Houston Inspira
Our Storytellers
Houston Inspira Chief Political Cartoonist
Nick Anderson is the managing editor of Reform Austin News, where he employs the artistic skill and political insights that earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2005 to drive coverage of Texas government. As managing editor, Anderson is responsible for guiding RA’s efforts to give readers the unfiltered facts they need to hold Texas leaders accountable. Anderson is an independent-minded liberal who covers politics and contemporary cultural issues in a way that connects with readers. His loose, idiosyncratic style carries with it an unconventional message with appeal. Anderson grew up in Toledo, Ohio, in a family that encouraged independent thinking in politics.
He now resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife, Angel, and their four boys. Additionally, Anderson is co-founder of Counterpoint, created in 2019, which is a groundbreaking new approach to the distribution of editorial cartoons via an email newsletter representing liberal and conservative perspectives. Prior to his work at Counterpoint, Anderson worked for The Houston Chronicle from 2006 until 2017 and then Senior Communications Specialist at the City of Houston, Office of Government Relation until 2021.
“I figured the chances of being an editorial cartoonist were pretty slim, but I didn’t want to go to my deathbed without trying."
Melissa Diaz and Sasha Marshall Smith
Acres Home Storytellers
Melissa Diaz is the Co-Creator/Program Director for the Fair Housing Defenders program. She manages all finance and legal functions for the FHD program. Melissa develops programmatic strategies, establishes functional objectives aligned with the programmatic goals, and cultivates relationships with community organizations, schools, and vendors to ensure sufficient access to services and resources.
Melissa also creates the content for the Fair Housing Defenders comic books, workshops, and speaking events. Melissa graduated with honors from the University of Houston with a Master of Business Administration degree while also holding a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas Southern University.
Some of her expertise includes compliance, affordable housing, disaster recovery and economic development.
Sasha Marshall Smith, a Houston native, is the Co-Creator and Program Director for the Fair Housing Defenders program. She is a national public speaker and has educated over two million people about affordable home development, housing discrimination, and fair housing rights. Under the Fair Housing Defenders program, Mrs. Marshall Smith creates content for the Fair Housing Defenders comic book series and provides fair housing educational presentations and workshops for both kids and adults.
Sasha graduated with honors from Langston University with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations. She also earned a Master’s degree in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma.
Civil service has been the center of her career as she has worked for six government agencies at the local, state and federal levels with expertise in community development, economic revitalization, public outreach and grant writing.
Matt Manalo
Alief/Westwood Storyteller
Matt Manalo is a multidisciplinary artist who was born in Manila, Philippines and resides in Houston. His environmentally conscious work incorporates raw materials and found objects that help tackle ideas surrounding his own immigrant identity, displacement, and how “home” is defined.
Manalo is influenced by the physical and social structures that exist in both the Philippines and the United States as well as the erasure of histories and presence of colorism that have resulted from colonization.
Manalo is the founder of Filipinx Artists of Houston, a collective of visual, performing, literary, culinary, and multidisciplinary artists.
He also runs an alternative art space: Alief Art House, a hub for creativity that highlights the cultural richness of the multiple communities within this unique Houston neighborhood.
Dria Thornton
Kashmere Gardens Storyteller
Diondria “Dria” Thornton is a singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and visionary who has established herself as a force within the music industry. She’s contributed songwriting and/or power vocals to an array of gold and platinum-selling chart-toppers including the 8X RIAA Platinum single “1-800” by Logic, Alessia Cara, Khaled in which she received a Grammy Nomination for her vocal contribution. As an independent female artist who promotes women empowerment and raw conversation through music, she has released over 15 singles and this year marks the release of her first EP, “When I Grow Up” which happens to be co-executive produced by a female producer from Houston.
Her music has been used in campaigns for Serena Williams “S Brand” and Lincoln Motor Cars amongst an array of custom music created for film and television with her most recent music feature on the “Bel-Air” on Peacock Network and “The Kardashians” on Hulu.
As a business woman, Dria is a strong advocate for independent female artists and the legislative rights of creatives through her committee involvement with the Recording Academy.
Walter J. Hull
Near Northside Storyteller
Walter J. Hull II has been a thriving thought leader, social artist, and youth development strategist in Houston, TX over the past 16 years.
Through his work with the U.S. Dream Academy, Walter has helped shape the organization's approach to community asset building through mentoring. As an artist, his choreography has deep roots in healing and justice through the storytelling of the Black experience in America that he refers to as his Village Responsibility.
As Executive Director of Urban Souls Dance Company (USDC), Walter has collaborated with the Founder to make USDC the premier Black dance company in Houston. Today, Walter spends time educating his community on climate change and racial equity through filmmaking.
His upcoming documentary film, Raising Aniya, explores the intersections of intergenerational learning and collaboration.
Kam Franklin
Second Ward Storyteller
Kam Franklin is a singer-songwriter, music producer, activist, writer, orator, model, visual artist, and actress from Houston, TX. She is best known for her work with the gulf coast soul band, The Suffers, but Kam began performing gospel music at the age of five.
A three-time recipient of the Houston Press Music Award for Best Female Vocalist, Kam has performed on five continents and has performed with the Suffers backed by The Houston Symphony in addition to being featured solo. Both Forbes and Vice have featured Kam for her activism and business ventures that seek to create a more equitable and inclusive environment in the arts for black, queer, and femme artists working in all mediums and from all backgrounds.
At home, Kam remains a very active participant in the Houston music scene, producing events that have featured up-and-coming acts from around the Gulf Coast area while leveraging her and The Suffers’ international platform to represent the City of Houston and champion her entrepreneurial approach to finding success in the arts for women, minorities, and independent artists.