Dia Johnson is a native of Detroit and has been teaching yoga for over 18 years. She started her training at Nirvana School of Classical Yoga in Atlanta, GA before completing her advanced teacher training (500 Hour) at the Kalaish Tribal yoga school in Dharmsala, India. There, she studied sound therapy, Reiki, Ayurveda, and meditation.

Upon returning to Detroit, she opened A Life Aware Yoga, the first black owned studio to focus solely on beginners. Here, she honed the ability to make yoga accessible to all body types and fitness levels which became a part of her signature style.

In 2020 A Life Aware closed its brick and mortar operation and she now offers training in yoga, wellness and mindfulness for individuals and organizations throughout the country.

In addition to her yoga certifications, she also completed a Masters in Nutrition and Integrative Health, from the Maryland University of Integrative Health, and a Bachelors of Science from Wayne State University.

Crystal Lite, a Hampton, VA native now based in Atlanta, discovered her love for line dancing at a young age through her mother. Specializing in soul line dancing, she has taught in NY, VA and Atlanta, sharing her passion at private parties, corporate events, and celebrations. For Crystal, line dancing is both joyful and therapeutic, creating connection and community wherever she teaches.

Ras Kofi Kwayana (Ras Kofi Da Farmah) is a.farmer, educator, veteran journalist and radio producer, recording artist and founder of OnDaFarm llc. As a radio host and producer of 29 years, his life work is the re introduction of the principles and practices of Agriculture into the mainstream pop culture. Raised in Guyana and schooled in the U.S, his experience in these societies has informed his perspective on the political, spiritual and physical implications of food justice, and the social landscape has inspired his approach to helping establish this human necessity.

As a man of deep faith, he finds joy in building, speaking, entertaining and in other ways communicating with global audiences, as a means of extending an invitation to fellowship with the Creator by observing and harmonizing with Ceation, known as "Mother Nature." He currently resides in Atlanta, Ga with his family.

Intuitive Mamas Botanicals is a company founded by AnHer El a Farmer, Plant Whisperer, Medicine Maker, Educator and Wellness Facilitator, on a journey of healing and growing self while serving family, community and the world.

AnHer is the creator of the powerful liquid formula, The Full Body Detox/Parasite Cleanse, intuitively designed with the Whole Being in mind. targeting the major systems in the body, including the blood and lymphatic system, while simultaneously building and fortifying your cells. Making cleansing and detoxifying simple and easy for all is our mission and we do this by restoring and bringing balance to your whole Being.

One of the things I love most about creating my own products is the ability to customize my formulas to meet the needs of the unique individual. With the desired goal of making healing affordable for everyone.

I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience of tincture making, the wonderful benefits of flower essences and techniques on oil infusions this September 27, 2025 at the Thriving Together Festival.

Ama Kwayana is the founder of Ruramai, a handcrafted, all-natural skincare and wellness line, and a formulator with OnDaFarm Apothecary, where she creates herbal products that celebrate the healing power of plants. With over seven years of experience in the natural skincare industry, she has cultivated a deep knowledge of plant materials and their restorative effects on the skin and body.

Ama handcrafts offerings such as herbal distillates, hydrosols, body scrubs, facial masks, tinctures, infused oils, salves, plant-based capsules, and tea blends, each designed to honor the earth’s abundance and support holistic self care. Her formulations often highlight farm grown and foraged botanicals, from soothing calendula and lemon balm to radiant turmeric and delicate mimosa flower, weaving nature’s beauty directly into everyday rituals.

Through both Ruramai and OnDaFarm Apothecary, Ama shares her passion for small-batch, earth-centered care that is rooted in ancestral wisdom and sustainability. Her work is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with the land, and experience wellness as a practice of nourishment for body, mind, and spirit.

