Lena Waithe is an Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and actor—and talent to be reckoned with. As a triple threat, she expertly taps into emerging cultural sensibilities with sharp wit and unique perspective, finding ways to challenge audiences to think outside conventional norms.

Lena made her feature film screenwriting debut in 2019 with Universal’s “Queen & Slim”, and has producer credits for “The Chi”, “The 40-Year-Old Version”, and more. She continues to produce through her company, Hillman Grad Productions.

In front of the camera, Lena first made headlines acting in the critically-acclaimed series “Master of None”. Her additional acting credits include Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One”, NBC’s “This Is Us”, Amazon’s “Transparent”, and HBO’s “Westworld” as well as “The Comeback”.

In addition to her accomplishments in film and TV, Lena provides a platform and fellowship or diverse talent to create names for themselves within the entertainment industry and beyond.

Lena was born and raised in Chicago, and currently calls Los Angeles home.

Among his titles—adventurer, alpinist, photographer, director—Jimmy Chin is foremost a storyteller. Known for his ability to capture extraordinary imagery while climbing and skiing in high-risk environments, Jimmy has evolved from expedition lensman to critically-acclaimed filmmaker. His Academy Award-winning documentary, “Free Solo”, (directed alongside his wife, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi) follows The North Face team athlete Alex Honnold’s ropeless ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan—and put climbing into the mainstream spotlight.

Originally using photography as means to support his climbing and skiing habits, Jimmy’s photos have appeared on the cover of National Geographic and The New York Times Magazine, among others, and he has photographed expeditions on all seven continents.

He was born in Mankato, Minnesota to Chinese immigrants. During a family vacation to Glacier National Park, Jimmy found himself changed by the mountains and vast wilderness. He believes the outdoors is where we come together and connect as humans, and that more people should have access to those experiences.

Jimmy, his wife, and their two children split their time between New York City and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Shanée Benjamin is a queer art director and illustrator whose work is inspired by the vibrancy of Brooklyn, NY.

She attended college in Pittsburgh, PA where she explored her love for nature, hiking, and camping. Although she had a love and curiosity for the outdoors, there was a hesitancy on safety due to a lack of conversation around communities of color and queer folks.

Recently, Shanée has been exploring her love for outdoor cooking, hiking, and camping even more, and is inspired by the many queer BIPOC folks that are connecting with nature and exploring that curiosity. Her goals for the future of exploration include conversations and actionable steps about inclusivity and access continuing to be achieved.

Chris Dean is the Director of Outreach at Memphis Rox (the first community climbing gym of its kind) where he strives to bring social awareness to the outdoor community. In 2011, Chris had the honor of introducing President Barack Obama as the keynote graduation speaker at his high school in South Memphis—reinforcing a desire to be a bridge between his community and the world.

Chris put this into practice by producing, “ As I Am”, a 12-minute documentary about his community in South Memphis and the hope he aspires to share. It earned him an Emmy Award nomination.

After graduating from Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, Chris met Tom Shaydac and learned about two buildings Tom had purchased in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Memphis. Inspired by the neighborhood’s needs, hopes, and dreams, the two worked in collaboration with many others to develop a vision for the space. After two years of listening and learning, Chris helped co-found Memphis Rox Climbing Gym.

Chris’s hope for the future of rock climbing (and other sports) is to establish access and representation for more communities. He recognizes the challenge and work it takes to make the outdoors accessible to all, but believes the impact would be immediate, and the effort is essential.

Dr. Myron Floyd is Dean of the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University. Before his appointment as Dean in April 2020, Dr. Floyd served as department head of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at NC State University, where he was a professor since 2005. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Florida, Texas A&M University, and Clemson University. Myron’s scholarship focuses on the human dimensions of natural resources, with a specific interest in the role of race and ethnicity in the recreational use of parks and protected areas.

His research is widely disseminated in a variety of social science journals, books, and other publications. Over a 30-year career, his studies aim to inform policies and practices that increase access to outdoor recreation for communities of color. Myron’s longstanding interest in connecting diverse groups to outdoor spaces stems from his experiences growing up on a family farm in South Carolina.

His most recent professional service includes membership on the North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s Healthy NC 2030 Task Force, the Forestry Research Advisory Council, and the Board of Trustees of the National Recreation Foundation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Park Administration, and a Master of Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from Clemson University; and a Ph.D. in Recreation and Resources Development with a specialization in Natural Resource Sociology from Texas A&M University.

