Creativity in Captivity

A singer-songwriter and former frontman of The Ugly Americans and The Scabs, Bob Schneider is one of the most-celebrated musicians in Austin. Combining diverse styles, Schneider's music spans genres, blending elements of folk, rock, rap, funk, bluegrass, reggae and country with the more traditional singer/songwriter aesthetic. Schneider has won more than 59 Austin Music Awards including: Best Album, Best Songwriter, Best Musician, and Best Male Vocals making him the most decorated artist in Austin's music history. He started gaining national recognition with his major-label debut Lonelyland. A fiercely-independent artist, Schneider opted to start his own label, Shockorama Records, which has afforded him the freedom to make the music his fans love, on his own terms. Schneider's live performances, both solo and with the band, are legendary. He has two appearances on the Austin City Limits television show and is also in the 20th year of his residency at The Saxon Pub. Bob is also an accomplished visual artist who transforms found visual media into thought-provoking works of art that challenge the viewer's perceptions of contemporary and popular culture. He juxtaposes iconic figures from comic books and other mass media and places them in everyday situations, leaving the viewer to interpret the meaning of the artwork. By appropriating old and valuable books, often intended for mass consumer consumption, Schneider creates something unique and personal for each viewer.

A Senior Research Scientist at the Yale University Center for Emotional Intelligence where she currently serves as the Director of the Creativity and Emotions Lab. Zorana is the author of the new book The Creativity Choice: The Science of Making Decisions to Turn Ideas into Action. She is a regular contributor to Psychology Today and Creativity Post and co-editor of The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity and Emotions and Crisis, Creativity and Innovation. Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, ArtNet, US News, Education Week, Science Daily, El Pais, and others.

A Show Director and writer whose clients includes Disney, Disney Cruise Line, SeaWorld, the Tribeca Film Festival and the World Science Festival. Other clients include the BBC, TLC, ABC, Carnegie Hall, Scholastic Publishing, South Africa Tourism, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Light the Night for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of New York.  As an improviser Greg has worked with some of the premiere sketch comedy troupes in the country including the Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis and the Who, What and Warehouse Players at Disney's Comedy Warehouse. He also co-produces and appears with the MAC Award Winning Ensemble of Broadway's Next Hit Musical. Triggs regularly teaches improvisation, trust and teamwork seminars for The Disney Institute, the American Council of Mayors, Microsoft, the United States Navy, and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals. 

A rock & roll marionette artist that brings to life the iconic rock performances of Jimmy Hendrix, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson and others by pulling a few strings. Lee Zimmerman, aka “The Puppet Guy” has been doing his show all over the world for more than 40 years. Some of the greatest names in music history come alive in a unique and amazing display of humor and skill. Lee was a regular performer at Universal Studios and The Improv in Hollywood and has appeared on dozens of TV shows and films, including The Drew Carey Show and the cult film, Eddy Presley with Quentin Tarantino. Lee also entertained the cast and crew at the Seinfeld final wrap party and has done command performances for many dignitaries and celebrities such as the Sultan of Brunei, Hugh Hefner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zappa and Guns 'N' Roses. Since 1998, Lee has been a performer/instructor at numerous circus camps, including the Winnipeg International Children's Festival Circus and Magic Partnership, (CAMP) a circus arts program designed to help kids-at-risk. For Custom Puppet Portraits as gifts visit thepuppetguy@hotmail.com

A Los Angeles-based artist, writer, poet and actor whose art is full of vibrant texture and layers, exploring the depth and beauty of imperfection. As the third female solo dating game show host in television history, she brought her signature wit and charm to the nationally syndicated dating game show, BZZZ!, which reran on BUZZR TV in 2020. Annie is the author of three books: Just a Girl in the Whirl, Dandy Day, and A Quantum Love Adventure. Whether crafting paintings with loose figures and impressionist flowers, penning and performing evocative poetry, or breathing life into characters, Annie inspires others to explore freely, feel deeply, and create unapologetically.

A Nuclear Engineer and environmentalist who spent the first ten years of her career redesigning nuclear reactors to make them safer and reducing the amount of waste they produce. Together with a classmate from MIT, she created and served as CEO for Transatomic Power, reimagining a 1960s design for a molten salt reactor. Leslie earned a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering with a research focus on computational nuclear materials from MIT, where she also earned S.B. degrees in mechanical engineering and nuclear engineering. She has served on the MIT Corporation, MIT's board of trustees, and on the National Academy of Engineering's study, “Laying the Foundation for New and Advanced Nuclear Reactors in the United States.” Leslie has been named a TIME Magazine "30 People Under 30 Changing the World," an MIT Technology Review "Innovator Under 35," a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and a National Geographic Explorer.

An accomplished Electronic Dance Music DJ, producer and songwriter that plays world-wide at festivals, clubs and appears in Las Vegas as a part of his Wynn Nightlife residency. 

As the Co-Artistic Director of Streb Extreme Action she ziplined across the Park Avenue Armory, scaled the walls of the Bergdorf building and danced on the spokes of the London Eye. Cassandre was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her investigation in movement began at the age of four with the sport of gymnastics. Over a span of twenty years as a competitive gymnast, she earned several state and regional titles. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in English Literature and studied journalism at Temple University's graduate communications program. She joined STREB in 2007 as an instructor and company member. In September 2017, Cassandre Joseph was appointed Associate Artistic Director of STREB Extreme Action, and also oversees SLAM's education program. Cassandre has been the Creative Director of the STREB Kid Company since 2010 for which she has choreographed and self-produced three evening length works: Heroes (2015), Momentum (2016) and Navigation (2017). She is a strong believer in the transformative power of movement and is passionate about empowering young people to push boundaries and expand their notions of what is possible. When she is not seen in a rehearsal, teaching classes or creating action events at SLAM, she can be found training her daughter Nia to be a mini-action hero.

