Rick Larkey is executive director of the North State Building Industry Foundation.

Ryan is a certified residential appraiser in the Sacramento area. He helps illuminate the local real estate market through his Sacramento Appraisal Blog. Ryan is a teacher at heart and regularly does classes for both appraisers and agents. His clients include homeowners, governmental agencies, attorneys, real estate professionals and lenders.

Andru Defeye is an established poet, writer, film editor, emcee, journalist and is currently the videographer for Comstock’s’ Buzzwords series. Defeye is founder of the Zero Forbidden Goals performance art crew (ZFG) and has performed everywhere from art museums to festival stages while also designing and developing a Hip Hop based curriculum that meets common core standards in classrooms. Defeye has worked since 2006 documenting local arts and culture as a writer and editor with publications including Sacramento News and Review and Submerge Magazine. 

Faith Lewis is a Sacramento based freelance writer and editor. After studying in Oxford, she graduated from Sacramento State with a bachelor’s degree in English. Her love of writing is rivaled only by her love of travel. Find her blog at anothersidetrackedlife.wordpress.com.

Jennifer Junghans holds degrees in biological sciences and horticulture, and writes about food systems, wildlife and conservation. More at jenniferjunghans.com. 

Mary Beth Barber of Sacramento is and independent freelancer writer and former political journalist for publications like Capitol Weekly, California Journal and others. She got her MBA from Drexel University’s LeBow School of Business, is an active volunteer for creative and education-related nonprofits and boards, and is fascinated by California’s influence on the national and worldwide economy.

Michelle McDaid documents the joy and connection of families in everyday moments through her business, Memories by Michelle. Her photography work has been published in Folsom Style and Sacramento Parent magazine, where she also pens human interest articles. Originally from London, Michelle is a currently-frustrated traveler. You’ll often find her daydreaming of traveling the world with her 8-year-old daughter, funding their adventures through photography and writing. For more, visit www.mbymphotos.com.

Marcus L. Turner is a founding partner of Parker Turner Albright PC in Sacramento..  Turner has more than two decades of experience assisting clients with construction disputes and related employment claims. He has been a practicing attorney for more than a decade in complex civil litigation and related fields of law, including public works construction law, employment and labor law, business law and also provides outside general counsel services to contractors, business owners and C-level executives. He has successfully litigated multi-million dollar cases on behalf of his clients, including cases brought by and against both state and federal governments. Turner can be reached at Marcus@PTALawCorp.com.

Anne Da Vigo is an award-winning public relations professional and former print journalist who wrote features and covered the police beat for the Sacramento Union. Her short stories have appeared in literary magazines. She is winner of the Jameson Award from the Writing at Pacific conference for an unpublished second novel.

Maya Wallace serves on the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, most recently as co-chair of the commission’s Race and Cultural Equity task force. By day, she ensures program integrity and works to improve organizational performance at the California Department of Justice.