We are all volunteers for the cause!

Mahshid Fashandi Hager is a therapist turned writer. In her work as a therapist she offers treatment and support to survivors of trauma. She first began writing as a way to process her own traumatic history of immigration but, soon discovered the power of sharing her stories with others. With her writing, Mahshid aspires to dismantle the culture of fear and intolerance through storytelling and compassionate connections.

Her upcoming memoir, No Way Back, Mahshid takes us on a journey back through her childhood as she recalls her family’s trials and tribulations during the Iranian revolution, the war with Iraq and her family’s subsequent, inevitable escape from their home. Mahshid’s story serves as a resource for anyone who aims to understand the plight of refugees and immigrant families in our world today.

Dean Nelson is the founder and director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He writes occasionally for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Christianity Today, Sojourners, and several other national publications. He has won several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his reporting, and has written or co-written 14 books. Nelson is a frequent speaker at writing workshops and retreats.

Justin Hudnall received his BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He currently serves as the Executive Director of So Say We All, a San Diego-based literary arts and education non-profit, produces and hosts the public radio series, Incoming. In a prior career, he served with the United Nations in South Sudan as an emergency response officer. He is a recipient of the San Diego Foundation’s Creative Catalyst Fellowship and Rising Arts Leader award, named one of San Diego Citybeat’s “Best People” of 2016, and is an alumni of the Vermont Studio Center.

Gill Sotu is a multi-faceted artist weaving poetry, music, soul, humor, and thought provoking passion into captivating and memorable performances. He is a two time Grand Slam Poetry Champion, two time Raw Performing artist of the year, and a three time TEDx San Diego presenter. He has opened for rap legend Talib Kweli at the San Diego Symphony. Currently he is a teaching artist and a commissioned playwright with The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego as well as the Artist In Residence at Makers Church. He has been commissioned to produce original pieces for leading arts and community organizations such as: The San Diego Symphony, San Diego Fashion Week, The Unity Way of San Diego County, Feeding America, SD Fringe Fest, and the San Diego Museum of Man to name a few. A magnetic performer, Sotu uses his words and energy to bring stories to life on stage and screen and leaves audiences of all sizes entertained and inspired.

Tricia Hedman began her publicity career working in the marketing department of Princess Cruises in Los Angeles. From there, Tricia worked in numerous publicity mediums, including crisis, product, and entertainment public relations, lastly working as a photo publicist for CBS Network before relocating to San Diego. It was there that she found she could combine her publicity experience with her love of books, working as a senior literary publicist in the San Diego office of Harcourt Trade Publishing for 5 ½ years. In September 2006, Tricia launched Ollie Media. Her clients include authors from FSG, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Knopf, Naval Institute Press, Rodale, University of Missouri Press and University of New Mexico Press as well as smaller presses and independent publishers. Tricia lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, Mike, and daughter, Olivia, the inspiration and namesake for her business.

Belo Miguel Cipriani, Ed.D., is the CEO of Oleb Media – an ADA compliance firm – and the Executive Director of Oleb Books – a disability press. His book, Blind: A Memoir has received multiple awards and was called “Riviting and suspenseful” by Amy Tan. Cipriani’s writing has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Connecticut Post, HuffPost, and elsewhere. In addition, he has received artist fellowships from Lambda Literary and Yaddo and has guest lectured at Yale. He is currently Community Faculty in the Creative Writing Department at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Mn. Learn more at belocipriani.com

Jennifer Coburn

Jennifer Coburn is the author of Cradles of the Reich, a historical novel about three very different women living at a Nazi Lebensborn breeding home at the start of World War ll.

She has also published a mother-daughter travel memoir, We’ll Always Have Paris, as well as six contemporary women’s novels. Additionally, Jennifer has contributed to five literary anthologies, including A Paris All Your Own.

Jennifer lives in San Diego with her husband, William. Their daughter, Katie is currently in graduate school. When Jennifer is not going down historical research rabbit holes, she volunteers with So Say We All, a live storytelling organization, where she is a performer, producer, and performance coach. She is also an active volunteer with Reality Changers, a nonprofit that supports low-income high school students in becoming the first in their families to attend college. She specializes in college essay development, interview prep, and all-around tiger mothering. Learn more.

Kristen Fogle is the Executive Director of San Diego Writers, Ink. She is a freelance editor, writer, instructor, tutor, teaching artist, and theatrical performer/director. She earned a BA in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge and a MA in Rhetoric and Writing Studies (teaching emphasis) from San Diego State University. She has a Teaching Artist training certification from Young Audiences San Diego and a certificate in Non-Profit Management from Brandman University. She was recently recognized as a Woman Who Impacts San Diego by San Diego Metro Magazine and a Woman of the Year nominee by San Diego Magazine. She loves guiding people toward “creative recovery” in both longer and shorter term Artist’s Way groups.

Phil Johnson is a proud founding partner in The Roustabouts Theatre Co. As an actor/ writer, his latest solo show, A Jewish Joke (co-written with Marni Freedman, directed by David Ellenstein) opens Off Broadway on Theatre Row in NYC this February, having just closed in San Diego for The Roustabouts, as well as touring regionally.