SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS
HONORABLE PATRICK J. MURPHY
In 2007, Patrick became the nation's first Iraq War Veteran
elected, representing Pennsylvania. He authored several
groundbreaking pieces of legislation into law including the
21st Century GI Bill, the Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, and
the raising of the federal minimum wage. Continuing public
service today, he was appointed to the National US
Cyberspace Solarium Commission, as Distinguished Chair of
Innovation at West Point, and supports fellow veterans
entering political public service through Kennedy Democrats
and Taking the Hill.
Decorated Combat Veteran
Joining the Army at 19, he graduated from the Airborne and
Air Assault courses, and following 9/11, subsequently served
two overseas combat deployments; first, to Tuzla, Bosnia in
2002, where U.S. forces stopped the worst ethnic cleansing in
Europe since World War II. Next, In 2003, he deployed as a
82nd Airborne Division paratrooper to Baghdad, Iraq, leading
a Brigade Operational Law {BOLT) Team, earning a Bronze
Star for his service.
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PHILADELPHIA FREEWAY, RAPPER
After 20 years in the music industry and a life-changing experience with kidney failure, Leslie Pridgen AKA Philadelphia freeway has created freedom thinkers academy the mission of freedom thinkers academy is to provide mentoring face-to-face and create it yourself see (CIY) music workshops for aspiring artists all around the world after his life-changing experience with kidney failure freeway remains dedicated to his music and even so more to spreading health awareness and helping others reach their creative potential. With ties and in years in North and West Philadelphia Freeway emerged in the late 90s both as a street guru and a battle-tested block rapper part of both Ice City and State Property. The local favorite was mentored under the careful and critical eye of Beanie Sigel and Roc national founder Jay Z. Freeway paid in integral role in one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful label rosters in music history Roc-A-Fella Records Records. In 2003 Freeway released his first critically acclaimed album Philadelphia Freeway the album featured involvement from Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Mariah Carey and created the timeless outcry what we do with free mentors Jay Z and Beanie Sigel. In 2018 Freeway Released his six studio album Think Free. Freeways' latest projects include guest features from Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Jada Kiss, and Faith Evans. Education and Information have always been freeways forte. Whether performing at Made America or showing his current health issues or the knowledge of life freeway is always mentoring artists and imparting instruction. Freeway has partnered with the national kidney foundation donor Life, Gift of Life, focusing a great deal of his time to help spread awareness on kidney health and advancing the cause of Youth empowerment and reentry services through music in his home town of Philadelphia, Baltimore Maryland and beyond.
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AUTHOR JELANI WILSION
Jelani Wilson is an educator and speculative fiction writer. He has written
for Left Turn magazine and Jukepop.com, where his slipstream fiction
serial The World of Two-Way Dreams was first published. He is also a
contributing author to the bestselling science fiction anthology, Octavia's
Brood. While he is currently working on a space opera novel titled Space
Wizards!, his latest novella The Ballad of the Bladesinger is available at
pageswithpaper.com.
JONATHAN LOVITZ, ADVOCATE AND POLITICAL ORGANIZER
Jonathan D. Lovitz is a national recognized business and public policy advocate, currently serving as the Senior Vice President of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). At the NGLCC he serves as both national spokesperson and head of advocacy and political work, where he has been responsible for establishing the more than a dozen county, city, and state laws passed over the last four years opening up contracting and economic opportunity to the LGBT Business community. Lovitz is a regular commentator on MSNBC, CNBC, NPR, The Advocate, and Bloomberg, among others, and has served as a keynote speaker for the US Dept. of Defense, Us. Dept. of Treasury, the United Nations, The Trevor Project, Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, and more. The Advocate Magazine named Lovitz a "2019 Queer Icon" alongside some of the year's top activists, artists, and political figures. In 2019 he was recognized by Philadelphia Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” young leader in the city of Philadelphia. Lovitz graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Florida, where he was named "Outstanding Young Alumni" in April 2018. @JDLovitz www.jonathandlovitz.com
JANI RAD, PODCAST HOST AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Niranjani Radhakrishnan (or "Jani Rad") is originally from Knoxville, TN but has called many places 'home' over the years, including Chapel Hill, NC and Washington DC. She currently lives, works, and plays in Memphis, TN. She has a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) and a Master’s in City and Regional Planning (MCRP) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jani’s professional and academic background revolve around addressing health and social inequities through GIS mapping, data visualization, theatre arts, and storytelling. Jani is passionate about social justice and advocacy. She is most well-known for Co-chairing the 2017 Minority Health Conference. Two of her biggest accomplishments are 1) receiving the Kathryn J. Kerr Memorial Scholarship for 2016-2017 while at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, an award that recognizes students who exhibit a strong sense of activism and commitment to community health; and 2) delivering a talk at TEDx Memphis in February 2020. She has been a facilitator-trainer-speaker since 2009. Jani has built her portfolio through her years working with interactive educational theatre groups, a university health and wellness center, career development departments, health equity focused non-profits, a social justice and human rights law firm, a training and education center for the federal government, and a health care system. Outside of work, you will probably find Jani in a dance studio, walking her dog along the river, hanging out at a sport event (Go Tar Heels!), watching standup comedy, and generally just enjoying the Memphis life!
