THE WORLD’S PREMIER CONFERENCE FOR CREATORS & STORYTELLERS

Ken Black

CCO at GMR Marketing & Former VP of Design Future for Nike

In 1994, Ken and three others started the Team Sports Division, and were the first at Nike to work with NCAA basketball and football, the NFL and the NBA. They were the first to create uniforms and design new identities for teams at all levels. By the year 2000, Ken became Nike’s first Olympic Creative Director, long before anyone knew it needed to happen. A year later, he had helped start the very first Advanced Concepts Innovation Team, launching products and concepts like Nike Free, Nike 6.0, Presto 2, and ultimately the first proposal for Nike+.

After leaving his mark as a Senior Creative Director at one of the most iconic brands of our time, he left to help tell new stories by igniting a start-up called SPARQ, going on to build the brand and business from 2 people to 20. Through his work bringing stories to life through events, magazine, and marketing campaigns, Ken led SPARQ to an acquisition 5 short years later. The company who acquired them? Nike. That meant his second stint at Nike was spent serving as the VP of Digital Design Future. His body of work as a Nike VP consists of a long list of Nike design success stories.

The long and diverse list of Ken’s accomplishments with both Nike and the Olympics is rooted in his understanding of story. He sees things from a different perspective, and his unique skillset as a Designer, Creative Director, Brand Strategist, and Entrepreneur gives him more perspective than he could ever share during a single appearance on the STORY stage.

Linda Woolverton

Renowned Screenwriter, Playwright, & Novelist

Is it possible to actually shift a mass narrative previously adopted by a culture by telling different stories? We believe it’s not only possible, but that it’s what great storytellers do. She went from wondering, “What if there were a different kind of princess, who was educated, empowered, and wasn’t a damsel in distress waiting for a prince to rescue her?” to writing the script for the animated motion picture Beauty and the Beast, which went on to be the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Linda also adapted the script of Beauty and the Beast for the stage, which opened to critical acclaim on Broadway, and was later nominated for a Tony Award for Best Book in a Musical. But Belle wasn’t her only character to find her way into the hearts of millions. From Lion King, to Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, to her adapted screenplay of Alice in Wonderland that caught the eye of Tim Burton, Linda has had a long, successful career telling some of the most revered stories of our time.

Linda originally began in theater, graduating from California State University, Long Beach with a BFA in Theater Arts in 1973. She worked full-time for a year in the entertainment division at Disneyland, and began working toward her master’s degree in Theater for Children at California State Fullerton, all while also working as a substitute teacher.

Upon completion of her master’s degree in 1976, she formed her own children’s theater company, where she wrote, directed and performed all over California in churches, malls, schools and local theaters. She also began working as a coach to children acting in commercials, eventually working as a development executive for CBS, concentrating on both children’s and late-night programming.

We could go on and on about her writing credits, from TV series, to Broadway shows, to legendary screenplays. She wasn’t just the first woman to have written an animated feature for Disney, she is the first and only female screenwriter with a sole writing credit on a billion-dollar film.

Brad Montague

New York Times Best Selling Author & Creator of Kid President

Back for a sixth repeat appearance on the STORY main stage due to never-ending demand, he’s practically part of our family, and at this point, it’s hard to imagine a STORY gathering without him. Brad is a writer and director on a mission to create things for kids and former kids.

Brad Montague is the creator of the web series Kid President and the author of the New York Times bestseller Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome.

He is the creator of Kid President, the popular web series featured on Rainn Wilson’s Soulpancake Youtube channel that has been viewed more than 16 million times. He’s also the New York Times Bestselling Author of the book, Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome, and is a popular online storyteller whose stories of birds, balloons and floating people have become friends of classrooms all over the world.

Erika Wollam Nichols

GM at The Bluebird Café

As a freshman at Belmont College, Erika took a job at the 2-year-old Bluebird Café, serving patrons like Minnie Pearl and Chet Atkins. Now, some 30 years later, she is general manager and COO of the iconic venue.

