Emily Thornton Calvo is a poet, visual artist, author, and creative director active in Chicago's poetry community since 1994. Recognized by the Guild Literary Complex as one of 30 Writers to Watch in 2019, she released her first collection of poems and art, Lending Color to the Otherwise Absurd, in 2014. Calvo's poems have appeared in numerous publications, and she has featured at venues both in the US and abroad. She is also a Chicago-based freelance writer and author of several books.

Laurence Minsky is an author renowned for his expertise in brand development, marketing, and communications, evidenced by his strategic and creative leadership in both professional and academic circles. He is the co-author of Global Brand Management: A Guide to Developing, Building & Managing an International Brand, Audio Branding: Using Sound to Build Your Brand, and The Activation Imperative: How to Build Brands and Business by Inspiring Action, as well as the author of How to Succeed in Advertising When All You Have Is Talent. Minsky serves as Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Communication Department of the School of Media Arts at Columbia College Chicago and is a frequent industry speaker and consultant.