Spending time on Bad River Reservation, learning directly from the Indigenous leaders fighting for their land, culture, and sovereignty, was an experience that changed Quinn Pasin forever, and seeing those same voices amplified in this year’s festival is an incredible full-circle moment.
Cesar Almeida has long been dedicated to education, cultural sustainability, and digital storytelling. With a Bachelor of Science in Education focusing on program design, learning technologies, and storytelling for impact, he began his journey at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy, developing media and programs that fostered social change in creative ways.
After graduation, he took his passion global as a Fulbright Fellow in Ghana, designing cultural programs that preserved traditional music and dance while empowering young artists and bridging artistic communities to economic opportunities.