Ryan Davis (@indieartsvoice) is a film publicist and communications professional with fifteen years experience in the film industry and arts marketing. She is co-founder and Principal at Smarthouse Creative. Named by Media Inc. as one of Washington State’s most influential women in film, TV, and media, Ryan has worked with outlets ranging from CNN and The New York Times, to community newspapers and local radio. She has worked in almost every aspect of the film business–from production and festivals to distribution and exhibition.

Ryan worked for Arab Film Distribution/Typecast Films where she was part of the production and release of the Academy Award-nominated Iraq in Fragments. She has worked for a variety of nonprofit arts groups and organizations, including heading the marketing departments for Northwest Film Forum and Northwest Folklife, and was the assistant director of Couch Fest Films from 2010-2014. Ryan currently sits on the board of The Grand Cinema in Tacoma, WA.

Jp Avila is a creative problem-solver; he starts with big picture strategic-thinking and then rolls up his sleeves and gets to work. Jp is passionate about building collaborative working groups that bring unique voices and perspectives together to help create stronger results. For over 20 years Jp focused his work in the fields of higher education and design–combining academics, strategic thinking, visual communication, and design to provide opportunities for creative exploration and mentorship of the next generation.

Jp is known for blurring the line between classroom and community through study abroad learning trips, student internships, and community-based learning collaborations.

Jp has been a designer his whole life. As a child he created drawings and designs for print and 3D pieces that told the stories of people and place. He holds degrees from Valparaiso University (BA) and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA) in Visual Communication. It was at SAIC where he learned to blend his expertise in design and journalism to create visual novellas as part of his research on non-linear narrative structures.

He has written articles and presented lectures on comics, sustainable design practices, departmental leadership, and podcasting. He provides consultations to universities for departmental reviews and strategic planning.

Jp has served on various boards and committees relating to the arts, culture, equity, diversity, and educational policy. He currently serves as chair for the Board of the Directors of Hilltop Artists. He served nine years as chair of the Department of Art & Design at Pacific Lutheran University.

Jp has called the Pacific Northwest home for 16 years.