The Spring 2020 Participants Include

Carletta Hurt, is Founder and lead producer at IKAM Productions and is an award-winning producer, passionate educator, and fierce youth advocate. Carletta is the Immediate Past President of Women in Film & Video DC (WIFV) and a dual member of Women in Film & Television — Atlanta (WIFTA). She was instrumental in honoring filmmaker, Julie Dash, in 2017 as a Women of Vision honoree. She is dedicated to creating a space for new, unique voices to be heard and a platform to showcase rising talent that deserves a chance especially if they are women.

Dedan Bruner, is a California born, Howard educated, transplant that has called the District of Columbia home for over 25 years. you’re likely to find Dedan working on content for OnFathering.com his website dedicated to serving fathers or collaborating with his partners Bryan and Harris on content for their forthcoming podcast Dad Genes: Exploring the DNA of Healthy Fathering.

Tracy Press, is a lifelong, creative solopreneur with a multi-faceted career history in marketing, entertainment, events, VIP services, and non-profit management. Tracy currently serves as the Executive Director of Powerful Beyond Measure — a DC-based, non-profit that utilizes the arts and entertainment industries to motivate youth towards academic, social and personal success

Tabassum Siddiqui, is the Founder, Creative Director, and Designer of ULTRAVIVRE: an ethical, bold womenswear brand for the dynamic, modern modest woman and an online community that serves to inspire and uplift its members to cultivate their highest self and encourage a compassionate, holistic, conscious way of living.

Strother Gaines, is Founder and Artistic Director of TBD Immersive which recently closed the final chapter of the Cabaret Trilogy “Ouroboros: Dawn of the Cabaret”.

Dewey Ortiz, co-founded DK Filmworks in 2010 with the goal of changing the perception of African-Americans in cinema. His series Survivor Stories, which features four courageous D.C. women who have survived domestic abuse, won Best Web Series at the 2017 D.C. Black Film Festival. In addition to directing our living stories, Mr. Ortiz is also an imaginative writer.

Leslie Kershaw, is an award-winning storytelling photographer and creative who is passionate about documenting authentic, diverse imagery for families, business and brands. A native Washingtonian, Leslie currently resides in Ward 7 with her husband and three sons.

Devin Smith, is Founder, and CEO of Ship and Anchor LLC, is a business consultant and strategist passionate about inclusion, bringing innovative ideas to life, and working with other entrepreneurs and leaders.

Kiona Owens, is a multi-disciplined creative and Global Diversity Officer with over 10 years of combined experience in both public and private sectors supplying strategic diversity inclusion programming. Kiona currently serves as the Principal Creator of Creative Enterprise Consults, a boutique consultancy that provides business solutions to DC’s creative economy. She is also the Managing Partner of “Khloe-Rose’s Coily Girl Detangler’s,” a product that stemmed from a science fair experiment of a 9-year-old aspiring Chemical Engineer.

Frances Hall, is Frances Hall is a DC Native born in Ward 8, Southeast DC. She is a graduate of Central Texas College located on Bolling Air Force Base with an Associates Degree in General Studies. Frances has nurtured, propelled, and continues to foster the growth of the trademarked ImSoDC Brand by building relationships, participating in more than 300 Shopping/PopUp Vendor Events and providing quality items along with extraordinary customer service experience. Frances is outgoing, resourceful, ambitious, and an Influencer.

Saaret Yoseph, is an Ethiopian-American writer, filmmaker, and interdisciplinary artist, from Washington, D.C. Working across TV, film, digital and print, she tells stories that connect disparate ideas, cultures, and audiences. Her creative inquiries explore themes of race, identity, and migration within the African diaspora. Saaret’s 2014 documentary RED LINE DC explored gentrification and graffiti in the nation’s capital. In honor of the project, the District of Columbia’s Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment named her the January 2015 “Filmmaker of the Month.”

Melani Douglass, is the Director of Public Programs at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC where she cultivates a network of diverse constituents through community partnerships and collaborations. She also heads the groundbreaking Women, Arts, and Social Change initiative, which elevates museum programming to a new standard with curated conversations, communal dinners, and transformative events.

Kimani Browner-Allen, also known as Chef Ki has been cooking since 2013 when he joined the US army as a 92G or Food Service Specialist. He has worked in and run a number of kitchens throughout the city as well as runs his very own Pop Up Cafe, River East Cafe.

M Strickland, is a social impact designer specialized in equity-based human-centered design (HCD). M helps make the design process accessible to communities of people who are typically excluded from the design of their own products and services. They have a decade of experience using HCD and qualitative research methodologies to help social impact organizations and community-based groups create more equitable distributions of power.