Our People

Executive Director

Joe T. (he/ him, they/ them) is a minister, scholar, writer and cultural organizer whose work is at the intersections of art, culture, spirituality and collective liberation. He received his B.S. in Communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and completed his M.Div. with a concentration in Social Ethics from Union Theological Seminary in the city of New York. His work has been supported by fellowships from National Art Strategies Creative Communities Fellowship, and the Intercultural Leadership Institute. His goal with his work is to help others live, dream, achieve, and inspire. Joe is a sought after facilitator, cultural strategist and writer.

Doris (she/ her), whose stage name is Lady D, is also known as W. Va’s First Lady of Soul. She resides in Beckley, WV where she is active as a singer/songwriter and visual artist. She is also writer and producer of her original series of documentaries called “Those Who Came Before,” which focuses on the black music history of West Virginia. Her original song, “Go Higher” was chosen as best Obama Inaugural song in 2008 and she and her band, MI$$ION performed at the Obama For Change inaugural ball in Washington, D.C. in 2009. She has shared the stage with many blues notables such as Johnny Rawls, Bruce Katz and Austin “Walkin’ Cane. Her latest cd, “Disturbing My Peace” is a nod to the life changing events of 2020. She performs her one-woman show, “The Lady and the Empress” based on the life and music of Bessie Smith with her band, MI$$ION and the spin-off version, “Bessie’s Blues” with guitarist, Andrew Caldwell from Fayetteville, WV.

Geonoah is a Hip-Hop artist who performs as geonovah, and was born and raised in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. He is making it his mission to build a supportive community for artists like him — artists that do not fall into stereotypical Appalachian categories.

Multidisciplinary Artist, Activist and Founder of ART.Official Intelligence, Jonathan, also known as “Courageous,” currently serves as a member of the Knoxville Mayor’s Maker City Council, a board member of the Network of Ensemble Theaters and The Waymakers Collective, and formerly as Co-Chair of the Alternate ROOTS EXCOMM. Jonathan is a native son of Knoxville, TN and Alumnus of the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, whose professional performance career began at the age of thirteen with Carpetbag Theatre’s T.R.Y. Youth Theatre Ensemble and he’s remained a working performance artist ever since; traveling the country performing, directing and facilitating reimagined DEI workshops, while immersing himself in as much culture as the United States has to offer. Courageous is a Spoken Word Poet, Writer, Playwright, Director, Event Host, Actor, Digital Storyteller/Listener, Facilitator and Dad Joke Connoisseur.

Kalil (she/ her) originally from Leesville, Louisiana and has a deep passion for nature and community development. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Sustainability from Georgia Southern University in 2018 and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications from the University of Tennessee in 2021. Throughout her career, she has worked with various non-profit organizations that promote environmental sustainability, community outreach, and serve marginalized communities. Kalil is currently serving as the Executive Director of The Bottom, a non-profit organization that focuses on community development and empowerment in East Knoxville, Tennessee. In addition, she is the Finance Committee Chair for Rooted East Collective, a grassroots organization committed to promoting social and food justice in the area. Her ultimate goal is to earn the Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to promoting environmental sustainability among underrepresented communities worldwide.

Kelle is an "Affrilachian-Georgia-lina-Peach," embracing a rich blend of cultural influences. Through the art of storytelling and her mastery of the ukulele, she joyfully expresses her folk traditions. Kelle is a firm believer in the power of bringing together like-minded individuals to foster resilient communities. Her heart lies in the Appalachian region, which she proudly calls home.

Malcolm (he/him), founder of the Affrilachian Arts Institute, is an Affrilachian musician and theatre artist based in Eastern Kentucky. “The most important thing for me to achieve artistically is to contribute to my familial and cultural tradition of storytelling, this lineage of artists ensuring the voices of our ancestors and beautiful truths of our lives as Affrilachians are widely heard and cherished.” His solo performance work explores the history and feats of his ancestors, and Black and Indigenous Kentuckians who have had their stories erased. As a trained artist and facilitator, he works within schools, alongside organizations, and in his own community, spreading knowledge to young people everywhere.

Margo is a daughter of Appalachia, born and raised in East Tennessee.  She is a retired radio show DJ, frustrated poet, and an avid crafter with a strong affinity for art and culture and social justice. In 2024, after 13 years of dedicated leadership, she retired from her role as Executive Director of the Appalachian Community Fund. During her tenure, she stabilized the organization and successfully secured millions of dollars to support social change initiatives in Central Appalachia. She intends to pour more into her creative self and embrace being an artist. Since the early 1990s, she’s been a member of Alternate Roots, a group of artists and cultural organizers based in the Southern USA whose mission is to support the creation and presentation of original art, in all its forms, which is rooted in a particular community of place, tradition or spirit. Her first collaboration as a visual artist was with ROOT’s UpRooting Ableism Workgroup in 2024. She has had the opportunity to collaborate with artists, arts organizations, and organizers all over the United States, including Carpetbag Theatre, the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, and several Roots members. She’s happy to be one of the founding assembly members of the Waymaker’s Collective and is delighted to have received her first grant as an independent artist from the Collective in 2023. She treasures her solitude, delighting in sewing, crafting, reading, and journaling with a commitment of finding art and joy in everyday living. She also cherishes time with family and friends and vows to be a kid at heart all her life.

Ty is a multi-faceted artist and activist. As a modern day Renaissance woman rooted in the Appalachian south, her art and cultural work reflects who she is, where she's from and what she aspires to see in the world. She chooses to create art that challenges, art that confronts, art that is loud, bold, colorful and soulful. To her, art is activism and she believes that it has the power to help connect, empower, and heal both individuals and communities. Ty's work has been foundational in the establishment of The Bottom, a Black empowerment bookshop and community arts space in Knoxville, where she currently serves as Director of Art and Communication.