Custom (AtB)
[custom_cohort_authors slug=”atb” columns=”2″ show_categories=”1″ show_bio=”1″]
Original
Custom (AtB)
[custom_cohort_authors slug=”atb” columns=”2″ show_categories=”1″ show_bio=”1″]
Original
Jennifer is a Temple University-trained journalist who has been roving the streets of Philadelphia since 2008. Pre-pandemic, she was a full-time disability rights advocate, active member of numerous city-based groups, including Craft Coven, South Silly, and Philly Plant Guy, and a regular contributor to The Philadelphia Secret Admirer.
In 2019, she was a proud participant in StoryCorps’ ongoing project to record and preserve Americans’ voices in the Library of Congress.
After the deaths of her partner in 2020, and a beloved mentor in 2022, Jennifer embarked on an 18-month journey around the world to experience life beyond SEPTA’s reach. In July 2023, she returned from a 4-month stay in Oceania with a newfound passion for permaculture, climate activism and land-based living that she hopes to share with her fellow Philadelphians.
Jennifer’s hobbies include guerrilla gardening, star-gazing, thrifting, bird-watching, and taking her two beagles on long walks.
Kimberlei is a proud mom, U.S. Army veteran, storyteller, and firm believer that some of the best conversations begin with simply being curious about people.
She was raised in Harlem and has since called both the Carolinas and Philadelphia home, and each place has shaped a different part of who she is.
Service and community are woven into her life, particularly mental health advocacy and organizations committed to strengthening families and creating opportunities for others. Kimberlei loves a good conversation, a good laugh, live music, discovering new places, and learning the story behind the person—not just the title beside the
[bxb-fall-2026]
Gina Faulkner is a writer, filmmaker, and educator based in Philadelphia. She teaches writing, literature, and media, and much of her creative work explores Black life, childhood, disability, education, and the ways stories shape how we understand ourselves and our communities.
Gina has loved radio and audio storytelling since my college radio days, and she’s excited to return to the medium through Block by Block. She’s especially interested in community-centered journalism that makes room for voices, experiences, and stories that don’t always receive sustained attention in traditional media.
Outside of teaching, Gina writes fiction, poetry, and screenplays and develops film and media projects. She’s also a wife and mom, an enthusiastic researcher of whatever has captured her curiosity that week, and someone who genuinely believes storytelling can be a tool for connection, imagination, and change.
Gigi Guida grew up just South of Center City, where they lived until recently moving to West Philly. Gigi enjoys growing vegetables in tight spaces and delights in sharing the harvest.
They are a self-taught independent audio storyteller who released their first long-form audio series this April, called Seen/Unseen. It’s a genre-bendy immersive documentary about the power structures under construction in American public space… set at Philadelphia City Hall.
Gigi is interested in producing radio stories about Philadelphians who are prefiguring new worlds out of their lives in this one. Behind that is their deep curiosity around belonging and new (liberated) ways of being (together). I’m eager for instruction, more practice, and good company in making new things.
Lawanda Horton is a grantwriter, fundraiser, and community activist in Philadelphia. Her company Mission Incorporated helps nonprofits and small businesses strategize and access funding opportunities, and her nonprofit organization Mission Forward launches large scale community arts activism projects and other projects centered on Theatre, Entrepreneurship, and Social Justice.
Lawanda has a Masters in Nonprofit Management from New England College, a BA in Theatre for University of New York at Albany and a Political Science Degree from Syracuse.
Aside from that, Lawanda loves disaster prep, stoicism, Daoism, and Jungian philosophy, music and books.
Chelsea Lubbe is a recent graduate of Temple University where they studied journalism. Originally from the Poconos in Northeast Pennsylvania, Chelsea has unfortunately never skied or snowboarded, but does enjoy swimming and hiking.
Chelsea loves radio as a medium for sharing stories and information, and they’ve always been interested in health reporting with a lens regarding education and access.
Dina Jovin is a recent graduate from UC Santa Cruz where she studied Politics and Philosophy and currently works in grassroots organizing for various local political and environmental campaigns in New Jersey.
While studying politics, Dina also had a strong interest in film — particularly documentary filmmaking, as well as radio and production, and iis looking to explore those skills as part of this fellowship.
Dina loves learning about international affairs, as well as local politics, and philosophy. But I also love talking about random things, and would be hoping to learn how to cover just regular, yet meaningful conversations!
Monique Moore Pryor is an attorney and non-profit executive who has spent much of her career in fundraising, strategy, and external affairs.
She is a Philly native who returned home a few years ago and is passionate about storytelling and who gets to tell the stories that shape our communities. Monique is especially interested in women and leadership, books, Black history and untold stories, art, and culture.
Monique is also a wife and mom of two amazing young adults. She loves traveling and is a two-time marathoner. Martha’s Vineyard is her happy place, and she’s always up for a great conversation about history, culture, leadership, travel or a book that changed you. She’s also game for ping pong or bowling.
Lohen Parchment is a resource mobilizer, experience curator, creative producer, wellbeing advocate, and community steward. Hailing from the Bronx (& Brooklyn!) and rooted in Jamaican heritage, she is a proud, humbled newcomer to Philly.
Loh built her foundation in media production by studying radio and film as an undergrad, participating in indie productions, and working at a television network for over three years.
She has been deeply committed to supporting efforts that expand pathways to prosperity for communities that, due to environmental or systemic design, lack the necessary information or equitable access to flourish or even satisfy their fundamental needs.