Little did she know, as a student majoring in philosophy and critical thinking – not music – this seemingly pedestrian choice of a waitressing job would set the course for her professional life. Over the years, she earned an MFA in art and has worked on music festivals, created a radio show, curated songwriter performances across the country and most recently co-produced a documentary on this tiny club in Nashville, TN, tucked in an old strip mall, that has changed the course of music history.

In a large, loud and ever extreme world, The Bluebird Café offers a tiny, hushed experience that can have a great impact on songwriters and audience members alike. Protecting that experience is both her mission and her challenge.

Jamie Tworkowski

Speaker, Author, Coach, & Founder

Jamie Tworkowski is the New York Times bestselling author of If You Feel Too Much. He founded the non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms in 2006, born from an attempt to help a friend and tell a story. TWLOHA is now recognized as an award-winning leader in mental health and suicide prevention. After fifteen years with the organization, Jamie recently stepped away to begin a new chapter, focusing on writing and speaking independently. 

A two-time TEDx speaker, Jamie has inspired audiences at universities, concerts, and conferences across the United States and as far away as Australia and the United Kingdom. He has been interviewed by Rolling Stone, NBC Nightly News, and CBS Sunday Morning. A lifelong surfer, in 2020 Jamie founded NEEDS AN OCEAN, “a beach brand born from new appreciation.” In addition to surfing, Jamie loves his family and friends, music, basketball, and a little dog named Gracie. He lives in Melbourne Beach, Florida.

Jinahie

Performance Artist & Psychotherapist

Jinahie (“my wings” in Arabic) is an Egyptian-American performance artist and psychotherapist. She has shared the stage with multiple Grammy-award winning artists, and has been a keynote speaker for over 300 universities, the United Nations, Fortune 500 companies, and Michelle Obama. Now in the 9th year of her national tour, Jinahie travels the country as a performer, public speaker, and workshop facilitator. With her unique background as both an artist and therapist, she has captivated countless audiences with a combination of masterful storytelling and therapeutic expertise. Prepare to laugh, be charmed, and likely shed a few tears — Jinahie is a storyteller for the soul.

Preston Dyches

Leading Storyteller at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Preston is a writer, editor, producer, and host at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. He’s a dedicated science communicator with a profound interest in sharing stories of discovery that help people remember they’re explorers at heart. He produces and hosts live events, as well as NASA’s longest running video series to share monthly stargazing highlights.

Together with STORY 2016 speaker Dan Goods, Preston rallied thousands of ham radio operators to transmit a Morse code greeting to a passing NASA spacecraft. (It heard them!) In 2017, he coordinated communications for the end of NASA’s robotic Cassini mission, which dove repeatedly beneath Saturn’s rings before burning up in the atmosphere. He wrote and produced an animated video, “Cassini’s Grand Finale,” to frame Cassini’s end as a heroic final mission, rather than a tragedy. For their efforts in interactive storytelling, the JPL Cassini team won NASA’s first Emmy award.

Preston also works to enhance storytelling for teams of scientists and engineers developing new missions for NASA. He and his colleagues bring the tools of story to the technical realm, to help modern day explorers find the most compelling case for the journeys they dream of taking to distant worlds.

Kenyatta Emmanuel

Artist & Activist

Songwriter Kenyatta Emmanuel is an artist and activist who has shared his music from Sing Sing to Carnegie Hall, offering a full live concert the same day of his release after serving 24½ years in prison. His music and message explore the beauty of life, love, and the human condition, reminding us of all that we hold in common.

Susan Blackwell

Creativity Coach, Podcaster, Broadway, Film + TV Actor, Writer, & Host

Susan is on a mission to free people’s self-expression. As a performer, writer, speaker + educator, she champions this cause around the world—on Broadway, off-Broadway, in classrooms + writing, + on TV, film, sound recordings + the Internet.

