Kacey Morrow is a Design Professor at Western Washington University, as well as a designer, illustrator, animator, author, and filmmaker. The intersection of design and film is prevalent throughout much of her work. Her award-winning experimental videos have appeared in numerous film festivals and exhibitions nation-wide. She illustrated the book, "Kathleen Turner on Acting: Conversations about Film, Television, and Theater" and co-wrote the textbook, "Producing for TV and Emerging Media." She also founded the former Bellingham Music Film Festival, chaired MODE Fest for the 2020 Motion Design Education Summit, and frequently does design work for the independent Bellingham movie theater, Pickford Film Center.

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@kaceyface - Instagram‍

kaceymorrow.com

Megan Charles earned her MFA from Eastern Washington University. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she has a deep bond to the area and it has served as the principle source of inspiration for her writing. She currently resides in Spokane, WA where she works in administration at Spokane Community Colleges.‍

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https://twitter.com/megarell

Cascade Cody is a professional recording artist from the Yakima Valley. His musical stylings are akin to the traveling folk singers of earlier generations, (Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Joan Baez) Recently Cody has been traveling from town to town throughout Washington, sharing historical perspectives and applying them to his songwriting. “It has always been my dream to be a traveling bard, singing songs that were created by the actions of everyday people, as those are the folks who need to be heard most.” Cody is currently working on his first studio album “Where The Fork Veers Left” with his producer Joe Maday out of Richland, WA. The album will consist of original/traditional songs and poems with an earthy tone that is rarely heard in contemporary music.

@cascadecody

Line Sandsmark joined Shunpike as its Executive Director in 2016. Sandsmark’s international and local arts leadership experience includes working as producer or executive director for various film organizations in Scandinavia, in addition to her more recent roles as development director, then managing director of Northwest Film Forum. Her short films have been distributed through international festivals and broadcasters, and her work in the field of documentary financing and production has taken her all over the world. Sandsmark has also collaborated extensively with performing arts groups in theater, dance, and music. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature at the University of Washington, conducted post-graduate studies in Critical Theory and Cinema Studies at University of Paris – Sorbonne, and earned her MFA in Arts Leadership at Seattle University. She has authored commissioned reports on the viability and sustainability of film and cinema initiatives in both Norway and the Middle East, and has focused on similar issues facing the film sector in the Pacific Northwest. The intersection of art and commerce is a recurring theme in Sandsmark’s work which fuels her passion and a commitment to sustainability in the arts sector.

Manuel R. Cawaling (Manny) is the Executive Director for Inspire Washington, a merger of Cultural Access Washington and Washington State Arts Alliance. Prior to this position, he spent 10 years as Executive Director for Youth Theatre Northwest, providing children on Mercer Island and throughout King County with creative education and live theatre experiences. A Seattle native, Manuel has been working professionally as an artist and cultural leader for nearly 30 years.

In 1989, Manuel was at the forefront of Seattle’s fringe theatre movement, serving as Artistic Director for Pilgrim Center for the Arts. He also served as a founding board member for Seattle's League of Fringe Theatres, the predecessor of Theatre Puget Sound and the organization credited with establishing Seattle's Fringe Theatre Festival, the first in the US. As Associate Artistic Director for the Northwest Asian American Theatre, he initiated an award-winning Youth Outreach and Education Program; conducted theatre residencies in local high schools and communities; and developed their capital campaign. As Exhibit Developer/Manager for the Wing Luke Asian Museum, he developed award winning exhibits, spearheaded outreach initiatives and led YouthCAN, a leadership program for Asian-Pacific-American youth. From 2003 to 2008, Manuel served on staff at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, initially in artistic programming and then as Managing Director, overseeing all administrative and programmatic activities.

He has served two terms on the Seattle Center Advisory Commission, was a member of the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture's Public Art Advisory Committee, Chair of the Curation Committee for Gay City Arts, and President for the Washington State Arts Alliance Foundation to name a few appointments.

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Kathleen McInnis (See-Through Films) works with emerging world cinema filmmakers to help them merge their creative and business development via their films on the premiere film festival circuit. As festival director, her experience includes Aspen ShortsFest, Palm Springs ShortFest, and Slamdance, and as programmer at TIFF and Seattle. She is a Strategic Publicist for films premiering at top-tier festivals, as well as Producer for unique narratives and documentary films. She currently curates the SIFF New Works in Progress Forum.

