With nearly 20 publications spanning over 16 years Dr. Peter Ward is a Popular science writer and renowned paleontologist at the University of Washington, and co author of Rare Earth, and the Rare Earth Hypothesis. He works on mass extinctions, planetary habitability, and the origin of life. Professor Peter D Ward Dept of Biology The University of Washington Seattle, 98195 206-543-2962 ( Office )

Dr. Cimler is Senior Vice President of Adaptive Biotechnologies Regulatory and Quality organization. She has over 26 years of experience in the life science and FDA-regulated and global diagnostic industry leading regulatory, quality systems, clinical affairs, research, and product development organizations. Cimler holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Washington.

Mechanical Engineer Sally Mericle

Playwright Anne Bertram Anne Bertram is a senior applications engineer with ADV Document Systems and a founding artistic associate of Theatre Unbound, a Minneapolis-St. Paul company devoted to work by and about women. She currently serves as Executive Director. Her work as a playwright has been seen in venues from off-Off Broadway to middle-school classrooms in Fargo, as well as Theatre Unbound best-sellers Murderess (2011) and The Good Fight (2012).

Artistic Director - Infinity Theatre Box Project

Technical & creative leader Sunni K Brock has written nearly a thousand technical articles, created multimedia training, and developed numerous software tools. She is also a field expert in implementing intelligent algorithms and language analysis. Sunni also writes speculative fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and edits digital video. She has been published in several anthologies and periodicals, and edited three films, including the Rondo Award-winning documentary, The Ackermonster Chronicles!

Founder/ Chief Executive Officer of HiveBio Community Labs studied Clinical Psychology at Argosy University, and is the Education Director for Four Horseman Productions. She worked with the Allen Institute for Brain Science on the Human Brain Atlas project, the Seattle Maker Movement, I Heart Rummage and other arts-focused maker organizations. In 2012 she founded HiveBio Community Lab and currently serves as co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

Organismal Biologist Paige Mackmer is a geek with a bio degree. Paige originally planned to be a medical researcher but ended up working with dead people in tissue banking...well, working with hospitals. A lover of hard sci-fi with kick-ass heroines and humanist themes, she also attends conventions as a cyborg activist bringing awareness to the fact that artificially intelligent devices deserve human rights.

Maggie Orth is a writer, visual artist, and technologist who is working on her first novel. Maggie's visual artworks include electronic textiles that change-color under computer control, interactive textile sensor and light artworks, and robotic public art. Holding a PhD in Media Arts and Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her work has been exhibited in North America, Japan, Amsterdam, Austria and Switzerland. Dr. Margaret Orth is currently working on her 1st novel.