Donald R. "Don" Welch (1933-2010) was a golf professional in Las Vegas, Nevada whose career included working at the Desert Inn Country Club, the Dunes Hotel, and the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. Don Welch was born in Bonners Ferry, Idaho and grew up in Whitefish, Montana and he later graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula. In 1961, Welch became a professional golfer and began his career at the Desert Inn Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada where he was instrumental in running many successful golf tournaments.

Astrid Silva was born in the state of Durango, Mexico. In 1992, she was barely four years old when immigrated with her mother to the United States. After a few months in Los Angeles, California, her father found a better work situation and relocated the family to Las Vegas, Nevada. Astrid attended Doris Hancock Elementary School, Garside Middle School, and was a 2006 graduate of the Advanced Technology Academy (A-Tech).

Sara Ortiz is the program and festival director of The Believer magazine and Black Mountain Institute. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas where her Salvadoran parents settled, though led a “nomadic” life within Austin. Her mother was a housekeeper and her father worked several jobs to care for their family. Within that loving family, Sara cultivated a love of storytelling from an early age.