Elizabeth Scallon is scientist, mentor and award winning start-up and innovation ecosystem builder who connects great ideas to capital. Elizabeth currently serves as the Board Chair and Co-Founder of Find Ventures, a new accelerator program that prioritizes Washington state entrepreneurs from underserved and historically marginalized communities.

Richard Compson Sater is an energetic and hopeful Seattle-based writer of novels and screenplays. He retired from the U.S. Air Force after 24 years of service, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel, spending most of his career as a photojournalist, a veteran of both Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom -- and all of his career in the closet. His first novel, RANK (a gay love story between two military officers), was published in 2016, and his second, THIRST, is pending.Sater earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s in creative writing from Purdue University, and a doctorate in fine arts from Ohio University. He has at various times been a college professor, radio announcer, bookkeeper, bricklayer,  bartender, clerk, voice actor, and window-shade salesman -- which have collectively given him an inexhaustible source of stories to tell.

Andrea has been a communicator and a creative her whole life, focusing on telling stories through music and video making. She spent 10 years as Creative Director of a boutique video creative agency in Paris, France, where she focused on leading the creative process. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a double major in Film and Television and Linguistics, she is currently Chief of Staff for the Sound Transit Safety Department, providing strategic support for the Chief Safety Officer and building the agency Safety culture and brand. Andrea directs the annual Seattle Black Film Festival, is a governor-appointed member of the Washington Filmworks Board of Directors, and remains active as a filmmaker, musician, and a mom of two young boys.

Co-Founder and Director of Production for Unincarcerated Productions, Vik Chopra is the head honcho for all the movie-making things. The big cheese, if you will. During a prison work-release program, Vik and Spencer Oberg met and became fast friends. That friendship would later form the UP company and mission. After spending years addicted to drugs, and then five in prison, Vik turned his life around through meditation, yoga, and Crossfit.

Before being incarcerated, Vik attended the University of Washington and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He worked various media jobs in Seattle leading up to Unincarcerated Productions—from Account Manager at KCTS 9 Television to an Account Executive at KEXP Radio, and even an actor and model. Vik is working on finishing a full-length documentary called Firestorm for Unincarcerated, a docuseries, as well as two screenplays he’s currently writing. He hopes to win an Oscar some day.

When he’s not working full time, or working out, Vik also enjoys meditating and other spiritual shit, listening to Britney Spears, dancing hip hop, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and Netflix and chilling. He lives on a media diet of Entertainment Weekly, Rotten Tomatoes, Daily Variety, and CNN. The causes he supports include—Restorative Justice, LGBTQ+ youth, No Kid Hungry, and Public Broadcasting. He most admires Ellen DeGeneres as a courageous trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community because she helped pave the way for him to come out when he was 24-years-old.

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Warren Etheredge is a Storyfinder© and the Chief Storytelling Officer for Enthrall Sports. He is the founder of The Warren Report (thewarrenreport.com) and co-founder of TheFilmSchool (thefilmschool.com) and The Red Badge Project (theredbadgeproject.com). He has scored as the host of the television series Reel NW and the Emmy-nominated, The High Bar (thehighbar.tv). He is a produced playwright, a published author and an award-winning producer.

A published writer since 1994, I have a deep passion for exploring the stories of our communities. Specializing in writing long-form features and news articles, I believe every person has a story to tell. For a detailed collection of writing samples, log on to NicoleKidder.pressfolios.com. I also have extensive experience in public relations, branding and marketing for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. My experience developing key collaterals spans value-added website pages, blog content, case studies, white papers, newsletters and press releases.

I started doing design because—although I have no rhythm or tone—I wanted to be a part of the music industry and interact with my favorite artists. In high school, I would make fan art for my favorite musicians, wait behind the venue for hours after the show, and get the artists to sign them. That’s what got me hooked when I was 16 and that’s what keeps me coming back to this day. Nowadays I mostly work in the entertainment industry, helping artists and their support teams bring their visions to life through interactive, unique websites. But, before becoming a web designer, I had dipped my toes into many different disciplines. I spent some years pursuing graphic design, then branding and logos, publication and editorial design, and some motion graphics and interactive art sprinkled in. I’ve had the opportunity to work on a huge variety of projects over the years—from local businesses, to basketball superstars like Devin Booker, international corporations like Sony Music, Amazon, Zumiez, and more.

