Every month, Story Collider holds a virtual story slam. This December, we’ll present our SUPER COLLIDER SLAM, in which all five victors from previous slams will return and compete for the ultimate prize: a Story Collider hoodie.
The first five winners of the Story Collider Slams who will be competing for this ultimate prize of being the first ever Super Collider Winner will be:
Julie Ann Villa
Aditya Surendran
Erin Kane
MJ Kang
and
Kimberly Chao
Our Host
Gastor Almonte is a stand-up comedian and storyteller from Brooklyn, NY. He's appeared on Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, Risk! podcast and the Story Collider Podcast. Timeout magazine named him one of your "New Comedy Obsessions." He's been featured on the New York Comedy Festival, The People's Impov Theater's SoloCom and Cinderblock Comedy Festival. His new album, Immigrant Made, was released in March 2019.
Our Coaches
Latasha Wright received her Ph.D. from NYU Langone Medical Center in Cell and Molecular Biology. After her studies, she went on to continue her scientific training at Johns Hopkins University and Weill Cornell Medical Center. She has coauthored numerous publications and presented her work at international and national conferences. In 2011, she joined the crew of the BioBus, a mobile science lab dedicated to bringing hands on science and inspiration to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The BioBus creates a setting that fosters innovation and creativity. Students are encouraged to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, and design experiments. Through the BioBus, Latasha was able to share her love of science with a new generation of potential scientists. Everyday that she spends teaching students about science in this transformative environment helps her remember that science is fun. She loves sharing the journey of discovery with students of all ages. In 2014, the BioBus team launched an immersive, unintimidating laboratory space called the BioBase, a community laboratory model. At the BioBase students are encouraged to explore their scientific potential through in-depth programming and hands-on experimentation. Latasha has lead the efforts in establishing this community laboratory model, and hopes to build on its success in other communities. The efforts of the BioBus’ team to promote science education to all communities in New York City has been recognized by numerous news outlets, including the WNYC science radio program Hypothesis. Additionally, Latasha has been featured as NY1’s New Yorker of the Week.
Steve Zimmer started attending story shows in 2004, and telling stories in 2006, and successfully competed in numerous Moth story slams. He has won 33 Moth StorySLAMS, and seven Moth GrandSLAMs, and has appeared on the Peabody Award-winning Moth Radio Hour eight times. He also performed in many other storytelling shows, including the Story Collider, where he became friends with Erin Barker and Ben Lillie. He was impressed with their energy and intelligence, but more importantly their commitment to the art of storytelling, even as they sought to establish an identity for Story Collider.
Originally from the Midwest, Zimmer attended Northwestern on the Evans Scholarship, the same one referenced in the film ‘Caddyshack.’ He subsequently earned a PhD in Economics, mathematical focus, from Harvard. Steve had seriously considered switching to a career in science, and at one point spent 7 years working in a biochemistry lab at NYU.
Our Storytellers
JulieAnn Villa has spent her career sharing her love of science, first as a research scientist, then as a teacher, and now as a health communication specialist. She started telling stories as part of her recovery from cancer. Whether is it in a classroom, advocating for patients, or speaking to clients, there is always a way and a reason to share a good story.
Aditya Surendran is a lawyer/comedian/storyteller who had the surreal experience of growing up Indian and nerdy in Edison, New Jersey. His stories chronicle these mundane suburbs in an attempt to find laughs--and perhaps some deep meaning. Though deep meaning is optional.
All these stories are compiled at cheesedosa.com . A successful Kickstarter campaign in June 2020 means you can purchase a physical book of these dorky tales yourself.
Erin Kane is a postdoctoral researcher at Boston University. Erin is interested in the ways primates and primate communities respond to environmental variability. Her current research focuses on growth and development in wild orangutans, especially in understanding how young orangutans become "ecologically competent" adults who are able to travel and forage successfully in their complex environment. She also studies primate communities in Cote d'Ivoire, focusing on feeding behavior and competition across pristine and degraded habitats. When she's not following primates around rainforests, she may be dancing or hanging out with her cat Triceratops
Born in Seoul, raised in Toronto, and currently making her home in Los Angeles, M.J. Kang will do anything creative for money or no money. She enjoys laughing, entertaining her daughter and challenging herself. She has no fears except for rodents. One day, she hopes to get over that, some how.
Kimberly Chao is a walrus. Or rather, she is known to play with her food and make a walrus face. Professionally, she manages investment portfolios and teaches financial literacy.