Cathleen Meredith was a writer, influencer, podcaster, public speaker, positivity ignitor, and founder of FATGIRLSDANCE™ (fatgirlsdance.com), “A Worldwide Movement Bent on Trashing Body Image Stereotypes through the Universal Language of DANCE.” Launched to viral success in 2016, Cathleen and her movement were the subject of a short film created by Dove Real Beauty Productions and Shonda Rhimes, and featured on NBC Today, The Real TV Daytime show, Essence, Healthline, HelloGiggles, MicMedia, Vogue Italia and more. A prolific writer, she was the author of The Truth About Eve and Other Excuses for Neurotic Behavior in Your 20s and the posthumously published novel Fat Girls Dance, as well as plays including Aunts, Forgotten, The Infinites, and The Groomsman. She was the CEO and founder of CM Creative Labs, and throughout her career developed several free performing arts programs, such as Harlem’s first teen Shakespeare Festival in partnership with Classic Theatre of Harlem. Originally from Sacramento, California, she lived with her fiancée in New York City until her untimely death in February 2024.