Tae Chong brings 20 years of experience in economic and workforce development, business counseling, and education for refugees, immigrants, and other communities of color. As an advocate for economic integration, he has authored articles for regional and national publications and served as a keynote speaker at numerous conferences. Tae is a passionate storyteller whose work has been featured on national storytelling programs and in museum exhibits. He is the first Asian American elected to the Portland School Committee and to the Portland City Council.

Sophia Garcia is a resident of Greater Boston, where she grew up. Her mother was born in Ecuador, and her father is from Puerto Rico. She is currently a student at UMass Boston, studying political science and communication. Sophia discovered spoken-word storytelling during a college English class and first performed for an audience of 700 people, which led to additional appearances at conferences and on national media.

Lorena Hernández Leonard is a Latina writer, storyteller, and filmmaker born in Colombia. Her work has been recognized in The Best American Essays Notable list and as a finalist for the PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship and CRAFT Creative Nonfiction Award, among other honors. She is a Latinx culture expert with 20 years of experience in marketing and communications. Lorena has shared her stories on national media programs and co-produced the award-winning animated short film Demi's Panic, which has screened at film festivals around the world and was long-listed for the 94th Oscars. She is currently completing a memoir about growing up during the Colombian drug war and migrating to the U.S.

Chris Ko is an expert in operations management and planning. Before joining Stellar, he worked for the International Institute of New England, Boston College, and Harvard University. Chris discovered storytelling through the Suitcase Stories® series, which features stories of refugee and immigrant life. He later recorded his story of belonging for Stories from the Stage on PBS. Beyond his role as operations director, Chris leads storytelling workshops and provides coaching in English and Spanish. He also serves as Public Events Coordinator for the Waltham Museum of Industry and Innovation.

U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo is a Zimbabwean-American poet, author, performance artist, storyteller, and educator with an international reach and transnational lens. For more than two decades, she has taught writing and wellness through the arts in schools, community centers, colleges, hospitals, libraries, and shelters. U-Meleni is the 2021 recipient of the BIPOC Arts Leaders Ripple Grant and a graduate of the DEI Workplace Certificate program from the University of South Florida Muma School of Business. Two of her stories about identity and race have been featured on Stories from the Stage. She serves on the boards of Mass Poetry and Write on the DOT.

Andrew Shelffo is a writer, teacher, and storyteller who lives in western Massachusetts. He holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature and has been teaching literature and writing in both secondary and higher education for over 30 years. For the past 15 years, he's been deeply involved in exploring how technology can enhance education. He has told stories on the World Channel's Stories from the Stage, USA Today's Storytellers Project, and New England Public Media's Valley Voices Grand Slam, as well as numerous virtual storytelling events, including ones in Philadelphia, Toronto, and Chicago. He also produces a regular storytelling open mic in his hometown.