Black Box

Chris Gatti

Chris Gatti is a man of many talents. He graduated from the University of Michigan with an education in Industrial and Systems Engineering and performed in the famous Cirque du Soleil. Chris has been a gymnast since age five and served as the captain for the men’s gymnastics team at Michigan. Now, he pursues his passion for gymnastics by leading handstand and movement workshops across the country.

Sava Farah

Sava Farah is the CEO of SavCo Hospitality. She operates on the principles of hospitality and hustle, a concept inspired by both the sociability of her Albanian roots and the bustling environment she encountered as a child growing up in the Bronx. Sava later relocated to Ann Arbor and started a restaurant. Her restaurant, Sava’s, has since become a cornerstone of the Ann Arbor community.

Huda Essa

Huda Essa is a Michigan alum, educator, and the founder of Culture Links, LLC. She utilizes her experience as a Cultural Competency Consultant to help organizations meet their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Huda is the author of Teach Us Your Name,  a children’s book focused on empowering kids to take pride in their identities and show respect towards others. She is also the producer of a series of short films focused on social justice.

Marcus Collins

Marcus Collins is a proud Detroit native and greatly admired lecturer of Marketing at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. A guru in the world of marketing and an impassioned educator, Marcus strives to understand the cognitive factors and biases that help drive human behaviors and actions. He utilizes his understanding and insights to study why certain products become popular.

Piotr Westwalewicz

As a teenager in Soviet Poland, Piotr found himself in an environment that had extreme censorship rules and regular curfews. Because of this, Piotr became attracted to how music allowed him to express himself and rebel against the societal rules of Soviet Poland. “Protest was the perfect excuse for fun,” as he described. Now, he is a Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature at Michigan, teaching a class called Rock Poetry and the Art of Protest.

Joe Holberg

Joe Holberg is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan, where he earned a B.S. in economics. He utilized his skills to create his company, Holberg Financial. Joe uses his company as a platform to engage Americans and help them gain financial security. By doing so, he creates a sense of financial justice in his greater community.

John Pollack

John Pollack is an insightful author, a masterful storyteller, and a native Ann Arborite. He has applied his talents in many areas, including serving as a speechwriter for former United States President Bill Clinton. John has leveraged his writing prowess as a consultant for organizations that include Fortune 500 companies, non profits, and major philanthropists over the last 15 years. His latest works involves studying the powers of analogies.

Keiana Cave

Keiana is a researcher and entrepreneur at the University of Michigan. At the age of 15, she started researching the BP oil spill, synthesized a carcinogen-fighting molecule and launched a startup supported by both the University of Michigan and Chevron.  Today, she combines her passion for fashion and science to promote female empowerment.