[Writer + Director]

A writer, director, producer, and former creator of digital content for kids with developmental disabilities, Deanna was featured in Redbook Magazine’s “Heroes: 10 Moms Who are Changing the Face of Autism.” An experienced manager of Broadway, film and TV talent, she has volunteered her time providing assistance to the GLAAD Media Awards production staff during the recorded broadcast. As a member of the queer community, she is also a non-profit co-founder who launched an organization to provide safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and adults in the primarily red state of Arkansas. Recently, Deanna was appointed to serve as a Fellow for Caring Across Generations, and all of Deanna’s projects are informed by her passion for centering under-represented voices and experiences. She holds a B.A. (cum laude) in Psychology from Sacramento State.

[Animation Director + Head Storyboard Artist]

Youngran is a graduate of CalArts. She studied in the US after working as an animator in Korea and supervised animation for the Academy Award-winning Netflix short “If Anything Happens, I Love You.” She has also worked as a story artist on the feature animation “Groove Tails” directed by Bob Logan along with a live-action short film.

[Composer]

Zain studied at The Boston Conservatory for Music and Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has had the honor of working on the production of dozens of scores, including Pirates of The Caribbean 3: A Dead Man's Chest, The Simpson's Movie, Bee Movie, Transformers, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2: Escape From Africa, The Dark Knight and more. Zain is the recipient of the 2024 World Entertainment Award for Live Entertainment, along with multiple award nominations and wins throughout his career, in such categories as Music in Visual Media, Best Original Score-Documentary, and Best Live Performance award at the 2023 HMMA's. He was entrusted with creating music for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park at Disneyland and Disney World, and composing music for Disney World's StarCruiser Hotel, the world's very first Star Wars hotel.

[Character Designer + Background Layout Artist]

Erin holds a BFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design, and has worked on both film sets and animation teams. She has enjoyed making character pages since childhood and art continues to serve as an outlet for the many stories she has envisioned throughout her life.

[Lead Animator + Storyboard Artist]

Lauren is an animator, graphic designer and illustrator working out of LA. A graduate of Whittier College who has worked on multiple animation and motion graphics projects with Spin More Gold Productions, and Cheeky Monkey Productions, where she produced the motion graphics and graphic design for a feature length documentary. Lauren has also worked at Trailer Park in Hollywood on various design projects.

[Executive Producer]

Mel is a global business development, partnerships, and integrated marketing expert — building over $200M in revenue in her career through media and brand projects with global leaders such as Walt Disney, Netflix, Warner Brothers Discovery, Delta and Coca-Cola. She also brings experience structuring DEI and academic partnerships ranging from The Juilliard School to collaborations with Meta, the Recording Academy, LiveNation, and Capital Hill. As a former minister with deep experience in navigating faith-based communities before coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Mel proudly served as a Producer of the 2022-2023 GLAAD Media Awards and creator of marketing campaigns amplifying belonging and inclusion. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, and is excited to support her partner on this project.