Our Storytellers

Our Stories Matter is honored to share the stories of a diverse group of activists, artists, and healers.

Season 6 Storytellers

Adela Cojab Moadeb

From Campus to Congress
She is a legal advocate, media contributor, and unapologetic voice for Jewish civil rights.

Eden Yadegar

Taking a Stand
She is a legal advocate, media contributor, and unapologetic voice for Jewish civil rights.

Arno Michaelis

The Addiction of Hate
He is a speaker, filmmaker, author of My Life After Hate, and co-author of The Gift of Our Wounds. His storytelling stems from an intention to inspire people to see themselves in others, and see others in themselves.

Mubin Shaikh

The Addiction of Hate
He is a former supporter of extremism who changed his ways after the 9/11 attacks.

Eli Tsives

Intellectual Resistance Against Hate
He is a 19-year-old political science student at UCLA with a concentration in international relations.

Naomi

Intellectual Resistance Against Hate
She is the founder of Jewish Pride Always, a growing platform with over 100,000 followers focused on Jewish pride, Israel, and combating antisemitism.

Yassmine Mohammed

Trapped by Faith, Freed by Courage
She is human rights activist and author, she is at the forefront of several global movements to empower freethinkers and dissidents from the Middle East.

Shoval T'Shuva

Breaking the Silence
She is a writer, director, and actress based in New York.

Loay Al-Shareef

Turning Extremism Into Peace
He is an Arab online activist who has been involved in Israel’s attempted cultural diplomacy approach in Arab Gulf states, spewing pro-Zionist narratives across his accounts and in his online “Arab language lessons”.

Lara Burns

UNDERCOVER: The Changing Face of Terrorism in the US
She is a distinguished attorney and retired federal agent with more than 23 years of experience leading teams in complex international terrorism investigations.

Season 5 Storytellers

Susan Hess

A Polarized Reality
She is an Associate Professor of Social Work Practicum Education at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

Miri Bar-Halpern

A Polarized Reality
She is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Director of Intensive Outpatient Treatment Services at the Boston Child Study Center (BCSC).

Natalie Sanandaji

Chasing Butterflies
She serves as a public affairs officer for the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).

Rawan Osman

Rebuilding Hope
She is a Syrian-Lebanese/German activist advocating for peace with Israel.

Ilana Kwartin

A Mosaic of Healing
She is the director of Healing Space – a pioneering response to the mental and emotional trauma the October 7th tragedy and the subsequent war conflicted on Israel.

Marie-Alice Legrand

Legal stand: combating hate
She holds a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School (class of 2024).

Eitan Chitayat

I'm That Jew
He is a brand-builder and the founder of the international Natie Branding Agency.

Nesrin Lubbad

Bridging Minds, Bridging Conflict
She is an Israeli Arab psychiatrist with extensive experience in both adult and adolescent mental health.

Jonah Platt

Being Jewish
He is a trusted voice in the modern conversation on Jewish identity, culture, and current events.

Eli Tsives

Courage on Campus
He is a 19-year-old political science student at UCLA with a concentration in international relations.

Or Duek

Warriors of the Heart
He is an assistant professor at the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Community Health Sciences at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine.

Jonathan Bar Giora

Echoes of Resilience
He is an Israeli composer and pianist.

Yehudah Pryce

From Prison Walls to the Wailing Wall
Chair of USC Unchained Scholars, psychotherapist intern, and community activist.

Amit Halperin

War Through Teen Eyes
He is an Israeli student in the 9th grade.

Lucy Aharish

Being Human
She is an Israeli Arab journalist, news anchor, television host, and actress.

Season 4 Storytellers

Brandon Smith

HEALING THROUGH
THE CREATION OF FFRP
He is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP).

Fabian Debora

HEALING THROUGH
ART
He was born in El Paso, Texas and began his career in 1995 as a member of the East Los Angeles Streetscapers.

Ivy Navarrete

HEALING THROUGH
EMPLOYMENT FOR WOMEN
She was sentenced to 60 years to a life sentence and recently released after serving ten years when her sentence was overturned and vacated in 2022.

Daniel J. Siegel

HEALING THROUGH
MWe (Me+We)
He received his medical degree from Harvard University and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent and adult psychiatry.

Benjamin Fowler

HEALING THROUGH
FIRE CAMP
He is a 41 year old, black, Jewish Sicilian, Choctaw, Native American, Indian.

Gonzalo Alvarado

HEALING THROUGH
THE WRITEN WORD
He was born in El Salvador at the age of 14 he was brought to the USA by his mother.

Tyler Lord

HEALING THROUGH
HOPE
Born and raised in Malibu, California, Tyler was a privileged and intelligent young man.

