Great Minds

Emilio “Mimi” Castillo is an American saxophone player and composer, best known as the founder of the band Tower of Power.

Sarah Kate Ellis is an American media executive, journalist, and author, most widely known for launching and turning around media brands within magazines such as New York, InStyle, Real Simple, and Vogue. She is now president and CEO of GLAAD.

Chuck joined the Crispin Agency in 1988 as creative director and partner, after a long career as an award-winning freelance copywriter. The agency was renamed Crispin & Porter, and within three years, it doubled in size and was named one of the top 15 creative shops in the country. Under his leadership, CP+B has become one of the most awarded agencies in the world and was honored as Agency of the Decade by Advertising Age.

Christena J. Pyle is the executive director of Time’s Up Advertising. Previously, she served as director of diversity and inclusion at Omnicom and director of Adcolor.

Steve Cropper is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, and has backed artists such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor, also acting as producer on many of these records. He later gained fame as a member of the Blues Brothers band. Rolling Stone lists him 36th on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Mojo ranks Cropper as the second-best guitarist ever.

Joanna Louise Coles is a British-born media executive, producer, editor, and author. The inspiration for the hit TV show The Bold Type, she currently has a development deal across the ABC Studios Disney platforms. She served as the first ever Chief Content Officer for Hearst Magazines globally in 2016. She has won numerous awards for journalism and leadership, including, when she was editor-in-chief, Cosmopolitan’s first national magazine award in its 50 year history.

Hugh Nanton Romney Jr., known as Wavy Gravy, is an American entertainer and peace activist best known for his role at Woodstock, as well as for his hippie persona and countercultural beliefs. Romney has founded or co-founded several organizations, including the activist commune, the Hog Farm, and later, as Wavy Gravy, Camp Winnarainbow and the Seva Foundation. He was also the official clown of The Grateful Dead.