Amy Shimshon-Santo is a writer and educator who believes the arts and culture are powerful tools for personal and social transformation. Her interdisciplinary work connects the arts, education, and urban planning. She is currently Head of the Arts Management Program at Claremont Graduate University.

Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis, PhD is founding director of the arts nonprofit The Asian American Literary Review and coeditor-in-chief of its critically acclaimed literary journal. He is also a Curator for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

Luis J. Rodriguez was named Poet Laureate of Los Angeles in 2014. He is the author of fifteen books across a number of genres. He has been the recipient of a PEN West/Josephine Miles Award and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He serves as founding editor of Tia Chucha Press and cofounder and president of Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural and Bookstore in California.

traci kato-kiriyama, author, theater deviser/writer; awards include the Center for Cultural Innovation and Network of Ensemble Theaters. Founder of Tuesday Night Project, she has also served as a guest lecturer for the Claremont Colleges and Teaching Artist-in-Residence for Grand Park.