A touring singer, custom songwriter & music arranger who performs as the high tenor for the R&B/Soul/Pop A Cappella group Ball in the House which as been featured on America's Got Talent and in Cool Whip Commercials. In high school Wallace participated in All-State choirs, Solo and Ensemble competitions, and even had the opportunity to share his talents overseas in Europe. He pursued a degree in music at Florida State University where he was introduced to contemporary A Cappella music. He joined Reverb, a start-up, all-male a cappella group. Later he joined the United States Air Force, an experience that instilled in him the values of leadership, discipline, and the pursuit of excellence. As he transitioned from military life, he found a home in West Palm Beach, Florida, with his beloved wife, Angie. He continued to share his vocal talents with the community, through serving as a cantor for local churches and serenading patrons in restaurants and nightclubs as a crooner. It was during that period that he stumbled upon Ball in the House. Nearly 9 years later, through singing with Ball in the House he has found a way to showcases his talents that allows him to connect with a diverse and appreciative audience. He feels honored to be part of such a storied group where his passion for music can shine.

One of the most renowned improv artists today best recognized from his 20 seasons as one of the stars of Whose Line Is It Anyway?  Colin currently tours the country with his two acclaimed shows – Asking For Trouble with Brad Sherwood. Colin & Brad had the honor of headlining at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. And then there is Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis with Master Hypnotist Asad which also tours after completing a successful Off-Broadway run. In addition, Colin can be seen starring in the feature films – Hey, Viktor!, a Canadian mockumentary and Villians Inc. Colin was a regular for nine years on the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Colin also finds to time reprise his role as private investigator Ralph Fellows in the Canadian mystery/crime drama The Murdoch Mysteries which airs on the Ovation Channel in the U.S. Other notable appearances include Amazon's LOL: Last One Laughing Canada where Colin took home first prize in the competitive series and a cameo role in the Kids In The Hall special which also aired on Amazon. Previously, Colin co-starred in CBC's TV movie A Christmas Letter, the theatrical film Boys vs. Girls opposite Kevin McDonald and was a featured in the documentary Act Social about the healing potential of applied improvisation. And last year, Colin received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Performance for his role in the webcast Mass Hysterical: A Comedic Cantata. Colin also authored Not Quite the Classics, published by Viking Books where he takes the first and last lines from familiar classics and reimagines everything in between, taking the reader in bizarre and hilarious new directions. In 2018, Colin was honored alongside comedienne Andrea Martin with the inaugural recipients of Canada's John Candy Award for Excellence in Comedy. An alumnus of Toronto's famous Second City troupe and life-long resident of Canada, he and his wife, actress and comedian, Debra McGrath, enjoy performing their own improv shows throughout the Canada. They are proud parents of their daughter Kinley who is transgender and have become supporters of Welcome Friend Association's Rainbow Camp which provides for LBGTQ teens.

An award-winning playwright, screenwriter, journalist, ghostwriter, producer, and film director who has been featured in American Theater Magazine, The NY Times, NPR, Bust Magazine, and New York Magazine. Micheline's award-winning storytelling journey began with her daring debut Poop – A True Story, inspired by her avant-garde experience as a living art piece in a downtown NYC gallery. Micheline Auger crafts stories that captivate, challenge, and resonate with the issues of the day and has earned honors such as the NY Innovative Theater Award, National Theater Conference Paul Green Award, People of the Year Award by Indie Theater Now and a Time Out New York Critics Pick. As a creator and producer, she has showcased the talents of hundreds of up-and-coming and award-winning playwrights in her playwriting installation Write Out Front which took place in the window of the iconic Drama Bookshop in NYC, furthering her commitment to the craft of storytelling. Micheline's ghostwriting work has appeared in numerous publications such as Fast Company, Inc., Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and Forbes, and in books such as the upcoming leadership memoir, I Can, I Will & I Did by Samina Bari, set for release in May 2025.

A two-time Grammy Award winning American Roots musician and an 8th generation Louisiana Creole performer who leads the Zydeco Experience Band with accordion and vocals as they take their audiences on a multi-cultural tour of the world. The band creates a hypnotic mix of zydeco-roots-reggae-folk-soul-gospel and New Orleans jazz that is carefully crafted to lift spirits and force bodies onto the dance floor. Their zydeco music has been featured in the historic Disney film, The Princess and the Frog in collaboration with legendary songwriter Randy Newman and has been written up in Rolling Stone and Billboard Magazine. Terrance has recorded with Paul Simon, Art Neville, Dennis Quaid, the Meters, Marcia Ball and Dr. John. He toured with Los Lobos, the late Robert Palmer, Dave Matthews Band and even shared the stage with Steve Wonder. Simien has deep Creole roots and continues to redefine his genre and elevate his cultures visibility by touring to more than 40+ countries and performed over 9000 concerts. He created an outreach educational program called Creole for Kidz about the History of Zydeco for K-12 and college students that has helped raise the cultural IQ of 250,000 students, parents, teachers and administrators around the globe. 

A preview of the Mystify Magic Festival in Las Vegas where mystique, wonder and empowerment blend seamlessly into one extraordinary event spotlighting women in the magical arts.  Mystify aims to be a transformative gathering, where magicians of all ages and backgrounds creatively connect to exchange knowledge, collaborate, and become stronger in their craft with historical programming that reveals and amplifies the stories of women in entertainment. Inspiring future generations of women magicians by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities to learn from industry pioneers. Leah Orleans, the festival director introduces us to Rachel Wax, Carisa Hendrix, Nicole Cardoza, Alexandra Duvivier & Alyx Hilshey. 

