JAHA’s Radical Caretakers
TEN:TACLES
Grant Provider: A national initiative centering on advancing trans and nonbinary scholarship is underway, and its roots are in San Francisco. Titled "TEN:TACLES,"Transgender Educational Network, colon, Theory in Action for Creativity, Liberation, Empowerment and Service, it's the brainchild of Susan Stryker, Ph.D., trans studies scholar, author, historian, and city resident.
HALA
Organizer: ‘Heritage Activists and Liberation Artists’; a trans centered collective dedicated to decolonizing art and centering the voices of activist artists, particularly queer, Indigenous, Global South, and Palestinian creators. By fostering joy, resistance, and cultural education, we aim to dismantle colonial narratives and build long-term community resilience and sustainability. For more information visit www.thehalacollective.com
Mama Ganuush
Festival co-Founder & Executive Producer
A trans, Palestinian, and African artist, activist, scholar, and media maker
Mama Ganuush is the visionary behind JAHA, bringing over 18 years in professional marketing and years in trans advocacy, performance, and event curation. They have a long-standing commitment to trans liberation, disability justice, and Indigenous landback movements, working at the intersection of art, resistance, and community-building.
As the festival’s Executive Producer, Mama Ganuush has assembled a team of trans collaborators to bring JAHA to life. Their expertise in large-scale event production, media storytelling, and decolonial art practices is central to JAHA’s mission to amplify marginalized voices in film and public discourse. Learn more about their work at mamaganuush.com.
Kholoud Nasser
Festival co-Founder, & Programming Lead
A trans non-binary theatre artist, licensed psychotherapist, community healer and emerging screenwriter
Originally from Lebanon and now based in Oakland, Kholoud has 17+ years of experience in curating cultural spaces and nearly a decade leading community healing initiatives. Their background as a theatre artist and healer informs their approach to programming that centers trans joy, healing and social justice at the heart of storytelling in all its forms.
Kholoud brings a unique expertise in mental health and community-based arts, ensuring that JAHA’s programming not only showcases films but also creates awareness and healing justice-centered spaces for audiences and filmmakers. They specialize in Drama therapy, diversity issues, and trauma-informed facilitation, bridging film arts and social change.
Zara Ahmed
Impact & Outreach Strategy Lead, Grant Signatory
A trans non-binary impact producer, grant writer and organizational consultant
Zara is a proud trans Pakistani Muslim creator and storyteller with extensive experience across diverse fields such as documentary filmmaking, public school education, nonprofit administration, event production, and small business operations. They are deeply committed to amplifying trans and queer ancestral wisdom through storytelling, healing spaces, and performance.
After graduating from film school, Zara spent seven years teaching after-school programming and developing organizational strategies for the San Francisco-based media arts nonprofit, BAYCAT. In 2016, Zara transitioned to pursue their passion for food, creating and operating Raclette Machine, a cheese-themed food truck. Their next culinary project, Queer Mango, focused on curating pop-up events worldwide, cultivating sacred spaces that celebrate diasporic food, culture, and queerness.
Currently, Zara works as an impact producer, grant writer and organizational consultant. They are also developing a grant-funded cookbook that explores food as a powerful tool for resistance and social change.
Eric A. Stanley
Education Consultant & Curriculum Development
Haas Distinguished Chair in LGBT Equity and Associate Professor at UC Berkeley
Dr. Stanley is one of the most influential scholars in trans studies, queer theory, and radical activism. They hold the Haas Distinguished Chair in LGBT Equity at UC Berkeley and are affiliated with the Program in Critical Theory.
Their groundbreaking book, Atmospheres of Violence: Structuring Antagonism and the Trans/Queer Ungovernable (Duke, 2021), won the Sylvia Rivera Award in Transgender Studies. They have also co-edited two seminal anthologies:
• Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility (MIT Press, 2017)
• Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex (AK Press, 2011/15)
Eric advises on academic engagement and trans scholarship, ensuring JAHA bridges film, activism, and intellectual discourse.
Vic Hogg
Indigenous Rights & Policy Advisor
A citizen of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi and an Indigenous environmental policy leader
Vic holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor’s from Yale University. They are a Senior FPIC Coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), leading Indigenous-led environmental policy initiatives.
At NWF, Vic:
• Partners with Tribes east of the Mississippi
• Leads multiple coalitions to center Indigenous voices in climate justice
Beyond environmental work, Vic is a LGBTQ+ and survivor justice advocate, having co-led the Human Trafficking Leadership Academy, which authored federal recommendations on LGBTQ+ youth trafficking prevention. They also founded a support network for LGBTQ+ Christians, creating safe and affirming spaces. Based in Brooklyn, NY, Vic is deeply involved in queer advocacy, policy change, and community organizing.
Gustavo Gustrava
Communication Advisor
Gustrava is a Brazilian queer chameleon living in Lisbon who uses any pronouns and thrives as a hybrid communication professional. With twelve years of diverse experience, they have worked across multiple fronts including concept and strategy for communication projects and campaigns, creative writing/copywriting, and creative direction. Their expertise extends to consultancy in cultural diversity and social impact projects, branding consultancy, screenwriting, film direction, editorial/PR work, and developing educational programs on strategic communication for content creators. Additionally, Gustrava brings creative direction and production skills to the realm of events.
Gustrava is also deeply engaged as an LGBTQIA+ and human rights activist, holding a Master's in Anthropology focused on the body, queer activism, art, and intersectionality, and constantly weaves connections between these spheres. They are the co-founder and CEO of Pajubá, Diversidade em Rede, a consultancy that views innovation through the lenses of cultural diversity and social impact. Through this role and others, Gustrava has led projects, campaigns, classes, workshops, debates, and lectures for a vast array of clients spanning arts and culture, the creative industry, social organizations, the third sector, and basic industry. Furthermore, they are a co-founder and member of the São Paulo-based artivist collective A Revolta da Lâmpada. Gustrava embodies a dynamic, multi-layered career with many purposeful endeavors flourishing simultaneously.