She created + played a character based on herself in the original Broadway musical [title of show], and the off-Broadway musical NOW. HERE. THIS. (original cast recordings available on Sh-K-Boom records). She created + hosts the freewheeling chat show Side by Side by Susan Blackwell on Broadway.com, now in its 10th year. With Laura Camien, she launched the creativity podcast ‘The Spark File’ (thesparkfile.com).

She’s not a doctor, but she plays one on TV.  In addition to her creative accomplishments, she worked in corporate + management for 20 years. As the founder of Susan Blackwell & Co, she partners with teaching artists and thought leaders to apply creative and performance technique to real world challenges. Susan has created and led transformational development experiences for thousands of participants at Fortune 100 companies, world-class arts organizations, universities + other institutions.

Laura Camien

Creativity Coach + Consultant & Communication Expert

A published playwright, author, screenwriter, producer + podcaster (thesparkfile.com) Laura has spent much of her career building the Blue Man Group brand around the world. She began by helping the original Off-Broadway show grow into a global entertainment entity across the country + eventually around the world.

As VP of Communications, she culminated her Blue Man career by earning a PR News Platinum Award nomination for the company’s 25th anniversary campaign. She served as Creative Director + Head Writer for Blue Man Group’s first book, Blue Man World. 

Laura also formed Bridge Club Productions + developed various theatrical shows, including the original musical [title of show], and co-produced its Obie Award winning + Tony nominated Broadway productions.

Gary Ware

Corporate Facilitator, Certified Coach & Playful Instigator

Gary Ware is a corporate facilitator, keynote speaker, certified coach, and self-proclaimed Playful Instigator. Gary has over 14 years of experience in the corporate world holding various leadership positions. Being a multifaceted individual Gary also comes with nearly a decade of experience as a performer in improv theatre. After experiencing burnout in his pursuit for success and happiness, he realized that what was missing was play. Committing to a life of play is what led Gary to discover his passion for facilitating. Gary uses the power of applied improvisation and other playful methods to assist people in unlocking creativity, confidence, and better communication. When Gary isn’t leading workshops or speaking, you can find him learning magic or off an adventure with his wife Courtney and son Garrett.

Todd Henry

Author, International Speaker, Consultant, & Advisor

Positioning himself as an “arms dealer for the creative revolution”, Todd Henry teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of six books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, The Motivation Code, Daily Creative) which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

With more than fifteen million downloads, his podcast The Accidental Creative offers weekly tips for how to stay prolific, brilliant, and healthy.

Todd’s book Die Empty was named by Amazon.com as one of the best books of 2013.

His latest book, Daily Creative, offers daily sparks of inspiration and practical advice for creative pros.

Krista Monson

Director, Producer & Former Artistic Director for Cirque du Soleil

Krista Monson is one of the most relevant creative minds in the entertainment industry. As a writer of visual story-telling concepts, creative director and stage director, her experience and expertise encompass a remarkable range of live entertainment genres including circus, concert, theater, special events, and social action.  At the heart of her work in all areas is her commitment to creating profound storytelling and transformative experiences for audiences worldwide.

Monson spent 13 years with Cirque du Soleil as Artistic Director of “O”, Casting Director for Resident Shows Worldwide and as Conceptor, Creative and Stage Director. With Cirque du Soleil, she wrote and directed the inaugural and acclaimed One Night for One Drop featuring music by Danny Elfman as well as Allavita! in Milan, Italy. She returned as Director of Creation for the fifth One Night for One Drop. Most recently, Monson wrote and directed the critically acclaimed production, VIVID,  for the Friedrichstadt Palast in Berlin, the world’s largest theatre stage. Monson is the first woman in the theater’s 100-year history to serve as writer and director. 

