HOST AND EDITOR

Erica Young is a storyteller from Eatonville, Florida and a graduate of Florida A&M University. She grew up infatuated with the tradition of oral storytelling. She enjoys the way stories breathe life to traditions, history and folklore. She is determined to engulf her audience in content that is rich in character, and artful approaches to the art of storytelling. She prides herself on constantly blurring the lines, forcing one to see beyond the seeming as she takes her audience on transformative journeys that challenge and illuminate the human condition. She believes in the power of storytelling and its role in changing our future.

STORY EDITOR AND PRODUCER

Bill Healy produced the investigative podcast Somebody, which was a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting. Bill teaches documentary radio at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. He has reported extensively for Chicago’s public radio station, WBEZ, where he produced StoryCorps for seven years. Bill’s work has appeared on This American Life, NPR, BBC, Freakonomics and Reveal. Before going into journalism, Bill taught fifth grade and worked at a high school.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Katie Schneider Gumiran (she/ella) is a Chicago-based teacher and storyteller who started out writing about and with youth… became a teacher, helping students uncover and tell stories… became a coach, capturing stories in data and video, using them in a cycle of growth… became a multimedia director, doing all of the above, with better microphones, across the country. Katie is interested in the points where realization meets transformation, where “know better” becomes “do better.” She loves and learns from Justin, Doodles, Ari, and Sixty.

PRODUCER AND VISUAL DESIGNER

Rosa Gaia is a multimedia producer, curator, and interdiscipinary artist raised in Canada and currently based in Chicago, IL. She studied at McGill University in an English honors program where she focused on disability studies and film theory, then moved across the border to teach high school media production and documentary film courses. Rosa has worked as a freelance creative polymath for the last decade, and is now the creative director of Multipotent, a studio focused on audiovisual and experiential projects which help create connection and wonderment.

COMPOSER AND AUDIO ENGINEER

Sean Brennan is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, producer, and podcaster. Brennan has been diagnosed with a rare genetic eye disease called Choroideremia, and he is gradually going blind. After a few years of accelerated vision loss, in summer 2014 Brennan moved to the beach near Assateague Island, Maryland, where he built a studio and began work on a full length album, Suspending Disbelief, under his experimental-pop project of Strange Weather. Sean now lives with his wife Callie in Brooklyn, where he hosts immersive, participatory performance events in his home.

YOUTH MUSICIAN

Javy Polanco is a Washington Heights–based musician and songwriter, currently a sophomore at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Trained as a jazz flutist and influenced by pop and Latin sounds, their music is an extension of their identity, and they strive to represent racial and queer identities in their music. They have studied at the Manhattan School of Music, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Neighborhood Music School, and Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School. Javy is committed to supporting their community and questioning their identity and place in society.

YOUTH MUSICIAN

Lariel Holt is a Chicago-based music artist and activist. She has been involved in youth movements for issues that concern Chicagoans, such as gun control, building peace and unity in the community, and a student’s right to learn relevant content. Her songs explore topics such as Self Love, New beginnings, and life itself. She believes that music can heal a person. BEATS can heal a person. She hopes that music takes her the longest way she could go.

YOUTH COMMENTATOR

Jorie is a budding activist and humanitarian from Florida. She enjoys playing sports and spending time with family and friends. Many would say that Jorie is wise beyond her years. Those who know her are witnesses to her ability to listen, learn, and empathize. When she gets to high school, Jorie hopes to pursue music, sports, and justice for marginalized groups.

COMMENTATOR

Daphne Williams is a seasoned educator from Vero Beach, Florida. She earned her degree in Education from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Daphne lives outside Atlanta with her wife, Erica.