Join us at Baltimore Storytelling Fest for five true, personal stories about science.
Hosted by Shane M Hanlon and Maryam Zaringhalam.
About the Baltimore Storytelling Fest
A mic, spotlight and a good story is all you need to take a room full of people on a journey. Baltimore Story Fest highlights the best and brightest storytellers in the region. Storytellers create a tapestry with their words that bring audiences into their worlds. Running from May 1 - 4. Learn more here.
STORIES BY:
JR Denson — a Washington, DC native — is a full-time college educator and a part time emergency medical technician (EMT). He has become increasingly involved in the DMV's storytelling scene ever since accidentally falling into right before the pandemic. JR has performed for both local and national storytelling organizations such as The Perfect Liar's Club, the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, and NPR’s The Moth.
Cooper Joslin is a web developer, artist, and activist. They made their DC theater debut at Capital Fringe 2022 with their solo performance, Atemporal, earning a "Best of Fringe" designation from DC Theater Arts. Cooper has also performed at the Kennedy Center with Story District and off-broadway at Joe’s Pub in New York City with Generation Women. Their visual art has been featured in collections at the DC Commission of Arts & Humanities' I Street Gallery, the Rhizome, DuPont Underground, the DC LGBTQ Center, and As You Are. With a background in journalism, Cooper now uses their expertise to document the modern history of the transgender community through their growing oral history archive, The Trans Guide. Originally from Central Florida, Cooper now resides in Washington, DC, with their wife, two cats, puppy, and a cherished queer chosen family.
JiJi Lee is a comedy writer and performer. She has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Onion. And her work has been published in the McSweeney's humor anthology Keep Scrolling Till You Feel Something.
Whitney Siders is the Founder & CEO of The Modern, empowering leaders and teams to reimagine today's workplace challenges by addressing the root cause. With a decade of experience in management consulting, Whitney has worked with leaders at every level—from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. Known for her fearless yet empathetic approach, Whitney helps executive leaders cut through the noise, often through a combination of strategic facilitation, executive advisory, personalized assessments, and coaching. When she’s not facilitating or coaching, Whitney is always planning her next adventure—whether it’s a new travel destination, a wellness experience, or a challenge that pushes her health and strength. Based in Baltimore, she finds her happy place anywhere on the water. Drawn to adventure, she now finds it right in her backyard with her energetic husband, toddler, and dog.
Maryam Zaringhalam is a molecular biologist by training who traded in her pipettes for the world of science policy and advocacy. She’s on a mission to make science more open and inclusive through her work both as a science communicator and policymaker. She’s a Senior Producer for the Story Collider in DC and previously served as the Assistant Director for Public Access and Research Policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2023 to 2024. She has a cat named Tesla, named after the scientist and not the car. You can learn more about her at https://webmz.nyc.