Monson also served as Conceptor and Creative Director for the opening and closing ceremonies for the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, produced by the United Nations; Guest Choreographer for Céline Dion at Caesars Palace; and principal Choreographer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the third-largest sporting event in the world, the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. She directed and choreographed countless musicals in her native Canada and is a two-time recipient of the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Choreography. 
Monson was featured in the CNN series Leading Women, an OMEGA Ladymatic series showcasing outstanding women at the top of their fields, including Co-Founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda Gates, and Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg.

Jason Jaggard

Executive Coach & CEO of Novus Global

Jason Jaggard is the founder of Novus Global, a tribe of elite executive coaches who work with Fortune 500 Companies,Professional Athletes, World Renowned Artists andMultimillionaire Business Leaders to create lives, teams and companies that go beyond high performance. He is also the co-founder of The Meta Performance Institute for Coaching, a 12-month executive coaching certification that trains individuals to develop coaching practices that serve high performing leaders. His first book,“Spark: Transform Your World One SmallRisk at a Time” is available wherever books are sold. Jason lives in Los Angeles, CA, and this will be his 4th consecutive year playing an integral role in the STORY experience.

Brooke Jones

VP, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, Author & Speaker

Brooke wants to live in a world where people choose kindness over violence, compassion over cruelty, and action over indifference. She studied in Paris and holds a degree in art history. She also holds certifications in Applied Positive Psychology and Brene Brown’s work, The Daring Way. She delivered a TEDx talk in 2017 where she shared her personal journey with mental illness. Outside of her time creating written content for the Foundation, she enjoys fiber crafting, creative writing and helping spread kindness in her local community with her teenage daughter. Brooke is in the process of writing a book for parents to help support them in creating and maintaining healthy and fulfilling relationships with their children.

Micah Bournes

Poet & Musician

Micah Bournes is a poet and musician from Long Beach, California. His work often touches on themes of culture, justice, and faith. He is passionate about helping others overcome their creative insecurities, convinced that creative expression is essential to both individual and societal health. 

Andrew Peterson

Recording Artist, Songwriter, Producer, Filmmaker, & Award-Winning Author

Andrew is a recording artist, songwriter, producer, filmmaker, and award-winning author of The
Wingfeather Saga. He believes in the power of story in the human experience, a view that
inspires his music and his writing. His music has garnered three separate Dove Award
nominations.

He was writer-in-residence at Covenant College in 2015, and at John Brown University in 2014.
He received the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) Delta Epsilon Chi Honor
Society award, presented to an alumnus who has distinguished himself/herself by intellectual
achievement, Christian character, and leadership ability. Most recently he was a keynote
speaker in Cambridge, England for the C. S. Lewis Foundation’s Oxbridge Summer
Conference.

Dr. Robin Carleen Anderson

Curiouseteer

Robin “does” curiosity – daily – reinventing herself regularly. As a solopreneur since 1987, she’s worked in multiple disciplines including strategic planning, executive retreats, and CEO coaching. In 2007 she received her Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership.

In 2017, Dr. Robin Carleen Anderson, attended her first STORY Conference, where she surprised attendees by gifting hundreds of origami birds made from her art, all from her mobility scooter. She surprises attendees by gifting the birds made from her art. In this moment, Robin discovers that her inability to walk much due to polio, is not a barrier here. She belongs.

Today, Robin offers her exclusive “doing” curiosity method as a coach, speaker, and consultant. By asking questions and listening deeply she co-creates creative solutions with individuals and organizations.

Marc Pimsler

Author, Therapist & Experiential Trainer

Marc Pimsler is a published author, sought-after experiential trainer, therapist, and coach. Since 2004, Marc has worked in a variety of counseling and consulting capacities. He is as passionate about being a part of clients’ healing as he is about helping others unlock the power of experiential work to support the change process in individuals and teams.

Marc owns and operates MVP Consulting, a therapeutic consulting firm. Serving individuals and families in needs, he specializes in addressing addiction, shame and trauma. Marc is the Clinical Experiential Specialist at Onsite Workshops, a world-renowned emotional health retreat center located outside of Nashville.

