Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ashley Ortega is a storyteller and photographer. As a future public relations professional she hopes to help non-profit organizations develop educational programs centered around supporting art and culture and improving the lives of the minority-majority people of Philadelphia. As a writer, her focus is on her own personal experiences, the stories of immigrant families, environmental injustice, modern colonization, and public policy.

Right now Ashley produces content for ¡Presente!’s social media accounts, as well as a few other research projects to publish in the future.

Two books she would read again are “My Wicked Ways” by Sandra Cisneros and “Bless Me Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya.

Steffany was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia and moved to Philadelphia in 2004. She is a creative bilingual professional with an exceptional gift of storytelling, social media and marketing. She was one of the first producers of Atrevete, a bilingual TV Show that was launched in 2016 by local community leaders. She most recently served as the Director Producer of ExpoFE USA- Generaciones 2022, in which she also assisted as co-producer of the Latino Diamond Awards. For the past 10 years she has use photography and video production to connect communities, cultures and languages. She is passionate about people, the gospel and inspiring young generations through mentorship and servant leadership. In her spare time she loves to read and go to the park with her son Samuel.

Némesis Mora is a journalist and cultural editor with a decade of experience. She completed a master's degree in journalism from the University of Puerto Rico and holds certifications in creative writing and literary journalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and New York University (NYU).

Daisy Murguia (she/her/ella) is a University of California, Irvine alumni and Mexican-American writer based in Southern California. Previously, she worked as a Content Writing Editor for InSight Magazine, covering issues related to poverty in Southern California. Daisy is passionate about storytelling and giving a voice to marginalized communities. When Daisy isn’t reading a book, she can be found at a coffee shop or cooking.

Alex is a filmmaker, producer, videographer, FAA certified drone pilot, and editor. He is the founder of AP Films which is a full service production company. They can do any and every phase of production from research, scripting, producing, directing, shooting, and editing. They travel all around the United States and do broadcast work for commercials, weddings, promos, documentaries, and corporate videos.

Since receiving a BFA degree from Penn State University, Scott Burkett has established Burkett Photography, a business that specializes in portraits, corporate and wedding photography. As a ¡Presente! Media collaborator, Burkett Photography has captured candids, portraits, events, and cityscapes

Valerie Dowret (they/she/he) is a journalist based in Philadelphia. Valerie works as an Editorial Associate at Resolve Philly, where they bridge gaps between newsrooms and Philadelphia communities through programming and reporting. They prioritize writing stories from a solutions lens. Valerie also freelances for local publications like Germantown Info Hub, Kensington Voice, WHYY’s PlanPhilly, and Techinical.ly Media. They found their love for journalism at an early age from the studios of New York’s WBAI Pacifica and has since graduated from Temple University with a bachelor’s in journalism. In their free time, they enjoy finding Philly’s best hiking spots and teaching themself to skateboard

Sharún Gonzales is a Peruvian journalist and academic. She works with issues of diversity, gender, and antiracism. She studied a Master in Political Science and a Master in Latin American Studies at the University of South Florida. Back in Peru, she writes weekly for a digital media website and teaches at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.

Edgar Ramirez was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and has lived in Philadelphia since 2006. He has spent the last fifteen years working to help first generation migrants and the Mexican community in South Philadelphia. He is a board member of community organizations such as: San Mateo Carnavalero, Puentes de Salud, Educación y Cultura, and The Mexican Market. In 2013, he created Philatinos Radio. Today the community radio has over 15 volunteers, multiple radio shows and over 160,000 followers.

Kianni Figuereo is a Video Coordinator and Journalist. As a Kensington native, Kianni is passionate about covering issues that plague Philly's disinvested communities and tries to shed light on perspectives that are not always explored. During her year-long Felix Varela Fellowship at AL DIA, she exclusively covered Philadelphia's gun violence crisis through the lenses of education, economy, mental health, legislation, and culture in her video series, What Our City Needs. Kianni's work has also been featured on NBC and Telemundo.