José G. González is the Founder and Director Emeritus of Latino Outdoors. He is an experienced educator as a K–12 public education teacher, environmental education advisor, outdoor education instructor and coordinator, and university adjunct faculty.

As a Partner in the Avarna Group and through his own consulting, his work focuses on equity and inclusion frameworks and practices in the environmental, outdoor, and conservation fields. He is also an illustrator and science communicator. José received his B.A. at the University of California, Davis, and his M.S at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment. His teaching coursework was at the Bilingual, Multicultural, Education Department at Sacramento State.

Liz Kleinrock is a Korean American transracial adoptee, and works as an antibias and antiracist educator and writer for both young learners and adults.

An avid fly fisher, hiker, and climber, Liz hopes for all young people to see the outdoors as a place where they belong. Teaching grades 1–6 over the past 12 years, she currently teaches 6th grade in Washington, D.C. In addition to classroom teaching, she also works as a facilitator for schools, organizations, and companies across the country. In 2018, Liz received the Learning for Justice’s (formerly Teaching Tolerance) 2018 Award for Excellence in Teaching and currently serves on the Learning for Justice Advisory Board.

Liz is proud to share her 2019 TED Talk, “ Education Everywhere”, on building foundations of equity with young learners, and is excited to share her first book, “Start Here Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community” from Heinemann Publishing.

Jody Juneby Potts is Han Gwich’in and an enrolled tribal member of the Native Village of Eagle. A subsistence hunter and fisherwoman, Jody has taught her children how to hunt and fish on their traditional lands. Passionate about wellness and Gwich’in values, Jody is a traditional Gwich’in tattoo practitioner, dog musher, snowboard instructor and wilderness guide.

With a B.S. in Applied Indigenous Studies and Environmental Management, Jody’s work bridges together environmental science and Indigenous knowledge. She served as Vice-Chair of former Alaska Governor Walker’s Tribal Advisory Council and as a board member to the Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

She is currently the Board Secretary for the Alaska Wilderness League and President/Co-founder of Data for Indigenous Justice. Jody is a tireless advocate for the protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil development, guided by her Gwich’in elders and leaders who have fought to protect their homelands for generations. Jody’s connection to the land inspires and drives her passion to protect the environment and she often shares her experiences and observations of climate change in the Arctic.

In early 2021, Jody and her two oldest kids founded “Native Youth Outdoors” which aims to get more Alaskan Native youth participating in outdoor recreation to help with health, wellness, resiliency, and to increase diversity in outdoor spaces. Her goal is to increase accessibility for Indigenous youth and other people of color in the outdoor spaces—and help create a welcome place for all.

Hakim Tafari was born and raised in the UK and moved to the US in 1991. The father of three daughters, he currently resides in Los Angeles with his partner but has called New York City, Austin, Texas and Orlando, Florida home along the way.

An avid runner and martial artist, Hakim studied Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Akido and Arnis in addition to logging miles as the Mindfulness Captain of Koreatown Run Club. He also formed his own Tai Chi, run and bike crew in 2019 called, “Puresoulzenmind”(also known as “Pure Souls“), and has an ongoing residency teaching Tai Chi at The Line Hotel in Los Angeles.

His time as a dharma runner paid off when Hakim formed a relationship with a group of trail runners in Mexico known as Aire Libre. They invited him to lead a group of runners in meditation, Qi Gong and mindfulness, followed by a run in the jungle. He cites this experience as a major transformation, not just for himself, but for the athletes who joined.

Until that experience, Hakim says he didn’t think he would ever get to participate in the outdoors; now his goal is to normalize Black folks in the outdoors and celebrate the beauty of mental health and liberation in nature.

Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist and National Geographic Explorer who researches the behavior of wild animals in areas of human activity.

As an active scientist, she spends long periods in the wilderness tracking and observing black and grizzly bears in the western United States, and African lions in East Africa, primates in the tropics, and her wildlife exploration and media work has taken her to 6 of 7 continents and over 25 countries.

A native Californian, Dr. Wynn-Grant attributes her interest in wildlife and conservation to the nature shows she watched on television as a child, and today she uses media to increase representation of Black scientists and explorers.

She received her B.S. in Environmental Studies from Emory University, her M.S. in Environmental Studies from Yale University, and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University.

Dr. Wynn-Grant envisions a near-future where the outdoors is a safe, equitably accessible, and positively transformative space for all people. She is a scientist, conservationist, equity and justice advocate, and storyteller.