Marc is passionate about the work of recovery, both his own as well as his client’s, and believes that sometimes all we need is a helping hand and a fresh perspective.

Chris Wall

CEO & Executive Producer

Chris is a creator of family and faith-infused entertainment and spent over a decade producing16 movies for the venerated VeggieTales franchise. That included the wildly successful”Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s,” “Saint Nicholas” and “Noah’s Ark.” During that time, he alsooversaw the multi-national team to create new 20x22min episodes of “3-2-1 Penguins” CGanimated series for NBC/Qubo. These titles have been enjoyed by millions of families,generating millions in revenue. He is also creator of the acclaimed “Slugs & Bugs Show” withBrentwood Studios and RightNow Media

Rachelle Stubby

Digital Strategist, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

Rachelle is the strategist behind the digital efforts at the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. They are incredibly passionate on spreading kindness around the globe to Make Kindness the Norm in schools, workplaces, and homes.

She has more than 20 years of experience in organizational development at Fortune 500 companies working on change management and employee culture. She believes in making work more ‘human’. They enjoy the challenges that come with the old ways of thinking and love using storytelling to bring new light to new ideas.

Dawne Hanks

Owner & Founder of Eliminate Girl Hate

Dawne Hanks is the owner and founder of Eliminate Girl Hate. A movement founded to help tackle the unique issues of gender inequities that flood our schools, organizations and institutions and the lack of resources available to women and girls to move ahead. For the past 8 years she has traveled nationally and internationally consulting brands, speaking to non-profits and helping educational organizations better understand gender.

Dawne’s’ experience as a brand and marketing strategist has taken her around the world over the last 2 decades studying human behavior and gaining a global perspective both in front and behind the scenes.

Her award-winning work with brands such as Nike, Oakley, TedX Youth, University of San Francisco, and Girls Inc. PNW allowed her to experience first-hand the importance of knowing an audience, understanding cultural differences and the impact that authentic storytelling and genuine curiosity can have on individuals and companies.

Michael McRay

Award-winning Author, Facilitator, Mediator & Storytelling Consultant

Michael McRay’s extensive work in story has taken him around the world—to places like the Middle East, South Africa, Rwanda, Northern Ireland, and U.S. prisons. Michael’s the author of three books, and his newest one is the award-winning I Am Not Your Enemy: Stories to Transform a Divided World. A seasoned facilitator, trained mediator, and storytelling consultant, Michael spent seven years producing and hosting Tenx9 Nashville, a long-running live community storytelling event. He holds executive certification in Public Narrative from the Harvard Kennedy School, ConflictCoaching from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, and a Master’s inConflictResolution and Reconciliation from Trinity College Dublin.

Joel McKerrow

Award Winning Writer, Speaker, Educator, Artist, & Creativity Specialist

Based out of Melbourne, Australia, Joel McKerrow is an award winning writer, speaker, educator, artist, creativity specialist and, having performed for hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world, is one of Australia’s most successful internationally touring, performance poets. Full-time in his creative career for the past twelve years Joel is currently the Artist Ambassador for the aid and development organisation ‘TEARFUND Australia’, is on teaching staff at the Melbourne Young Writers Studio and is the co-founder/host of the The Deep Place: On Creativity and Spirituality Podcast.

Joel was the third ever Australian representative at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championships in the USA as well the co-founder of community arts organization, ‘The Centre for Poetics and Justice’ (2010-2013) and the host of the Australian National Poetry Slam for the State of Victoria (2017-2019). He is a highly sought after speaker/performer at conferences and festivals all over the world including: Greenbelt festival (UK), Graceland Festival (Netherlands), Story Gathering Conference (Nashville), The Justice Conference (AUS, US and NZ), ITEC (International Transforming Education Conference), The Emerging Writer’s Festival,  Carey Literature Festival, Williamstown Literary Festival, Christian Education National Conference, The Global Health Summit, Anglican Schools Australia Conference, Somerset Storyfest, Amnesty International Conference, and many more.