About Us

If chapter 1 was your marriage, chapter 2 is what comes after.

As we were going through our divorces, we yearned for something that was missing: A place to find trusted advice as well as others who were going through the same experience.

Along with legal and financial struggles, divorce can be alienating and lonely. Your friends may not want to talk about it, but it’s all you can think about while you’re going through it.

That’s why we created Chapter 2 Club as the place for women who are going through divorce to find all the information they need along with a community of women who understand and can offer their support.

Chapter 2 Club has been built with input from lawyers, financial advisors, divorce coaches, therapists, parenting coaches, mothers and other women who’ve been through it before.

Divorce isn’t the end of your story. It’s just the beginning of your next chapter.

Co-Founders

MATANA LEPLAE, Founder & CEO
When Matana went through her divorce, she was really struck by at how little there was out there as a vetted resource and guide to help women going through the divorce process. So she started a blog and it grew to thousands of followers and now it's ready to grow further with workshops and more community tools. Matana lives in NY and has 2 daughters and the best dog ever, named Oscar.
MALINEE CHURANAKOSES, Co-Founder & Operations
When Malinee went through her divorce, she had her older sister Matana to help navigate the world, but she still needed the support of a larger community. So she joined Matana in building out Chapter 2 Club and is often seen in many of the videos. Malinee is a mom to 2 teens, a dog mom and a cat mom and lives with this crew in San Diego.
JAIMIE SEATON, Co-Founder, Editor In Chief
As a seasoned journalist and foreign correspondent, Jaimie was an expert at collecting and analyzing information. But when her husband left her in 2012, she was completely overwhelmed by the process of divorce and subsequently made many mistakes. Jaimie has written extensively on the experience, which profoundly shaped her, and is passionate about supporting other women through their divorce journey. Jaimie has two grown children and a dog named Bailey who rules the roost.

Content Contributors

KAREN MCMAHON, Certified Divorce and Relationship Coach
Karen McMahon is a Divorce & Relationship Coach and Founder of Journey Beyond Divorce. Karen is the mother of two emerging adults, a graduate of the world’s leading coaching institute, Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and a Certified Member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
LAURIE ITKIN, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA)
Laurie Itkin is a financial advisor, wealth manager, and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA). She is also the author of the Amazon best-seller, Every Woman Should Know Her Options: Invest Your Way to Financial Empowerment. Investopedia named Ms. Itkin one of the top 100 most influential financial advisors in the country.
ELISE BUIE, Esq.
Elise Buie, Esq. is a family and divorce lawyer and founder of the Elise Buie Family Law Group. A survivor of Hurricane Katrina, her own divorce, and many dish-filled sinks piled high after lively family dinners with her husband, Doug, and their blended family of six (six!) teens and 20-somethings, Elise knows firsthand what it means to juggle work and parenting, finding balance in between, even if it means a lot of late nights.

LYNN SALADINO, PSYD
Dr. Lynn Saladino is a clinical psychologist with over 10 years of clinical experience specializing in relationships and health psychology. Using a holistic and practical approach, she guides private clients and corporations toward improved communication, confidence, and overall wellbeing. Her column, “Let’s Talk it Out” can be found bi-monthly in Health Magazine.
RICH HELLER, MSW, CPC, ELI MP
Rich Heller has a Masters in Social Work and is trained in mediation with the Center for Understanding in Conflict. He is a Certified Professional Coach, and an ELI Master Practitioner. He works with people engaged in high levels of conflict so that they can create cooperation out of conflict. Rich grew up in NYC, is a child of divorce, has been divorced and remarried.
DR. AZMAIRA MAKER, Ph.D
Azmaira Maker, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist with over twenty five years of experience and the founding director of Aspiring Families. Dr. Maker is the author of two multi-award winning books on divorce and traumatic death, and is completing her new book on pregnancy loss.

JENN LOFFT, LMFT
Jenn is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 15 years clinical experience and specializes children, teens, and families. She has guided countless children, teens, and their families through a wide range of issues and is passionate about helping people find their own best path to a joyful life.
LOUISA TRIANDIS, LCSW
Louisa Triandis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of counseling experience with families, adults, and children of all ages. She is co-author of “There’s Always Something Going Right Workbook for Implementing the Nurtured Heart Approach”.
CASSIE ZAMPA-KEIM, DATING COACH
Cassie Zampa-Keim is a renowned dating and relationship strategist, mentor, author, speaker, workshop leader, and coach. She is the founder and CEO of Innovative Match, a national relationship-services firm and author of Finding Love After 50. One of the industry's leading experts on dating, Cassie has created a new map for transforming her clients' dating lives, using decades of successful singles coaching, technological insight, intuition and commitment.