Never give up! Try, try and try again. Against all odds, PERSEVERANCE defies them. Join the Story Collider on February 20th at QED in Astoria for an evening of true, personal stories about science and the tenacity it takes to make it to the finish line. Hosted by Gastor Almonte and Julio Chávez.
Doors at 6:30 pm. Show starts at 7 pm.
Stories by:
Di Cai is an investment professional by day, a stand up comedian at night, and a sailboat skipper (aka “captain”) if there's good wind on the Hudson River. A former Chinese TV hostess turned PhD scientist; an investor moonlights as a comedian, going by a stage name Dr Dee in the underground New York comedy clubs. Whether it's stand up or storytelling, Di has her unique perspectives as an immigrant, a woman, and a badass.
Dr. Robert W. Fernandez is the Founder and Executive Director of Cientifico Latino, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization that works to improve the pipeline of historically marginalized students in higher education in the sciences. He was born in Lima, Peru and grew up in NJ where he attended community college at UCNJ where he majored in Business Administration. He received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biotechnology at York College, CUNY. As a former undocumented immigrant for twenty years, mentors played a vital role in navigating his undergraduate studies and he believes in pushing it forward. He received his PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale. In recognition of his work, Dr. Fernandez received awards such as the PD Soros Fellowship, selected as one of the 100 inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists in America, Junior Simons Fellow, NYC Latino Maestro of Ultimate Drive, Public Voices Fellow of the Op-Ed Project, and 2024-2025 Obama USA Leader.
Sheria Mattis is a Brooklyn-born comedian and writer. She's written for Reductress, Netflix is a Joke, Leslie Jones, and Fran Drescher. Her comedy has been featured on OprahDaily, PBS, and NBC. She's been a finalist in the Funny Women Awards, won 2nd place in the Comedy Mob Stand-up competition, and is a featured performer in the Knockouts All Stars comedy showcase. She writes for Late Stage Live and is currently developing her comedy web series Fibroids: A Love Story with CK Productions.
Kofi Thomas is a NYC based Comedian with a curiosity for the world. He is a first generation immigrant to parents from Dominica, (not the Dominican Republic). Observer, commentator and creator of the world around him. An accidental community activist.