At a moment marked by rising censorship, cultural backlash, and fear-mongering, storytellers face a defining choice: be silenced — or get louder.
Produced by Elevate Studios, this panel brings together changemakers working at the forefront of storytelling and narrative change to explore what it means to reject fear and refuse silence. From film and media to food, culture, and grassroots movements, the panel will reflect on what it takes to tell honest, representative stories in this moment — and why doing so is not just a creative calling, but a moral one.
This is a call for storytellers to stand firm: to embrace risk, reject false neutrality, and tell the stories that deserve – and need – to be told.
The panel will be followed by a reception with beverage and bites, hosted by Elevate Studios and Impact Lounge.
Speakers:
- Sean Sherman (Founder, The Sioux Chef, Natifs, Owamni, Author The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen and Turtle Island)
- Crystal Echohawk (Co-Founder, Indigenous House)
- Bing Chen (CEO, Co-Founder, GoldHouse)
- Baratunde Thurston (Writer, Comedian, Activist, Host, and Producer)