Nicholas Herd is a Canadian actor, author, and LGBTQ activist, celebrated for his extensive work in film, television, and on stage over the past 20 years. Born with Down syndrome, Nick has advocated for inclusion and representation of people with intellectual disabilities.

 

Nick has made significant strides in the entertainment industry, hosting, "Keeping it Real with Nick," on the Disability Channel, where he engages in discussions about various issues impacting the disability community. Additionally, Nick starred in a notable episode of "Employable Me.”

 

Beyond his work in media, Nick is an active participant in advocacy and public speaking, having shared his insights and experiences at events such as the United Nations Conference on Disability Rights as well as the Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion. His commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion makes him a prominent figure in both the entertainment and advocacy spheres.

Born in South Dakota to an African American mother and Caucasian father, director and photographer Charlie Buhler strives to infuse her inherently multicultural point of view into all of her work. She is especially interested in using her unique perspective to normalize and bring nuance to experiences and narratives that rarely make it on screen: particularly those of women and people of colour. 

 

Charlie's first feature film, “Before the Fire,” received world-wide distribution through Dark Sky Entertainment, and is currently streaming on multiple streaming channels, including Showtime. Her newest documentary, “Rosebud,” is currently in post-production, and it follows the lives of 3 Native American hip-hop artists on the reservation in South Dakota. Her music video "Black Superhero" made its worldwide premiere in Times Square in January. 

 

Charlie has received numerous accolades and awards for her work, including Best Music Video at the, shots awards, ADC Awards and Clio Music Awards, Best Innovation & Transformation in Film at The One Show, and a Webby nomination for Best Branded Content. 

 

Charlie's clients include: DJ Snake, Summer Walker, Robert Glasper, Target, Google, Snapchat, Calvin Klein, GE, Narciso Rodriguez, The New York Times, Andra Day, Kamasi Washington, Interscope Records and more.

Joshua Itano is the co-founder and CEO of CareCar, a healthcare transportation provider that is redefining the non-emergency medical transportation sector with a new business model that pairs trained and dedicated drivers with patients who need a ride to medical appointments.

 

Joshua's journey into entrepreneurship began at Alignment Healthcare, where he developed a deep understanding of value-based care and population health. This experience inspired him to launch CareCar.

 

Driven in part by his mantra, “Do well by doing good,” Joshua has grown the company three times since its inception to create improved access to care for hundreds of thousands of people in need.