An independent filmmaker and Hollywood trailblazer who made his mark by writing, directing, producing and starring in films like Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats and Meteor Man. Robert returns to his theater roots in his one man show Living the Shuffle.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Austin Film Festival and a co-founder since it's  inception in 1993, Barbara has shepherded the festival from a single weekend of films and panels into a week-long celebration of storytelling through film, television, and other emerging forms of narrative media. Recognized as the prominent festival that champions screenwriters and media creators, the festival also boasts over a dozen internationally acclaimed film and screenplay competitions, diverse youth education programs, and a sprawling calendar of year-round events. Leveraging the vast amount of footage recorded at these events since its creation, Morgan created the festivals On Story Project in 2009, and serves as the project's Executive Producer. On Story includes a PBS television show, radio show (distributed by PRI and NPR affiliated stations), podcast series, a three-part book series (published in partnership with UT press), and extensive public archive.  Barbara has received 2 Lone Star Emmy's for On Story episodes, Breaking Bad: A Conversation with Vince Gilligan and for the Season 8 episode Script to Screen: Arrival in 2018. Morgan is an independent film producer, whose films have included Natural Selection, Antone's: Home of the Blues, Portrait of Wally, and Spring Eddy. She serves on a number of boards, including Dell Children's Blood and Cancer Center, and The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. Morgan lives in Austin, Texas with her daughter, Hannah, and two dogs.

The Grammy-nominated musical duo known as Trout Fishing In America. A genre-defying band with undeniable musicianship made up of a guitar, a bass and two vocalist with 25 albums to their name. 

The president and founder of Potter & Potter Auctions specializing in the sale of  rare books, paper Americana, vintage posters, gambling memorabilia and magic antiques and collectibles. Finding and auctioning rare and unusual objects is Gabe's passion. Widely regarded as an authority on magic history and collectibles, he co-founded the auction house in 2007, after conducting a not-to-be-believed appraisal of Jay Marshall's legendary collection. Since then, he's discovered and brought to market an astonishing variety of material, from original Houdini mementos, to rare posters, early books, circus & wild west, maps & atlases, photography, movie & music memorabilia, as well as historical documents, letters & autographs. 

Diane grew up immersed in the musical soul of New York City.  Garisto sang on her first recording at the age of eight, and went on to record with artist like Billy Joel, Nile Rodgers, George Benson, Carly Simon, Laurie Anderson and Malcolm McLaren. She provided background vocals for Paul Simon on his Grammy-winning Graceland and toured internationally as a member of Steely Dan, but her career peak came in the mid ‘90s when she became a member of Laura Nyro's celebrated Harmony Group. As one of Nyro's famed backing trio, Diane toured the world with Laura and sang on the albums Live: The Loom's Desire and Live In Japan. “Performing these songs today with a band of Manhattan's top musicians and singers is my way of keeping Laura's spirit vibrant and alive,” Garisto says. “For us and for her fans, Stoned Soul Picnic is a celebration of the art and soul of Laura Nyro.”

Our creative seasonal jam with musical showcases from The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra, Nicole Henry, Sons of Serendip, Maia Sharp, Trout Fishing in America, Larry Miller, Martin Burke, Middleman Burr & Aubrey Logan.

A finger-flicking French magician who is the winner of the Mandrake d'Or in France and the first French female magician to fool Penn and Teller in their famous American television show Fool Us. The daughter of Dominique Duvivier, a living legend in magic, she faced a double challenge: to make a name for herself under the shadow of her illustrious father and to become a highly respected artist in the predominantly masculine world of magic. Her father didn't push her to become a magician like himself. As a child he never showed her any tricks: it was only at the age of 15 that Alexandra decided to become, little by little, the worthy heiress of her father's empire. She has become a favorite artist of the biggest brands for their private events: Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and  L'Oréal. She has served as a hand double for some of the most famous names in the cinema.  Alexandra has eight shows to her credit: three solo stage shows, three shows performed as a double act with her father, a children's show and a show performed entirely in English. With her sharp humor, her pure and engaging magic, her natural empathy with both young and old, she charms and amuses her delighted audiences.  She is the founder of a French Conjuring school and an instructor for the first ever diploma in magic recognized by the Ministry of Labor in France. In 2021, she and her father created the streaming channel www.doublefond.tv  to learn magic with the greatest masters. 

The artistic directors of Pilobolus a rebellious dance company that tests the limits of human physicality to explore the beauty and the power of connected bodies. They bring this tradition to global audiences through their post-disciplinary collaborations with some of the greatest influencers, thinkers, and creators in the world. They bring their decades of expertise telling stories with the human form to show diverse communities, brands, and organizations how to maximize group creativity, solve problems, create surprise, and generate joy through the power of nonverbal communication. Pilobolus has created and toured over 120 pieces of repertory to more than 65 countries. They have been featured on CBS This Morning, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NBC's TODAY Show, MTV's Video Music Awards, The Harry Connick Show, ABC's The Chew, and the CW Network's Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Pilobolus has been honored with a TED Fellowship, a 2012 Grammy® Award Nomination, a Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Programming, and several Cannes Lion Awards at the International Festival of Creativity. In 2015, Pilobolus was named one of Dance Heritage Coalition's “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures”. In 2024, the book “Pilobolus: A Story of Dance and Life” was written by author Robert Pranzatelli tracking the company from its counterculture origins through its pop-culture triumphs and contemporary global acclaim. 

Claire is from a family of artists where sketchbooks were ever present. Her father Glen is an animator, her grandfather Bil was a cartoonist and apparently her great granddad drew machine parts for steam engines. Her uncle Jeff is a cartoonist, her brother Max draws and animates… so does her cousin. And from the looks of it, her kids are following in her footsteps. After studying design at Parsons School of Design and l'École Supérieure d'Arts Graphiques in Paris, she began her career at Disney Feature Animation in California designing for Tangled, Frozen and Enchanted among other films. Over time, her work expanded to include picture books including Little Wonder, Prunella, Love is, Not Yeti, Make Way, Once Upon a Cloud, and a range of other collaborative projects. In the summer of 2024, Claire returned to Paris with her children, where you'll often find her sketching in a café alongside her basset hound, Stanley.

