Annette S. Lee, DSc, PhD, MFA, is an award-winning artist, scientist, and civic leader known for bridging disciplinary and cultural divides. She is an internationally respected researcher and steward of traditional knowledge who holds advanced degrees in mathematics, physics, astrophysics, fine arts, and motion media design from top institutions such as Yale and Berkeley. Dr. Lee has consulted for UNESCO, curated major exhibitions, communicated science, and delivered keynote addresses worldwide. She is the Director of Native Skywatchers and a Senior Researcher at OSPAPIK at the Université de Bretagne Occidentale. Annette is Lakota, Irish, and Chinese descent with Ojibwe community affiliation.

Desy Martínez Castro is a Guna cultural and textile artist from Armila, Guna Yala, Panama. From a young age, she learned the ancestral art of mola weaving, passed down by women in her community. She designs and creates molas using the traditional technique of layering fabrics, expressing the worldview, symbols, and identity of the Guna people. She also participates in cultural preservation through dance and community activities linked to environmental conservation. Her work unites art, memory, and territory, reflecting the strength of Guna women and their commitment to transmitting ancestral knowledge to new generations, strengthening a living cultural identity.

Favio Arosemena is a Guna cultural artist, community conservationist, and founder of the “Art, Culture, and Ecology” project in Armila, Guna Yala, Panama. His work integrates ancestral knowledge, environmental protection, music, and cultural storytelling. For over seven years, he has participated in the community conservation of the leatherback turtle, promoting ecological awareness alongside cultural identity. Through traditional dance, flute playing, and educational experiences, he shares the spiritual connection between nature and the Guna people. His artistic vision builds bridges between cultures, honoring ancestral wisdom and biodiversity, and projecting hope for future generations.

‘JAM’ Jamaal Amir McCray is a theatre artist, performer, and researcher from Baltimore, MD, based in Tallahassee, Florida. He is currently a PhD student in Theatre & Performance Research at Florida State University. His work moves between performance, sound, and public space, often drawing on broadcast, vaudeville, and participatory forms. He creates performances that invite audiences into shared systems of exchange, attention, and play. His recent projects include Public Access Noise and The Hungry Carnival. Panama Jam grew out of his time in Armila, Panama, where he worked alongside Guna community members and began shaping this project through performance and documentary practice.

Tavia LaFollette is a transdisciplinary conceptual artist, meaning her medium is driven by the idea. She is a storyteller working in spaces where the fields-of-practice are porous, to build new knowledge for our ever-evolving world. LaFollette believes in the human spirit & embodies the entire process as cultural evolution. Growing up in NYC in the 70’s/80’s, her aesthetic heart and curatorial eye carry the struggles of the city at that time and the art that grew from that labor. Based out of Baltimore, with political cartoonist, Gary Huck, their most impressive experimental work are their twins, Max and Calder.