Chuck Garfien is an Anchor and Reporter for NBC Sports-Chicago — he hosts White Sox Pre and Post-Game Live with Ozzie Guillén, Frank Thomas and other former White Sox players. He also writes for nbcsportschicago.com and hosts the White Sox Talk Podcast. Chuck was born and raised in suburban Chicago and attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School where his broadcasting career truly began because he spent all four years there working for the school’s actual radio station, WHFH 88.5 FM and rose to be the station manager during his senior year.

Sean Dunnigan was the owner of Ollie's Pub in Cape Coral, FL which he established in 2019. Ollie’s was one of the few venues in Southwest Florida that hosted live, original rock, metal, punk, and experimental concerts and events. Following a challenging 2020 and weathering the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Ollie's, unfortunately, had to make the difficult decision to close its doors in April of this year.

CLAY is a Los Angeles-based alt-pop musical artist who says she makes music as a vessel for healing and connection. She was born and raised in San Francisco, and says her upbringing has informed her passion for social justice and her commitment to uplifting marginalized communities. Her bio says she proudly embraces her identity as a queer and neurodivergent artist, and that she uses her platform to create a safe space for all to express themselves freely. To date, CLAY has amassed more than 45 million streams across platforms and just wrapped up her “Waiting for God in the Garden” tour, which was her first full-headlining run across the U.S. with performances in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, New York, Nashville, Denver, and San Francisco, among other cities.

Ken Wells is vice president and general manager of Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant. His family has owned Cabbage Key since 1976 — and Tarpon Lodge since 1999. As a young boy he collected and sold shells to visitors out of a cardboard stand along Cabbage Key’s shoreline. In October of 2023, Ken was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer at the age 44. He turned to making music as an emotional outlet amid the physical and emotional battles that overwhelmed his life. He says that experience taught him the crucial need for cancer patients to tend to both their physical health and mental health, and so he established the “Ken Wells: The War on Cancer Fund” to help others who lack resources to navigate their personal cancer journeys through financial assistance for medical treatment, and for mental well-being through counseling or finding emotional outlets like he found with making music.

Doug Berman created Car Talk on NPR and was its Executive Producer; and he is the creator and "Benevolent Overlord" of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Charlie Pace is a SWFL-based singer-songwriter who's been performing since she was 7 years old. She released first her single at the age of 14, and a few months out of high school, Charlie became a backup vocalist for the nationally-touring Pink Floyd Tribute band, Floyd Nation. She performs original and cover music under her own name, as well as original punk music with her side band CAAM.

Dave McMahan — best known by his stage name Dave!Ja!Vu! — grew up in Cape Coral, Florida where he and his younger sibling, Cody, were raised by their father. Dave originally aspired to be a teacher and earned his Bachelors in English Literature from University of Central Florida, but he says music became his calling. He's now one of the prominent names in Southwest Florida's local music scene, taking the stage as Dave!Ja!Vu!, a one-man acoustic guitar and harmonica playing folk punk band. Fueled by DIY punk energy, Dave records all of his own albums and handmakes his own merch. He describes himself as a "silly high energy performer" that doesn’t take himself too seriously.

Dr. April Lynn James is a classically trained soprano who received her PhD from Harvard University. Her book, “The Tenth Muse: How Maria Antonia Advanced the Pastoral Opera” was published in August of 2023.

Dr. Fredara Hadley is a professor of ethnomusicology at Juilliard in New York City. She teaches courses on ethnomusicology, jazz history and African American music - and her research focuses on the diverse musical legacies and impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Dr. Hadley’s commentary is featured in several documentaries including the recently released PBS series, "Gospel" and the 2021 series "The Black Church” — both hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates.

Tim McGeary is a singer-songwriter who grew up in New Jersey who now calls Naples home. He started out in the New York club scene playing at CBGB's, Trax, and Danceteria. In 1982 he was signed to A&M records with the band The Rescue — they were together for two years and opened for the likes of Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Simple Minds, Missing Persons, and Stray Cats. Tim has also recorded three solo albums, the first two under the name "Wonderful Johnson" called "Authentic Memphis Samich" and "12" and the third under his own name called "Second Hand Saint." In early 2024 he produced and performed on the Robert Paul Band’s “Lucky Number Seven.”