It’s been said that storytellers tell stories to invite you on a journey and teachers tell stories to help you find your way home. John masterfully does both. Whether it’s through founding Portrait Coffee - the newest community-building hang out spot on the westside of Atlanta, where he uses the medium of coffee to pour a new narrative of what economic development could look like in disenfranchised areas... Or through crafting gut-honest sermons for crowds of tens, hundreds, or thousands, helping people take their next step towards lasting hope... Or through crafting the words and worlds that filled pages of We Go On and Prayer - two books that shape how we experience grief and relationship with God... If you ask him, he’ll say his life is about bringing the right people together to bring beautiful things into being in the world. John is an Atlanta-based creative, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He holds a Doctorate of Ministry in Church Leadership and Community Witness from Emory University with a focus on grief, storytelling, and cultivating virtues. John’s abiding belief is that tragedy doesn’t ruin anyone: hopelessness does. He is currently the Senior Director for Thought Leadership & Innovation at City to City where he seeks to create evergreen content and experiences (like this one) to help people hold on to hope. He’s the author of We Go On, as well as co-founder of Portrait Coffee, co-founder of the Crete Collective, and former pastor of Cornerstone Church in Atlanta. He lives in Atlanta's West End neighborhood with his wife Shawndra and daughter Ava.

Swoope is a multi-talented force in the world of music, celebrated for his remarkable achievements as a Grammy and Dove award-winning producer, artist, and musician. With a career marked by creativity and collaboration, he has left an indelible mark on the music industry. Swoope's impressive roster of musical collaborations reads like a who's who of contemporary music. He's crafted captivating tunes alongside renowned artists such as Ty Dolla Sign, Kierra Sheard, LeCrae, Freddy Gibbs, Kelly Price, KB, Natalie Lauren, Kenyon Dixon, Jonathan McReynolds, and a host of other influential voices. His ability to blend genres and elevate every project he touches is nothing short of extraordinary. Swoope's influence extends beyond the music itself. He has cultivated national and global partnerships with esteemed brands such as JBL, Uninterrupted, VH-1, Comedy Central, and Paramount. These are a testament to his enduring impact on the industry and his commitment to delivering top-tier sound experiences to fans worldwide. Not confined to the studio, Swoope has traversed the globe, lending his musical prowess to different artists and stages around the world. His dynamic performances, whether playing for others or delivering his own compelling verses, consistently captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression. With a career marked by accolades, innovation, and an unwavering dedication to his craft, Swoope continues to push boundaries and inspire both fellow artists and music enthusiasts.

His curiosity for the intersection of words, story and visuals led Rich to transition from formal pastoral ministry in 2020 to filmmaking where he has endeavored to tell honest and beautiful stories in order to inspire spaces of hospitality and imagination. It is that same curiosity that led to his published work Mi Casa Uptown: Learning to Love Again— his 2017 memoir where he explores his worlds of immigration, family, inner-city culture and faith. Rich has been able to share his thoughts and experiences to a variety of crowds both nationally and internationally. Rich’s passion to lead and create artfully and with great vulnerability has resulted in a life and career where the value of storytelling unequivocally takes greatest precedent. From the life decisions we make to the ways in which we foster our relationships to the projects we take on professionally— all of it, Rich believes, is telling a story.

David Perdue is an Atlanta comedian who has been featured on Comedy Central,FuseTV, EPIX, & Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. David is also an actor appearing in "Love Is..." on OWN and "Bobcat Goldthwait"s Misfits and Monsters" on truTV. David co-hosts a sports/comedy podcast called "Forth and Ten" as well as the feel good news podcast “What’s Good Atlanta” on Atlanta’s NPR member station WABE. In 2022 David was selected as an Arts & Social Justice Fellow at Emory University where he spent a semester as a professor, making his love for cardigans make way more sense. In 2022 David also became a member of the first Climate Comedy Cohort created & directed by Generation180 & the Center for Media & Social Impact’s Good Laugh Initiative. David co-founded “Comedy & Conversation” a live show combining comedians with subject matter experts using humor to engage audiences & have impactful conversations around difficult topics such as food insecurity, politics, mental health just to name a few. As you can see David is many things but most importantly he is NOT a former US Senator.