There are so many everyday people who are actively working to improve the conditions of their communities and their lives, and she is excited to center them in our program and help raise our collective consciousness for the betterment of this city!
Sadie Troup makes art sometimes, enjoys studying revolutionary people’s movements, and is guided by an optimism that when we unite in struggle, we become unyielding and unstoppable. In a world of anti-people media, she is deeply curious about how we can produce art, media, and literature that encourages social action, community building, and revolutionary spirit.
Sadie works at Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, where she helps Philly homeowners get free home repairs. She can often be found in basements around the city, often staring at water lines.
Kevin Walker is a retired lawyer (and part-time lifeguard at the University of Pennsylvania). For many years, he served as a public defender in New Jersey. He was a trial attorney and, later, an administrator. Over the course of 30 or so years, Kevin worked in every area of our criminal practice, from Juvenile to Recovery Court to Capital Litigation.
In the last 15 years, Kevin has produced four documentaries; two were based in Camden and another in Mt. Holly, N.J. Each was about 30 minutes and focused on criminal-justice or socio-economic issues.
But now he is excited to return to my first love: radio. Kevin got my feet wet many years ago, when serving as the campus news director of his college radio station.
Ashley Ciera Whiteside is a therapist, cultural worker, filmmaker, cat mom, and lover of humanity.
She started my journey in community media in 2025, producing segments for PhillyCAM Voices.
Ashley is based in North Philly and passionate about telling stories connected to art, community care, and mental health/wellness.
Amadee Braxton’s day job is working as a facilitator, coach, and strategist, helping organizations and leaders do their best work. As a radio host and filmmaker, she uses story and information to spark connection and change. Amadee has hosts a weekly show on WURD Radio that offers political analysis and solutions from a Black, progressive, feminist perspective.
In all that she does, Amadee aims to create possibility and explore what’s unknown in service of healing and liberation for myself and others. Other than that, she enjoys cooking, walking in the woods, and watching Dabke dancing videos.
Abby Cruz is a national journalist, speaker, and mentor born and raised in North Philadelphia. After spending the last decade living and working in Washington, D.C., Abby made the intentional decision to return home—back to the community that shaped her—to pour into the people who need her most. Her journey took her to the national stage, proving that someone from her neighborhood, background, and upbringing could make it to the network and beyond. Now, her focus is on the next generation. Abby is deeply committed to investing in youth, encouraging dreamers, and reminding people that their circumstances do not disqualify their calling. Through storytelling, mentorship, and presence, she lets others know that their dreams are possible and that faith can carry them further than fear ever will. At her core, Abby is a faithful and humble servant, guided by purpose and obedience. She wants to be known not for titles or platforms, but for intentional stewardship—using what she’s been given to serve well, love deeply, and give back fully.
Anaiah Davis is a Caribbean-American, Emmy-nominated, award-winning filmmaker working as a Media Instructor at WHYY in Philadelphia.
Anaiah believes that diversity and integrity is key in telling stories about ourselves, our communities, and our world. She also likes exploring mental health in her work.
Sheila Lorrett Emerson is a community reporter and producer who focuses on uplifting and celebrating the joy in underrepresented and marginalized communities, especially those of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC); and, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, 2 Spirit, Plus (LGBTQ2S+); as well as serving as a change agent to help eradicate the stigmas surrounding areas such as mental health, disabilities, and sex work.
Sheila likes to get, in the words of Civil Rights Leader John Lewis, “in good trouble, necessary trouble!” Sheila’s advocacy work took center stage when she spoke at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, addressing attendees from across the nation. Sheila is a Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
Ahmed Hassouna is a Philadelphia-based documentary filmmaker and community reporter. His work focuses on arts, culture, and community stories, highlighting the voices of artists and local communities. Ahmed has produced video segments for community media and independent projects that explore identity, memory, and cultural expression.
With a background in filmmaking and education, he is interested in using audio and visual storytelling to connect people and share meaningful stories from everyday life.
Cheryl Jones, also known as CJ or Poet CJ is a broadcaster at Scribe Video Center, where she hosts and produces CJ Speaks LIVE every second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
CJ is also author of the CJ Speaks column for the Philadelphia Sunday Sun newspaper, and an open mic host.
CJ has a degree in education and works as a special education teacher for pre-kindergarten stud
Charlie Kline is a recent graduate from Oberlin College, where she studied Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and Sociology. She has worked on podcast production and research for Proxy with Yowei Shaw. Charlie is passionate about using media to expand access to information and help people see the role they can play in their communities.
In addition to her service industry work, she volunteers with local organizations focusing on education and mutual aid. Through this fellowship, Charlie hopes to learn how to use sound to better understand and uplift the communities she is part of.
Koren Martin is a photographer and arts administrator originally from Atlantic City, NJ.
Her work is a mixture of candid portraiture and immersive documentary photography. She has passion for highlighting the beauty and strength of the African Diaspora. Her current photo series “Birthing The Resistance” is a celebration of Black Mothers that are involved in activism.
Koren has received an honorable mention in MFON: Women Photographers of the AfricanDiaspora, an exclusive and commemorative biannual journal committed to establishing and representing a collective voice of women photographers of African descent. Her work has been featured in the anthology “How We Stay Free”, MFON exhibition “Altar:Prayer, Ritual, Offerings.”at Photoville, The Chrysler Museum Exhibition “Come Together, Right Now: The Art of Gathering”, Puffin Foundation Exhibition “Election, 2020” and the Harlem Arts Alliance/CUNY-Black Studies exhibition “Black (W)omen: Seen it Before.”