Abramovic Marina Montenegro-born artist and long-time New Yorker, Marina began her career in the late '60s and '70s, and defines herself as the "grandmother of performance art". Her work is an exploration of the relationship between the artist and the public, the limits of the body and possibilities for the mind.
Calvino Giovanna Daughter of Italo Calvino, Giovanna was born in Rome and has been living in the United States for twenty years. She earned a PhD in comparative literature at the University of Pennsylvania and teaches Italian and French literature at New York University.
Canale Rosy Entrepreneur from Calabria, Rosy Canale decided to combat organized crime by way of rigorous work ethics. As the owner of a business in Reggio Calabria, she was forced to close to avoid repercussions from the local mafia. She was threatened and attacked for her resistance to the underworld. After almost dying at the hands of her aggressors, she decided to leave Calabria, but later returned. In 2007 she moved to the Locride area, in San Luca, a stronghold of the Calabrese mafia, where she founded “Movimento Donne di San Luca and Locride” (San Luca and Locride Women’s Movement). She currently lives in New York.
Coleman Monique A US actress, singer, and dancer, became famous through her role in the successful High School Musical franchise and currently stars in “The Maids” at New York’s Sonnet Repertory Theatre. In 2010 she was named the first ever United Nations Youth Champion for the International Year of Youth and is a UN Foundation “Girl Up” Champion, encouraging girls to become global leaders and to raise awareness for UN programs that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls.
Cucinotta Maria Grazia Italian actress, film producer and model. She is known throughout the world for her role, with Massimo Troisi, in the Italian film, “Il Postino” (The postman) and for her appearance in the 007 movie, “The World is not Enough”. She is known in the United States for her work as a producer.
Dandini Serena Author of Ferite a Morte (Wounded to Death), is one of Italy’s most creative innovators of television language, particularly in comedy and satire. In 1988, she wrote for Rai (Italy’s national television) - “TV delle ragazze” (TV for girls), the first female comedy workshop that discovered a plethora of talents that can be seen today on television. Serena Dandini has authored Italy’s cult TV shows such as, “Avanzi” (leftovers), “Tunnel”, “Pippo Chennedy Show”, “L’Ottavo Nano” (The eighth dwarf), and the most recent, “Parla con me” (Talk to me).
Della Costanza Turner Angela A professional architect, Angela is a Board Member at the Atlanta Chapter of the UNICEF National Committee since November 2001. In September 2003 she became Honorary Board Member of the Turner Foundation. In April 2005 she received the 2005 Citizen Diplomat Award from the Georgian Council for International Visitors. Always in April 2005 she was appointed Honorary Consul of Atlanta.
Disney Abigail American director, philanthropist, and scholar, known for her documentaries focused on social themes. She is the daughter of Patricia Ann (née Dailey) and Roy E. Disney, and granddaughter of Roy O. Disney, co-founder of The Walt Disney Company with his brother, Walt Disney. Her filmmaking career began with a documentary film about women in Liberia. In 2008 she launched “Peace is Loud”, an organization dedicated to “supporting female voices and international peace-building through nonviolent means.”
Fabiano Laurie Laurie Fabiano has had an exciting and colorful career in the non-profit world. After involvement in local political campaigns, she became Deputy Mayor of Hoboken during the administration of Thomas Vezzetti. In 1988, after the death of a family member from AIDS, she became an AIDS activist. In the past decade, as the Robin Hood Foundation’s Senior Vice President, she helped grow the Foundation into the largest private organization fighting poverty in New York City.
Goldin Nan Nan Goldin is an American photographer. She depicts friends and acquaintances, as well as herself - as can be seen in the famous self-portrait, a month following her being attacked and beaten. Her style has become iconic of her beleaguered generation. One of the Boston Five photographers, her works are prominent in the field of contemporary photography, just as those of Terry Richardson and Wolfgang Tillmans.
Golino Valeria Italian actress and director. She was discovered by director Lina Wertmuller and subsequently worked in Italy and the United States with moviemakers, such as Giuliano Montaldo, Margarethe Von Trotta, Barry Levinson, Sean Penn, Gabriele Salvatores, and Quentin Tarantino. This year she won the Nastro d’Argento as best debuting director with her film “Miele” (Honey).
Hendrix Nona Nona is a US singer, record producer, writer, musician, author and actress. She is known for her work as a solo artist and for being a member of the Labelles, with its successful “Lady Marmalade". In 2001 she revealed her bisexuality in an interview with the magazine, “The Advocate”, and has become an activist for gay rights. In the summer of 2008, she joined Cyndi Lauper on her True Colors Tour, to raise awareness about the discrimination of the LGBT community.
Misiti Maura Maura is the head researcher at IRPPS, the Italian Institute of Research on the Population and Social Policy. She studies social policy and male/female equal opportunities, and population issues tied to the gender approach: gender violence, women and science. As of 2012 she has been working with Serena Dandini on the Wounded to Death project as its co-author.
Palmer Amanda Amanda is a US singer-songwriter and pianist, who became famous as one of The Dresden Dolls, a duo formed together with Brian Viglione. As a soloist she performs with Jason Webley in the duo Evelyn Evelyn, and in the Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra.
Van Zandt Maureen A US actress known mainly for her role in “The Sopranos” as Gabriella Dante, wife of Tony Soprano’s consigliere , Silvio Dante. Maureen Van Zandt is also the real life wife of Steven Van Zandt, guitarist for Bruce Springsteen, who plays the part of Silvio Dante in “The Sopranos”.