Scott Fried is an award-winning educator, international speaker, and writer. As a person living with HIV for over 37 years, he survived that 20th-century HIV/AIDS pandemic, where his HIV/AIDS support group became the inspiration for the Broadway musical RENT. Scott's work spotlights the adolescent years, shining a powerful message of love, self-respect and mental wellness. He is the author of four books, including his newest, How to Raise an Elegant Teen: The ABCs of Gen Z Parenting. He is a visiting professor at Colby College where he teaches a popular class called “AIDS and the Meaning of Life.”  He also teaches American history to non-verbal autistic adults and offers one-on-one behavioral coaching to teens, parents, and couples. For half the year, he leads civil rights tours through the American South, focusing on tools for social action, voter rights, and the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. He resides in New York City with his spirited beagle, Galileo.