Bassist, composer, educator and actor John Brown teaches at Duke University and currently serves as Vice Provost for the Arts, Director of the Jazz Program and Professor of the Practice of Music. He has performed internationally with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Nnenna Freelon, Cyrus Chestnut, Diahann Carroll, Rosemary Clooney, Nell Carter, Lou Donaldson, Slide Hampton, Nicholas Payton, Frank Foster, Larry Coryell, Cedar Walton, Fred Wesley, Bernard Purdie and Mark Whitfield, as well as giving regular performances as a substitute with the North Carolina Symphony since 1992. He has performed for President Barack Obama, and at major national and international venues and festivals in Asia, Europe and across North and South America. John has a Grammy nomination for his performance and co-writing on Nnenna Freelon's 1996 Concord release, Shaking Free, and he has an Emmy nomination for producing the first Duke Student Arts Showcase. He has also produced and performed on recordings for Nnenna Freelon and Linda Lavin. The film One Night in Kernersville (documenting the first recording session of John's Big Band) won “Best Short Film” at the Full Frame Film Festival, “Best Cinematography” at the Charlotte Film Festival and was featured on the Documentary Channel. John has also served multiple times as a juror and as Chair for the Pulitzer Prize in Music and for various engagements with the National Endowment for the Arts. 

A multi-platinum songwriter who combines humor, wisdom and inspiration with soaring vocals and acoustic arrangements to give her audiences a “faith-lift.”  Jana is the founder of Together For Good Worldwide and Refugee Film School as well as the co-founder of Together We Can Change the World.  Her songs have been featured on television shows like 20/20, Entertainment Tonight, and Oprah, and movie soundtracks, sung by Reba McEntire and others. While her compositions were climbing the music charts, often sung by other artists, Jana was charting a different path. With a background in TV journalism, music, and stand-up comedy, Jana turned her concerts into Keynote Concerts, becoming a Certified Speaking Professional with two TEDx performances in addition to two concerts at Carnegie Hall. Jana Stanfield has delivered her Keynote Concerts in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, the Bahamas, Australia, New Zealand, India, England, the Netherlands, Dubai, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Spain, France, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Bali and Singapore.  Her TEDx talks were at NASA, and then in Chennai, India. To help girls without access to school, she and her professional speaking colleague, Scott Friedman, co-founded an international 501c3 called Together We Can Change the World, www.TWCCTW.com , with more than 15 projects in 5 countries to empower disadvantaged women and girls with education and job skills. She now lives in Bali, Indonesia, where she performs her music and humor. 

Warren Etheredge is a Storyfinder™, a successful producer, published author, staged playwright, veteran festival programmer and much sought-after public speaker. He has conducted over 4000 interviews. He recently wrote and produced the feature doc, Downwind narrated by Martin Sheen which premiered at Slamdance 2023. Other producer credits include Personhood, Furever, All of Them, The Phantom 52, Last Requests , The Lost Mariner, Even the Walls. Every Beautiful Thing, and the webseries, The Enchanted Kitchen w/Sasha Graham. He teaches screenwriting/filmmaking at the University of Washington and Cornish College for the Arts. He is one of the founding faculty of The Red Badge Project, teaching combat veterans storytelling skills to cope with PTS. He has hosted multiple television series including the Emmy®-nominated The High Bar.  He served as the VP of Curation & Acquisitions for Tom Skerritt's start-up, Triple Squirrels Media. He is the Co-founder/Curator for the Walla Walla Movie Crush, shorts programmer for The Seattle Jewish Film Festival and lead programmer for the Summer Shorts Film Festival. 

A director, writer & storyboard artist with an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Ratatouille. Jim is a ASIFA-Hollywood Annie Award winner for his short films Your Friend The Rat. He directed the critically-acclaimed end titles for Pixar's Wall•E.  After Mr. Capobianco graduated from California Institute of the Arts, he started in the story department at Walt Disney Feature Animation on The Lion King and then proceeded to have an influence on many of the stories at Pixar Animation, including Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, UP and Inside Out. In 2009 Jim finished Leonardo a short film now in the permanent collection of the MoMA NYC. Has published children's books and is the voice of Gary Garbage on Netflix's GoGo Cory Carson. With Aerial Contrivance Workshop, Jim was the 2D animation sequence director for Walt Disney Motion Pictures', Mary Poppins Returns and wrote and directed the animated feature film The Inventor, a story about Leonardo da Vinci bringing the Renaissance to France and the future. 

Chief Creative Officer and Partner at SuperBloom House, an independent creative company that transforms the way brands show up in the world. Heather holds previous roles at Virtue, the agency from VICE, and as VP of Creative across all branded content and brand-led entertainment at Vox Media, She has spent the last decade helping clients shape culture beyond traditional advertising. She led the charge across Beauty of Blackness (Sephora, streaming on MAX), A Woman's Place (KitchenAid, Hulu), and forthcoming Embodied (Novo Nordisk, AppleTV+) 

In this special episode we celebrate the 99th birthday of The King of Late Night, Johnny Carson. Pat Hazell visits with Tonight Show Producer and President of Carson Entertainment Group, Jeff Sotzing about Johnny's affection for variety acts. The show features the cast of Carson Tonight: master magician, Lance Burton; America's Got Talent juggling duo, The Passing Zone (Jon Wee & Owen Morse); comedian, Cathy Ladman; ventriloquist, Jay Johnson; and jazz vocalist, Nicole Henry. All discuss their memories of Johnny and making their debuts on the show that launched their careers. Happy Birthday to Johnny Carson on Oct 23rd. 

