Join us for five true, personal stories about the strong and weak forces that bind us to our loved ones!
Hosted by Christine Gentry and Paula Croxson. Doors at 6:30pm.
In-person and livestreamed. Early bird ticket prices available until until Oct 9 at 7:00pm ET.
Stories by…
Trevonn Gyles is a 3rd year graduate student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He studies the transcriptional mechanisms of stress resilience. He received a BS in biology from Morehouse College before moving to NYC to start his Ph.D. in neuroscience. Outside of the lab, Trevonn is actively involved in science communication and snowboarding.
Dave Kalema is a Ugandan-American storyteller who uses the stage and documentary filmmaking to tell visual stories of belonging, identity, and personal transformation. His first documentary, I’m Here For U, will be released in 2024. Most recently, he was the founder of Coin Flyp Media, a video-first media company for the untold, personal stories of change that athletes experience after sports. Dave is also a Moth GrandSlam Champion and has performed all over New York City.
RJ Millena is an entomologist specializing in the evolution of the twisted-wing insect parasites (Strepsiptera). She is currently a PhD Candidate with the Ware Lab in the Comparative Biology program at the American Museum of Natural History's Richard Gilder Graduate School. Originally from California, RJ grew up in the East Bay with her parents, sister, and large extended Filipino family. She attended UC Davis for her undergraduate degree in Entomology, with double minors in Nematology and Ecology, Evolution, & Biodiversity. In her spare time, she enjoys insect and turtle husbandry, playing drums and trumpet, dancing ballet, and flying trapeze with her sister. Her favorite insect is the one she studies, and her least favorite insect is the bedbug. RJ is grateful for the opportunity to participate in Story Collider.
Alison Spodek is a flamingo, majestically awkward in some circumstances, moderately graceful in others. The reigning champion of her extended family’s daily Wordle competition, she is also an associate professor and chair of the chemistry department at Vassar College. There, her research focuses on the behaviors of all the most fun elements in the environment, particularly arsenic, mercury, lead, and uranium, but her real passion is helping people understand the world around them, particularly those who think they are “not good at science.” She lives in Beacon, NY with her husband, two kids, and a crotchety old dog.
Amy Veltman is a New York City comic who’s performed across the country. She was the producer and co-host of podcast, 2 Moms on The Couch, which, like her comedy, features her edgy take on motherhood, marriage, and being an outsider in an insider’s world.