DJ Doc “The Chef” 
Owner

You see a turntable. He sees an operating table. You see a kitchen, he sees a canvas with an open opportunity to explore and create. With a 30 plus year career as a DJ and radio personality, DJ “Doc” Ervin, has been dissecting sounds in the Atlanta music scene, leaving lasting imprints for music fans in soul, dance, hip-hop, house, salsa, pop, and reggae circles. Doc spent time in radio with stints at Atlanta’s own HOT 97.5 FM-107.9 FM, MAGIC 102.5 FM, and V-103 FM. As a DJ he has toured with a variety of artists and promoters across the globe, performing in Europe, The Middle East, The Caribbean, & Latin America. DJ Doc has held residencies in some of Atlanta’s legendary clubs such as ESSO, Kaya, Visions, Compound, The Velvet Room, just to name a few. The Brooklyn-born Doc Ervin set his sights on the culinary scene in 2013, and is the owner of Good Eatz by Doc. Chef Doc is a 5 star rated chef/culinary instructor with www.cozymeal.com specializing in Thai, Indian, Caribbean, Italian, Spanish, Mediterranean, & Fine Dining delights. Your dinner party or catering event is in great hands as Good Eatz By Doc, if needed, he has an exemplary staff with 2 sous chefs, servers, bartenders, & hostesses. Chef Doc is Serv Safe certified, insured with USPCA, and comes highly recommended. Please check the reviews at https://www.cozymeal.com/host/my/reviews. Chef Doc provides meal-prep, personal chef, & catering services. From the dance floor to the kitchen Dj Doc “The Chef” keeps it hot!

Website: www.goodeatzbydoc.com
IG: @DJDOC22
Facebook: @www.facebook.com/doc.ervin1

Jodine Dorcé is an award-winning event host and executive producer known for crafting unforgettable experiences that blend storytelling, culture, and connection. Over the years, she has collaborated with powerhouse brands and institutions, including the Apollo Theater, WaitWhat Inc, ESSENCE Festival, Red Bull North America, ONE Musicfest, Capital Jazz Fest & Supercruise, 651 ARTS, and more.

Fueled by a deep passion for the arts and culture, Jodine has been honored with the Rising Star Award by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke and a proclamation from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli for her contributions to New York City's cultural landscape during Caribbean Heritage Month.

A proud Haitian with deep roots in Miami and Brooklyn, Jodine now calls Atlanta’s vibrant cultural-hub home, where her passion for the arts and storytelling continues to thrive. Jodine is a master at curating spaces that amplify diverse voices, celebrate music, and empower communities. Whether hosting major stages or producing behind the scenes, she brings her signature energy, vision, and heart to every project she touches.

Mausiki Scales has been a force in the Atlanta indie music scene for over two decades as a sought-after keyboardist and founder/musical director of the critically acclaimed ensemble, Mausiki Scales & the Common Ground Collective. A recipient of the Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities, Mausiki is also a folklorist and historian who translates his knowledge into musical arrangements and community celebrations that leave his audiences moved and moving...literally.

Mausiki Scales & the Common Ground Collective are known for taking fans on a fearless exploration of the pulsating rhythms of the African Diaspora, seamlessly connecting the dots between Afrobeat, Funk, Hip Hop, Soul and Jazz...in a single performance.

The band has also collaborated with artists such as Roy Ayers, Babatunde Olatunji, The Last Poets, Third World, Russell Gunn, and Julie Dexter. Together, Mausiki Scales & the Common Ground Collective have released four albums, the most recent, Passages: The Water Brought Us, and they were featured on the Roy Ayers Fela-fied Afrobeat version of “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.”

Mausiki’s 2017 release, Drums and Shadows, features the juke joint-invoking single, “No Tables No Chairs”, inspired by his annual parade and concert on the Atlanta BeltLine. The album was recognized by BBC Radio DJ, Gilles Peterson, as one of the 50 Essential Jazz and Beyond Records of 2017. WestWest Africa (2020), featuring the single “Kaleidoscopic Universe”, achieved worldwide acclaim and remains a featured track on Spotify’s ‘Jazz Funk’ playlist. His latest album, Long Memory (2024), is a tribute to African Diasporic folk traditions and family.

