Natalie Dalea is a Creative Writing Fellow who is working on a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Minnesota with a focus on creative nonfiction writing. She also worked as an intern for Curious City, a podcast from Chicago Public Media that answers questions about Chicago, the surrounding region, and its people.

Angel Montalvo is the Manager of the city of Chicago SAFE Ambassadors Program. SAFE stands for Streets Are For Everybody. Their mission is to educate and encourage bicyclists and pedestrians in order to make Chicago a safer place for active transportation. Angel has worked for and managed this program for the past 10 years, and he has worked in transportation since he was 16. He is a a proud husband and father of a 2-year-old, and he enjoys taking bike rides with his family.

Jennifer Lizak is passionate about supporting the cultural community in Chicago, particularly in the areas of music, community radio, literacy, and education. She is also concerned about social justice, especially in the areas of healthcare, civil rights and economic equality. Jennifer is the Coordinator of Special Projects for Cultural and Civic Engagement at the Chicago Public Library where she plays a lead role in cultural and civic programming for adults, including the One Book, One Chicago program. She is a board member for the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP) where she also hosts a weekly show.

Robbie Ellis is a presenter and producer for Chicago's classical music station, WFMT. He’s been a teaching artist with The Second City, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and he’s composed and MC’d musical comedy concerts for the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago and Fourth Coast Ensemble. He is a music director for comedy theater, works as an event MC around town, and performs his comedy songs from the piano.

Genna Contino is a graduate of the University of South Carolina who reports on local government for the Charlotte Observer. She has also covered gentrification and affordable housing for the Greenville News and growth and development for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. As part of her reporting on public transportation in Charlotte, Genna attempted the challenge of going car-free in Charlotte for a week.

Joel Muller is a Psychologist who grew up in Australia before moving to the United States when he was in high school. He lived and worked in New Orleans prior to relocating to Chicago.

Rick Harnish co-founded the High Speed Rail Alliance in 1993 and has been its Executive Director since 2001. The Alliance builds the political will for systemic change by advocating for integrated rail and transit networks connected by 200+ mph high-speed lines. By connecting cities, towns and airports, the high-speed trains will dramatically expand economic opportunities and slash carbon emissions.  Harnish’s work is informed by his strong commitment to researching and learning from global best practices

Ben Adams grew up in the Elmwood Park neighborhood of Columbia, South Carolina. As a child, he couldn't wait to move to a larger city. Ben went to college in Washington, DC and then moved to New York City. During visits back to Columbia, he was impressed by the revitalization happening in Columbia's downtown. Eventually, Ben decided to move back to Columbia to pursue his dream of opening a bookstore. In early 2020, he opened Odd Bird Books in The Arcade Building, a recently restored shopping arcade on Columbia's Main Street that was built in 1912. In 2023, Odd Bird Books will be replaced by All Good Books, a bookstore in Columbia's Five Points neighborhood that Ben will be opening in partnership with Clint and Jenna Wallace.

Rachel Hyman moved to Chicago to attend the University of Chicago and has continued to live in Chicago after graduation. She is the founder of Anthology of Chicago, a project that has collected poetry, fiction and nonfiction about Chicago neighborhoods. Rachel has also hosted a reading series called Welcome to the Neighborhood in collaboration with Paul Dailing, the creator of 1,001 Chicago Afternoons. Her latest venture is Bitza Press, the publisher of a series of zines, currently focused on people's experiences using social media.