Theme: Narratives

Our topic this year is "Narratives." Each person’s narrative is valuable because in it meaning and significance are found. Which narratives should we listen to now to encourage, sustain, and unite us?

Invited speakers will narrate unique and lasting experiences that have resulted in meaningful change. Join us to hear their stories.

Wyatt Center for the Arts
Alumni Drive
Louisville, Kentucky, 40205
United States

Bridget Bard

Assistant Director of Louisville Melton

Bridget Bard holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in higher education administration. She is a growing presence in the Jewish community of Louisville through her work with Louisville Melton, a branch of the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. While her work is centered around education, Bridget also enjoys creating abstract art, podcasting, and generally being a community builder, on and off the clock.

Brittany Gentry

Co-Clinical Director of the Trauma Informed Counseling Center (TICC) and Founder of Trauma Education & Advocacy (TEA)

Dr. Brittany Gentry is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Dr. Gentry obtained her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in social work and is currently the Co-Clinical Director at the Trauma-Informed Counseling Center (T.I.C.C) and Founder of the Trauma, Education & Advocacy Corporation (TEA), a non-profit agency in Lexington, KY. Over the last 10 years, Dr. Gentry has provided therapeutic services for children, adolescents, and families in various therapeutic settings (in-home, outpatient, and school-based). Despite her experience with various populations, Dr. Gentry’s true passion is working with adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system. Within the last two years, Dr. Gentry conducted workshops and presentations focused on correlations between prolonged trauma exposure and juvenile delinquency and the importance of utilizing culturally competent, trauma-informed approaches.

Emmy Ammirati

Senior Lead Tutor, Writing, Smarthinking, Pearson Education

Emmy Ammirati has two unique children, a bachelor’s in art history, and a master’s in teaching with a concentration in learning disabilities. During her teaching and tutoring career, she has been fortunate enough to learn from students ages 2 through 80. For the last 12 years, she has enjoyed the nerd’s dream of working for Pearson Education--tutoring essential writing skills, monitoring writing tutor program quality, and helping develop new programming for special populations including elementary students and English Language Learners. A Columbo and Perry Mason enthusiast, she is also an avid home cook and baker who has accepted that pies are her nemesis. Her short-term goal is to have a pet pig because, as demonstrated by a series of studies from Purdue University, pigs are intelligent enough to learn to play video games.

Gino Castillo

Educator and Clinician Percussionist, Composer, Singer

Gino Castillo, an Afro-Cuban jazz percussionist, leads and sings for the Cuban Cowboys, an international, rhythm-driven group based in Charleston, South Carolina. Their high-energy performances bring dancers and non-dancers to their feet. Also an educator and composer, Gino’s accolades include jazz artist of the year, City Paper Music Awards and jazz artist of the year, Independent Tone Awards. He holds an honorary degree in percussion teaching from the George Gershwin Conservatory, studied at Caturla Conservatory and Felix Varela Conservatory, and practiced under the renowned Oscarito Valdes. He has collaborated with international artists and performed with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, the Charleston Smooth Jazz Orchestra, and the Lowcountry Latin Jazz Collective. Having taught at Berklee College of Music International Network, Centro de Percusion Latina, and George Gershwin Conservatory, he is one of the most respected Latin percussion masters in the field.

Laura Formentini

Author, Non-Profit Photographer, Activist

Laura Formentini holds a bachelor’s in archaeology and art history and has worked as an archaeologist in numerous European countries. Laura is an author, non-profit photographer, and activist for the prevention of cruelty to animals and child welfare. She has sponsored and worked with animal welfare organizations worldwide and created an animal sanctuary. Supporting child welfare, Laura helped raise funds for a children’s home in Kenya and sponsored more than fifty children through Plan International, an organization that advocates for children’s rights and equality for girls. As a tribute to her beloved son, who died by suicide in 2019, Laura is establishing a sanctuary for mothers who have lost children. She also promotes practicing love in action to not only improve our personal lives but also benefit the environment.

Nwando Anyaoku

Chief Health Equity Officer, Providence Swedish Health Services

Dr. Nwando Anyaoku was born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa. She received her medical degree from the University of Nigeria and completed her residency training in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, serving as chief resident. Dr. Anyaoku holds a master’s in public health and a master’s in business administration. Currently, she is Vice President and the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer for Swedish Health Services. Dr. Anyaoku has been at Swedish since 2016 in leadership over pediatrics and Medicaid strategy, and served as the physician lead for health equity and community partnerships. Prior to these roles, Dr. Anyaoku served as the Division Chief of General Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey and the Medical Director of Pediatrics for CHI Alegent Creighton Health in Omaha, Nebraska. She is also a board-certified pediatrician and professor of pediatrics.

Von Barnes

Founder of Kentuckiana Backyard Farms

Urban Farmer Von Barnes moved to Louisville from Central Florida, where he had learned about growing root vegetables and native tropical fruits. While in Florida, he earned a bachelor’s in mass communication with a minor in marketing and electronic music. After spending a little over a decade in multimedia production at the University of Louisville, he turned his passion for gardening and husbandry into Kentuckiana Backyard Farms. His urban farm focuses on food production and distribution, wellness and education, and agritourism. Currently, he is on the Food in Neighborhoods Steering Committee and Jefferson County Ag Development Board. Additionally, Barnes works with Community Farm Alliance as producer and host of the "Blacker Berries" podcast series.