Jon Gann, a gay, Jewish, native Washingtonian, is a film producer and director, creating award-winning commercial, documentary and narrative films since 2000. His most recent award-winning productions include the feature documentary “Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection”, exploring the singer’s career and struggles through never-heard recordings, and the short documentary, “Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color,” detailing the incredible life of the DC-based Black Woman abstractionist painter. He is the Founder of DC Shorts, a non-profit organization championing short filmmaking, and the creator of the DC Shorts Film Festival. Jon is also a founding Board Member and former Executive Director of the Film Festival Alliance, the first organization to professionalize the festival space.
Benji de la Piedra
Benji de la Piedra is an interdependent scholar and oral historian. A Visiting Fellow in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, he is researching and writing about the vast and interrelated worlds and work of Afro-American intellectuals Herbert Denton Jr, Ralph Ellison, and Albert Murray. Benji designed and implemented the DC Oral History Collaborative’s inaugural workshops in 2017, and continues to professionally practice, teach, and consult on oral history methodology across the United States. He co-chaired both the Oral History Association’s 2022 virtual symposium on “Race & Power in Oral History” and the OHA’s 2023 annual meeting on “Oral History As/And Education.” He holds a B.A. in American Studies and M.A. in Oral History from Columbia University and is a proud member of the Washington International School’s class of 2010.
Ashley Gunter
Ashley, a native of Washington, D.C., is an educator, interdisciplinary artist, and administrator with a background in developing and executing dynamic arts and education programs. She is dedicated to nurturing creativity and community involvement and has overseen programs in Philadelphia, the D.C. area, and nationally that encourage personal and collective development. Ashley is excited to bring her diverse programming experiences, a keen eye for inclusion and accessibility, and a passion for celebrating diverse perspectives to HumanitiesDC with the aim of fostering impactful community engagement. In her free time, she enjoys working in her new garden or taking classes at her neighborhood recreation center.
Mark Boss
Mark Boss has lived in Washington, DC since he moved from Los Angeles, California, and enrolled at Howard University in August of 1985. He married a native Washingtonian; bought a house in Ward 1; raised two exceptional children and sent them both through DCPS. And he pays local and federal taxes, without representation. Still, these bona fides do not make him a Washingtonian (as his wife and children like to remind him). But he loves DC and the native Washingtonians that make up this incredible little southern town none the less. He has worked in the non-profit, for profit and federal sector, throughout his career, and each position he has held has in some way supported children and families. Mark is also a reader, and loves supporting all the local independent bookstores in the city. On any given day, you can find Mark commuting to and from work on his bike (rain or snow), and on any given weekend, you will find Mark, his wife, and their dog on long walks throughout the city on the search for the perfect croissant.
Robert Berger
Robert Berger is an attorney and has worked in the area of attorney ethics for over 20 years. He is employed at the Securities and Exchange Commission and is an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School. Robert is passionate about history and art and has served on multiple nonprofit boards, including the Ohio History Connection, Stonewall Columbus and the Rainbow History Project. Robert received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Ohio State University and a JD from Capital University Law School.
Sojin Kim
Sojin Kim is a curator at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, where she works on multifaceted, collaborative projects addressing migration, music, and public history. Her work spans public programs, exhibitions, workshops, as well as research and documentation initiatives. She serves as an advisor for the 1882 Foundation and on the board of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP).
Rubie Coles
Rubie Coles was the Program Director of the Diverse City Fund from 2020-2022 and currently serves on the Steering Committee of its Board of Instigators. Before joining the DC Fund staff in 2020, Rubie was Deputy Director of the Moriah Fund where she was responsible for directing and managing the foundation’s economic justice and reproductive justice grantmaking for twenty years. Past board service includes the African Continuum Theatre Company, which she chaired for seven years, the YWCA of the National Capital Region and the Safe Spaces Project. Rubie was a founding board member of the Black Philanthropic Alliance and the Black Benefactors Giving Circle.
Ayanna Smith
Ayanna Smith is an innovator, an ecosystem builder, and an executor who is passionate about her commitment to uplifting, amplifying and supporting marginalized people. Smith is an award-winning entrepreneur, startup enthusiast, social impact leader and longtime executive communications strategist. She opened the first live escape room for children in the country, voted best new business of the year in Capitol Hill and “Best of DC” every year until closing. Smith is an advocate in her Washington, DC community, mother of two and spouse to a US Air Force Officer.
Daryl Smith
Daryl Smith serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for KETTLER. With over 20 years of multifamily marketing experience, Daryl brings a wealth of knowledge and strategic leadership to KETTLER’s marketing department. He specializes in digital media, marketing operations as well as brand strategy. Daryl is known for his innovative next-generation marketing strategies. He received a masters’ degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin before moving to Washington, D.C., where he now lives. Prior to entering the multifamily market, Daryl worked in Public Television for 10 years in broadcast operations and station relations for Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in Alexandria, Va., WETA-TV, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin Public Television, Madison, Wisconsin.
Leah Gage
Leah has over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector working in a variety of causes, from international microfinance to coordinating youth programming to grantmaking to support animal rights activism. What connects her varied experience is a commitment to community development while amplifying and learning from underrepresented groups. Leah holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and an MSW from Catholic University. Though she spent most of her youth in Indiana, Leah was born in DC and is proud to have called the city home for over 12 years. She is thrilled to join the HumanitiesDC team to combine her grantmaking experience and commitment to community empowerment with her passion for using art and creativity to convey the human experience. Outside of work, you may find Leah playing drums for different DC bands or out sampling the city’s vegan dining options.