Norah Long's career has centered on the performing arts, with hundreds of leading credits across the US and abroad. Her resumé spans Shakespeare, musical theater, contemporary drama and comedy, opera, concert work, broadcast, film, and recording, including a long list of world premieres. She stepped into teaching as a founding member of Upstream Arts, using creative arts curricula to nurture empowerment within the disability community, and later joined the Fine Arts faculty at North Central University where she currently teaches and directs for both the Music and Theater departments. She has had several writings published, is a choral composer, and is on staff as soloist and quartet director at a 5,000-member church here in the Twin Cities. She continues to perform as regularly as SARS-CoV-2 allows, both live and online. www.norahlong.com

Peyton Crest is a senior at Minnetonka High School. She is involved in DECA, Student Government, and the Red Cross Club. Outside of school she volunteers at a senior living home, where she calls bingo and works with memory care residents. Throughout her past few years of high school, Peyton has dealt with numerous struggles of mental health, and recognizes the stigmas that accompany it. She hopes to not only bring light to others by sharing her own story, but emphasize that those struggling are not alone.

Dymanh Chhoun graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011, majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication. His first job in the news business was in Duluth, Minnesota working for Fox 21. He only stayed there for about 5 months before he moved to Rochestor Minnesota, this time working for KTTC for 2 years and a half. In November 2014 he got the phone call he been waiting for, WCCO call him telling him he got the job, as a photojournalist there. He is still working for wcco right now. He love his job and he love talking to people and helping to tell their story to Minnesotan.  

Jenni Lilledahl is co-owner (with her husband John Sweeney) of the nation's longest running satirical comedy theatre, the Brave New Workshop (BNW) (founded by Dudley Riggs), located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to jumping off the corporate ladder into the world of comedy Jenni spent 10 years in the field communications/public relations (USA CUP, Rollerblade Inc., Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission). Jenni's work as a trailblazer in integrating improvisation practice and personal growth has touched more than 15,000 humans over the past 27+ years. It is Jenni's core belief (that people from all walks of life can practice the behaviors and mindset of improvisation to find their most confident and joyful self) that has secured the Brave New Workshop as one of the global centers for the study of improvisation. Her adaptive improvisation work includes hundreds of improv community outreach programs, for example bringing the tools of improv to people living with cancer, adults with cognitive and physical challenges, and young adults negotiating mental health issues.

Jenni's life changed in 1998 when she lost her sister to cancer. This cancer journey (later also losing her father in 2013) was the inspiration for her to join two friends in raising the funds to open Gilda's Club Twin Cities (GCTC) in 2014. In addition to continuing her role on the board, Jenni also volunteers weekly at Gilda's Club, leading the Improv for Life program, which is now in its fifth year. Jenni has received the honors of Top 50 Women in Business (2013 - Mpls. St. Paul Business Journal), Forty-Under-Forty (2000 - City Business), Alumni Honors Award from Augsburg College (1998), and WCCO Radio's Good Neighbor Award (2012). Jenni and John and their two sons William and Michael, and their dog Berkeley live in Deephaven, Minnesota..

Judy Thomas has been a high school English teacher for the past 23 years. After getting her start at Rochester Mayo, she moved to Minnetonka High School where she has not only taught classes, and coached various extracurricular activities, but has also collaborated with student musicians through Minnetonka's Coffee House Concert Series. Judy Thomas is also a local singer-songwriter who performs here in the Twin Cities, and last October released her first EP, We've Been Down This Road Before.