Stephanie Lane

HEALING THROUGH
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
She grew up system impacted and spent much of her childhood in and out of jails and prison camps.

Dámon Cookë

HEALING THROUGH
CELLBLOCK INTELLECTUALS
He is currently the CEO and Co-founder of The Uncuffed Project. A non-profit that specializes in the formerly incarcerated, which has coined the phrase “Returned Citizens”· and the marginalized and disenfranchised.

Father Gregory Boyle

HEALING THROUGH
UNWAVERED COMPASSION
He is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world.

Season 3 Storytellers

Aly Wane

HEALING THROUGH
IMMIGRANT JUSTICE ACTIVISM
Using his experiences to advocate for the humanization of Black and immigrant communities in the political and justice systems.

Anthony Robinson Jr.

HEALING THROUGH
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Writer and artist using his experience in the prison system to empower those who have had negative experiences with criminal injustices.

Brendon Woods

HEALING THROUGH
ABOLITION
Alameda County’s first Black Chief Public Defender, challenges that bad reputation as he shares his passion and advocacy.

Claudia Pena and Bryonn Bain

HEALING THROUGH
COLLABORATION
Trailblazers in their work with UCLA’s Prison education Program.

Harriet Rossetto & Rabbi Mark Borovitz

HEALING THROUGH
LOVE
Healing of mind, body, spirit, and justice through their marriage and community addiction treatment center, Beit T’Shuvah.

James “JC” Cavitt

HEALING THROUGH
SPOKEN WORD
His use of words set the stage for him to model, encourage, and champion vulnerability and healing in others.

Keyon

HEALING THROUGH
FINANCIAL LITERACY
Fearlessly from the Inside, he shares how music and his promotion of literacy have been his tools for advocating for social justice in Black and Brown communities.

Martin Leyva

HEALING THROUGH
EDUCATION
Leveraging his position in academia to change the face of education in higher education.

Naima Ramos-Chapman

HEALING THROUGH
FILM
Working to tell stories of transformation and understated bravery by rendering the juxtaposition of psycho-spiritual realities alongside normalized brutalities.

Norma Cumpian

HEALING THROUGH
WOMEN’S RE-ENTRY ACTIVISM
A fierce advocate for incarcerated women and girls who has firsthand experience in the many challenges of reentry

Rianne

HEALING THROUGH
TRUTH
Presents her story of resilience, strength, and perseverance while joining us from the belly of the beast.

Romarilyn Ralston

HEALING THROUGH
LIBERATION
A Black feminist prison abolitionist scholar working to interrupt criminalization at the intersections of race, gender, and education.

Summer Lacey

HEALING THROUGH
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Criminal Justice Director at the ACLU of Southern California.

Sydney Rogers

HEALING THROUGH
INCLUSION
Shares how learning to receive love from others and themselves emboldened them to embrace their intersectionality.

Season 2 Storytellers

LaNaisha Edwards

HEALING THROUGH
ACTIVISM
South LA organizer and Senior Case Manager at Volunteers of America who focuses on breaking the intergenerational cycle of incarceration.

Mary Vu Iammarino

HEALING THROUGH
RE-ENTRY ACTIVISM
Domestic violence, child abuse, trauma, and addiction advocate.

Ramona Merchan

HEALING THROUGH
ANTI-RACIST ACTIVISM
Experienced trainer, coach, advocate, and leader.

Salina Gray

HEALING THROUGH
MINDFULNESS
Renowned teacher in Inglewood, CA who brings mindfulness into the classroom.

Saúl Sarabia

HEALING THROUGH
VOTING
Strengthening the self-determination and power building efforts of people who are stigmatized by the law and by society

Steve Kim

HEALING THROUGH
RE-ENTRY ACTIVISM
Serving individuals impacted by gangs and incarceration, and re-integrating them back into the workforce, schools, and community.

Yehudah Pryce

HEALING THROUGH
FAITH
Chair of USC Unchained Scholars, psychotherapist intern, and community activist.

Season 1 Storytellers

Alexus “Lex” Rhone

HEALING THROUGH
STORYTELLING
Writer, producer, artistic theologian, and revolutionary artist exploring the power of story.

Hugo Gonzalez

HEALING THROUGH
ART
Artist and activist committed to dismantling patriarchy through advocacy, diverse community building and challenging societal norms.

Mike Alcantara

HEALING THROUGH
ACTIVISM
Entrepreneur and activist with 10 years of experience, passionate about motivating others to always achieve their highest self.

Unchained Scholars

HEALING THROUGH
ACTIVISM
Safe brave spaces are needed at all campuses so those impacted by mass incarceration can help one another and know they do not need to struggle alone.