ROSS TAYLOR is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. While at CU Boulder he was a faculty fellow in the Center for Western Civilization, Thought and Policy. Previously, he was a visiting professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the inaugural fellow with the Multimedia Photography and Design Department at Syracuse University.
The photographic portion of the film project has been published worldwide, seen by millions of people. Publications include: The Washington Post, People Magazine, The Daily Mail, BuzzFeed and industry publications such as PetaPixel, FStoppers and Psychology Today. In the spring of 2019, Taylor spoke at TEDxCU about the project.
Taylor has won numerous national and international awards, including Photojournalist of the Year (Large Markets). He’s also been named Northern Photographer of the Year, Virginia Photographer of the Year and North Carolina Photographer of the Year (twice). His work in a trauma hospital in Afghanistan was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
LUKE RAFFERTY is a freelance filmmaker in Philadelphia. He has a passion for visual storytelling, and has traveled to over 35 countries to tell stories and create visuals from around the world. His editorial work has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and CNN, and has been recognized by the National Press Photographers Association and the Hearst Foundation.
Rafferty began his career as a staff photographer for a fire company at age 16, and learned the importance of thoughtful storytelling and the transformative power that comes from empathic images. He now works with organizations worldwide to promote social change through videos; including National Geographic Partners, The Biden for America Campaign, The JetBlue Foundation and 21st Century Fox.