Ruby Velle has been making a name for herself in the Atlanta scene as a cultural alchemist expressing matters of the soul. As the front woman to a band, Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, she has shaped the souls and minds of the public in a positive way as her words of empowerment ring out loud and clear. The new chapter for Velle is an exciting one with the release of three solo singlesL “Fighter,” “Nah Nah Please,” and “Go Get It”. The Fighter appeared on HBO and the trailer for “On the Basis of Sex”. Currently Velle is collaborating with the Soulphonics to release their new single “Step Right Up.”

Kiplyn Primus is known for launching the Local Take with Kiplyn Primus on Jazz 91.9 WCLK, which will celebrate its 15th year in January 2026. This public affairs show features discussions about critical issues facing Atlanta and profiles of organizations doing important work in the communities served by WCLK. 

Primus is also a veteran facilitator for StoryCorps' Atlanta studio and their Brightness in Black, where conversations between friends, family, and colleagues become part of the largest oral history project in the USA. Primus has written extensively on global and local initiatives for several publications and media outlets.

Hala Moddelmog is CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center, home to the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and High Museum of Art. Prior to taking on this role, she was also the first female President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Her service in Atlanta’s nonprofit community includes the Executive Committee of Midtown Alliance and the Board of Trustees of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where she chairs the Quality Committee.

Chastain “Chaz” Clark is a multidisciplinary designer and artist based in Atlanta, GA and has developed a career in fine art, public art, design consulting, and academia. Chaz is the creative lead for Studio Chastain which he founded in 2022. Studio Chastain is an art and design studio specializing in the design, fabrication, and delivery of public art, architecture and more including large scale murals, installations and sculpture. Chaz currently has a teaching appointment in the School of Architecture at Georgia Tech where he leads instruction for architectural design studios.

Adán Bean is an accomplished multi-hyphenate — an Emmy-nominated spoken word poet, musician, writer, host, storyteller, and creative director. Originally from NE Ohio, Adán has called Atlanta home for over twenty years, where he has firmly established himself in the arts, culture, and music scene. Currently working on his first work of collected poems and essays, and recording his sophomore EP, Adán curates Good*Night, a free monthly live show in Grant Park featuring music, comedy, and spoken word.

Heather Infantry is the CEO of Giving Gap, an online directory of Black-founded nonprofits advancing racial equity in philanthropy. A self-described foot soldier for the revolution, fierce lover of the arts, and emerging 100-meter sprinter, she leads with purpose and passion. “God bless the creators,” she often says—honoring the artists who shaped her identity. For Heather, art is a lifeline, and her work centers Black voices and institutions, insisting they not only survive, but thrive.

Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar is Professor of History and the founding Director of the Center for the Study of Popular Music at the University of Connecticut. He is the author or editor of several books, scholarly journal articles, and book chapters. He recently released an edited book, Black Movement: African American Urban History Since 1970, with the University of North Carolina Press in April 2025. In 2023, Basic Books published his award-winning book, America’s Black Capital: How African Americans Remade Atlanta in the Shadow of the Confederate. Publishers Weekly named it one of the “Best Books of 2023.”

Jeff Morrison has been studying Atlanta's history and culture from street-level for nearly thirty years. Over the years, his Unseen Underground Walking tour has led thousands of curious people through the hidden passages beneath our streets. In 2019 he published the book Atlanta Underground: History from Below, telling the complete history of Underground and the Railroad Gulch, paired with his own black and white photography.

David Perdue is an Atlanta based comedian who has appeared on Comedy Central,FuseTV, & Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. David is also an actor appearing in "Love Is..." on the Oprah Winfrey Network and "Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits and Monsters" on truTV.  David also co-hosts the comedy/ news podcast “What’s Good Atlanta” on WABE. In 2022 David was selected as an Arts & Social Justice Fellow at Emory University, which means he was a college professor, making his love of cardigans make way more sense.

Trey Carlisle, aka EMCEE P.O.E.T.R.E.Y, uses the power of storytelling and songs to be a voice of hope and unity for our generation. A spoken word artist, singer-songwriter, rapper, multi-instrumentalist, and dancer, Trey is a storyteller of many forms. But, his passion is using songs and stories to cultivate wellness, healing, and belonging within individuals and between communities. Trey is the Program Director for Music in Common, a nonprofit that curates experiences for people across social divides to find common ground through music and facilitated conversations. Whether it is through podcasts, performances, artistic pieces, or projects, EMCEE P.O.E.T.R.E.Y stays busy helping audiences of all ages celebrate and honor our shared humanity and planet.

Jon Goode is an Emmy nominated writer whose work has been featured on CNN, HBO, VH1, and MTV. Jon’s writing has earned him a Promax Gold, a Gold Addy and a Silver Telly Award. His latest collection of short stories, Black Curio, was #1 on Amazon for six weeks and is available at jon-goode.com and wherever you buy books. IG @jon_goode