Kevin Misiuda is an entrepreneur based in Bellingham, WA. By day, Kevin works the "COVID shift", playing and hiking with his two-year-old daughter, Phoebe. Evenings and weekends Kevin, along with his partner Bradley Lockhart, operates NW Corner Goods, a merchandise design business focused on Bellingham, the Pacific Northwest, and the places and experiences they love.  He recently launched Rover with Chef Todd Alan Martin, a pop-up restaurant exploring the nature of Northwest cuisine through conversation and experimentation. Kevin has a corporate background in customer service and finance. He's a natural connector and found his passion in partnering with pragmatic creatives, using his business expertise to amplify and operationalize their talent and ambition, and having fun along the way.

As the bronze coloration specialist at the Foundry, Broel consulted and worked for such artists as Jim Dine, Deborah Butterfield, David Bates, the late Nancy Graves and the late Robert Arneson. At the same time, he became increasingly influenced by and aware of the traditions and methods that thread Northwest artists together. Recurrent references to natural forms, energetic mark making and the mystical surface quality in his work connect Broel to those traditions.

Near the end of 1997, Broel left the Walla Walla Foundry to open Broel Studio. This move has allowed him to focus on his own work full time. Broel’s current work continues in a variety of dimensions to explore the derivations of his abstract botanical paintings.

While his work is exhibited internationally, Broel has chosen to live and work in Walla Walla, Washington.The isolation of his location allows him to develop his own visual voice that continues to gain attention outside the Northwest.

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Andre Bouchard (of Kootenai/Ojibwe/Pend d’Oreille/Salish descent) is an entrepreneur, agent, producer and consultant who was born and raised in the Flathead Reservation in western Montana. In 2001 he founded Walrus Performance Productions, a non-profit dedicated to providing first opportunities to choreographers, playwrights and multi-disciplinary performing artists in the Pacific Northwest. In 2010 he founded Walrus Arts Management and Consulting which was expanded in 2015 to serve as a home to the first Native run performing arts booking agency.

In 2019 he founded Indigenous Performance Productions, a non-profit corporation dedicated to production of touring Indigenous performing arts festivals. He holds a Master's degree in Arts Management from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, a BFA in Dance and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Montana. He was a Association of Performing Arts Professionals/University of Southern California Leadership Fellow, the founding Chair of the Western Arts Alliance Indigenous Committee and co-designer/founder of the Advancing Indigenous Performance Program.

Betania (they/them) is a teacher and student of place based skills. Betania has worked with many different natural elements with a strong emphasis on different ways of processing animal skins (e.g making and using Brain-tan, Bark-tan, rawhide, and furs), earth pigments; and is a professional Broom Maker. As a survivor of many layers of Trauma, they feel called to continue learning about healing trauma, sharing their journey with others through stories and art and supporting other survivors in their healing - feeling an extra strong pull to advocating and supporting underserved and system impacted youth. Betania has spent many years working and learning various healing modalities, they are two years into learning and achieving the requirements to work as a Somatic Experience Practitioner.

Mary Big Bull-Lewis was born and raised in Wenatchee, WA. She is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribe in Washington State - from Moses, Entiat, and Wenatchi bands & a descendant of the Blackfoot Tribe in Brocket, Alberta, Canada. Her vision for this brand (Wenatchi Wear) was a modern spin on Native American art while keeping the traditions preserved and sharing important historic stories. Growing up in the Wenatchee Valley, she recognized a lack of Indigenous history taught, and wanted to create a brand that would have the potential to reach many people. She begins the creative process with researching, and then hand-sketching each design. She has a diverse background, working in the legal field for many years & then in the medical field as a Certified Medical Assistant. Currently a graphic processor, bookkeeper, and marketing gal for the family owned and operated graphic design business (R Digital Design which she founded with her husband who does the designs and she handles the business side) & continuing as a creative entrepreneur.

Lance Kagey is a catalyst of community connections — passionate about the inclusive call of art to create gracious space that invites people of all types to enter into dialog. Considered one of the area’s leading artists, designers and community builders. Lance connects. Art & design is his calling, but always toward the goal of connecting, neighbor to neighbor, business to client, problem to solution. He’s a street artist, a business leader, a community stirrer-upper. He is, most notably, the cofounder of the wildly successful guerrilla art project, Beautiful Angle — which has been going now for almost 20 years.

