Born and raised in Jamaica, June Grant knew that architecture was her calling from the young age of five. Today, she is the founder and design principal at blink!LAB, an environmentally conscious and social justice-oriented design studio in Oakland. She gives her Brief But Spectacular take on being an architect.

Jorge Antonio Renaud says that the United States is enamored with the idea that certain individuals are just “crime prone.” At 20, he was arrested and put in jail, where he survived a traumatic attack. Feeling lost led him to drugs, theft and decades in prison. Now the national criminal justice director at LatinoJustice, he shares his Brief but Spectacular take on reimagining incarceration.

Jane Willenbring is a geologist who solves problems related to the earth’s surface. In 2020, she was featured in a NOVA documentary called “Picture a Scientist.” She and two other women shared their experiences in the sciences, ranging from brutal harassment to years of subtle slights. Tonight, she gives her Brief But Spectacular take on making science more diverse, equitable and open to all.

John Zoccoli is a visual artist who spent 25 years in prison until his release in June, 2020. During his incarceration, he became involved in a program called Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) — which he says transformed his life. Tonight, he gives us his Brief But Spectacular take on art and healing. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.