Comedian, actor, television writer, author and musician Paul Reiser is one of Hollywood's most prolific creatives.2024 is a busy year for Reiser. On the heels of his new comedy The Problem with People which Reiser wrote, produced, and starred in alongside Colm Meaney and Jane Levy, Reiser has projects across a multitude of media formats. In March, Carter Burke, Reiser's iconic character from Aliens re-emerged in a What-if… concept comic book from Marvel comics and he appeared in the independent comedy The Gutter, directed by Isaiah and Yassir Lester. Reiser also co-wrote the New York Times bestseller What A Fool Believes: A Memoir the candid, freewheeling memoir of his friend and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Michael McDonald. In July, Reiser will appear in Netflix's Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, reprising his role from BH Cop 1 and 2. Recently, Reiser could be seen in Hulu's critically-acclaimed comedy series “Reboot” by Modern Family creator Steve Levitan. He also took his first step into bloody, superhero glory in Season 3 of Amazon Prime's Emmy-nominated The Boys playing “The Legend.” Reiser is widely celebrated for his roles in two hit shows for Netflix: Stranger Thing  and Chuck Lorre's The Kominsky Method, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Mad About You, the long-running Emmy, Peabody, and Golden Globe-winning comedy that Reiser created and starred in with Helen Hunt, returned as a limited series on Spectrum Originals. Reiser earned acclaim for his supporting role in the Academy Award-winning film Whiplash. The veteran actor has garnered praise for notable performances in films such as Diner, Bye Bye Love, One Night At McCool's, and The Thing About My Folks, which Reiser wrote for his co-star Peter Falk. Reiser is a fixture behind the camera as well. He co-created and produced the seven-episode series There's Johnny!, a seven-episode series which streamed on Hulu and Peacock. The show, a fictional story set behind-the-scenes of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show circa 1972, co-produced with director David Gordon Green. His new standup special – his first in 30 years – will be released later this year via Comedy Dynamics.

A comedian and magician who headlined Cirque du Soleil's Mad Apple, has been featured on America's Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, Conan, Sherri, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and National Geographic Channel's Brain Games. Harrison was a senior producer for Primetime: Would You Fall for That? and story producer for VH1's This is HOT 97. He was also the head writer for Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro, the first late night show on NBCU/Telemundo, a staff writer for Tha God's Honest Truth with Charlamagne Tha God on Comedy Central, and a long-time freelance writer for MAD Magazine. He is a recipient of the Andy Kaufman Award (2010) for creativity and originality in comedy, the Shorty Award in collaboration with Comedy Central and the New York Comedy Festival for "Best Emerging Comic" (2011), and the Magners Comic Stand-Off (2011). But the award Harrison is the most proud of is Tannen's Magic Camp "Camper of the Year," which means two things: (1) Harrison went to Magic Camp and (2) Harrison was a virgin until college. He co-founded the Harvard College Stand-Up Comic Society, the first organization at Harvard dedicated to the performance and appreciation of stand-up comedy, and one still popular on campus today.

An innovation strategist, design thinker and the author of The Wonder Mindset who is on a mission to transform companies, foster community and empower human potential. With over two decades of experience in spearheading strategic initiatives, she successfully led organizations through complex challenges, elevating design maturity and fostering cultures of innovation and growth. Sarah's expertise spans digital strategy, design thinking, and corporate social responsibility, with a focus on leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as AI, AR in integrated Customer Experiences to create sustainable value and impact. As the CEO and Founder of Evolve X Wonder and Wander, Sarah built a thriving community and a dynamic portfolio of offerings that empower individuals and organizations to evolve and excel. 

The Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the Nashville-based independent ad agency THE MAYOR. Tom produced award-winning work in four straight Super Bowls for Avocados from Mexico and RadioShack. He's also a contributing factor in the famous Farmers Insurance jingle "We Are Farmers" and starting the infamous Popeye's Chicken Wars. Tom's work has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, and the Guinness Book of World Records. Four pieces of his work are in the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. 

A Creature F/X artist in the UK for over 30 years, Maria's career began working at Jim Henson's Creatureshop in London.  She went on to specialize in art finishing, hair, fur and feathers. Her work has taken her on many adventures from Star Wars, to Harry Potter and Maleficent, to a number of epic historical films over the years. She has a passion for magic and circus and is a collector of hobbies.

With an unprecedented four Juno awards for songwriter of the year, Jim Vallance is one of Canada's pre-eminent songwriters and the creative force behind top tracks for artists like Bryan Adams, Aerosmith, Joe Cocker and Glass Tiger. He played drums with the Vancouver band Prism, and wrote their first single, Spaceship Superstar (which was played on the Discovery Space Shuttle). After touring with Prism,  he became a session musician before a chance meeting with 18-year-old Bryan Adams determined his songwriting career direction. The two began a fruitful decades-long songwriting collaboration.  Adams's album, Cuts Like a Knife, yielded three hit singles co-written with Vallance, and reached platinum. The follow-up album Reckless cemented the Vallance-Adams writing partnership in the annals of rock music. No. 1 on the Canadian and U.S. album charts, it sold five times platinum, with six Vallance co-writes in the Top 15, including the duo's first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, Heaven; and the No. 1 Mainstream Rock tracks Run To You and Somebody. Vallance concentrated on songwriting, penning a non-stop stream of hit rock ballads, including the now-famous chart-topping charity single Tears Are Not Enough, a collaboration with Adams and fellow Canadian producer David Foster. Jim's creative talent has benefitted top international acts like Pat Benatar, Roger Daltry, Neil Diamond, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Joan Jett, The Go-Go's, Rick Springfield, Tina Turner,  Rod Stewart, Anne Murray, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Chilliwack, Loverboy, Toronto, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, KISS and The Scorpions. Vallance went on to collaborate with Adams on songs for the Broadway show Pretty Woman: The Musical. He has served on the boards of SOCAN, the Songwriters Association of Canada, and FACTOR, is a member of the Order of Canada, and boasts 22 SOCAN Classic awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

A well-regarded producer of television specials and variety shows, George Schlatter, in 1967 pitched to NBC an idea that was a radical departure: a comedy special inspired by the hippie counter-culture, one which would take the idea of sit-ins, love-ins, and be-ins, and manifest that politicized, sexualized, consciousness-raising energy into comedic sketches. The special, Laugh-in, was so successful it became a regular television series, running from January 1968 to March 1973 and eventually becoming the #1 show on TV.  George is the author of the new book Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy featuring never-before-told backstories from the creation of one of the most beloved shows in television history. It also recounts the coming-of-age of one of television's great producers, from his early nightclub days in Vegas, rubbing elbows with iconic mob figures like Mickey Cohen and John Stompanato, to his influential friendships with Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, for whom George was asked to deliver a eulogy at his funeral.

