Michael Sjostedt
Michael Sjostedt is a collage artist, workshop facilitator, and creative entrepreneur who has been creating—in both artistic and editorial sectors—for more than 25 years.
Christopher Sabick
Chris Sabick joined the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in 1998 as an intern, and returned for a full-time position in 1999. Since that time, he has also acted as an Archaeological Diver, Conservation Lab Director, and the Director of Research and Archaeology.
Michele Pagán
Michele Pagán is a recently-returned native Vermonter, who spent her childhood in Bennington. She is a graduate of the University of VT and the University of Connecticut, where she studied clothing & textiles.
Facing a Flooded World: Why Relationship is the Sweetest Way
Central Vermont endured catastrophic flooding in 2023 and 2024. Now, the horizon looks different. An America with less disaster response support seems likely, while the planet continues to warm and the rain falls hard and fast. This presentation by Shawna Trader from Barre Up! will explore several examples of community building projects which, in turn, are proving to be pathways towards resilience.
Shawna Trader
Shawna is a caregiver, parent, poet and community organizer. Raised on the gulf coast of Florida, she has seen her share of storms. After many years in healthcare, she found herself leading The Rainbow Bridge Community Center in Barre, which became a convergence point for catastrophic flood response in 2023. Realizing the interconnected elements of community building and disaster preparedness and response, she continued that work as Chair of Barre Up, Barre City’s long term recovery group.
Dan Nott
Dan Nott is a cartoonist, illustrator, and educator living in Vermont. Dan’s nonfiction work uses comics to explore and untangle complex topics, and create a basis for understanding current events.
Bess O’Brien
Bess O’Brien is the director and producer of a number of award-winning films including her latest documentary “Just Getting By” which is focused on Vermonters struggling with food and housing insecurity.
Extreme Survival: Lessons from Those Who Triumphed Against All Odds
We have all heard amazing stories of survival that rendered us awestruck. But too often, we don’t realize the wealth of information we can learn from people who make it to the other side of life’s most daunting challenges. In this talk, New York Times bestselling author Michael J. Tougias chronicles harrowing survival stories and then discusses lessons to learn from these experience.
Meg Tamulonis
Meg is the volunteer curator of the Vermont Queer Archives with the Pride Center of Vermont in Burlington. Her day job is Manager of Collections and Exhibitions at the Fleming Museum of Art at the University of Vermont.
Rebecca Rupp
Rebecca is the author of nearly 20 books for both children and adults, and blogs on food science and history for National Geographic.
