Jared is a Pakistani-American who has been writing for over 20 years on technology and sustainability. He’s written for companies like Google and Waymo, and for nonprofits like the Linux Foundation and Open Data Kit.

He’s the author of the book Docs for Developers: An Engineer’s Field Guide to Technical Writing, and a zealous attendee of Bay Area literary events. 

Evette is a science fiction and fantasy writer. She is the author of 48 States, which Kirkus named one of the Best Indie Books of 2022, as well as The Others and The Gift, the first two installments of The Council Trilogy, which will be released beginning in September 2024 by Spark Press. When not writing novels, Evette advises some of the country’s largest corporations, nonprofits, and institutions as a consultant and co-owner of BergDavis Public Affairs. She splits her time between San Francisco and Sun Valley, Idaho.

Karyn is a nurse with a specialty in health policy and clinical research. Currently, she is the Chief Collaborations Officer for Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative (QLHC), a healthcare non-profit that develops and sponsors cutting edge research in cancer, COVID, and other diseases.

In her spare time, she indulges guilty pleasures that usually involve food, wine, books, and design. Karyn lives in San Francisco with husband Steve, and Lovey, the cat.

Grant is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, co-host of the Write-minded podcast, and an executive  producer of the upcoming TV show, America’s Next Great Author. He recently published The Art of Brevity: Crafting the Very Short Story. He's also published All the Comfort Sin Can Provide; Fissures, a collection of 100-word stories; Nothing Short Of: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story; and Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo. 

Scott is a veteran journalist and author. His reporting has appeared in The New York Times, and he is the recipient of three Emmy Awards for his work in television news. His most recent book Trial by Fire won the 2021 top prize for nonfiction at the New England Society Book Awards and became an episode of the CBS News program 48 Hours. He’s also the author of two bestselling novels, The Sower and SoMa, finalist for the LGBTQ Lambda Literary Award for debut fiction.

Michelle is the chief of Community Programs and Partnerships for the San Francisco Public Library, overseeing all public programs, classes, exhibits, and special events. She also engages in partnerships with cultural, educational, civic, and private institutions. A former journalist, she has served as a staff writer, bureau chief, reporter, and editor for numerous magazines, newspapers, and radio stations.

James is an award-winning writer, educator, producer, and media maker. He is also the Founding Executive Director of Youth Speaks, a position he held for 21 years (1996-2017), and is widely credited with helping to launch a global youth spoken word movement, working with tens of thousands of young people from across the country - and helping launch close to 100 programs nationwide. James is an advocate for arts, youth, equity, access, and inclusion. 

Byron is the author of Rounding Up a Bison: Stories. He retired as the Literary Director of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, where he produced literary events for many years. His writing has been published on a variety of platforms and won Honorable Mention in the 2021 Dillydoun International Fiction Prize competition. He currently serves on the boards of the California Public Library Advocates and the Advisory Board of the Beat Museum. He lives with his wife, writer Judith Ayn Bernhard, in San Francisco.

Jody is the current Board President of the Litquake Foundation. He wrote the
novel Prisoners of Truth, drawing from his experiences defending criminal cases in Chicago. He also co-authored Kinship With Animals, in which he writes about serving as attorney to Koko the signing gorilla, and Peoplescapes, My Story From Purging To Painting, an illustrated memoir by Nancy Calef. His new novel is Raise Your Other Right Hand. Jody’s been collaborating with his wife and partner for thirty-six years: American figurative painter, Nancy Calef