Reese is a fourth generation Japanese American who was born on the island of O’ahu and raised between Hawai’i and Illinois. Her passion for music was ignited the moment she began playing the ukulele and has grown steadily through numerous instruments and genres. Reese is the Managing Director of Northwest Folklife, a Seattle-based cultural arts and heritage organization, whose mission is: “To create opportunities for all to celebrate, share, and participate in the evolving cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest.” Since 2008, Reese has led the Rain City Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble uplifting the musical contributions of womxn and non-binary individuals in jazz. She is a founding member of the urban folkgrass group, Lavender Lucy, and co-hosts the long-running Womanotes program on community radio station, KBCS. Currently, Reese serves as the Chair of the Seattle Music Commission, with a deep commitment to building a thriving, local creative economy and ecosystem.

Aramis Hamer creates her works of art using acrylic paints. She made the decision to pursue her art career after leaving her hometown in Chicago and moving to Seattle in 2013. With the support of her family and husband, Andy, she dedicated herself to art . She prides herself on being a full-time, professional artist where she gets to spend her days creating the world she wants to see.

Emily Washines is an enrolled Yakama with Cree and Skokomish lineage. Her blog Native Friends focuses on history and culture. Building understanding and support for Native Americans is evident in her films, writing, speaking, and exhibits. Her research topics include the Yakama War, women’s rights, traditional knowledge, and fishing rights. She lives on the Yakama reservation with her husband and three children.

Hi, I'm Diane Buxton. I'm originally from Taiwan, moved to Los Angeles when I was 11, and have lived in the beautiful city of Seattle for over ten years. I've been an accountant for 6 years, having worked in controller-level positions for small companies (which means I did some of everything) before deciding to start my own practice helping small businesses with bookkeeping, tax filing, and financial consulting. I chose to focus on working with creatives because 1) they tend to be pretty interesting people and 2) I wanted to help people who really needed me as opposed to helping big companies make more money. Accounting is actually my second career, my first degree being English and creative writing. Working with creatives allows me to return to my roots and combine my different strengths.

Besides running my accounting practice, I also write musings about what I learn from my life at From Soul to World.

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Reesha Cosby was born and raised in Nashville, TN, and moved to Yakima in 2002 to get her big break in radio broadcasting. She is a morning radio host/station programmer, digital journalist, and a social justice activist in her community since 2007. She was recently elected to be president of the Yakima County NAACP. She has been an on-air host in Yakima, Seattle, Tri-Cities, and currently Tyler, Texas, too. She would love to publish books, cookbooks, and screenplays as well as start her own multimedia company. She has a 10-going-on-50-year-old daughter named Willow. Her self-care routine includes drinking cheap wine from Walgreens, playing Farm Heroes Super Saga on her phone, listening to fun podcasts, and watching old episodes of Columbo and Murder She Wrote.

Jam Scott is a writer, filmmaker, and advocate born and based in Tacoma. With her creative work, she aspires to radically open minds, eyes, and hearts by inspiring authentic conversation and equitable action. An organizer with the Tacoma Action Collective, Jam aims to create communities rooted in justice and accountability, and often weaves themes of social justice into her storytelling. Jam recently premiered MATRIARCH, a docu-series focused on the varied realities and lifestyles of matriarchs in Black families, it can be viewed on jamikascott.com.

Leilani Lewis is a Seattle-born arts leader and anti-racism/DEI practitioner. Her passion for the arts and social justice led her to the Northwest African American Museum where she served in a number of roles for eight years. Now at the University of Washington, she uses her experience working in and with Black-led organizations to develop equity and anti-racism strategy across the institution. As a higher education administrator with foundations in arts and culture, she has established herself as a creative catalyst and leader working on behalf of historically marginalized communities.

Whether through independent equity consultation, arts advocacy or strategy development, she focuses on breaking down barriers to address racism within organizations while strengthening the bonds that draw people for collective impact. As a Seattle University alumni and graduate of Leadership Tomorrow, Ms. Lewis is driven by her values that include shared leadership, connecting across differences, and lifting as we climb.

