We are excited to share with you 10 of the more than 40 different presenters that will be on hand for the 18th Annual SEA Conference the end of February. Don't miss this opportunity to engage and learn from creative professionals from across the country. Watch your email in early December as we reveal 10 more. 

Danny Young is a drummer, singer and songwriter currently based in Nashville, TN. He holds a double B.A. in percussion performance and communication studies from Luther College. Danny currently tours with Dan Tyminski (formerly with Alison Krauss & Union Station), his own band, EastLand, Tara Thompson (Big Machine Label Group), and many others. He is also heavily involved in recording sessions for Hal Leonard, Broadway Junior, and Disney, along with a variety of established/upcoming acts from across the world.One of Danny's proudest achievements to date was being able to write and play the drum book for the Broadway bound show, 'The Nutty Professor'; working with the late, great Jerry Lewis and Marvin Hamlish. He also owns his own furniture building company called Young Custom Furniture and is also currently the host of A&E's Saturday morning DIY block, Home.Made. Danny's Website.

> Elaine Luther - Visual Artist
Elaine Luther is an independent studio artist with a sense of humor. Her mission is to make art that's brave, vulnerable and true, and sometimes funny. Her art has been exhibited in Chicago and across the country, including at Gallery I/O in New Orleans, LA and Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL. Solo shows include Harold Washington Library, West Englewood, Forest Park and Orland Park Public Libraries. She regularly gives speeches at conferences and professional association meetings. She is an Advisory Board member for Woman Made Gallery. Her newest adventure is being an artist writer; she writes for Art Jewelry Forum, the Craft Industry Alliance and Moore Women Artists.

> J. C. Geiger - Author
J. C. Geiger has eaten the beating heart of a snake, been deported from a full-moon party, and spent a short time locked in a Bolivian prison. He also writes fiction. His short works have appeared in the pages of Murky Depths and Horror Garage, and onstage at The Second City in Chicago. His debut novel WILDMAN was released by Disney-Hyperion in May, 2017. Special note to writers and readers: J.C. Geiger's life sounds pretty darn catchy when all of his accomplishments are neatly summarized in one paragraph. It is important to note: It took J.C. a long, long time to sell his first book. Sure, prisons and full-moon parties were involved. But mostly basements. Small rooms. Too much coffee. Sunless days, head in his hands wondering: why, why the hell is this my J.C. Geiger's life? But let's get back to the pithy bio, shall we? In addition to writing, J.C. is the Artistic Director of No Shame Eugene Theatre and the proud owner of a legendary 1968 Gerstenslager bookmobile which will undoubtedly lead to ill-advised exploits and cross-country adventures. To stay in the loop, embark here.

> Keyante Aytch - Creative Director, 3Dime Designs

As a third year Entrepreneurial Management student at DePaul University, Keyante Aytch is the Creative Director and Lead CAD Designer of 3Dime Designs. It is a design label currently focused on accessories for evening wear and special events wear. Keyante uses Entrepreneurship as a vehicle to address the very root of his passions: connecting with the world and the people in it. He recognizes that there aren't many career paths that force you to constantly push outside of your comfort zone to explore something new. Upon taking both an economics and an entrepreneurship class during his Senior year of high school, he fell in love with the topic of business and the pathway of a startup. He has a heavy involvement with DePaul's Coleman Entrepreneurship Center as he is a regular attendee of their workshops, has worked with two startups through the center's internship program and is currently employed as the center's peer entrepreneurial advisor. Two of Keyante's biggest role models are Elon Musk and Chance The Rapper for their innovation and "do it yourself" mindsets in their respective fields. Keyante will be joining the panel of student entrepreneurs at the SEA Conference.

> Jimmy Stafford - Musician

Jimmy Stafford is an American musician-songwriter who was an original member of the Grammy Award winning band Train from its inception in 1994 until he parted ways with the band in 2016. His unique style of guitar playing helped give Train its distinctive sound. Jimmy recorded eight albums with Train, selling more than 10 million copies and 30 million tracks. With Train, he was nominated for eight Grammy Awards (winning three, including best rock song for "Drops of Jupiter" in 2002), three American Music Awards, two Billboard Music Awards (winning both top rock song for "Hey, Soul Sister" and top rock artist in 2011), an ASCAP Music Award (winning song of the year for "Hey, Soul Sister" in 2011), a CMT Music Award, a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award, and a Peoples Choice Award. After his final tour with Train in the fall of 2016, Jimmy returned home to Nashville and discovered a batch of unfinished songs he had written during his tenure with Train and became inspired to finish some of the better ideas. Pleased with the results, Jimmy was further inspired to write a number of brand new songs as well, and by April 2017 he had accumulated dozens of songs, the best of which he decided to record and release independently. His debut solo album titled "No Man's Land" will be released on vinyl and CD in January 2018. Jimmy wrote and produced the album as well as performing much of the music. For more info, music, lyrics and credits, photos, and more visit www.jimmystaffordmusic.com or follow him on Instagram @jimmystaffordmusic, Twitter @jammalama, or Facebook.

