Executive Producer: Stan Lathan
Executive Producer: Russell Simmons
Executive Producer: Lee Gaither
Executive Producer: John Irwin
Co-Executive Producer: John Moffet
Co-Executive Producer: Kamilah Forbes
Co-Executive Producer: James Kass
Narrated By: Queen Latifah

Stan Lathan, Executive Producer
Co-founder and CEO of Simmons Lathan Media Group, Steve Lathan is a prolific television and film producer and director. Lathan helped launch several popular television programs, directing the pilots for Martin, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, The Parkers, All of Us, Cedric The Entertainer Presents, and others. Lathan executive produced and directed Cedric the Entertainer and Dave Chappelle in comedy specials for HBO, including Chappelle's noteworthy, "Killin' Them Softly." For PBS, Lathan directed Sesame Street, dance specials with Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Agnes DeMille, Mikhail Baryshnikov and dramatic productions for Great Performances, American Playhouse, The American Short Story, and Wonderworks.

In 1989, Lathan and Russell Simmons partnered to create HBO's Def Comedy Jam series, which launched the careers of some of today's biggest television and movie stars, including Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, and DL Hughley. In 2003, the partnership was honored with their first Peabody Award for the groundbreaking series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO. That same year, Lathan and Simmons produced and Lathan directed Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event. Currently, Lathan and Simmons are executive producers for MTV's hit show Run's House and its spinoff reality series Daddy's Girls.

The recipient of many awards, Lathan has been honored by the Directors Guild of America for his distinguished directing career and contributions to his field.

Russell Simmons, Executive Producer
USA Today recently named Russell Simmons one of the "Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years," calling him a "hip-hop pioneer" for his groundbreaking vision that has influenced music, fashion, finance, television and film, as well as the face of modern philanthropy. From creating his seminal Def Jam Recordings in 1984, to the 2007 publishing of his New York Times best-seller Do You!12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success, Simmons is recognized globally for his influence and entrepreneurial approach to both business and philanthropy.

Giving back is of primary importance to him. In all aspects of life and as chairman and CEO of Rush Communications, Simmons has consistently leveraged his influence in the recording industry as well the fashion, television, financial services, and jewelry sectors to give back. A spiritual person by nature, Simmons also leads the non-profit division of his company, Rush Community Affairs, and its ongoing efforts to empower at-risk youth through education, the arts, and social engagement.

Lee Gaither, Executive Producer
Veteran television programming executive Lee Gaither has distinguished himself as an expert in targeted programming and development for audiences ranging from preschool to primetime. Over the past fifteen years, Gaither has successfully developed programming strategies that span both cable and broadcast television and capitalize on unique business and production models. As executive vice president of Simmons Lathan Media Group, Gaither currently heads all development and production for all content areas, which includes broadcast, cable, syndication, mobile, and broadband.

Before joining Simmons Lathan Media Group, Gaither helped launch and brand Comcast and Radio One's TV ONE lifestyle channel as head of programming. Prior to that, Gaither worked at NBC Entertainment as vice president, teen and family programs. In 2001, Gaither became vice president, primetime programming & strategy at NBC. In addition, he assisted in the programming, strategy, and synergy for NBC's acquisition of Telemundo, Mun2, Pax, Bravo, and Universal Studios. Gaither has also held positions at ABC, Disney Channel, Fox, and USA Networks.

John C. Moffet, Co-Executive Producer
John Moffet is a three-time Emmy Award winning producer. In his formative years, Moffet was a two-time Olympic swimming team member and a world record holder.

John Moffet's first introduction to entertainment was through Bud Greenspan, a legendary documentarian who wanted to cover his story as a champion swimmer leading up to the 1984 Olympics in the film 16 Days of Glory. During the filmmaking process, John was so inspired by Bud's mentoring that he decided to work in television, soon producing his own series of instructional swimming videos titled, From the Fast Lane. This entrepreneurial spirit led to writing for the Discovery Channel and later, serving as director of the syndicated television series Hard Copy. As trends in television began to shift, John set out to work on one-hour specials, eventually producing, directing and writing topics ranging from VH1's Behind the Music to ABC's World's Deadliest Sea Creatures. His favorite project was a documentary for ESPN about a forgotten African-American football player named Fritz Pollard. After the show aired, Fritz was posthumously elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For seven seasons John served as producer and later supervising producer on the groundbreaking series The Amazing Race, recipient of three primetime Emmy Awards.

Kamilah Forbes, Co-Executive Producer
Kamilah Forbes is the artistic director of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival (HHTF), a non-profit presenter of new theater written by hip-hop generation artists through the lens of the urban cultural aesthetic. Since 2000, she has curated the HHTF, which is presented annually in New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Forbes has produced several works for both television and theater, most notably, four seasons of the Peabody Award winning series, Russell Simmons' Presents Def Poetry on HBO. As a playwright, Ms. Forbes penned "A Rhyme Deferred," a work often noted as one of the first examples of the hip-hop theater genre. Optioned for film, "A Rhyme Deferred" toured across the country over five years and was published in the TCG anthology, The Fire this Time.

Forbes' directing credits include several plays that have toured nationally and internationally. She also served as assistant director for the fifty-one city national tour of Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadway.

James Kass, Co-Executive Producer
Originally from New York, award-winning writer James Kass is the founder and executive director of Youth Speaks Inc. Since founding Youth Speaks in 1996, James has helped set a standard for creative writing, poetry, and spoken word programs for youth, facilitating well over 5,000 workshops to over 400,000 participants in high schools, universities, community-based organizations, public library systems, juvenile detention centers, and youth service agencies throughout the United States and abroad.

James created the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival in 1998, and helped launch over 44 spoken word programs across the country, including co-founding Youth Speaks NY in 1999 (now called Urban Word NYC), Youth Speaks Seattle, Youth Speaks Hawai'i, Youth Speaks Wisconsin, Nashville Youth Speaks, Youth Speaks Twin Cities, Youth Speaks Sacramento and more.

He has been featured in media across the nation, including Poets & Writers, the New York Times, Seventeen Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, CNN, ABC, Nightline, Source, Vibe and National Public Radio. James founded Youth Speaks while pursing his MFA at San Francisco State University, after having been in the classroom as a public school teacher for five years. He is currently working on a memoir about the last 12 years with Youth Speaks.

Queen Latifah, Narrator
Queen Latifah is a musician; television and film actress; a label president; an author and entrepreneur. Blessed with style and substance, Queen Latifah has blossomed into a one-woman entertainment conglomerate.

From her ground breaking 1989 debut All Hail the Queen, which set the visual and contextual standard for female rappers, to her bold foray into R&B, Latifah continues to define what a woman in the music industry should be. Her first television series, Living Single, was a huge success and is currently in syndication. And she has played a number of memorable roles on the big screen, from her debut in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, to Beauty Shop, which she also produced, to her Oscar-nominated role in Chicago.

She also owns and operates Flavor Unit Entertainment, an up-and-coming film production company based in New Jersey. Latifah serves as co-chairman for the Lancelot H. Owens Scholarship Foundation, providing scholastic opportunities for bright children with limited financial resources.