Diane Gistal is a cultural producer and independent curator of Haitian-French descent, recognized for her dedication to promoting Afro-descendant and African artistic creation. As the founder and director of Nigra Iuventa, she works to amplify the practices of visual artists from these communities. With expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as extensive experience in cultural project management, Diane is a committed leader in Quebec’s cultural sector.Her career has led her to collaborate with prestigious institutions such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Phi Foundation, the Goethe-Institut, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Le Livart, and the UNESCO Chair DCMET. Her curatorial practice—at the crossroads of visual arts, literature, and the humanities—delves into the literary, visual, and cinematic representations of the Black Atlantic.

Manuel Sainsily is a TEDx speaker and XR instructor at McGill University and the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Born in Guadeloupe and now a Canadian citizen based in Montreal, where he earned his Master’s degree in Engineering Science, he is a trilingual speaker, designer, and educator with over fifteen years of experience advocating for the responsible use and understanding of artificial intelligence.<br><br>From publishing an AI ethics course with MasterClass to speaking at global conferences on technology, film, and video games, Manuel has been recognized by NVIDIA, Mozilla Rise25, and SkillShare for his contributions to the field. He has also collaborated with Meta, OpenAI, and VIFFest to produce art exhibitions, amplifying discussions on cultural preservation and emerging technologies such as Spatial Computing, AI, real-time 3D, Haptics, and Brain-Computer Interfaces through powerful talks and meticulously curated events.

Dejha Carrington is a practitioner and leader in the arts.

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In 2017, Dejha co-founded Commissioner, an art membership that helps peoplecollect the work of contemporary artists in their cities. She serves as ExecutiveDirector and has thus far introduced the program in Miami, Detroit, New York,Montreal, Mexico City, and New Orleans.

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From 2015 to 2022, Dejha served as Vice President of Strategic Communications for YoungArts, the national foundation forthe advancement of artists. Previously, she led public relations initiatives with Kimball Art Museum, the Medellin Biennial inColombia, and the National Film Board of Canada.

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Dejha is a board member of the national performance arts funder MAP Fund in New York, and The Black School, an experimental schoolhouse in New Orleans. She is also a professional advisory member of Miami-Dade Art In Public Places, New York University’s Center for Black Visual Culture, and University of Miami’s Center for Global Black Studies. 

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Dejha teaches the Business of Art at New World School of the Arts at Miami-Dade College.