Mare Hutchinson brings a life of experience from the arts, media, education, leadership development, and social advocacy as inspiration for The CALL. Her signature production Runagate, ©2010, based on a Robert Hayden Poem about the Underground Railroad is but one example of her observation of history and human relations. She was a producer of documentaries for public and commercial television, including the award-winning PBS series “Literary Visions” and won an International Film Festival Award for a documentary on race culture as a producer for an NBC affiliate in Michigan. She performs on stage, in film, and community theater and was executive producer of the former Praisedust Productions, LLC. She notes her poem “His Love from the Shadows” published by The National Library of Poetry and authored the fiction novel “Seasoned Wives,” reflecting behind-the-scenes life of college and NFL football. Mare served as education director for The Sarasota Film Festival in Florida and taught fine arts, theater, and public speaking for colleges in California and North Carolina. Her formal dance background includes winning first place in Olympiad of the Arts for her modern dance choreography to Nina Simone’s “Four Women.” She also led many years of dance and drama ministry in New York, California, Michigan, and North Carolina. During COVID and the national trauma around the killing of George Floyd by a police officer, she provided a Racial Realities Retreat for faith leaders through her company Bridges and Walls, LLC. Other professional work spans communications and media relations for higher education institutions and public affairs with The American Federation of Teachers. As chief executive of The CALL she pursues cross-racial unity over polarization and an authentic American legacy for multi-generational leaders. She holds an M.A. in speech and dramatic arts, a B.A. in journalism, and is a certified life coach. Her first family includes two adult daughters, two sons-in-love, a big sister, two grandpups, and her grandson Harlem.

ITony Ward Sr. is an African American painter, a musician, and a poet. His nationally recognized painting “We Must Do It” won first place in a Pfizer “Science Will Win” campaign and is memorialized in educational materials, social media, and globally within Pfizer. This creative expression of the unified efforts of diversity and global collaboration to survive the COVID-19 pandemic also was featured at the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMPRA) Spring Conference 2023 at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. He also has displayed work in the Art by Taurean National Art Tours. He reflects his artistry as well through self-taught jazz music (bass guitar and percussion). Ward was born in Washington, NC, and spent much of his youth in Brooklyn, NY. He excelled in sports, hence the nickname “Byrd” for his basketball skills, beyond high school playing for the U.S. Navy where he specialized in communications intelligence and served alongside the Commander of the Amphibious Assault Group COMPHIBRON 2 during his six-year military tour. Ward graduated from City University of New York where he studied painting under Harlem’s renowned artist Alvin C. Hollingsworth whose tutelage he credits for helping him to form his vision and acquire a sense of visual depth. His poetry is an extension of his free flow of heart, observation, and emotion; his work in progress includes “Be a Change Maker,” “Dream Power,” and “Ebonic Thoughts,” a short poetry series. He also completed college studies in radiologic technology, earning national dean’s list academic honors and pursued a professional career in systems configuration management. He retired from IBM in 2017 where he worked for 23 years. Ward served as a member of the City of Washington, NC, Juneteenth Committee and the Beaufort County Advisory Council. He volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club Coastal Plain, the Purpose of God Annnex Outreach Center, and the Alfa Life Enrichment Youth Center.

Elizabeth “Bibi” Dimmette Coyne is a designer, author, inventor, entrepreneur, and owner of S2dio, LLC (pronounced Studio) a name she has applied to a variety of business ventures, and which aptly conveys her focus on creativity in its many forms. In addition to applied artistry, Bibi has dedicated her time to community building and advocacy. She is a founder of Innovative Intersections which was recently awarded a grant from The City of Winston Salem Public Arts Commission to contribute asphalt art on the crosswalks at the intersection of Northwest Blvd. and N. Hawthorne Rd. She was also the founder of Friends of Hanes Park leading the call for the development of a master plan to restore Hanes Park in time for a Centennial Celebration—which came to fruition in 2019 thanks to the leadership of Council Member Jeff Macintosh. Bibi was the recipient of the Council Member’s Choice Award by Project We Care in 2018 and Friends of Hanes Park was honored with an Outstanding Volunteer award by Keep Winston Salem Beautiful! in 2017. In 2015, her first published book of poetry, The Ella Zoo, received top honors from Independent Publishers of New England and Next Generation Indie Books Awards in writing and design categories. In 2012, Bibi was the inaugural recipient of The City of Winston Salem Small Business Plan Competition for her entrepreneurial venture S2dio Supplies, a mobile art supply store. Bibi is currently focused on bringing her product invention, the Pipit Ring, to market. The Pipit Ring grew from her experience battling cancer during the height of the pandemic. She is now thankfully cancer free and has patents pending. Learn more at the PipitRing.com.

Taronza Graves is a poet and an author of the anthology "Naked: A Poetic Journey through Passion, Pain, and Purpose." She recently launched her first podcast on Spotify entitled "Diary of a Badd Black Woman" and is an award-winning actress who has starred in several stage plays, including the classic “A Raisin in the Sun.” She has been featured in independent films and music videos. She holds two master's degrees, an MBA in Servant Leadership and a Master’s in Christian Ministry and Discipleship. Her business degrees supported her work in project management and strategic operations; however, her passion for using her gifts in the arts has remained steady. Her children, Khai and Zoe, are the first partakers of her personal mission to encourage others to be brave and to live free and vibrant lives are her children Khai, who works in the music industry and Zoe, the basketball star, who enjoys volunteering with her mom in community theatre.

Grace Campbell Sheran works as a school librarian by profession and also by passion is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and award-winning poet and writer, with over 30 years of experience in the creative and performing arts. Sheran has trained at renowned institutions such as the New World School of the Arts in Miami, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She co-owned Kinetic Dance Theater in Winston-Salem, where she garnered numerous awards for her choreography and her dancers' artistic performances. Her extensive choreography experience spans concert, competitive, and commercial dance. Grace also has taught at several studios in the Winston-Salem area, including ExtravaDance, In Motion Dance Center, and the Institute of Divine Arts. Additionally, she has led and choreographed for multiple dance ministries and conducted ministry dance workshops for various churches. She currently serves as the co-dance director of Infusion Dance Ministry under the direction of Pastor Michael Clinton and Minister Alicia Clinton.

Tara-Whitney Rison is a Health and wellness coach, speaker, and artist/actress based in Baltimore and a professional wellness coach for Howard County, MD. She functions from a radical, whole-person wellness lens. With a certification in functional nutrition coaching, Sanford Meisner technique that centers listening and communication, a Master of Fine Arts terminal degree in acting and currently attaining her National Board Certification for Health and wellness coaching. Her umbrella company, Tara Whitney Brand, LLC (soon to expand) is an artistic-wholistic wellness company that liberates business womxn & work communities from burnout into more whole-person centered work & lifestyles. Utilizing education and empowerment through multi-media strategies, retreat experiences and more, Tara-Whitney's framework for radical wellness operates as a vehicle to self-efficacy + to boldly & compassionately challenge the status quo on how we prioritize our health & well-being. Tara-Whitney enjoys life with her husband Greg and new infant son Harlem.