ArtsEmerson presents The Point:

María Belén Power grew up in Nicaragua in the aftermath of the revolution. She currently serves as the inaugural Undersecretary of Environmental Justice and Equity at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs with the Healey-Driscoll Administration. She previously served the Associate Executive Director of GreenRoots, a community-based organization dedicated to improving and enhancing the urban environment and public health in Chelsea. Power co-founded GreenRoots and oversaw the environmental justice campaigns of the organization. She was appointed by President Biden to serve on the newly established White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. She holds an undergraduate degree in sociology from Augsburg University, a Master of Public Policy from Tufts University, and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. Power sits on the board of the ACLU Massachusetts. She lives in Chelsea, MA with her husband Fidel and two daughters, Maya Gabriela who is 11 years old and Ana Victoria who is 7 years old.

Beyazmin Jiménez is the Director of Belonging & Engagement at Northeastern University's Planning, Real Estate & Facilities division. She leads the division in ensuring a safe and equitable work environment while promoting inclusive planning practices for the university's real estate development and campus planning efforts across its global network. At Northeastern University, Beyazmin leads projects centered on employee engagement and well-being through an annual employee survey and a mentoring program aimed at increasing belonging and inclusion. Her leadership at NU Planning, Real Estate & Facilities is also instrumental in supporting equitable organizational management practices across their 350+ employee workforce. Previously in her tenure at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, she led work in economic access and opportunity for the business community, including the launch of Small Business Strong, a statewide technical assistance program that has supported small businesses across the Commonwealth of MA in reaching their full potential since 2020. Most notably during her time at the Chamber, Beya oversaw the Pacesetters program, an initiative to increase supplier diversity spending across corporate and anchor institutions to help address the racial wealth gap. In addition to her professional role at Northeastern University, Beyazmin is a valued consultant with mission-driven organizations. Through her consultancy, Beyazmin has carved out a unique path where community, justice, and equity can co-exist to create the workplaces of the future. She holds a Master's in Urban Planning from Boston University.

Kaya Lolar is a citizen of the Panawahpskek Nation in what is now called Maine and a senior at Harvard College, studying anthropology and English. She currently contracts with Maine Environmental Education Association as the Policy and Wabanaki Studies Coordinator.

Kaya works at the intersection of policy and education, using her own lived experiences as an Indigenous person to highlight the importance of traditional ecological knowledge in these spaces. She is also passionate about writing, especially creatively, and greatly values the power of storytelling as a platform for elevating youth and Indigenous voices.

Annalisa Dias is a Goan-American transdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and award-winning theatre maker working at the intersection of racial justice and care for the earth. She is known for her thought-provoking and emotionally resonant writing. Her plays often explore themes of identity, displacement, and social inequality, drawing from her own experiences as a first-generation American and her deep connections to her ancestral roots. Her storytelling is not only impactful but also serves as a catalyst for important conversations about the complexities of our globalized world. Annalisa is a Co-Founder of Groundwater Arts and a Co-Director of HERE Arts Center.

Prior to joining HERE, Annalisa was Director of Artistic Partnerships & Innovation at Baltimore Center Stage for 5 years. Before that, she was a Producing Playwright and Acting Creative Producer with The Welders, a DC playwright's collective; and a Co-Founder of the DC Coalition for Theatre & Social Justice. Artistic credits include: WRITING: 4380 Nights, the earth that is sufficient, One Word More, The Last Allegiance, A Legacy of Chains, Crooked Figure, Consider the Dust, Matanuska, Coal, and Servant of the Wind. DEVISING: Wit's End Puppets: Malevolent Creatures; banished? productions: Tyger; Theater Alliance: I Love DC. DIRECTING: Johns Hopkins University: Passage; Source Festival: Dust to dust to dust and Dressing Bobby Strong; The Salima Project (film). Annalisa’s work has been produced or developed by Mosaic Theater, Rep Stage, The Welders, Theater Alliance, Signature Theatre (DC), Arena Stage, the Phillips Collection, The Gulfshore Playhouse, the Mead Theatre Lab, The Hub Theatre, Spooky Action Theater, Tron Theatre (Glasgow), and OverHere Theatre (London). Annalisa frequently teaches theatre of the oppressed and decolonization workshops nationally and internationally and speaks about race, identity, and performance.