Kim Oclon is a former high school English teacher and GSA sponsor. Her first literary loves were a series of Care Bear books but she now considers The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien to be her favorite book. Kim studied at Columbia College Chicago and Roosevelt University. She is also an active member of SCBWI (The Society of Children Books Writers and Illustrators). Kim's debut young adult novel, Man Up, was released in April, 2020. Her YA historical fiction novel, The War On All Fronts, hit bookshelves in May, 2022. She lives in East Dundee with her husband, two kids, and a little white dog named Zero.

Born and bred on the south side of Chicago, R. G. Ziemer has worked in construction trades, practiced genealogy, and taught English from junior high school to college. He is the author of the novel The Ghost of Jamie McVay which was published in 2019. He participates in writing groups, open mics, and reading venues in the Chicago area. When not writing or reading, he may be found paddling his canoe on the West Branch of the DuPage River near his Warrenville home. More available at https://rgziemer.com.

James Gordon hails from the Southside of Chicago, affectionately known as Gotham City. He taught 7th grade Language Arts for two decades in the Harvey-Dixmoor School District 147. James is now an international, award-winning author and poet, champion storyteller,  and acclaimed actor. He has mastered what is called the "Drop" technique in storytelling. 

Nestor "The Boss" Gomez was born in Guatemala and moved to Chicago undocumented in the mid-80's. He is a seventy-plus times Moth Slam winner, and 2022 National Storytelling Association Grand Slam winner. He is also the creator, producer, curator and host of 80 Minutes Around the World, a storytelling show that features the stories of immigrants their descendants and allies. 

To learn more about Nestor check his website 

NestorGomezStoryteller.com

Madison Paddock is a Senior Marketing Manager at Paramount, where she brings to life marketing campaigns for Paramount’s advertising partners across television, streaming, social media, and IRL, working with Paramount’s most popular franchises including CBS Sports, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Survivor, SpongeBob SquarePants, Yellowstone, The Jersey Shore, and more. Most recently, Madison was a part of bringing to life the Clio award-winning CBS Sports Creator Studio. Madison’s experience in the communications industry spans across marketing, advertising, and public relations. Madison is an alumna of Antioch Community High School (2016) and Syracuse University (2020), and she now resides in New York City.

Bill was raised in the suburbs of Chicago, the oldest of five children. He discovered a love for the arts early on. He became a theater kid, performed in plays, and sang in the choir. He continued to art school and became a designer of retail displays and environments. In his off time, Bill sculpts, designs, and build guitars using recycled and repurposed materials, and, write. He wrote and illustrated a rhyming narrative, Iggy and the Land Behind the  Sky for his daughter and have won two short story contests. He recently completed the Un2Trilogy, a trio of adult fantasy novels, he and has started a fourth.

Tyler Fowler is a nationally touring comedian who expertly weaves relatable anecdotes about marriages, kids and jobs - none of which he has - to create a show you won't want to miss. His debut album Friends With 401(k) Benefits premiered #1 on iTunes and Top 10 on the Billboard Comedy Charts and was followed by a 30 minute special with Drybar Comedy titled Little Spoon.

Vik Pandya is a nationally touring stand up comic based in Chicago. Known for his sharp self-deprecation, observational humor on dating, & hilarious crowd work, his comedy album 'Friends With 401(k) Benefits' debuted #1 on iTunes / Top 10 on the Billboard Charts and his Dry Bar Comedy special ‘No Refunds’ is now streaming!

Based in Evanston, Illinois, Ben Jimenez has been performing his bubble show for 13 years now. Schools, libraries, museums, and corporate events have enjoyed the art, science, and magic of bubbles throughout the midwest. Visually stunning bubble sculptures, illusions, and tricks are sure to please any audience from 3 to 103.

Jonny Untch is currently the Director of Bands at Antioch Community High School. After receiving his Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he began teaching guitar and high school band. Outside of teaching, Mr. Untch is currently playing bass and drums for the Eric Chesser Band. This summer they will be touring the United States and Canada and will be opening for Luke Bryant, Eric Church, Lindsey Ell, and many other country music acts.  Mr. Untch has also played guitar in many Chicago-area bands such as Hi-Fi Superstar, Turning Down Today, Collusion, and Gina and the Retroactive. This spring, Mr. Untch will be releasing his first self titled record as a culmination of all of his original solo music from the past ten years.

Jim May is an Emmy Award-winning storyteller and author. He has told his stories at schools, festivals , universities and conferences across the US and Europe. He is an inductee into the National Storytelling Network "Circle of Excellence," (Hall of Fame). His written story collections (The Farm on Nippersink Creek and Trail Guide for a Crooked Heart) have won "Best Book" awards from the American Public Librarian Assoc and the Westchester New York library foundation, respectively. 

His training venues have included the Texas Reading Association, The National Park Service, and Fortune 500 companies.

Joe is a film director and editor. He wants the audience to lose themselves in his work. Every second of footage on his screen should help move the story forward. He has an intimate and spontaneous style that allows genuine moments to occur. Joe has an intimate and spontaneous style that allows genuine moments to occur. This allows real emotions to surface (bio courtesy of josephdanielmcmahon.com & josephmcmahon-director.com).

Jitesh Jaggi is an immigrant storyteller from India and a five-time The Moth Story Slam winner. As a storytelling coach he has taught workshops for the World Health Organization and the University of Chicago among others. His stories were recently played on NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour and on WGN TV’s Day Time Chicago Show. He currently works as an Experiential Education Coach where he trains teachers on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and creates delightful experiences for Chicago’s South and West side high schoolers around the city. Jitesh’s one-man show “Suitcase Stories” played to a sold-out audience at the Steppenwolf Theatre in 2023 and The Second City in 2024. Jitesh will be a keynote speaker at international educator’s conference- NAFSA in San Diego in March 2025.

Mark Presley has been captivating audiences with his magic for over three decades. His journey began at the age of six, sparked by a visit to a magic shop with his father. He honed his skills through countless library books and dedicated practice, leading to his first show at a park district day camp at the tender age of ten. By high school, Mark was performing at state-level cultural arts events. His passion for magic continued to grow, leading to numerous first-place awards in magic competitions. In 2010, Mark’s talent earned him a television appearance where he wowed viewers with a signed card trick. Taking a leap of faith, Mark left his career as a mail clerk in January 2024 to pursue his lifelong dream of performing magic full-time. Prepare to be amazed!

Ur Mom is a rock band from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Young, passionate, and progressive. Inspired by folk, funk, rock, & blues. Ur Mom is eager to bring back the vitality of raw energy in the studio, & onstage.

Since he formed his band in 1999, Chicago guitarist, singer & band leader Mondo Cortez has always surrounded himself with great players and has stuffed his sets with great House Rockin’ Blues. For example - just listen to phenom Bri Backman on drums in his current line-up. Her influence is a big part of his new record, “Call on Me,” and is mesmerizing on the kit at their live shows. Mondo Cortez & The Chicago Blues Angels can be found filling dance floors at club dates around the Midwest regularly and have been featured at festivals across the US and Europe.