Sometimes one unexpected change is all it takes to send your life in a completely new direction.
Join us for an evening of true, personal stories about science and the ripple effects we never see coming. From diagnoses that become unexpected superpowers to the people closest to us changing in ways we never imagined, our storytellers explore what happens when one discovery, disruption, or twist of fate changes how we see the people we love—and ourselves.
Expect surprises, transformations, a little chaos, and plenty of science along the way.
Hosted by Christine Williams and Gastor Almonte.
Doors at 6:30 p.m. Show starts at 7:00 p.m.
This show is free to attend! In lieu of a ticket, we invite you to make a donation to support Story Collider and help us keep sharing true, personal stories about science.
Stories by:
Gabe Pacheco is a Brooklyn-based stand-up comedian/actor/educator who has appeared at several national festivals. His voice can be heard on John Fugelsang’s Tell Me Everything on Sirius XM, the “Katie Halper Show”, and the Story Pirates’ “Historical Records” podcast. His stand-up album “Risky Behavior” is out on 800 Pound Gorilla Records. He hosts a politics and pop-culture podcast “Halal Cartels”. In 2026, he was featured in three celebrated short films: Bodega, Where’s My Package, and Desi Dad. His work brings awareness to the Latino community and often touches on issues of immigration, social justice, and identity.
Chika is a Brooklyn-based stand up comedian, producer and writer with a background in journalism, program design, and social justice organizing. She is the show runner and host of Do It Live w/ Chika, a live late night talk show that speaks to the greatest human need of all -- getting off the internet. She is also the Program Director for Hot Girls Organize, a political and social organization that creates a culture of cool to the movement for social change.
Since 2014 David Lawson has hosted The Astoria Bookshop Storytelling Show, a free monthly storytelling open mic that goes up the first Thursday of every month. He has performed on Comedy Central, the RISK! storytelling podcast, and has performed his one-man shows all over the country and throughout New York City. His recent one-man show Horror Helps was recommended by Time Out New York. Lawson is currently studying for a master's degree in Arts Administration at Baruch College. www.dtlawson.com.
Michele Carlo is a writer, storyteller (and sometime actor) who has performed across the U.S., including the MOTH Mainstage in New York; multiple story festivals and conferences; house concerts; and multiple podcasts (including RISK!, No Name NYC, and Story Collider); on NPR (with Latino USA and WNYC radio); and the WGBH-PBS series “Stories from the Stage.” Michele is also the author of the NYC-set memoir “Fish Out of Agua” and has contributed to several anthologies, including “RISK!,” “No, YOU Tell It,” and Big Other’s "Puerto Rican Writer’s Folio: A Hauntology.” She collaborates with fellow storyteller Eric Vetter to bring storytelling to Washington Heights, N.Y., with a monthly “No Name Super Story Party” show. Follow her on Instagram: @michele_as_shell, and for more info, go to www.michelecarlo.com
Sonali Mali is a scientist who has been lucky enough to turn asking questions (and trying to answer them) into a career. They hold a BS in Neuroscience from Indiana University and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley, though they’ve never actually studied the brain. Their doctoral work began with a question about itch: How can a bug landing on your skin make you want to scratch? When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they turned to another mystery: What makes us sneeze and cough when we get sick? After growing up in the Midwest, they discovered the joys of ocean swimming and biking up hills in California. They now live in New York City, where they spend their time chasing their friends up Harlem Hill and trying to answer another question: What is our immune system doing to keep us healthy when we aren’t sick?
