Amanda Tatom is having the time of her life.  As the host of Austin lifestyle show Studio512 on KXAN, she has been transformed into a mermaid, flown high above the ATX in a biplane doing spirals and 360’s, and shot a flamethrower…and that’s just for starters.  The Plano native always wanted a career in television and after graduating from Texas Tech University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, she spent ten years reporting and anchoring for the NBC and CBS affiliates in Lubbock.  Leaving the business after the birth of her first daughter was the beginning of eight precious years at home growing her family (three girls!), driving carpool and volunteering at her daughters’ schools. Then serendipity struck.  Applying for the Studio512 job on a whim, Amanda got the call she was hired as the host on her 40th birthday. She loves exploring Austin and the Texas Hill Country doing a job that never lets her take herself too seriously while sharing one of the most precious lessons she’s learned:  it’s never too late to chase a dream because you just might catch it.

Emily Ramshaw is editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune. Under her leadership, the Tribune has won six national Edward R. Murrow Awards, IRE's Gannett Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism and a general excellence award from the Online News Association. Before coming aboard as one of the Tribune’s original reporters, Ramshaw spent six years at The Dallas Morning News, where she broke national stories about sexual abuse inside Texas’ youth lock-ups, reported from inside a West Texas polygamist compound, uncovered “fight clubs” inside state institutions for the disabled and investigated a series of deadly transplants where patients received rabies-tainted organs. The Texas APME named Ramshaw its 2008 Star Reporter of the Year.

Ali teaches third grade dual language at Becker Elementary in Austin, Texas and is the 2017 Texas Teacher of the Year. As a Board Certified teacher, Ali mentors candidates pursuing National Board Certification through a candidacy program in her district and is a member of Teach Plus’ Texas Teacher Advisory Board. As a 2015 Hope Street Group National Teacher Fellow, Ali worked on a collaborative research project on teacher preparation programs, which was then published and shared with the education community. Previously, she coached new teachers as a program director at Teach For America and has held various leadership roles at its summer training institute. She has degrees from Boston College and Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Celeste heads a nonprofit that educates and inspires people to give locally.  She leads the strategy and vision for I Live Here, I Give Here, and its flagship program, Amplify Austin, our community’s 24-hour online giving day.  Since 2013, this day has raised $35M for hundreds of local nonprofits through AmplifyATX.org.  

Celeste was named as a “person to watch in 2016” by the Austin American Statesman and recently honored by Austin Monthly for community leadership.  She is passionate about access to the arts and early childhood education for all children and enjoys all of Austin’s treasures with her husband, Ray, and two year old daughter, Mary Louise.

Since 1983, Linda Lehmusvirta has been a producer at KLRU-TV.  National PBS programs include Backyard Butterflies, Backyard Bugs and Wildflowers: Seeds of History.  She’s been production manager, producer, writer and editor for several KLRU documentaries and productions.

In 1989, she began producing Central Texas Gardener, which went weekly in 1999.  Now broadcast in several PBS markets, she is the producer, writer, and editor.

Along with Central Texas Gardener features, she’s a freelance writer, with credits in local, regional, and national publications.  

She’s received awards from Garden Writers of America, Lone Star Emmy, and the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA).

As an IT Innovation Project Manager, Angela drives execution of strategic projects and the Austin chapter of GM’s Hispanic ERG. Named the 2017 Pflugerville Ambassador of Education, she has launched AWIM mentoring, Coding as a Second Language, and an EHAT center through partnerships with HHF, LULAC, and local schools, directly recruiting over 4,000 hours of GM volunteer time in 2016.

She serves on the City of Austin Planning Commission, and appears on Univision to promote STEM careers to the Hispanic community.

Deepa Shridhar started cooking as soon as she could reach a stove and safely not start a fire. She began her formal training at Lucia in Dallas, Texas in 2010. She then moved to Austin to learn how to break down animals with Jesse Griffiths at Dai Due and line cooked at Lenoir before starting her pop up supper club, Anjore in 2014. In 2016, her and her business partner Abby McClean added a pop up bake shop, ChaiWalla and farmers market stand.