Deborah Finkelstein has presented on storytelling at NOW & IEEE’s national conferences, and trained over 100 TEDx speakers. She teaches at Northern Virginia Community College and runs Fireworks Communication Consultants. Her poetry, plays, and stories have been published in anthologies and magazines in eleven countries.

Robert McKenzie was a writer, editor, and an actor for Refuge, a documentary theatre piece. He has acted on TV and stage, and served as music director for the Community United Methodist Church, Byfield, Massachusetts. He is majoring in English at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

Alfonso Ramierez is a playwright with numerous credits on both coasts. He attended USC, and earned a bachelor’s from The New School and an MFA from Goddard College. He has taught writing through several organizations, including UCC. He has earned grants from NYFA, Yaddo, Millay Colony, and the Wm. Flanagan Found.

Charles Rice-González is an assistant professor at Hostos Community College/CUNY. His novel, Chulito, received awards and recognitions from the ALA and the National Book Critics Circle. His MFA is from Goddard College; he cofounded BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance; and he is a playwright.