Diane Kastiel is the producer and host of First Person Live. A writer and storyteller from Chicago, she’s a three-time winner of the National Public Radio’s Moth StorySLAM; her work has been featured on the Moth Radio Hour, its podcast, and at special events for WBEZ, NPR’s Chicago affiliate. Diane has told stories on stage at The Second City, Steppenwolf, the Park West, Victory Gardens and other theaters as well as comedy clubs, art galleries, the basement of a tattoo parlor - she even did a show in the middle of the woods! Diane works with libraries, schools, community centers and homeless shelters to bring storytelling to a wider audience, and leads storytelling workshops at Northwestern University. Diane is an alumna of The Second City Conservatory and the University of Chicago’s Great Books program. She also has an MBA from Northwestern University…just in case. 

Dan Baron is a former journalist and now writes about social issues for nonprofits and universities. His personal stories often reflect on his early years, when loving family members ate big meals together and interrupted each other often. Now he can be the most outspoken family member of all, especially when he holds a microphone. Dan is a dad, identical twin, passionate sports and movie fan, and serial walker.

Victoria Reeves is a writing coach, teaching artist, and sculptor. She hand-sews Empowerment Dolls using vintage fabrics and welds found steel objects into whimsical flowers. Eternally curious, Victoria has backpacked across 15 countries and now explores the U.S. in her converted cargo van named FLOW. She has performed at The Moth in Chicago and Seattle, and at other shows in the Chicago area.

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Elizabeth Avera’s career spans corporate communications, business development, and leadership advisory work. She’s also a coach and mentor to many mid-level women navigating the seemingly-impossible blend of work and life. Outside of her day job, you can find Liz studying bugs with her young boys, throwing her name in the hat at Moth StorySLAMs, laughing (and crying) while reading David Sedaris, or folding laundry while watching trash TV..

April Pruitt-Summers worked as a lawyer decades ago, then raised three boys. She loves Chicago but grew up in Southern Illinois, and comes from a long line of creative, story-telling women. April is an accomplished knitter and seamstress, with a fashion school degree hanging alongside her J.D. April has been telling stories to anyone who would listen her entire life, and she’s excited to tell one at First Person Live!

Susan Rohde’s life started to change when she decided she owned her own story. After going back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University at age 35, she realized she could do anything, and went on to careers in both professional development and clinical research. But she is most proud of the family she and her husband created as foster parents for 20+ years. Susan is a three-time Moth StorySLAM winner and Director of Professional Development for a local higher education institution.

Joy Wright is a “Best of the Net”-nominated writer, storyteller, and mom to two twenty-somethings. She works as a fundraiser for a racial justice organization by day and spends evenings telling stories at shows around Chicago. Joy’s greatest accomplishment is completing the Sexier Than a Squirrel training with her dog. Her writing has been published in HuffPost, Creative Nonfiction, Entropy Magazine, and Anti-Heroin Chic, among others.

Cliff Johnson is a recovering social worker who currently leads internal communications at Teach for America. During his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Kingdom of Tonga, Cliff taught a youth theater troupe named “Tala Kei Kapa Na’a To Ki Mala,” which roughly translates to a warning about being eaten by devils. His other theater experience includes teaching youth improv in Chicago and writing/performing numerous plays. Cliff is a winner of the Moth StorySLAM and national Peace Corps storytelling competition. He enjoys writing fiction, watching movies, and making/consuming enough pizza to cancel out whatever exercise he got that day.