The creator and writer of FindingJoy.net and the author of three books: Get Your Spark Back, Mom Enough and The Brave Art of Motherhood. Rachel is a founding partner in Audience Industries – a company designed to train and equip entrepreneurs in their ventures. Her inspiring articles have been translated into over 25 languages and her original content has been featured in The Today Show, NPR, The Huffington Post, Star Tribune, Tiny Buddha, iVillage, Stuff New Zealand, John Tesh, PopSugar, Motherly, Parents, What to Expect, Independent Journal Review, Dr. Greene, Power of Positivity and Her View From Home. Rachel believes in the power of the human spirit to overcome, to thrive and to find deep joy and because of that she speaks worldwide encouraging others to live each day with purpose and drive. Beyong that she is a mother of seven, and calls Nashville her home.   

An International literary artist, Texas poet laureate nominee and nationally ranked slam poet who manages to turn life into written and spoken works of art. He is a regular at Austin Poetry Slam since he won his first Grand Slam title in 2005. Christopher is an MC, champion, host, writer, author, educator, publisher, pappy, professor veteran and nurse. Christopher Michael uses poetry to address mental health, relationship accountability, and Black American history. He's the resident host at Austin Slam, EncoreATX and Master Piece's For Love of Words (F.L.O.W.) Show case and F.L.O.W. International. He is the founder of 310 Brown Street publishing that seek to make poets immortal. His latest book “Black Type Poems” will take you on the poetic ride that you deserve. You can learn more by going to www.mrmichael310.com

A multi-hyphenate theatre maker who views her solo work as an artistic extension of the social justice work she has been committed to for the last thirty years. Arlene's award-winning solo works tour throughout the United States and internationally. Many of these works are an exploration of disability in our culture. As an actor she has performed on stages big and small in LA and Chicago and has worked in film, and television (Some of it good- Most of it bad). As a playwright she is the recipient of a Chicago Cultural Center Theatre Residency, a 3 Arts/UIC Fellowship, a Millennium Parks Grant from The Boeing Company Charitable Trust, a LA Ovations & a LA Garland Award. Her work has been a finalist in New Plays from Heartland, and a semi-finalist for Blue Ink Award, O'Neill Play. Her writings have been featured in Ms. Magazine, Huffington Post, Medium, Paramanu Pentaquark, En Posse Review, True Stories About Love - Chicago Story Press and Women of Letters Anthology by Penguin Press. She has a Doctorate degree from UCLA, teaches writing and performing and coaches across the country. Arlene is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists where she developed the Solo & Story curriculum. Her soon-to-be released new book Writing & Performing the One-Person Show will be published by Northwestern University Press 2025. Finally, she is to her knowledge the only actor to have appeared in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure AND Dougie Howser, M.D. in the same 24 hours.

An improv artist and teacher for nearly 40 years, and he has applied those principles to all facets of his work as an editor, writer, director, and actor. He is the founder of Turbine Arts Collective, a Los Angeles nonprofit dedicated to the exploration of creativity, where he teaches weekly workshops in improvisation. After graduating from the University of Iowa with degrees in Communications/Theatre Arts and Journalism, he moved to Los Angeles, became involved in the local theatre community, and quickly dedicated himself to the performance and study of improvisation. His mentor Gary Austin (creator of The Groundlings) called him, "One of the best improvisers I've ever worked with." He co-founded The Bubalaires, an improvisational physical-comedy theatre troupe with roots in Commedia dell' Arte, and he created Shplotz!, an evening of improvisational theatre with celebrated guests like Helen Hunt, Jason Alexander, James Corden, and Dave Foley. Rob has taught improvisation workshops at the Walt Disney Studios, USC Marshall School of Business, JPL/NASA, SAG-AFTRA, UCLA Performing Arts Intensive and the American Conservatory Theatre. He also teaches creative practices to businesses and corporations. Rob is also well-known as an editor of commercials and music videos, collaborating with such varied directors as Spike Lee, Ridley Scott, Terry Gilliam and Joe Pytka. He won the Clio Award and many other awards for editing. As a director, his film Heavenzapoppin'! won the highest award given by the National Educational Media Association, and Leonard Maltin called it, "A delightful and ingenious film".

The co-founder of Esther's Follies comedy troupe & club, an actor, singer and successful entrepreneur who undoubtedly helps to “Keep Austin Weird.” Esther's has kept audiences laughing for more than 47 years. The live comedy revue — part SNL with a Texas twist, part modern vaudeville and Magical Mystery Tour — is like nothing else on the national comedy scene. From political skewering to parody sketches to confounding magic acts. Shannon Sedwick launched her first enterprise, The Museum of Light, in 1970 in partnership with her husband Michael Shelton. A film series showing experimental short films on the UT campus where filmmakers were invited to speak about their work. That experience sparked an entrepreneurial fire in Sedwick & Shelton, so they went on to create a New Orleans-style restaurant and live music club with a funky Austin vibe called Liberty Lunch. Live music acts were performed in the backyard, and Sedwick and Shelton added entertainment with performance art pieces in between bands. The entrepreneurs' next venture was Phillies' Diner, where Sedwick recalls delivering sandwiches to customers by bicycle. Then came the Buffalo Grille, a jazz club and restaurant on West Sixth Street. Shannon cooked by day, and sang in a trio at night, where she fell in love with Sam Shepard when he came to their Sunday Brunch jazz jam with his bongos. This was followed by The Tavern where they completely renovated a historic building and brought the restaurant-bar back to life. They went on to open Esther's on a song, got a beer and wine license, and built a stage in the windows. It became an underground hit and has lasted over four decades giggling & skewering all the way. 

