Speakers, Performers & Special Guests for 2024

Alex Chavez-Guerrero, a Watsonville-based software engineer, began his tech journey at Buoy Labs, later acquired by Resideo Technologies. With a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from San Jose ...

Antonella is a Queer, able-bodied, neurodivergent, light-skinned Peruvian immigrant with 10+ years of experience in outdoor education. Antonella founded PUENTES to facilitate outdoor programs for Blac...

César Rojas-Bravo, born in Costa Rica, pursued a double major in Physics and Classical Philology (the study of Ancient Greece and Rome) before moving to California. Currently completing a Ph.D. at UC...

Daisy Nuñez, daughter of farm workers, serves as a counselor at Watsonville High School and Hartnell College. As a thanatologist and Hospice board member, she brings a unique perspective to her work ...

Effron “Donnie” Veal, is an education advocate. After 23 years in prison, Donnie emerged as a beacon of resilience, navigating academia and societal reintegration since his release. His jo...

Esabella Bonner, entrepreneur and visionary, orchestrated Santa Cruz County’s largest protest in 2020, drawing 5,000 attendees. This sparked her commitment to movement work, fostering inclusivit...

Galina Hale, a former Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Research Advisor, focuses on mainstream finance in climate solutions. Her research explores global food system sustainability and internatio...

Jacob Martinez founded Digital NEST, empowering rural youth for employment. He spent nearly 10 years encouraging Latina girls to study computer science. Jacob is on the boards of Santa Cruz Works, Cen...

Jorge Guillen (he/him), or Xinistra (she/her) in drag, holds a UC Santa Cruz modern literature degree. He emphasizes self-advocacy in his work supporting adults with developmental disabilities. A Paja...

Juliano Calil, Senior Fellow at the Center for the Blue Economy and Adjunct Professor at the Middlebury Institute, pioneers science communication for climate action. With a Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz an...

Kara Meyberg Guzman prioritizes serving marginalized communities through fair, accurate, and accessible news. As board president of the Tiny News Collective, a national nonprofit, she supports early-s...

Kat Armstrong, AKA Trashy, holds a Bachelor’s in Social Work, equipping them for community strengthening. Currently pursuing a Clinical Mental Health Master’s, they aim to support queer, gender no...

Kyra Bobinet, MD-MPH, specializes in health behavior change, particularly the know-do gap (knowing, but not doing). She turned to neuroscience after 30 years of testing interventions and discovered th...

Luna HighJohn-Bey, a Santa Cruz resident for over a decade, serves as Historian in Residence at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Originating from Washington, DC, she passionately explores com...

Madeline Aliah, an 18-year-old transgender poet, draws on biracial South Asian roots and a dually religious upbringing in Christianity and Ismaili Islam, to cultivate empathy across diverse audiences....

Maria Cadenas, MBA, born in Mexico and raised in California, is dedicated to championing economic prosperity for rural Latine working class families on the California Central Coast. For over 20 years,...

MariaElena De La Garza is a seasoned nonprofit leader with over 30 years of experience. She strives to promote equity and is an advocate for the immigrant and low-income communities. She has been hono...

Martín Vargas-Vega, a Latinx philanthropist and software engineer from Watsonville, California, is devoted to bridging the digital divide. As an engineer, he combines innovation with a commitment to ...

Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela, a Colombian conservation ecologist, employs spatial tools to assess human impacts on bird populations. Prioritizing conservation areas, she emphasizes solutions benefiting bot...

Nicole Beck, with a Ph.D. in aquatic chemistry, is dedicated to bringing science to decision-makers. As CEO of a technology firm, she utilizes stormwater GIS software, empowering local governments and...

Stephen-Will Weir, a passionate global sustainability expert, aids in waste reduction and combating deforestation. Straightforward and determined, he’s deeply connected to family, friends, and c...

Terry Carr, an industrial designer, centers his work on crafting eco-friendly products connecting people with nature, most notably through his roles in automotive design and clean energy innovation. H...

Angela Chambers is a community leader, advocate for youth, and acclaimed dance artist. Her journey in the arts shifted from Musical Theater to dance at UCSC, where she discovered its potential for per...

August Lee Stevens is a musician and singer-songwriter with an atmospheric range of indie soul and folk. A lover of storytelling, she uses music to cut into the heart, inviting people to look in on so...

Santa Cruz native Daniel Nemire has dedicated twenty years to honing his musical craft. As the frontman of hard rock band King Tide and also as a prolific solo acoustic artist, Daniel explores various...

Elie Mabanza, hailing from Congo Brazzaville, infuses his music with African roots, blending rhythm and harmony to narrate personal tales. Self-taught on guitar from age ten, his songs, sung in Lari, ...

Keith Greeninger is a seasoned troubadour and award-winning singer songwriter. His masterfully crafted tunes have earned him top songwriting awards at the legendary Telluride Blue Grass and Kerrville ...

Afrobeats Nite Santa Cruz is an event that highlights the contemporary music of the African diaspora and the art of deejaying. Founded by Jase ‘Monk’ Earl in 2022, DJ Monk Earl envisions A...

Samba Soul, led by Gisella Ferreira, showcases authentic Brazilian Samba Dance, bringing the elegance and joy of Rio’s Carnival to audiences in Santa Cruz, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Rio itself...

Rebecca Hernandez, PhD (Mescalero/Warm Springs Apache and Mexican American), is the Community Archivist at the UC Santa Cruz University Library. There, she partners with community members to promote t...

As CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Susan continues her lifelong commitment to service and community. Prior, worked with the Rainin Foundation, led First 5 Santa Cruz County, and was the...

White Hawk Indian Council for Children is a non-profit arts organization founded in 1982. They provide culturally relevant activities for youth and families primarily in the Pajaro Valley. Their tradi...

Chelsea Alexandra Cabrera is the daughter of Cuban refugees, born and raised in Miami, Florida. In 2017, she moved to California to work as a travel nurse. After over a decade of high acuity care, she...

Tram, a native of San Jose, opened the Sandwich Spot in Santa Cruz in the space that eight years later became Mariposa Coffee Bar. Mariposa is a place where cultures, stories, and a shared love of cof...