Shawn is a black queer trans man who uses his lived experiences to inform his intersectional approach to addressing systemic issues related to access to non biased healthcare and gender affirming surgery. Shawn is a dogged advocate, talented artist, a gifted storyteller whose style is warm and engaging. Shawn has nine years of experience as the executive director of Dem Bois Inc. Dem Bois Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to provide charitable financial assistance for female to male, FTM, trans-masculine identified person(s) of color for them to obtain chest reconstruction surgery, and or genital reassignment surgery (gender-affirming surgery) to help them on their journey to live physically, and mentally authentic lives.

Lenny Zenith is a transgender singer/songwriter and has completed his first memoir. It was edited by Kelly Caldwell (Gotham Writers Group) and Lambda Literary Award winner, Donna Minkowitz (Furious Romance, Growing up Golem).

Jai is a 47-year-old, mixed race (Italian/Sri Lankan) man with a transgender experience. Jai medically transitioned back in 2007, had his top surgery soon after and completed bottom surgery a little over 10 years ago. Jai is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been in the social services field for 25 years and as a Social Worker for 16 years. Jai believes in passing it forward, so he volunteers his time sharing his experience through the Transgender Kaiser Advisory Council, workshops at health conferences, Transmen retreats and in Childhood Development/ MFT classrooms. In his leisure time, Jai likes his simple life hanging out with his friends, working out at the gym, doing DIY home projects with his wife of 22 years and hanging out with his two Tabby cats, Nicoya and Foxy Brown.

Alexander is a 41-year old Canadian transman and father from Toronto, where he currently lives with his wife, their two young children, and rescue dog. He began his transition as a teenager in the year 2000.

An academic turned public servant, he holds a PhD in English and continues to contribute to Trans Studies. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, canoeing, skiing and gardening, and is an avid reader. He is passionate about leadership and public service.

Jesse was born and raised - and still lives - in the Virginia hills known as the Appalachians. The when and where of Jesse's trans coming of age story, was not an environment that supported gender fluidity or genderqueerness. Most of the Appalachian people still see things in binaries. Black White. Male Female, or at the very least Butch Femme. Jesse was featured in the YouTube series “Climbing Mountains” by Trans ilient featuring Trans Appalachians' stories. Jesse identifies as male, but also relates to the genderqueer, non binary and feels that maybe if he was born twenty years later his path would have been different, but he is happy with his own path and journey.