SPEAKERS

Biniam Bizuneh is a comedian, writer, and actor who's written for the hit FXX series DAVE, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!, Netflix/A24's THE G WORD, and Syfy’s RESIDENT ALIEN. As a comedian, he’s appeared on Comedy Central’s STAND-UP FEATURING and recently had a stand up set released by Don't Tell Comedy. After getting attention for his YouTube series LIEGUYS, he wrote and starred in several originals for Comedy Central including his digital series, HOW TO BE BROKE. He’s appeared as a panelist on E!’s DATING NO FILTER, co-created and starred in a pilot for Hulu called BAMMAS executive produced by Ramy Youssef, and most recently, wrote for and appears in Jordan Peele & Monkey Paw’s reboot of SCARE TACTICS, currently airing on USA Network.

Born in Washington DC Benny is half Nigerian half Ethiopian but grew up overseas in Geneva, Switzerland. Benny blends his comedy with cultured quick witted jokes touching audiences from a range of different backgrounds with charisma cleverness and killer smile. He has worked with acts such as Matt Rife, Deray Davis, Nate Jackson, Zainab Johnson, Martin Amini, Ian Lara, Shapel Lacey, Tony Woods as well as others. Most recently auditioned in Montreal to be featured on Just For Laughs New Faces. He was named runner up in the Magoobys 2022 Comedian of the year competition and was named Winner of the DC Improv’s Comedy Kumite competition and most recently runner up in the 43rd Seattle international comedy competition. Was also named top 10 funniest comedians working in Washington DC by the Washington post. 

Leehana Menelik is a multifaceted actor and storyteller born in California and raised across Ethiopia and Virginia. After returning to California to pursue her passion, she booked her first major role just three auditions in—starring in the award-winning documentary A Fire Within.

She later built a strong social media presence to expand her reach and strengthen her personal brand. Since then, she’s grown a loyal following while continuing to book meaningful screen roles, including appearances in the hit web series Dhar Mann and her latest feature film debut in Red Flags, starring Melisa Ford and Vanessa Simmons.

Yonas “Lost Lyrics” Berhe is an Eritrean-American stand-up comedian, producer, and cultural storyteller known for his sharp humor, viral skits, and sold-out comedy shows nationally and internationally. Beyond performing, he’s built a reputation as a trusted liaison in the entertainment space, helping artists and creatives secure opportunities through his freelance work as an agent and collaborator. In addition to comedy and live events, Yonas is the founder of Borsa, a travel tech startup connecting people through shared journeys and opportunities.

Liya Hizkias is an Ethiopian-American creative influencer reaching an international audience through bilingual content (in the realms of fashion, beauty, art, and culture). She studied Communication with a focus in media at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles ('23). 

Ainslee Alem Robson is an Ethiopian-American writer-director, media artist, and cook whose work spans film, VR, game engines, food, and archives to craft emancipatory narratives and counterimaginings. Her debut Ferenj: A Graphic Memoir in VR (2020) premiered at Tribeca and SXSW, while her film installation Ferenj was featured at the 18th Venice Biennale. She has exhibited with MoMA, Ars Electronica, and the New York Times, and her writing has appeared in eFlux, Guggenheim, Art Africa, and Vogue Italia. Ainslee has lectured internationally, including at UCLA, MIT, and NYU, and holds degrees from The College of Wooster and SCI-Arc.

An award-winning filmmaker and educator, M’s work spans liberatory cinema, teaching, and community building. Her films include Palm Trees Down 3rd St. (2008), praised as “a masterpiece” by Film Threat, and elephant (2022), winner of the Audience Award at Indie Memphis. She produced Neptune Frost (Cannes, 2021), co-founded Indigo Impact, and launched The BlackMaria Microcinema in San Francisco. A former participant in Haile Gerima’s Sankofa Film Intensive, she has taught at UC San Diego, CalArts, and Sundance Collab. Her writing appears in Obsidian and Forum, and she currently serves as Development Director at Code Tenderloin.

Maraky (they/she) is a queer nonbinary Black woman (yes, both) and BAJI’s Los Angeles Organizer. They are a first-generation Ethiopian-American abolitionist & Pan-Africanist organizer committed to community and collective liberation.

​Saaret E. Yoseph is a multidisciplinary writer, producer and artist from Washington, DC. She tells stories about art, culture & intersectionality, connecting personal questions to broader themes concerning Black women across the African diaspora. Her work has been featured by Voice of America, HuffPost, The Rumpus, The Root and The Ethiopian Reporter. Saaret made her directorial debut with RED LINE DC (2014), a documentary on gentrification and graffiti, which earned distinction as her master’s thesis at Georgetown University. She went on to launch various multimedia projects, in collaboration with the NEA, Poetry Foundation, HumanitiesDC, and Google Arts & Culture, among others. Her latest project, JOURNEY(S), combines oral history with original poetry, animation and archival imagery to honor the migration experiences of Ethiopian women in DC. 

Yoel Iskindir is a filmmaker and educator whose work explores identity, inequality, and the power of storytelling to drive social change. A first-generation American born to African refugees, he brings lived experience to his independent films and teaching, mentoring youth to find their voices through media. A graduate of San Francisco State University’s Cinema program, Yoel creates socially driven projects like Twice as Fast while leading film and media education programs that empower the next generation of changemakers.