Art has been a part of Amanda Kazemi's life since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Like many young artists, she loved drawing characters from her favorite shows, like Sailor Moon and Pokemon. She also loved making her own characters and creating fun stories about them. She was fortunate enough to have art classes throughout grade school that became her place of solace and self-expression. When she began her college career, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in the arts, to keep creating while also sharing her love of art with others. After landing a job teaching students art at an after-school program, she soon realized that art education was going to be part of her life-long journey. Seeing the excitement and passion on students’ faces and watching their progress as artists reminded her of her own artistic passion. It was also a reminder that art is a skill, like any other, that must be nurtured, encouraged, and continuously practiced. Even as an adult with her MFA in Drawing, Amanda is still growing as an artist every day and learning new techniques to elevate her work. Now as a busy gallery artist, Amanda still makes room to teach young artists how they too can pursue their creative dreams. In her classes, Amanda teaches students that art is a muscle that they have to train. From hand-eye coordination to being able to honestly observe from life, art is a continuous evolution. She knows that smaller victories lead to larger successes, and every little creative victory along the way deserves recognition. And above all else, she encourages mistakes. If an artist can make mistakes and still will themselves into creating, the journey to creative success takes care of itself.

Kaitlyn Lancaster is an experienced, award-winning comic artist with several self-published titles to her name. She holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design with an emphasis in Illustration from CSU Fresno. Since 2013, she has been professionally teaching comics and anime/manga classes to artists of all ages, ranging from 1-on-1 elementary sessions to college-level classrooms. Kaitlyn is deeply passionate about enabling individuals to experience the confident joy of translating their ideas onto paper and witnessing their worlds come to life. She is active on the comic convention circuit and runs her own small business pursuing her childhood dream of bringing her stories, worlds, and characters to life. She had to grind to make it a success, and she longs to make it a little easier with the next generation of young dreamers by sharing all the secrets she’s learned along the way. She knows that there is no such thing as a "bad" art style and asserts that anyone can draw if given the opportunity. In her classes, Kaitlyn guides her students in developing the styles they enjoy, whether it's honing their own signature style or exploring new techniques. Beyond her artistic pursuits, Kaitlyn enjoys studying foreign languages and practicing martial arts to keep both her mind and body active.

Juni Frio is a self-taught freelance character concept artist who has contributed to a number of blockbuster video game titles, from Diablo IV and Cyberpunk to Shadow of the Tombraider, Silent Hill, and The Last of Us. Driven by his passion for character design and his drive to improve his skills, he made his way into the video game industry in 2016, and board game industry in 2020. He is a passionate video gamer himself, and keeps his creative inspiration alive around nature, camping, and traveling to other countries to learn different cultures. Juni’s art specializes in fantasy, sci-fi, and realism, and is always churning out fresh, imaginative ideas. Juni prides himself on his meticulous and comprehensive knowledge of concept art and illustration fundamentals and advanced techniques. He is excited to give back by sharing what he's learned with younger artists to help them see dramatic improvements in their creative skillset and nurture their wild imaginations.

Artist and Educator Daniel Grissom taught Humanities subjects in schools around the world for over 15 years, studying and refining the proven methods that engage kids in deep learning. With a couple of Bachelors degrees and a Master’s in Education, Daniel is a teacher for life. But Daniel comes to the art world from a different angle—he wasn’t a lifelong artist. In fact, he knows what it’s like to lose your creative spirit, having abandoned his own love of art in middle school. He experienced firsthand how the world can stifle a child’s creative potential. It wasn’t until 20 years later, that he took a comic art class on a complete whim and rediscovered his love of art and all its life-changing benefits. Meanwhile, in the classroom where he had been teaching English, literature, and foreign languages, he was observing the same story unfolding over and over again—students losing their creative spark way too early, just like him. His students stopped reading, stopped being curious, and stopped wanting to learn, at the same age they stopped making art. Art, he realized, is the key to preserving a child's naturally curious and creative spirit. So in 2022, he left the traditional school system and founded Kids Cartoon Academy with one goal in mind--to preserve the creative spirits of children before it's too late. In just two years, Kids Cartoon Academy has helped thousands of children develop their skills, grow in creative confidence, and embrace a creative life.