Diane Kastiel is the producer and host of First Person Live. A writer and storyteller from Chicago, she’s a three-time winner of the National Public Radio’s Moth StorySLAM; her work has been featured on the Moth Radio Hour, its podcast, and at special events for WBEZ, NPR’s Chicago affiliate. Diane has told stories on stage at The Second City, Steppenwolf, the Park West, Victory Gardens and other theaters as well as comedy clubs, art galleries, the basement of a tattoo parlor - she even did a show in the middle of the woods! Diane works with libraries, schools, community centers and homeless shelters to bring storytelling to a wider audience, and leads storytelling workshops at Northwestern University. Diane is an alumna of The Second City Conservatory and the University of Chicago’s Great Books program. She also has an MBA from Northwestern University…just in case. 

As a pathologist, Elizabeth Brown spent hundreds of hours hunched over either a microscope or a dead body. She then worked as a consultant to the medical device industry writing technical reports - all dry as dust and utterly humorless. Original thoughts were few, as all statements had to be referenced. Spreading her wings to write creative nonfiction has been a liberating joy. Elizabeth focuses on personal narrative writing and storytelling that combines humor with pathos to examine the human condition.

Margaret Burk got into storytelling after a career in fundraising for arts organizations. She enjoys telling personal stories, as well as traditional folktales, throughout the Chicago area and on the national virtual stage. She also  produces Tellers' Night, a monthly storytelling show at in Forest Park and Back Room Stories OUTSIDE! in the summer months in River Forest. Margaret loves perennial flower gardening and traveling to visit family throughout the U.S. and Ireland. Her special passion is teaching Sharing Your Legacy writing classes to senior adults, believing that our stories are heirloom gifts to future generations.

Rajneesh Sehgal hails from the vibrant city of Mumbai, India, where he grew up and studied computer science. His life journey took him across continents to settle in the suburbs of Chicago, where he now cherishes life with his wife and two boys. As a CTO and co-founder of SKUforce, he thrives on the challenges of entrepreneurship. Amid a mid-life crisis, Raj sank into depths of depression, yet emerged more vital than ever, shedding 70 pounds(!) and conquering not just one but two marathons and eight half-marathons (!!). He discovered storytelling in May 2024, winning the Moth StorySLAM on his second attempt. Raj is driven by mindfulness, curiosity, and a desire to be the change he wishes to see in the world by constantly striving to learn, grow, and find his place in an incomprehensible universe.

Nestor Gomez was born in Guatemala and moved to Chicago in the mid ‘80s. He told his first story at a Moth StorySLAM as a way to get over stuttering. He won the slam that night and currently holds the record for most Chicago Moth StorySLAM wins. He’s also the producer and host of 80 Minutes Around the World: an immigration storytelling show, which showcases stories of immigrants and their allies. But if you ask him, he will say his greatest achievements are making his mother proud and winning the heart of his wife, Sweet Mel.

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Allen George, former marketing project manager, was born and raised in Miami but now hails from Louisville, Kentucky. He’s in love with his wife, and a proud dad of two. Having had two near death experiences, one by way of lightning bolt to the chest, along with countless ridiculous “out of this world” occurrences, Allen is a self-proclaimed “ordinary dude living an extra ordinary life.”  He enjoys caring for his dogs, attending concerts (Pearl Jam!) and is an avid fan of movies, Disney, and all things Star Wars. A Master Jedi by trade, he uses the force to help random people in the most random of situations. Allen took The Moth stage for the first time in July of 2022 and walked away with the win – and the confidence to begin sharing his life stories on stages in Louisville and Chicago.

James Gordon is an actor, international award-winning author and poet, multiple winner of The Moth StorySLAM, and a Moth Grand Slam champion. He can be seen in episodes of Amazon's "The G" and "Background Extras," as well as WeTv's "Kold and Windy," and in the play "A Tale out of Fishwater."

Kelly Morales lives in Mount Prospect with her wonderful family: husband Joe, 10-year-old daughter Tilly, and dog Ronald. According to her daughter, Kelly Morales is “nice, kind, funny, and very social. She loves teaching sassy eighth graders, being a GREAT mom, playing many board games, doing Sudokus, traveling, and eating cheese.” Kelly signed up for a Moth StorySLAM recently because she thought it would be fun, and was surprised to win! Kelly is making her debut at First Person Live this month.