Aida Z. Lilly (she/her) is the Program Coordinator for The Word | A Storytelling Sanctuary and, alongside Viniyanka Prasad, spearheaded the creation of #MarginsBookselling Month and its programming. She now calls the East Coast home after spending several years in Denver, Colorado, where she attended the University of Denver’s Publishing Institute (Graduate Certificate) and worked as a retail manager and bookseller for a large indie bookstore, then did a stint in literary agenting. 

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Aida is based in Virginia, loves to travel, and lives to read. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Montevallo with a BA in English (minor in writing) and has an MA in Organizational Management with a specialization in Media Management.

Chris Aguilar-Garcia (he/they) is a Queer Chicanx writer and creative with a 30+ year administrative career in community-minded and nonprofit organizations. Their work has included roles in HR, operations, fundraising, event planning, and internships. Their relationship with The Word began in 2019 as a board member, and they have been engaged in the [margins.] conference since its inception.  As a writer, Chris’s primary interests are creative nonfiction and screenwriting. A noted scholar of the musician Prince, they have presented their work examining the queerness of Prince at international, national, and regional academic conferences. Their work in the entertainment industry included stints as a video editor at Prince’s Paisley Park Studios and as a film producer assistant. Other passions that occupy their time are all things Frida Kahlo, the films of Almodovar, Madonna, concerts, and crossword puzzles. They hold a BA from Antioch University Los Angeles in Liberal Studies with a minor in Queer Studies, and they live in the Denver area with their husband and chihuahua mix.

Jesse Martinez is a Colorado native from Grand Junction. He is the founder and CEO/Chief Social Impact Strategist of Empowered, Ltd. and interim Development Director of The Word. He has over 20+ years of experience in public service and the nonprofit sector. 

As a hands-on learner, he has always sought experiences to learn by doing and actively engaging in solutions-based problem-solving to overcome barriers and deliver impact. Throughout his career, his work has centered on engaging and empowering communities from his time in Denver Public Schools, Adams 14 School District, the Piton Foundation, the Colorado Symphony, the Mexican Cultural Center, and Foothills United Way.

Jesse holds a bachelor’s degree in political sociology from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and a master’s degree in organizational leadership, specializing in project management, from Regis University. He is a doctoral candidate at the University of Colorado—Denver studying Leadership for Educational Equity and the importance of family and community engagement.

Michelle Malonzo is Co-Executive Director at The Word, A Storytelling Sanctuary. Previously she was a book buyer and bookseller for five years after nearly a decade in publishing. Michelle served on the boards of the American Booksellers Association (ABA), Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association, and ABA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. She was a judge for the 2022 inaugural Republic of Consciousness U.S. Prize, a 2022 National Book Award Judge for Fiction, a recipient of the 2021 BIPOC Bookseller Award for Leadership, a 2020 Bookselling Without Borders Fellow, and a 2019 Kirkus Judge for Fiction.

Viniyanka (she/her) founded the Word in 2016 and serves as Co-Executive Director. She speaks regularly on issues of cultural equity, and serves on a variety of boards and committees including on the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs and as the co-Chapter Head for PEN America's Denver Chapter. She has previously served on the 100th Anniversary Committee for Children's Book Week, and the advisory committee for the Colorado Teen Lit Conference. She is a 2023 Livingston Fellow. 

In addition to her work with The Word, Viniyanka is a practicing criminal defense attorney. She formerly served as a litigation attorney and the Chief Appellate Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana Federal Community Defenders, and also litigated with a civil rights firm in Denver focusing on police misconduct claims. Her legal commentaries have been included in the Chicago Journal of International Law as well as presented to committee at the United Nations. 

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Viniyanka holds a J.D. from The University of Chicago, a Publishing Certificate from The University of Denver Publishing Institute, and a B.A. from The University of Texas.