W. Li (Eat to Beat Your Diet), Dr. Georgia Ede (Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind), Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum (The Nurture Revolution), Aja Barber (Consumed), Courtney B. Vance & Dr. Robin L. Smith (The Invisible Ache). I am also the current editor of the Octavia E. Butler franchise at Grand Central Publishing. As a Publisher, I keep market analysis and consumers’ needs at the forefront of Balance’s publishing program. As an editor, I seek out a diverse range of authors whose work is steeped in research, education, and innovation — and who are dedicated to helping people be the best version of themselves.
Renée Sedliar
Editorial Director
I was that kid who spent a lot of time rewriting endings to books or plotting sequels (#alwaysaneditor); I’ve been at my one true love for nearly thirty years, with pitstops at HarperSanFrancisco (now HarperOne), Marlowe & Co., Da Capo Lifelong, Seal Press, and Hachette Books/Go. I gravitate toward practical, prescriptive nonfiction that helps readers identify a core issue/need/concern in their own life, and then bravely and concretely meets it head on. And that’s everything from trauma, grief, health and wellness (broadly construed!), self-help (also broadly construed!) to healthy food and cooking. Some of the books I’ve worked on over the years include Carleigh Bodrug’s #1 New York Timesbestselling PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking; Schuyler Bailar’s award-winning He/She/They: How We Talk about Gender and Why It Matters; Heather Corinna’s What Fresh Hell Is This: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You; Mia Birdsong’s How We Show Up, Phoebe Lapine’s SIBO Made Simple; Stephanie Sarkis, PhD’s Gaslighting; and Annie Sklaver Orenstein’s Always A Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner’s Guide to Grief. When I’m not nose down in a manuscript, you’ll find me in the air at San Francisco’s Circus Center or just strolling the glorious 7×7.
Diana Ventimiglia
Executive Editor, Balance
Ever since reading Norma Jean Jumping Bean, I’ve been obsessed with the power of books and their ability to help people feel seen. I remember following that kangaroo from home to school and finally not feeling alone in my own journey of fitting in. So, it’s no surprise that I knew I needed to establish a career in Publishing. For the last 17 years my passion has been working with authors who speak to the diversity of our lived experiences. I’m drawn to strong voices in spirituality, identity & sexuality, relationships, psychology, mental health, female empowerment, and LGBTQ+ rights. I believe that everyone has a story to tell and lessons to share, and the best part of my job is partnering with incredible individuals who are dedicated to starting bigger conversations and inspiring individual and collective healing. I truly couldn’t imagine doing anything else! When I’m not working with authors, you’ll find me working through the 5 plus books on my nightstand and yelling at my cat, Phillip, to stop knocking things off the shelf. But he’s so cute!
Alexandra Hernandez
Senior Publicist, Balance
I’ve long described myself as a reader. My penchant for the literary world started as an obsession with the works of exemplary female writers like Jane Austen and Nora Ephron. You could say my role as a book publicist is a dream job. I began my career at a boutique public relations firm in Washington, D.C. running media campaigns for policymakers, world leaders, and nonprofits alike. When I made the decision to pivot to the publishing industry, Balance emerged as the perfect blend of my passion for books and my strength as a third person narrator. I work closely with our expert authors to launch vital books into the hands of communities that reflect and celebrate the diversity of our society and culture today. I’ve had the privilege of working on books from groundbreaking leaders such as Dr. Jenny T. Wang and Khnum ‘Stic’ Ibomu. My continued goal is to position Balance and our authors as the leading voice on radically practical, inclusive advice across health, wellness, spirituality, business, leadership, and lifestyle genres.
Natalie Bautista
Assistant Editor, Balance
After graduating college with a B.A. in English Creative Writing, and taking a detour through a few other professional industries, I began my publishing career at NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute. I interned at both Folio Literary Management and Catapult, before joining Balance in 2021. I support Nana Twumasi and have assisted on a wide range of titles from Dr. William Li’s bestselling Eat to Beat Your Diet to The Invisible Ache by Courtney B. Vance and Dr. Robin L. Smith. I have now started building my own list with the recent acquisition of Siblinghood by Minaa B.
I am passionate about perspectives that reflect the nuanced, in-between spaces that many of us occupy, and believe we can only be the best versions of ourselves when we honor and nurture these diverse facets of who we are. Editorially, I’m looking for inclusive, accessible resources within the health and wellness space, and I’m drawn to projects that seek to meet the reader wherever they are on their journey (because it’s never linear!). I’m particularly interested in women’s health, mental health & psychology, identity & sexuality, creativity, as well as fresh approaches to relationships and dating.
Jessica McKenzie
Editorial Assistant, Balance
A lifelong storyteller and bookworm, I was fourteen when I first learned what an editorial assistant was – and I immediately thought, Those are the coolest people in the world. From that moment, I knew I was meant to work in publishing. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023, I moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in publishing at NYU. During the program, I interned at Wunderkind PR, Tessler Literary Agency, and Thompson Literary Agency. I’m thrilled to have landed at Balance, assisting Renee Sedliar and Diana Ventimiglia in bringing refreshing, inspiring practical nonfiction into the world.