Ben Cook is the co-founder of Walking Distance, an educational nonprofit promoting peace and equity. Ben was a law professor at Brigham Young University, where he taught courses on negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution. Ben also directed the BYU Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Ben has extensive teaching and training experience in cities across the U.S. and in various countries. He trained as a mediator through the Harvard Mediation Program and is currently an Arbinger Institute-certified facilitator.

Sara Cook is the Director of Cook Consultancy: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. Sara is a social worker and conflict response specialist working with people affected by conflict in Northern Ireland and internationally. She addresses the psychosocial impact of conflict peacebuilding on practitioners and facilitates dialogue and storytelling encounters. Sara has given response and resiliency training to victims of trauma from over 45 countries. She has supported international efforts to promote the participation of women and girls in peacebuilding work. 

Nijmie Zakkiyyah Dzurinko is a working-class Black, Indigenous and queer organizer and strategist of over 20 years from Pennsylvania. They are co-founder and volunteer coordinator of  Put People First! PA: a statewide, base building, human rights organization waging a healthcare is a human right. They are also on the national steering committee of the Poor People's Campaign. Nijmie organizes with the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, the PA Homeless Union and is a member of the University of the Poor.   

John T. Kesler is an attorney and a co-founder and chair of YOUnify as well as a current member of the Harvard/Oxford Leadership for Flourishing working group. In order to make progress across our differences—in service of interrelated individual, community, and global flourishing—YOUnify uses “integrally informed” multi-sectoral approaches to overcome polarization. John has worked as an activist and engaged in transformational community and broader societal engagement

Rae Kyritsi is the Program Director at Center for Conflict Resolution, Chicago, IL Rae. Kyritsi is a certified mediator of civil, criminal, elder, and family disputes and a certified trainer. She also works as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she teaches Alternative Dispute Resolution and Mediation.  

Clayton Long is a Navajo Native American, born and raised in a Navajo traditional hogan. He completed degrees in educational psychology and public school administration from Brigham Young University. He has taught in the San Juan School District and acted as an administrator there for many years. Clayton served as the Bilingual Education Director After retiring in the summer of 2019. He was hired by The Church of Jesus Christ as a full time Navajo language translator. Clayton’s passion is to see the Navajo language and cultures taught.  

Michael Minch is the founding director of the Peace and Justice Studies Program at Utah Valley University. He directed the Peace and Justice Studies program for 12 years. Michael is also a professor emeritus of Peace Studies and political philosophy at UVU. His work involves the intersections of ethics, peace-building, and democratic theory. He is currently working on the development of a Handbook on Healing Conversations. Michael is an expert on training peacebuilders in mediation. 

Carl Stauffer is the Senior Expert on Reconciliation at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). He comes to USIP with 30 years of experience in 37 countries as both a practitioner and academic. Prior to joining USIP, Carl was associate professor at the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University and functioned as the academic director of the Caux Scholars Program in Switzerland. Carl is an expert in co-transitional justice, post-war reconstruction and reconciliation processes.