Leticia Roa Nixon was born and raised in Mexico City. She majored in Communications at Universidad Iberoamericana. In 1985, she moved to Philadelphia, where she served as a official interpreter for the Court of First Instance for 28 years. Since 1992, Leticia has worked as a reporter for multiple local Latino newspapers in the city. She has self-published six books and collaborated on the documentary film "El Sol Sale para Todos" produced by Laura Deutch and Carlos Pascual Sanchez. She is part of the organizing committee of Fleisher's Del Dia de los Muertos, "La Calaca Flaca". Art Memorial since 2014. Today she works as Philatinos Radio News Director, Impacto Media Deputy Editor, and co-produces PhillyCam's bilingual TV show Atrévete.

Carlos José Pérez Sámano is a writer and poet from Mexico. He has 4 published books in Mexico and two anthologies in United States, Italy and India. He has an MFA in Creative Writing and MA in Publishing by Rosemont College. He is the first Artist in Residence at the Penn Museum. Currently he is writing an opera for the National Opera Orchestra in Montpellier, France.

Gabe Castro is a Philadelphia-based Latiné multi-media professional specializing in the horror genre. She works at Philadelphia's public access television station as the Programming & Production Coordinator helping her community make people-powered media. She is also the producer and co-host of the horror media analysis podcast, Ghouls Next Door. She and fellow Ghoul, Kat, explore the unique and raw way society and culture influence film and media. Gabe believes media can be used as a tool to bring social change and works in all she does to create impactful and inspiring media. Gabe is also a co-host of the Black Tribbles, the award-winning geek talk radio show. When she’s not hosting podcasts, she directs short horror-comedies, designs terrifying soundscapes for the Black Women are Scary Podcast and writes film reviews for local cinema organization, cinéSPEAK.

Celia Alves is a Brazilian freelance journalist who writes about the latinx experience in Philadelphia, culture and education. Before moving to Philadelphia, she worked in the production of the documentary Ivy Rupa- that showcased the life and culture of the Granary natives in the South.

Laura Anaya-Morga is a first-generation, Mexican-American Journalist from Southern California. She is currently a student at the University of California, Riverside and the News Editor for The Highlander Newspaper where she covers local issues in the Riverside area related to government, research and community-focused news. She is now ¡Presente! Media’s first Multimedia Intern where she assists her team on production and develops story ideas for the organization.

Michelle Myers is an Ecuadorian bilingual journalist who moved to Philadelphia in 2017. She is currently a freelancer and Co-hosts the show “El Café de la Tarde,” on Philatinos Radio. Before Philatinos, she worked at AL DÍA News as a political reporter, covering the 2019 city elections and City Hall, among other topics like labor and the LGBTQ+ community. Prior to moving to the U.S., she worked for a tv station, a magazine and a native digital outlet in Ecuador covering the General Assembly and doing data journalism for the national elections.

Emily Neil is a freelance journalist based in Philadelphia. Her work has been published in AL DIA News, Generocity, IJNET, The Philadelphia Citizen, WHYY, and more. 

Ana Laura Pérez Flores is a writer, editor, editorial designer and illustrator based in Mexico City. She was editor of the film magazine Icónica for several years. She has collaborated with several Mexican outlets like La Tempestad, Canal 22, Cine Premiere, Butaca Ancha and Correspondencias. She has recently co-founded Lumínicas, an independent platform where several Latin American critics write about cinema. Currently, she works writing and illustrating with Luchadoras, a feminist outlet focused on cyberfeminism and media activism.

Farrah Rahaman is Trinidadian cultural worker and graduate student who, for almost a decade has called Philadelphia home. Through her media production, programming and writing practice, Farrah explores the ways in which communities of color have resisted neoliberal concessions by standing at the margins and claiming them as central. Farrah is also the panel producer at BlackStar Film Festival. 

Nadine Patterson is an award winning independent writer/producer/director who works at the crossroads of narrative and documentary cinema. She currently serves as the Program Manager for HipCinema Labs/SIFTMedia 215, a media arts incubator that supports Black and Latinx  women who are socially conscious filmmakers based in Pennsylvania.