Mica Lee Anders

Mica Lee Anders is a genealogist, researcher, and storyteller who believes every family has a story worth telling. As the founder of Anders Genealogical Services, she helps people reconnect with their ancestors and revive family stories. A proud resident of St. Paul’s Rondo community, Mica is also a devoted mom, an enthusiastic game night host, and a passionate belly dancer. Whether uncovering the past or celebrating the present, she finds joy in bringing people together—through history, movement, and shared experiences that keep family legacies alive.

Amber Buck

Amber Buck (she/hers) is an educator, storyteller, and theatre lover who believes books are lifelong friends. With a heart full of empathy and a laugh that fills a room, she’s passionate about helping people understand and embrace the humanity in us all. Whether on stage, in a classroom, or curled up with a book, Amber creates space for connection, curiosity, and kindness. She lives for honest conversations, and powerful performances and knows that a good story can open hearts just as easily as it opens minds.

Tamar Fenton

Tamar Fenton moved to Minnesota after meeting her husband, David, on an airplane. A Minnesota JCC development professional by day, she also writes, decoupages, is passionate about strengthening community through shared stories, and is a healthcare transformation advocate with patientrevolution.org, striving to make healthcare more careful and kind.

Empty-nesters, Tamar and David are proud parents of four adored children (and two DILs). Their youngest, Liel, of blessed memory, often called Tamar a “bad-ass”—so she tries to live up to that every day.

Cathy Gasiorowicz

Cathy Gasiorowicz discovered storytelling after failing to interest eighth graders in the art of mime. Since then, she’s performed at Patrick’s Cabaret, The Moth, TedX, Minnesota Fringe Festival, History Theater, and Island of Discarded Women podcast. During her 30-year marketing career, she's written websites, videos, ads, blogs, and brochures touting the virtues of antimicrobial urethral catheters and other products you hope to never need. She volunteers at Masonic Memory Care in honor of her mother, and as a Community Recycling Ambassador in honor of the planet. She lives in the ‘burbs with her lovely husband and two anemic plants.

Mary Halvorson

Mary Halvorson is a mom of three and a grandma of four. After living in St. Paul, Switzerland, Moorhead, Eau Claire, Morris, Berkeley, Racine, and Beldenville, she and her spouse moved to her childhood zip code. Mary spent 30+ years in a career she mostly loved, caring for others. She loves to hike and swim, quilt and read, listen to political podcasts, engage in conversation, and hatch ridiculous stories for her grandkids. Besides her sewing machine, her favorite tools are a lopper and handsaw. She and her spouse have planted over 3,000 trees. She feels most at home in a pine forest.

Megan Kocher

Megan Kocher lives in South Minneapolis with her wife, their 11-year-old kid, 3 cats, and 2 snails. She works as a Science Librarian at the University of Minnesota where most of her published writing is in the methods sections of systematic literature reviews. Writing her own stories has been a Personal Growth Challenge over the last year and has helped her get more comfortable doing things imperfectly. In her spare time you might find her baking, at Zumba class, thinking about her next botanical tattoo, being enraged at the world, or trying to calm down by walking around a lake.

Brianna Cashman Loop

Brianna Cashman Loop is a proud mother of an incoming freshman at UST and a devoted daughter, sister, and friend. Part of a beautiful blended family, she deeply values the relationships that have grown and flourished over the past 40+ years. Brianna celebrates her Irish American roots and finds meaning in her Aries sun sign and Enneagram Type 8 (7 wing), which offer grounding and guidance. She lives with intention, heart, and a fierce loyalty to those she loves. Writing is a new adventure for Brianna, but her lifelong love of creative expression has always been part of her heart.

Aida Martinez-Freeman

Dr. Aida Martinez-Freeman, aka Dr. A, is a speaker, strategist, and coach who believes in the magic of the slow life and inclusive leadership. As the founder of Taina Collective, she helps organizations turn leadership dreams into reality—minus the burnout. When she’s not coaching or consulting, she’s busy hosting daydreaming workshops, writing her book Raising Mom, or plotting her next escape to Iceland. She lives in Maple Grove with a ridiculously spoiled cat, a partner who swears she needs supervision, and a daughter who channels Wednesday Addams on a good day.
https://www.thetainacollective.com

Elizabeth Nelson

Elizabeth Nelson is mom of two and neighbor mom of two more. While she still loves to travel and have dinner with friends, these days Elizabeth is mostly into crushing “to do” lists and purging stuff from her house. Her small joys include unexpected dog walks in her red bathrobe with neighbors. Small annoyances include kids outside in stocking feet; all kids are charged $1 for the offense. Elizabeth lives on the best block in Minneapolis, is married to Matthew and is a leader at Land O Lakes. 

Uzo Ngwu

Uzo Ngwu is a Nigerian-American multidisciplinary artist whose work encompasses illustration, film, animation, and music. Uzo has done freelance illustration and animation work for clients such as Adult Swim, Hulu, MTV, VH1, Oxfam America, and more. She recently founded ZOMA Studios, an animation studio and production company committed to telling culturally specific stories. She's currently directing and producing the studio's debut project, Mmanwu, an animated short film set in modern day Nigeria. When she’s not illustrating new pieces or working on her film, Uzo can be found singing at local open mics. You can find her work at uzongwu.com. 

Alysha Price

Alysha Price is an influential author and the host of the top 10 rated podcast, "Co-Parenting Confessions." Her book, It's Not Complicated: A Self Help Guide for Mothers Navigating the Obstacles of Co-Parenting, offers valuable insights for mothers. In 2024, she was recognized as a Bush Fellow for her innovative leadership in family solutions. Featured in Forbes, the Oprah Winfrey Network, and Vh1’s Basketball Wives, Alysha is a trusted expert for navigating parenting after relationship dissolution. In 2019, she founded The Price Dynamic, transforming the co-parenting narrative and empowering families with her cutting-edge strategies.

Kathleen Westgard

Kathleen Westgard began telling stories in elementary school for “show and tell” (never had much to show, but certainly had a lot to tell!) and continued in high school when her speech coach handed her a book of folktales before a speech competition. Her love of stories continued in her life as a teacher, coach, Peace Corps Volunteer, wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. Today, when she is not teaching English to her 10th and 12th graders, she can be found keeping up with her three adult children hiking mountains, swimming in the Great Lakes, and still telling stories.