A versatile director of theatre, film & television with credits ranging from series director on Home Improvement, produced and directed Working, Soul Man, and dozens of other prime time programs, including episodes of Friends (The Pivot! episode), Caroline in the City, Suddenly Susan, American Pie, Jesse, The Single Guy, In The House, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Sabrina, The Tick, and many more.  Andrew directed two productions for Shakespeare Festival L.A.: The Tempest and Julius Caeser, a world premiere opera for L.A. Opera On Gold Mountain and two short films: Brightness starring Eric Idle which was awarded the Gold Special Jury Prize for 2001 at the WorldFest in Houston and Solstice. His theatre credits include the world premiere of Sister Carrie, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Nilo Cruz's adaptation of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. Internationally, he has produced and directed noted original devised theatre works at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, including The Grind Show, Ithaca I'll Never See, The Wasteland Sisters, Brandy Alexander and Searchers. Mr. Tsao was a tenured associate professor of dramatic arts at the University of Washington School of Drama where he was part of the faculty for the MFA Professional Acting and Directing Programs and was head of the Bachelor of Arts program as well. Andrew is also the creator of the new storytelling series tendingthefirepod.com. 

An award-winning circus performer, actor, director and teacher who has performed internationally for more than four million people as a principal character with Cirque Du Soleil. John's original and quirky routines are known for being an influential part of the contemporary circus movement that began in the 1980's. John often collaborates with top entertainment companies to create memorable characters and comedy routines for world class shows. In 2002 John was invited to Pixar Studios to consult on the physical comedy routines that were eventually included in the Oscar winning film Ratatouille. John continues to create challenging and experimental theater in California, including We Are Nudes which earned a “Best of the Fringe” award in the 2009 San Francisco Fringe Festival and Wet the Hippo which was nominated for “Best Comedy” in the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival.

An Atlanta-based cellist-composer, looper, improviser, and storyteller, that has been featured on the Tamaron Hall Show, received a Kennedy Center Office Hours Artist Residency, and has been accepted as a sound installation artist for the Democratic Republic of Congo's 2022 Biennale. Okorie is a co-composer and performer of a cello concerto Liminal, an Atlanta Concerto, that enjoyed a world premiere in February of 2023 with The Georgia Symphony Orchestra. He scored a documentary for the Atlanta Journal Constitution named Imperfect Alibi which won a regional Emmy, and he also scored a children's theatre show for the Alliance Theatre named Head to Toe, which won a Suzi Bass Award. He has opened for Maxwell and recorded and/or performed with India.Arie, De La Soul, and Big Boi of Outkast. He has 3 studio albums - Liminal, Resolve, and Beacon - and a Christmas EP, An Ok Christmas. His work centers on themes and expressions of the African Diaspora, while also exploring the phenomenon of musical prayer.

A stop-motion artist, photographer and creative entrepreneur who weaves magic into advertisements, marketing strategies and everyday life. Her mission is to empower others to unlock their creativity, awaken their imagination and take risks in pursing what they love. She is a stop-motion artist who makes video for brands and teaches creatives how to bring magic into their work. Colette has created memorable work for Starbucks, Panera, Sony, Nickelodeon, 3M, Kraft, Dunkin', Expedia, Barnes & Noble, Red Bull, Fjall Raven, Blue Bottle Coffee, Adidas, Pottery Barn Kids, Native, Shutterfly, REI, Ruggable, DoorDash and Doritos.

A legendary Emmy-award winning TV writer, director & producer who co-wrote many of the classic episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show and created the TV series That Girl starring Marlo Thomas. A former lifeguard in the Catskills mountains turned comedy writer for radio DJs at WNEW, Bill partnered up with Sam Denoff to write comedy for The Steve Allen Show, Good Morning World and many other sitcoms from the golden age of television. Persky went on to direct 100 episodes of the situation comedy Kate and Allie, as well as The Practice and Busting Loose. Bill also directed the feature film Serial. 

A singer, songwriter, lyricist, author, and founder of Two Tomatoes Records with 15 award-winning albums, more than 1 billion total streams, and nearly 450 million YouTube channel views. Laurie has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the White House. Business Insider dubbed Laurie “the gold standard of the children's music world.” As a leader and innovator in children's music and entertainment for more than 25 years, Laurie was the first recording artist to ever appear in music videos on Nick Jr., appeared regularly on the network's Jack's Big Music Show, and helped develop the short form animated musical preschool series Sing It, Laurie! on Sprout TV. Laurie has authored several picture books based on her songs and has created two Laurie Berkner's Song and Story Kitchen series with Audible Studios, who released them as 10-chapter audio books through the Audible Originals brand. She has written the music and lyrics for three children's musicals originally produced Off-Broadway by New York City Children's Theater, and now presented regionally.

