Marisa Buchheit is an operatic soprano who has performed in productions around the world. She sings in nine languages including those of her own ethnic heritage, Thai, Chinese, and German. She studied vocal performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music and served as President of Mu Phi Epsilon Music Fraternity. In 2014, she won the title of Miss Illinois, during which she won the Grand Talent Award and top scholarship award before competing in ABC's nationally televised Miss America broadcast. This season, she has been a featured performer with the Peoria Symphony, the Elgin Symphon, and a National Anthem performance for the Chicago Bulls. She was a Young Artist with Wichita Grand Opera in Kansas with leading roles and performances in three main-stage operas. She has performed in the following countries: United States, Italy, France, Austria, and Thailand. In 2014 she completed a National Premier Tour with Carnegie Arts Center in a traditional Chinese musical. She is co-founder of the Soprano Trio Tres belle performaing with Ravinia Festival's Outreach program, and has been a soloist in Community Chapter Concerts of Lyric Opera of Chicago. In May 2015, she was awarded the Humanitarian Excellence Award from Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse White.
Paige Fraser is a founding member of the Visceral Dance Chicago now in her third season with the company. She started dancing when she was four. In high school she was diagnosed with scoliosis (spine curvature) and chose to wear a back brace and work hard rather than have surgery. She danced and studied with Ruth Page Civic Ballet and Deeply Rooted ECS, both in Chicago. She was a company member of Ailey II (Us & Europe Touring) in New York. She was educated and did training in both New York and California. She has attended summer intensives for Alvin Ailey, Americana Ballet Theatre, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Jacobs Pillow, Julliard, The Rock School, and Spellbound Contemporary Ballet. In 2014 and 2015 she performed in Randy Duncan’s acclaimed finale for Dance For Life Chicago. Paige has also done print and commercial work and is currently featured in the 2016 INTEL campaign, “Experience Amazing” as the RealSense dancer. She hopes to be an inspiration to dancers and the general public as they seek to fefy the odds and pursue their passions.
Robin Robinson was born in Chicago and continues to work and reside here. Starting her broadcast journalism career in San Diego, California, she moved on to Denver, Colorado and then back to Chicago. She began broadcasting at the then CBS owned WBBM-Chicago, Channel 2. She was then hired to be the 9 P.M. news anchor for FOX 32 where she remained for 28 years. Robin has six Emmys and also has worked in radio on WGCI-FM and WVON-AM. Adding to these achievements, Robin has had many guest appearances on television series such as PRISON BREAK (FOX), CHICAGO CODE (FOX), CRISIS (NBC) Pilot, for February 2011, EMPIRE (FOX), and CHICAGO FIRE (NBC). Robin is also active in community initiatives such as Orchard Village, a Skokie, Illinois based agency serving developmentally disabled adults, and Clara’s House Shelter in West Englewood, Illinois that cares for battered/homeless women and children. She regularly visits schools and youth clubs and has been mistress of ceremonies for numerous fundraising events. In digital media, Robin is a frequent contributor to TBT NewsService with 65,000 subscribers that targets African American readers. With her newly formed production company, Birdland Media Ltd, Robin has partnered with WYCC-PBS Chicago on a series of programs and has presented on media and other issues for both corporate and philanthropic audiences.
Malik Yusef the Wordsmyth, is a 12 time Grammy Award nominee, 5 time Grammy Award winner, 6 Time ASCAP Award winner as well as an Emmy, Peabody, and Tony winner. Malik signed with the world's largest music publisher, Universal Music Publishing and has most recently been featured on Common's cricially acclaimed album, Nobody's Smiling. He was a featured producer on the band WAR's first studio album in 20, released June, 2014. His most recent feat was co-writing 8 out of 10 songs on Kanye West's 6th release, Yeezus, which sold 327,000 copies the first week, achieved No. 1 on Billboard and is Platinum Certified with RIAA. Since 2014, he has worked as a writer/producer/collaborator for Kanye West. He has also built and maintained industry connections with the likes of Katy Perry, Jennifer Hudson, Rihanna, and Adam Levine. Malik works in his community with a youth literacy foundation, For Yourself Foundation. He has also been involved with the fashion world in many capacities including brands like PHLI, Fashion Geek, and Nibiru, Christian Louboutin, Karl Kani, Enyce. Casio/G-Shock, Kenneth Cole, Louis Vuitton, Converse, Reebok, Sean John, Jordan, and Nike.
