RICK NAHMIAS

He’s spoken internationally on food justice issues, and his work has been profiled in dozens of publications including The Guardian, Sunset Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times. Rick has been named a regional delegate to the Slow Food/Terra Madre Conference in Torino, a Ralph M. Parsons Fellow, a Good Food Champion by LA City Council, and was a solo presenter at the 2014 SXSW Eco Conference. A 2010 winner of the LA Social Venture Fast Pitch, in 2015 Nahmias was chosen from over 135 past participants to represent Los Angeles in the inaugural National Fast Pitch competition in Austin, TX and was awarded the Innovation and Audience awards. In 2016 he received an inaugural Trailblazer Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Rickwas named a 2017-18 Senior Fellow at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Policy. He serves on the Leadership Board of the LA Food Policy Council and the Steering Committee for the Los Angeles County Food Recovery Initiative. When he’s not in the kitchen or up a tree, he’s learning steel guitar with his trusty Catahoula Leopard Dog, Rufus, by his side.

Laura Poitras is a filmmaker, journalist, and artist. CITIZENFOUR, the third installment of her post-9/11 Trilogy, won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, along with awards from the British Film Academy, Independent Spirit Awards, Director’s Guild of America, German Filmpreis, Cinema Eye Honors, Gotham Awards and others. Part one of the trilogy, MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY, about the U.S. occupation of Iraq, was nominated for an Academy Award. Part two, THE OATH, focused on Guantanamo and the war on terror, and was nominated for two Emmy awards.



ASTRO NOISE (2016), her first solo museum exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art curated by Jay Sanders, is a series of immersive installations and new work, including: ANARCHIST; O'Say Can You See; Bed Down Location; Disposition Matrix; November 20, 2004; and Last Seen. 



Her film RISK premeired at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Her collaboration with Henrik Moltke, PROJECT X, screened at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Her reporting on NSA mass surveillance based on Edward Snowden’s disclosures won the George Polk Award for national security journalism, and shared in the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.



In 2006, the U.S. government placed her on a secret watchlist and, through 2012, she was detained and interrogated at the U.S. border each time she traveled internationally.  In 2015, the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. government to obtain her FBI and other government files. Over 1,000 pages have been released.



She has received many honors for her work, including a MacArthur Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, Creative Capital grant, and a Peabody Award. She has attended the Sundance Institute Documentary Labs as both a Fellow and Creative Advisor. She is on the board of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, and is Co-Creator of the visual journalism project Field of Vision.

ALEX NESTER

Alex’s bout with cancer has helped shape her unique sound filled with messages of love, faith, positivity, and healing while channeling the retro soul artists of the 60’s and 70’s… Which only makes sense as she is currently touring with Salvador Santana, recently toured with Tito Jackson (of Jackson 5 fame), and has opened as a solo artist for such acts as Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, The Rascals, Evelyn “Champagne” King, The Stylistics, and Dave Mason. Most recently she has added multi-platinum selling artist Rachel Platten to that list as well. Her resume already includes 12 albums, countless jingles, and over 25 theatrical productions, as well as working with established musicians such as Carlos Santana, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Fifth Dimension, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Desi Arnaz, Jr., Alphonse Mouzon, Brandon Fields, and Eric Marienthal.

As the music industry settles for what’s “safe”, Alex will continue to push the boundaries of music making. Her songs are a musical testament of loss and hope, failure and triumph. It is a promise to the listeners that her music will never be anything less than sincere and honest. And most importantly, it’s 100% Alex Nester groove!

Anne Rice (born October 4, 1941) is a best-selling American author of gothic and

later religious themed books. She was born Howard Allen O'Brien. Best known for her Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematical focus is on love, death, immortality,

existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history.

She completed her first book, Interview with the Vampire, in 1973 and published it in 1976.  This book would be the first in Rice's popular Vampire Chronicles series, which includes 1985's The Vampire Lestat and 1988's The Queen of the Damned.

