Primera Generación Dance Collective (PGDC) is a collaborative group based in L.A/Riverside, California and formed by Alfonso Cervera, Rosa Rodriguez-Frazier, Irvin Manuel Gonzalez, and Patricia “Patty” Huerta. PGDC focuses on the visibilization of Latine corporeality, joy, and loss through movement-based exploration, process, performance, convenings, and curations. The collective grounds their works in desmadre making and rasquache (resourcefully tacky) play, generating work that speaks to their Latine, working-class experiences. As artists, they experiment with Latin American text, satire, song, and movement, and fuse together their eclectic aesthetics to expose el “desmadre” (messiness) that is embedded in being first-generation, Mexican American bodies. Their work aims to reclaim "low-brow," Latine art and iconography to spark futurity. PGDC has performed at REDCAT, HomeLA, FLACC Festival, Mission Dance Theater, Highways Performance Space, El Teatro Campesino, Human Resources LA, BlakTinx Dance Festival in Arizona and L.A, and NAVEL. They are the recipients of the 2021 National Endowment for the Arts Grant that was used to premiere “NOStalgia POP,” an immersive work highlighting how Latine bodies have shaped popular culture in the US and beyond. In 2025, they were named to Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch.” As curators, PGDC members work collaboratively to develop networks and resources for other first-generation artists. This mission has been a foundational force for their annual (de) Color-Es festival, an evening of radical performance centering BIPOC artists in Los Angeles. They have also built residencies for high school dance students in Southern California, raised funds for local LGBTQ+ resource centers in LA, and developed community performances and arts events necessary to maintain the arts alive in the communities that they stem from. PGDC also runs an arts organization, Show Box L.A, that works to center and manifest trans-communal collaborations, creations, and networks between QTBIPOC artmakers in the LA region and beyond. For more information follow PGDC at @primerageneraciondance + @showboxla

Emanuelee Bean, known professionally as "Outspoken Bean," is an acclaimed poet, performer, and mentor with a legacy of engaging and inspiring through the arts. Raised in San Antonio, Texas, Bean has made an indelible mark as Houston's Poet Laureate (2021–2023) and as a recipient of the prestigious Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship (2022–2024).

For over a decade, Bean has mentored youth in poetry, notably leading the Meta4 Houston team to multiple Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam championships. His performances have captivated audiences at Carnegie Hall, the Hobby Center, and the Wortham Theater. Beyond poetry, Bean’s expertise in communication and public speaking has helped countless individuals embrace creativity and express themselves confidently. 

Trista Harris is a renowned philanthropic futurist who advocates for the use of futurism to address critical community challenges worldwide. Her groundbreaking work has been featured in Forbes, CNN, The New York Times, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and many social sector blogs. Trista is the President of FutureGood, a consultancy that helps visionaries create a better future. She has authored two books - "How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar" and "Future Good."

Trista has dedicated her entire career to the social sector, starting at the age of 15 as a summer parks assistant. Prior to her work at FutureGood, she served as President of the Minnesota Council on Foundations, a thriving grant-making community that awards over $1.5 billion annually. She was also the Executive Director of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice and a Program Officer at Minnesota Philanthropy Partners.

A strategic foresight expert certified by Oxford University, Trista holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts from Howard University. Trista is a board member of Tides, a philanthropic partner and nonprofit accelerator focused on creating a world of shared prosperity and social justice. She is also a corporate board member for Arts + Rec, a creative entertainment venue that showcases local creatives. Trista has served on the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee and the Governor's Council on Law Enforcement and Community Relations, which was established following the police shooting of Philando Castile.

Monique Miles is a Vice President of the Aspen Institute, the Director of the Opportunity Youth Forum, and Managing Director of the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions. Prior to joining the Forum for Community Solutions, Monique was the Director, Postsecondary Achievement at the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC). In her role at NYEC, Monique oversaw the Postsecondary Success Initiative, a national pilot that supported Community Based Organizations (CBOs) across the country to design and implement postsecondary programming, in partnership with local institutions of higher learning, for students who were disconnected from education. Monique began her career in education reform working as a Literacy Instructor at Youth Opportunity Boston. In this role Monique worked directly with students remanded to the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS) to teach basic literacy skills. Monique went on to serve the same population of students through political advocacy initiatives at the Commonwealth Corporation (CommCorp). Monique earned a Bachelor of Science from Springfield College and a Master’s in Education, Policy & Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Monique serves on the board of Independent Trust and Jeremiah Program.

Eboo Patel is a civic leader who believes that religious diversity is an essential and inspiring dimension of American democracy. Named “one of America’s best leaders” by U.S. News and World Report, Eboo is Founder and President of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization in the United States. Under his leadership, Interfaith America has worked with governments, universities, private companies, and civic organizations to make faith a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. 

Eboo served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council, has given hundreds of keynote addresses, and has written five books, including We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy. He is an Ashoka Fellow and holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship. Eboo lives in Chicago with his wife, Shehnaz, and their two sons.