KAITLYN MYERS, SINGER AND SONG WRITER
Kaitlyn Myers (she/her) is a rising senior at Spring-ford Area Highschool, and an aspiring singer-songwriter. She is excited to have recently released a five song EP called “Chasing Dopamine” as well as a single in support of the black lives matter movement called “Star Spangled Revolution”. She performs at local gigs and has recently found a platform on TikTok, where she tries to spread awareness for the movement.
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TATYANA FLAME, DRAG QUEEN
Tatyana Flame is a Philadelphia drag queen & a content creator on TikTok. Tatyana currently has 6k+ fans and growing. Tatyana is passionate about advocating for the LGBTQ+ community and promotes a positive message. Tatyana started doing drag in November 2019 and enjoys networking with other entertainers. Tatyana in their personal life is in the Navy and works at a beauty supply store. Their goals are to become a full time drag queen and makeup artist. Tatyana has strong opinions about voters rights, gun control, the LGBTQ+ community, and the Black Live Matter Movement.
IESHA SEKOU, FOUNDER AND CEO OF STREET CORNER RESOURCES INC
Iesha Sekou is the Founder and CEO of Street Corner Resources Inc., a not for profit 501(c)(3), founded in 2007 and operating in Harlem, USA. Street Corner Resources’ mission is to help young people by providing greater access to education, training opportunities, real employment and other resources which help improve their lives and help them stay away from gun and gang violence. Iesha encourages the use of innovative methods to challenge youth to improve their own lives. She facilitates life shaping and mind changing workshops including, “Rekindling the Inner Spirit to Succeed” and” To Be or Not To Be” – an anti-gang workshop.
ARI AFSAR, JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL
Ari Afsar is a singer/songwriter with placements on ABC, Disney, and Amazon. A graduate of Ethnomusicology from UCLA, Afsar released her EP, "Somewhere I Thought I'd Be." She is the composer of Jeannette, a musical about the first woman elected into Congress, developed at the O'Neill NMTC where Afsar won the Lyricist Award. Last fall, She composed a piece, Allegory produced by the La Jolla Playhouse. She has opened for Michelle Obama, performed in the U.S. Institute of Peace, presented before Gloria Steinhem, and opened at the ACLU national conference. She was the original Eliza in Chicago's Hamilton, Miss California 2010, top 10 at Miss America 2011, and top 36 American Idol Alum. She is the co-founder of "Until We Do It" providing masks to communities disproportionately affected by Covid-19.
LAUREN GUNDERSON, JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL
Lauren Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015 topping the list twice including 2019/20. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and the Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and John Gassner Award for Playwriting, and a recipient of the Mellon Foundation’s Residency with Marin Theatre Company. She studied Southern Literature and Drama at Emory University, and Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School where she was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. She co-authored the Miss Bennet plays with Margot Melcon, and her play The Half-Life of Marie Curie is available on Audible.com. Her work is published at Playscripts (I and You; Exit Pursued By A Bear; The Taming and Toil And Trouble), Dramatists Play Service (The Revolutionists; The Book of Will; Silent Sky; Bauer, Natural Shocks, The Wickhams and Miss Bennet) and Samuel French (Emilie). Her picture book Dr Wonderful: Blast Off to the Moon is available from Two Lions/Amazon. She is currently developing musicals with Ari Afsar, Dave Stewart and Joss Stone. LaurenGunderson.com
JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL
Jeannette electrifies the life and history of suffrage activist, social worker and Montanan, Jeannette Rankin. Elected to Congress in 1916—three years before women are granted the right to vote—Jeannette finds herself to be the only female voice within the halls of power to vote on women’s suffrage. For more information please check their website https://jeannettemusical.com/
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NELSON FIGUEROA JR., FORMER BASEBALL PLAYER
Nelson Figueroa, Jr., is an American former professional baseball pitcher, and a former post-game studio analyst for New York Mets broadcasts. He played in Major League Baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Mets, and Houston Astros.
THE HUM'N'BARD THEATRE TROUPE
Founded by Wyatt Flynn in 2016, The Hum’n’bards Theatre Troupe is a theatre and nightlife production company based in Philadelphia, PA with a focus on devised and original musicals. Themes of our shows include social justice, science fiction, fantasy, punk, queer/LGBTQIA+ representation, and much more.
PENNSYLVANIA REPRESENTATIVE MALCOLM KENYATTA – DISTRICT 181
He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Philadelphia Delegation and as a member of the Governor’s Taskforce on Suicide Prevention and a host of committee leadership positions. As the first openly LGBT person of color and one of the youngest members elected to the PA General Assembly, he is deeply committed to creating an equitable and inclusive society.
As a legislator, he has championed proposals to address generational poverty, raise the minimum wage, protect workers' rights, increase access to mental healthcare, common-sense measures to address gun violence, and protect our digital infrastructure.
In 2016, he was elected as Delegate to the Democratic Convention (PA 2nd), garnering the second-highest vote total of any delegate in the Commonwealth. He has also appeared on local and national media outlets to discuss systemic poverty, affordable education and childcare, and making government more accountable to citizens. His election was turned in an award-winning short documentary, ‘Going Forward’ produced by Seven Knot Productions, which premiered on ‘The Atlantic Magazine Selects’ in 2018.