Scott has had a rich career as an award-winning writer, novelist, a produced playwright, an essayist, columnist and features writer, educator, and a film and television writer. Before he became a full-time writer and educator, Scott was a salesman, as well as a professional drummer who drummed with Bo Diddley, among many other musicians. Scott has authored two novels, “The Year That Trembled” and “Vengeance Follows,.” both of which take place in a fictional version of Chagrin Falls. The former was named Vermont Book of the Year, Runner-Up & one of 1998’s “Milestones in Fiction” by the Denver Post. He would later be a source-writer and producer of a feature film based on “The Year That Trembled.” Scott would go on to earn four first-place international film festival awards for his role in the film, including the 2002 Midwest Filmmaker of the Year from the Cleveland International Film Festival.. His adaptation of his novel was produced as a stage play twice at Cleveland’s University School, in 2003 and 2013. His college alma mater, Hiram College, where he delivered the commencement address in 2001, named him along with thirteen others as their “Most Illustrious Alumni.” He has also been recognized as the 1992 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Bernard J. O’Keefe Scholar in Nonfiction and the 1998 Sewanee Writers Conference Walter E. Dakin Fellow in Fiction. “Vengeance Follows” was called “a minor masterpiece of suspense and human nature by The Midwest Book Review, who also called Scott, “A master wordsmith of the first order.” Scott has also earned awards from the Ohio Professional Writers Communication Contest and the Ohio Excellence in Journalism. Currently, he is on the liberal arts faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he teaches screenwriting. Scott recently wrote a feature for ESPN on the Cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship, which ran on SportsCenter the day after the final victory.

David Kravitz is an entrepreneur and inventor who has served in various senior executive, directorship, and advisory positions throughout his career in the life sciences. For over 20 years, his focus has been in the fields of trauma and transplantation medicine, women’s reproductive health, therapeutics adherence, and regenerative medicine. David is a co-inventor of several dozen medical technology patents and is a founder of numerous med tech companies, including Organ Recovery Systems, where he served as Chairman and CEO. In 2004, he was named to Fast Company magazine’s “Fast 50” list of global entrepreneurs/innovators. He presently serves as CEO of Lifeline Scientific, Inc., a company that he co-founded. David has extensive background in mergers and acquisitions, has led companies through international, public, and private institutional financings. Additionally, he has led the development, regulatory approvals, and launches of several global medical technologies, including the market leading LifePort family of solid organ recovery and transport systems. LifePort is a standard of care in clinical transplantation worldwide and has been prominently recognized for its industrial design and engineering. His accomplishments include design excellence awards from the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MDEA Critical Care/Emergency Products category), an exhibition at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Popular Science Magazine’s breakthrough technology BOWN Award, and selection into the permanent Collection of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. David’s medical technology developments in transplantation have been widely studied and published in leading peer reviewed scientific journals including the New England Journal of Medicine. Throughout his career, he has remained active in early childhood education, having founded a Montessori-based preschool in his local community. Also, he is a publisher of books, innovative products, and curriculum in the field of early childhood literacy. David presently serves on the board of directors of several companies in the life sciences.

Dr. Thomas Martinko had a lengthy and decorated military career, which has been followed by heading two separate pediatric units at prestigious universities. Tom earned the rank of Colonel of the Medical Corps of the US Army and was deployed overseas on several occasions including stays in Honduras, Germany, and Afghanistan. During his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, Joint Services Commendation Medal, the Order of Military Medical Merit, the Combat Patch, the Afghanistan Service Ribbon, the Government War on Terrorism Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Reserve Ribbon. Tom has been published and made several presentations on adolescent and sports medicine, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and smoking cessation. He is a member of many medical organizations, including being a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics. Currently, Tom is a Associate Professor and Director of Adolescent Medicine in the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of Florida, which are positions he previously held at the University of South Alabama. Additionally, He has devoted many hours to youth programs, and is an Eucharistic minister. Recently, Tom was keynote speaker of the 2014 Chagrin Falls Memorial Day Program.