In 1998, after spending most of her adult life as a self-described atheist, Rice returned to her Roman Catholic faith, which she had not practiced since she was 18. In October 2005, as she reaffirmed her Catholic faith, Rice announced in a Newsweek article that she would "write only for the Lord." She called Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, her first novel in this genre, the beginning of a trilogy that will chronicle the life of Jesus.  Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt is being made into a feature film that will release in the near future.

BETH BELL

Beth Bell is known as a Flower Whisperer, International entrepreneur, author and Radio Show Host. After 15+ years in her corporate career she left her high heels, corporate suits, and luxury high rise living for flip flops, helmet hair and the rice fields of Bali to pursue her mission to be “Pollinating the Planet with Love”.

Beth founded Blossom B.L.I.S.S. Bali, an empowering line of products including inspirational jewelry, flower affirmation cards and flower photography.  Her love of observing and photographing flowers provides her a deep connection to mother nature that’s lead her to channel messages from the flowers. She’s captured the 4 life lessons she’s learned from flowers that provide simple, yet profound insights. Her book “Flower Power 4 Pure Love” was recently launched in Australia just in time for spring and is available on Amazon.

On the Beth Bell Radio Show she interviews guests living their passions to empower listeners to know pure love & purpose. Beth along with her guests share how they took intuitive risks and big jumps to get to where they are today. She believes through sharing personal life journey lessons and pearls of wisdom we gain along the way, we empower others to live their passions and life’s purpose.

Beth currently resides in Bali, Indonesia and travels globally sharing the life lessons she’s learned from flowers along with her personal life journey lessons and pearls of wisdom.  

JESSE CAMPBELL

An International recording artist who sings heart-felt Universal music with soul. Born in Chicago, IL, Jesse Campbell’s voice emerged at the age of sixteen when he began leading songs with the church choir where his father, Bishop W.J. Campbell is Pastor.

Jesse broke out of his gospel roots in 1994, signing a recording contract with Underworld/Capitol Records.  During this time, he recorded and released his first hit single, When You Cry, I Cry, from his debut album, Never Let You Go.  He also recorded the smash hit, Where Is The Love, from the movie soundtrack Dead Presidents, which sold over 500,000 copies, and was certified gold.

Jesse has performed for many of the world’s renowned speakers and has performed both LIVE and in-studio with some of the most successful recording artist of the music industry. During season two of NBC’s “The Voice”, the stars aligned and Jesse was invited to join the hit reality show, giving the world a glimpse of his profound vocal talent. His story and live performances were featured on commercials, movie screens and other promotions. After wooing the hearts and mutual respect of Industry peers / celebrity coaches Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton, along with 40 million viewers, Jesse’s fan base drastically increased and continues to grow worldwide via social media and jaw dropping live performances. Since then, Jesse has performed as the guest celebrity on “The Voice” Vietnam, and has worked in partnership with many companies and big name corporations including McDonalds, Apple, Spirit & Cellardoor Winery.

During Jesse’s career he has also made many personal appearances and live performances on national television shows including: The Tonight Show, WGN Morning Show, Showtime at the Apollo, BET’s Video Soul, and Soul Train. With Jesse’s vocal talent he has the pleasure of working alongside many highly respected recording artist’s including Jesse J, Mary J Blige, Christina Aguilera, The Winans, Andre Crouch and The Hawkins. Jesse has and continues to travel the world sharing his vocal prowess in South and Central Americas, UK, Eastern Europe, South Africa, Asia and many more to come.

Jesse is currently in the studio working on his next Album of World music you can feel. Jesse is one of today’s most gifted singers, whose unique, captivating vocals command attention from the first note. Jesse’s charisma, unique gift of reaching others and humble roots inspire people from all walks of life, and his amazing voice continues to catapult him to greatness.

MURRAY HIDARY

This purpose-driven approach to the Internet’s power garnered Murray considerable business success, including EarthWeb’s groundbreaking IPO in 1998, which was the third largest single day share gain in NASDAQ history at the time, and the growth and sale of several more companies including career site Dice and expert network Vista Research. In addition to his robust career in tech, Murray is an acclaimed photographer, composer, and musician with a voracious appetite for ongoing learning and adventure.

