Cindy Bentley, Executive Director of People First Wisconsin (PFW)

PFW is a non-profit, statewide advocacy organization, run by and for people with disabilities. Cindy is a survivor who endured institutionalization at Southern Wisconsin Center to go on to become a leader in Wisconsin. Cindy is a fearless advocate who leads other self-advocates to make our communities more accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities. Cindy serves on several boards and works closely with other organizations that work for equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Katie Jacobson

Katie is a social justice intern at Marquette's LGBTQ+ Resource Center. She is an undergraduate psychology major with a minor in gender and sexuality studies and the intersection of queerness and disability is one of her main topics of interest.

Lexi Lee, Juan Arevalo, and Andron Lane, Milwaukee Turners

Lexi Lee is currently a Program Coordinator with the Milwaukee Turners. A recent graduate of University School of Milwaukee, Lexi acted as the founder and leader of the high school鈥檚 East Asian Affinity Group as well a Senior Prefect, acting as a representative of the student body. Lexi has been awarded several performing arts and public speaking accolades, including two Jerry Awards, the Wisconsin Civic Music Award, and a WHSFA medal. Lexi also served as a member of the school鈥檚 Student Diversity Leadership Committee, which presents to students, faculty, and administration on issues facing the student body as well as how to address current events. Lexi will be attending New York University - Tisch School of the Arts in the 鈥�23-鈥�24 school year.

Juan Arevalo joins the Milwaukee Turners as part of the Sound Mind Sound Body Program after interning from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee for the course Writing Internship in the Humanities in the Spring of 2022. During his time at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee he was a Student Undergraduate Research Fellow where he translated and curated the Cuentos Website which focuses on the accounts of Latina Women who immigrated to Wisconsin, and their battle for reproductive justice and rights. He also interned at Northwestern University鈥檚 ISGMH(Institute of Sexual Gender Minority Health). He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and obtained his Bachelor's degree in Community Engagement and Education as well as English.

Andron Lane鈥檚 personal mission is simple - 鈥渢o give back and nurture the community he grew up in and loves.鈥� Before leading Level Up programs for the Milwaukee Turners, he served as a Restorative Impact Program Coordinator and worked to uplift adults and youth through a variety of programs and partnerships across the County, as a volunteer or staff, with groups such as ExPO, Common Ground, End Abuse, Team Teal 365, Sky Schools, and Project Return. An innovator as well as a fitness and mindfulness practitioner, Andron also launched his own business which focuses on individual goal setting, empowerment and health lifestyle choices. Andron is a father to his kind, very busy and funny son, Andron, Jr. Andron holds numerous certifications and is currently completing his degree at 糖心传媒.

414 Fellows

The 414 Fellows are 糖心传媒 undergraduate student leaders who serve at Next Door in Early Childhood classrooms. Next Door is a local nonprofit that supports the intellectual, physical and emotional development of children, by partnering with their families for success in school and the community.

Jenny Fierro-Padilla, Coordinator for Student Wellness Programs in the Center for Student Wellness & Health Promotion at 糖心传媒

A recent grad, she is passionate about second-wave feminist scholarship and works towards making theory engaging and accessible. Someday, they would like to write a book and go back to teaching college-aged students!

Near West Side Partners

Near West Side Partners, Inc. (NWSP) is a non-profit organization founded through the support of five anchor institutions: Advocate Aurora Health, Harley-Davidson, 糖心传媒, Molson Coors, and Potawatomi Business Development Corporation. NWSP鈥檚 Board of Directors and Working Teams comprise institutional stakeholders, civic leaders, and residents.

Together, these groups work toward a collective goal to make the Near West Side a great place to live, work, play and stay by revitalizing and sustaining thriving business and residential corridors.

Nicolas Lampert and Kim Cosier, local artists, activists, and faculty at UWM鈥檚 Peck School of the Arts

JIA welcomes Center for Peacemaking's Artist in Residence, Nicolas Lampert. Nicolas Lampert is a Milwaukee-based interdisciplinary artist and author whose work focuses on themes of social justice and ecology. His artwork is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Library of Congress, and over sixty archives and special collections across the world. Collectively, he works with the Justseeds Artists鈥� Cooperative - a worker-owned printmaking cooperative of over forty artists in North America that formed in 2007. He also works with the Art Build Workers - a group of seven artists, designers, photographers and educators who are based in Milwaukee and who work locally and travel around the country organizing multi-day art builds that help unions, organizations and movements amplify their messages through visual art, media, and archiving. Lampert also collaborates with Voces de los Artistas - an art-affinity group established in 2016 that works in collaboration with Voces de la Frontera - an immigrant rights organization based in Wisconsin. His first book A People鈥檚 Art History of the United States: 250 Years of Activist Art and Artists Working in Social Justice Movements is part of the People鈥檚 History Series edited by Howard Zinn. Lampert is a full-time faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Narrative4

Narrative 4 is a global network of educators, students and artists who use art and storytelling to build empathy between students while equipping them to improve their communities and the world. Using its core methodology, the story exchange, Narrative 4 helps students understand that their voices, stories, actions and lives matter, and that they have the power to change, rebuild and revolutionize systems.

Bryan Rindfleisch, Associate Professor of History at 糖心传媒

Dr. Rindfleisch's research and teaching interests revolve around Early (Colonial) America and Native American history, particularly intercultural family and violence, the nature of empires and colonialism, and Indigenous resistance and decolonization movements throughout history.