Andrea Parrish has over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and 15 years in social media. She started out running a website for her parent’s catering business, and has since developed a serious love for the power of interconnected communications. 

She has managed and consulted on digital marketing efforts for well over a hundred businesses across the country, and currently runs TinyTall Consulting, based in Washington State. As a part of helping businesses build a muscle around engaging their digital community, she also gives keynote presentations and teaches professional courses focusing on the power of asking intentional questions.

Hi, I’m Michael Huang: a native Seattleite and former big advertising exec turned creative agency owner with a background rooted in Hip Hop and street dance culture.

I founded my company, Milli, 6 years ago as a social media marketing firm after I led social strategy for United Airlines’ rebrand in 2013. Since then we’ve grown our practice to a social/community-focused approach to both brand and content strategy as well as content creation. We’ve launched new brands, helped old ones get relevant, worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, managed musicians, produced our own documentaries, and founded an organization to better connect underprivileged youth to creative industries.

We love working with brands, we love creating beautiful content, and, most of all, we love serving our community. I especially get excited about young, people of color in the Northwest punching above their weight and doing big things in the creative community.

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Hello Friends. My name is Darryl Crews. I hail from the great city of Tacoma, Washington. I am a multitude of things but I like to think of myself above all as a professional communicator. I’ve worked in the music industry, television, politics, event production, education, recreation, and tourism. Just like many of you, the heart of what I do boils down to touching hearts, opening minds, and creating memories.

I run a big tent communication business called The January Group. My team and I plan events, make videos, write speeches, promote new music, consult with brands, create space for culture (physically and digitally) and advocate for important causes. Some of January’s clients have included Alaska Airlines, Atlantic Records, Apple Music, ARRAY, Seattle Aquarium, City of Tacoma, Revolt TV, among numerous others.

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I was born on the island of Taiwan to a Chinese mother and Mexican-American father whose ancestors descended from the extinct Karankawa tribe. At the age of two, I moved to the United States, then moved again and again. I was a Navy brat and that's what life is like for Navy brats. Elementary school was the first place I was called names. If a kid saw me with my mom, they might call me "Chink." If they saw me with my dad, they might call me "wetback." Miraculously, my self-esteem remained intact. In middle school, I lived in Turkey—my family survived rationed water and electricity, no television, and a coup d’etat, but we loved it. Life was tough, but it’s where I first learned the power of a multicultural community.

After studying at UCLA & Harvard, I spent time in India and France and worked in Los Angeles as a screenwriter and magazine writer. Now, I live on remote Orcas Island with my husband, novelist Samuel W. Gailey. Over the years, to support my writing habit, I have helped individuals and brands with branding and content. By the way, content is just a new word for storytelling. Using my "storytelling" skills, I’ve been able to get brands featured in major news outlets. I wrote "Pornology," a non-fiction book that became a film this summer entitled "A Nice Girl Like You," starring Lucy Hale. I’ve also written a TV series with actor Bradley James that was just optioned.

I also enjoy helping and inspiring other artists. That includes editing and ghostwriting books that have been critically praised and earned spots on The New York Times bestseller list; helping launch a literary festival; working with music composers to inspire them to create symphonies, scores and operas and get their work nominated for Emmys, Pulitzers, and Grammys. I’ve had the pleasure of inspiring a handful of painters to raise their artistry and their visibility and to dream much bigger.

Greetings from Spokane, Washington! My name is Remelisa Cullitan. My ancestry is made up of Filipinx/Chinese/Irish/German. I am a professional artist focused on making body/identity positive works, an independent contract curator, and arts advocate on Spokane's Arts Commission as a board member. I'm also an artist mentor, and co-creator of GlitterCouch, a partnership devoted to elevating artists’ voices and arts-focused events. I was born in Spokane and currently still reside in Spokane with my wife and three fluffy cats. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art with an emphasis in sculpture, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in art history. I received both degrees from Eastern Washington University in 2016.

Being neurodivergent, art has played a significant role in my learning. I believe everyone is creative, they just need access and exposure to finding the right outlet to express their creativity. Visual art is my voice. I use art as a way for me to communicate with the world. Too often my spoken voice is silenced or ignored, but my voice in art has allowed me to speak my mind in a way that is challenging to ignore. I truly believe if more people made art, and valued the voices in art, that we can truly begin to heal a lot of generational trauma.