Vocalist, composer, playwright, and actor Somi Kakoma was raised between Illinois and Zambia, and is the daughter of immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda. Known in the jazz world simply as ‘Somi’, The New York Times recently described her as “a virtuosic performer in full command of her instrument and powers.” In March 2022, Somi released her fifth studio album Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba, an all-star tribute album
honoring the great South African artist and activist in commemoration of what would have been the late singer’s 90th birthday. The album, which featured special guests Gregory Porter, Seun Kuti, Angelique Kidjo, Nduduzo Makhathini, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Thandiswa Mazwai won an inaugural Jazz Music Award for Best Vocal Performance. As a companion project to the album, Somi also penned and starred in the critically-acclaimed original musical about Makeba called “Dreaming Zenzile” that toured nationally and Off-Broadway last season. Prior to the Zenzile album, Somi released an unplanned live album called ‘Holy Room’ featuring the Frankfurt Radio Big Band at the height of the 2020
global lockdown. The album ultimately earned her a 2021 Grammy® nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album, making her the first African woman ever nominated in any of the Grammy® jazz categories. The album also won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Vocal Album. Her previous studio album Petite Afrique, which also won an NAACP Image Award, tells the story of the vibrant African immigrant community in midst of a rapidly gentrifying Harlem in New York City and was the highly anticipated follow up to Somi's critically acclaimed major label debut, The Lagos Music Salon. Somi recently made her acting debut on Broadway in the title role of a new play called “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” by Joceyln Bioh.

Closely mentored by the legendary trumpet player Hugh Masekela, Somi has carved out her own path as an artist, scholar, and activist. A recipient of the 2023 Doris Duke Artist Award, Somi is also a Soros Equality Fellow, a United States Artist Fellow, a TED Senior Fellow, a Sundance Theatre Fellow, and a former artist-in-residence at Park Avenue Armory, Captiva at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Baryshnikov Arts Center, and UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance. She is also the founder of Salon Africana, a boutique cultural agency and record label. Often celebrated for the socio-political messages inherent to her original songwriting, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon asked Somi to perform at the United Nations’ General Assembly in commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Somi holds undergraduate degrees in Cultural Anthropology and African Studies from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign,
a Master’s degree in Performance Studies from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and is currently working on her PhD at Harvard University’s Department of
Music. In her heart of hearts, she is an East African Midwestern girl who loves family, poetry, and freedom. 
www.somimusic.com @somimusic

Adán is an accomplished multihyphenate — Emmy-nominated spoken word poet, musician, writer, host, storyteller, and creative director. Hailing originally from NE Ohio, Adán has called Atlanta home for over twenty years, where he has anchored himself firmly in the arts, culture, and music scene. Adán was awarded the 2023 Arts & Social Justice Fellowship for Emory University, where he served as a teaching artist at Oxford College. After bringing his talents to the Kennedy Center in 2020, Adán received the Serenbe Frances Focus Fellowship from the South Fulton Institute. Once there, Adán filmed a Tiny Desk concert performance and directed the short documentary “Curb Appeal,” which tackles the issues of housing insecurity and home inequity.

As a 2019 TEDx speaker and 2017 National Poetry Slam song winner, he’s represented Atlanta on numerous slam teams for the PSI National Poetry Slam Competition. His work has been featured by companies and brands such as Change.org, TEDx, Habitat for Humanity, AT&T, CarMax, Coca-Cola, Cricket Wireless, Delta Airlines, SONY Music Group, Def Jam, Cash Money Records, and more. Currently working on his first work of collected poems and essays, and recording his sophomore EP, Adán curates Good*Night, a monthly live show in Atlanta featuring music, comedy, and spoken word.

Shreveport, Louisiana born, & Huntsville, Alabama raised, Wade Brown uses influences such as Prince, Dangelo, Al Greene, Stevie Wonder, & Funkadelic, to sonically shape his own style. Wade is rooted in southern blackness & armored with morals from family and OGs. He also finds solace in embracing black love, honesty & self improvement. According to him, “music is medicine,” and all he wants to do is, “help heal people and heal himself daily.”

Wade has released 3 projects:
“Coffee”, “Food at The House Vol.1”, and a collaboration album with producer Enrique1x “Prescription Lens”. He is currently working on a follow up collaboration with Enrique1x, as well as a soundtrack to the comic book “Giallo Gumbo.”