Murray has studied theoretical physics extensively; trained in the study of Aikido and the Shakuhachi (the Japanese bamboo flute) and its ancient music tradition of the Zen monks with some of the greatest teachers. Additionally, he journeyed the globe mindfully connecting with the fundamental elements that surround us. In an effort to gain deeper understanding of himself and of nature, Murray sought out experiences to simultaneously challenge and test himself physically and mentally as well as give him perspectives of natures core elements including water, rock and wind.

Climbing Mont Blanc, the Grand Teton and Mount Cook as well as countless technical rock climbing routes gave him and intimacy with the earth. Scuba-diving the Great Barrier Reef extensively and whitewater kayaking rivers allowed to ‘become’ the water. Paragliding the high mountains from Colorado to Mexico allowed him to feel and connect with the wind and understand flight. These pursuits, in addition to several marathon runs allowed him to push his mind and body connection, see what he was made of and learn how to confront, process and act in the face of fear.

Murray’s work, quest and ongoing studies remain closely entwined: he’s out to ignite transformation, to connect the seemingly disparate elements of this world, and to live in a constant dance of unfolding the hidden universe. At age 30, Murray wrote and recorded his first symphony in St. Petersburg, Russia. Moved by direct experiences that his curiosity towards deeper levels of consciousness created through music that began with his study of zazenor moving meditation with the Japanese Zen flute, Murray translated that process to the piano and began to lay the groundwork for what would eventually become MindTravel. The essence of MindTravel started as a personal practice for Murray many years ago, bringing music and visual art together, blurring the lines and pushing the edges of these mediums for direct expressions of deeper consciousness.

In bringing MindTravel to a broad audience, Murray’s goal is to create the space for people to have a powerful journey, which is at once provocative and reflective, healing and transcendent. Murray’s musical performances are a fusion of contemporary classical style, and contain a highly original expression of the avant garde, presented to audiences in concert halls, beaches, parks and beyond. For Murray, music communicates a profound coalescence of language and concept – a bridge connecting that which is hidden with that which is manifest.

Murray is involved with several philanthropic causes. He is the board chairman of the new music string quartet ETHEL, resides on the boards of UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance and Four Way Books, a publisher of poetry and short fiction by emerging and established writers. He is also a member of the New York University Dean’s Advisory Council and is the recipient of the NYU Distinguished Service Award where he has given the commencement speech at Madison Square Garden.

Murray is currently touring MindTravel, composing new work, hiking and meditating in beautiful places.

THOM TRAN

Los Angeles based comedian, musician, and U.S. military veteran and advocate Thom Tran started his career as a standup comic after a combat injury ended his career as a soldier.

Thom enlisted in the United States Army at 18 years old before he even finished high school. After joining the Army, Thom spent his entire career as a Communications Sergeant as well as a Civil Affairs Sergeant within the United States Army’s Special Operations Community. In 2003, four days after crossing the border into Iraq, Thom was wounded during a firefight when a sniper’s bullet found it’s way to the back of his skull. He bandaged himself up, continued the mission, and finished his 12 month tour in Iraq. But his wounds would eventually bring an end to his military life. After redeploying to the United States, Thom was medically retired in 2005.

Post-combat, comedy saved his life. After touring the United States as a road comic, Thom moved to Los Angeles in 2008 and two years later created The GIs of Comedy Tour, a Comedic Troupe of Troops that has toured all over the United States and to 18 different countries performing to audiences both military and civilian, bringing the healing power of laughter to those who need it the most. The group has raised nearly $20,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charity that raises college scholarship funds for the children of fallen US Special Operations personnel.

When Thom isn’t on the road he makes his home in Hollywood, CA performing at The World Famous Laugh Factory & clubs all over SoCal.

Recently, Thom’s love of rock and roll finds him back on stage playing lead guitar for a heavy metal band and cover band he co-founded called The Diver Rockstars playing bars and nightclubs in Southern California!

More About Thom Tran, SSG (Retired) US Army, Comedian – Creator – Executive Producer: The GI’s of Comedy