Blog

Founder and Tech lead at A Taste Of Theater

Victor Gulley is a playwright, director, and filmmaker based in Chicago. He is the founder of The After Work Program and A Taste of Theatre Festival, which showcases emerging playwrights and connects theater professionals nationwide. His work has been featured in Chicago, South Bend, and Minneapolis, and his television series A Taste of Theater airs on 50+ stations across the U.S. Gulley has also created several award-winning short and feature films. He will screen his film She Knows on Sunday afternoon and speak on the “Art as Disruption” panel.

Writer, Actor, and Filmmaker

Regina Hoyles is a writer, actor, and filmmaker originally from the south suburbs of Chicago. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and founder of RLH Productions, she created NAPS, a comedic web series which was featured as a web series to watch by Shadow and Act. She also wrote, produced, directed, and starred in her first short film entitled ADULLAM which premiered at the  Bentonville Film Festival. The project received distribution on REVOLT TV’s anthology series, “Short and Fresh,” and won “Best Screenplay” at the inaugural Black Girls Rock! Film Fest. As an actor, she can be seen on shows such as THE MARVELOUS MS. MAISEL, THE CHI, ALL RISE, and 9-1-1: LONE STAR. She served for a consecutive 2 years as the Pre-Production Supervisor for the non-profit organization Black Girls Film Camp for. Regina is also a writer on the new animated Disney series HEY AJ! executive produced by Martellus Bennett.

Commissioner – Chicago Department of Public Health 

Dr. Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige’s is a strategic leader in public health with an exceptional trajectory leading public health programs and fostering organizational excellence at the local, national, and global scales.

Her public health career spans nearly two decades. Currently serving as Commissioner at the Chicago Department of Public Health, she is the first black woman to serve in this role in a permanent capacity.

She works with hundreds of public health leaders and partners, to provide guidance, services, and strategies to make Chicago a healthier and safer city.

Before her appointment as the Health Commissioner, she served as the Managing Director of Programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation promoting national partnerships for equitable and accountable healthcare and public health systems.

She also previously served as the Assistant Commissioner for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and was awarded the champion of public health for cultivating impactful partnerships and driving systemic change.

With a robust educational foundation encompassing multiple degrees and a slew of prestigious awards, Olusimbo is a dedicated advocate for health equity and health systems transformation. 

Director

Brittany L. Hogan is a Chicago-based filmmaker, entrepreneur, and founder of McGuire Lewis Productions. Her work spans short films like While Waiting and Common Ground, which highlight complex human stories with emotional depth. She also leads HomeBased Apparel, a streetwear brand rooted in Chicago pride. With a background in engineering and production, Brittany brings a strategic, creative lens to storytelling, blending process and artistry. She is passionate about creating spaces where authentic stories can connect, challenge, and inspire audiences.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.