Discipline: Literature

Born and raised in American Samoa, Gabby Langkilde is a Samoan storyteller. With a bachelor’s degree in Gender and Sexuality Studies from Harvard College and a master’s degree in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, her interests have always met at the intersection of dreaming, creative storytelling, and the (re)production of culture, politics, and identity. She is currently the executive editor of “Pasefika Presence,” an online magazine that platforms Pacific Islander stories and art.

Discipline: Interdisciplinary

Gabby Langkilde is a Samoan writer, born and raised in American Samoa. In 2021, she graduated from Harvard College, where she was on The Harvard Crimson editorial board for three years. Perhaps one of her proudest undergraduate achievements is the production of her column entitled “Pasefika Presence” – the first-ever column to center Pacific Islander issues and experiences in The Harvard Crimson. She continues to be passionate about raising awareness for Pacific issues and is currently based in American Samoa, where she works as an educator and is also now using her writing experience to launch a new magazine entitled “”Pasefika Presence”” – named after her previous column. The goal of this new publication is to provide a platform for other Pasefika storytellers and artists to share their stories and work. Gabby is a firm believer in the power of storytelling, and knows that the world has much to learn from the voices of the Pacific.

Garrett Blaize is an organizer and administrator serving as executive director of the Appalachian Community Fund. The fund is a civic-cultural funding intermediary and project incubator based in East Tennessee that serves the central Appalachian region. In this role, he leads efforts to strengthen civic infrastructure in the region through strategic grantmaking and capacity-building initiatives. He also serves as co-chair of the Appalachian Funders Network, facilitating funder alignment around regional priorities through collaborative approaches to philanthropy that center on community needs and leadership.

Blaize also serves as an adviser to Appalshop, providing guidance on development and advancement strategies during its leadership transition. His work focuses on helping legacy civic and cultural organizations adapt to contemporary challenges while maintaining their core missions and community connections.

Throughout his career, Blaize has concentrated on building sustainable infrastructure for community-led change in Appalachia, with particular attention to connecting traditional approaches with emerging strategies for social impact.