A Primetime Emmy Award nominee best known for her tenure as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1995-2000. Cheri began her career in Promotions for A&M records for 4 years and joined up with the Groundlings, an improv-sketch comedy group based in LA. One night, a Saturday Night Live rep attended a performance with the intention of auditioning fellow Groundlings member Chris Kattan. Oteri performed a monologue during one of Kattan's costume changes, which led to her own invitation to audition for SNL where she played stand out comic characters such as Barbara Walters, Arianna an overly spirited Spartan Cheerleader with Will Ferrell, Rita DelVecchio, a grouchy Philadelphia woman who is mean to the neighborhood children; Cass Van Rye, the dim-witted co-host of the “Morning Latte” talk show; Nadeen, a testy employee whose catchphrase constantly orders everyone to "Simmer down now!"; Althea McMahonaman, an absurdly hyper child who is an awful passenger and disturbs public servants; Collette Reardon, a prescription pill-addict; Joy Lipton, Erotic Attic boutique owner; Adele, a vulgar and highly sexual office worker whose attempts at sexual innuendos disgust rather than attract her colleagues; Laura Zimmerman, one half of the Zimmermans, who suddenly break into rough and sexual behavior before returning to casual conversation as if nothing happened (with Chris Kattan). Oteri has appeared in a number of movies, including Scary Move, Inspector Gadget, Liar Liar, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Llyod, Shrek the Third and Southland Tales.  

One of sports photography's preeminent visual storytellers. Jean does much more than take pictures. With a diverse portfolio in portraiture and sports of all kinds, she is devoted to capturing the dynamism of her subjects and revealing the stories behind the images. She covered everything from wrestling to sailing, from basketball to volleyball to track and field. And, of course, football — on any given Friday, she could be found taking full advantage of those Friday night lights, shooting the sport's storied rivalries and eating at local snack shacks up and down northern California. Jean spent nearly a decade shooting the crown jewels of Bay Area sports — the Giants, the A's, the 49ers. Her portfolio quickly expanded when she was invited to Cooperstown, where she helped build the archive of the renowned National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Jean's work has also been seen at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the Smithsonian. In 2019, Jean co-founded Grassroots Baseball, a non-profit that promotes and celebrates the amateur game around the globe, with the goal to grow interest and participation at the youngest levels. That year-round shooting schedule squares nicely with her commitment as a traveling photographer for La Vida Baseball and La Vida Sports, digital media companies that shares the stories of Latino sports across the United States and Latin America through original video, writing, and social content.  Jean's first book, Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin, was released in 2019. Her latest, Grassroots Baseball: Route 66, was published in 2022, with proceeds benefitting the non-profit organization. Jean is honored to be designated by Sony as one of its select Sony Artisans of Imagery.

A creative comic genius known for concocting a cast of fictional characters all of whom he played live on air while also serving as the host of his national talk radio program. Hendrie actually started out as a disc jockey at WBJW 1440 AM in Winter Park, Fla., a suburb of Orlando. After 15 years working as a disc jockey at stations across the country, he realized he hated what he was doing. Moving to Los Angeles, Hendrie debuted in talk radio as a weekend host at KFI-AM 640. In 1990 at KVEN-AM in Ventura, Calif., Hendrie introduced his first fictional character on air — an Iraqi, Raj Fahneen. The Gulf War was happening and Fahneen vociferously defended Saddam Hussein. Thinking he was a real person, listeners went ballistic and the phones lit up. An entire cast of characters would evolve from that moment on, marking Hendrie's place in radio history. Hendrie's popularity resulted in the radio show going national in 1999. By 2006, he was ready to explore the next chapter of his career — acting in front of the camera. He departed from radio and quickly added to his resume which already included Trey Parker's and Matt Stone's motion picture, Team America: World Police, as well as television roles on Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Richard Appel's A.U.S.A., and Judd Apatow's North Hollywood. He also starred in Steve Levitan's Phil Hendrie and wrote, executive produced and starred in Phil at the Gate. For the last 10 years, Hendrie has regularly played characters on FOX's popular animated series King of the Hill and Futurama. Other recent television work includes roles on Giants of Radio, The Replacements, Three Strikes, Mike Birbiglia's Secret Public Journal, David Mamet's The Unit, and NBC's Teachers. He also played Nets Coach in the motion picture, Semi-pro. Hendrie continues to act today and is currently working on the motion picture, Last Call.

A color-forward visual artist, comic storyteller and the author of the new book Kinda Funny: Stories by a Full-time Comedian (with Four Part-time Jobs.)  JJ takes her stories from the comedic stage to the comedic page in a comedy-club-meets-therapy-session collection of essays. From aging parents, awkward first dates, and avoiding the dentist to traversing the difficulties of eating disorders, wrestling with faith and depression, and yet still stumbling into love after looking for thirty-five years in very odd places. JJ uses her experiences to reveal her understandings of humor, faith, mental health, and what it means to finally “grow up,” if that's even something we ever actually do.  Her book offers stories that are kinda funny, kinda deep, kinda awkward, and even kinda spiritual, giving readers a place to go, offering comfort, sanity, and little to no answers about how to live a better life, but certainly a place to feel a little less alone and a little more entertained. KINDA FUNNY reveals the freedom a quippy sense of humor can unleash in all of us by bringing levity to those gritty moments.

One of America's most iconic photographers, widely recognized for his fine art, editorial and commercial work. Stephen's pictorial stories of Mainland China, California's Highway One, Ellis Island, the ravages of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and an impressionistic study of Burned Objects set the tone for a series of career-defining projects that catapulted him to the top of the photographic landscape. Stephen's work has been featured on NPR and CBS Sunday Morning as well as being on the covers of New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Time, Fortune, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and many others. Day to Night, Wilkes' most defining project, began in 2009. These epic cityscapes and landscapes, portrayed from a fixed camera angle for up to 30 hours, capture fleeting moments of humanity as light passes in front of his lens over the course of a full day. Blending these images into a single photograph takes months to complete. His photographs are included in the collections of the George Eastman Museum, James A. Michener Art Museum, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Dow Jones Collection, Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, Jewish Museum of NY, Library of Congress, Snite Museum of Art, The Historic New Orleans Collection, Museum of the City of New York, 9/11 Memorial Museum, Fenimore Art Museum, Art in Embassies, U.S. Department of State and numerous private collections.