> Maria Rapetskaya - Founder & Creative Director
Maria is the architect of Undefined Creative, a media production agency working with household names like NHL, NBC Universal and United Nations. She built the company's reputation on good old-fashioned customer service and consistent execution on brand, on time and on budget. She stubbornly remains a hands-on creative, doing what she truly loves on a daily basis. Blessed with years of success, Maria is a serious pay-it-forward give-backer - through teaching, mentoring, writing and public speaking. Together with her studio, Maria donates 300+ hours a year in pro bono work and mentorships. DefineYourPath.co, her new side project, is a growing collection of her articles, podcasts and talks, helping creatives at all levels to develop careers that accurately express their personalities and goals. A near-native New Yorker, Maria lives in Brooklyn, but gets out often with over 60 countries under her belt, and counting.

> Heather Corwin - Head of Movement for Actor Training

Heather L. Corwin is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Northern Illinois University where she is the Head of Movement for Actor training.   She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a Somatic concentration from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and an MFA in Theatre from Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory, where she performed in repertory with the Asolo Theatre Festival. Heather is a professional actor, director, and performance coach.  Her work spans regional theatres across the U.S., network television, commercials, and independent films. In addition to teaching, Heather is a Rolfer, coach, and published author. Heather's research explores the relationships between emotional intelligence, psychological wellness, and stress management with artists.  

> Julie Sulzen - Visual Artist
Julie Sulzen has been a professional artist for over 25 years.  She graduated in 1991 from the American Academy of Art and then in 2017 earned a BA from Concordia University Chicago graduating summa cum laude with an Art major and double minors in Sociology and Women & Gender Studies. She also studied privately for several years under the late portrait artist Grace Cole. Julie focuses on the American landscape with an emphasis on her hometown Chicago. Her work can be found in national and international private collections as well as university and corporate collections including Concordia University Chicago, Deloitte and Harris Bank. Since 2002 Julie has lived with her husband Dan Zamudio in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago where they raise their two children. They live and work inside the former Wold airbrush factory where they have been curators of over 25 exhibitions in their home/studio/gallery.

> Dan Zamudio - Photographer
Dan Zamudio is a photographer whose work focuses on traditional darkroom photographic techniques. His photographs have been displayed throughout Chicago including a solo show at the Chicago Cultural Center. He has been featured in USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, WGN-TV and Radio. Since 2013 Dan's work has been licensed to various national retail chains. He is the author of three books, "Chicago Neon Signs: Neighborhood and Downtown Landmarks through a Toy Camera", "Catcher in the Wry: Baseball Poems", and "How to Sneak into the Movies". Dan has a MLIS from Dominican University and a BA from Columbia College in Chicago. Since 2002 Dan has lived with his wife Julie Sulzen in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago where they raise their two children. They live and work inside the former Wold airbrush factory where they have been curators of over 25 exhibitions in their home/studio/gallery.

> Joe Bianco - Voiceover Actor

Joe Bianco is all too happy to return to SEA.  Some recent voiceover clients include Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, Spotify, McDonalds, Sears, Kmart, The Onion, Purina, Tostidos, Lays, Ducati, Pick n' Save and Dollywood.  Theatre credits include Merry Wives of Windsor, Timon of Athens and an understudy in Henry V, Othello: The Remix, Funk It Up About Nothin' and Q Brothers Christmas Carol (Chicago Shakespeare). The Hammer Trinity, The Nutcracker (The House Theater), Tale of Two Cities (Lifeline Theatre); Amadeus, Richard III, Henry V (Oak Park Festival Theatre); The Comedy of Errors, Space Wars (Piccolo Theatre) and will be appearing next in Fear and Misery in the Third Reich (Haven Theatre); Regional credits include I <3 Juliet, Midsummer (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), Hamlet (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks), Julius Caesar, King Lear, Comedy of Errors, Midsummer (Door Shakespeare). Learn more about Joe HERE.

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