Third Coast artistic director Julie Shapiro has been with the Festival since its inaugural year (2000). Before moving to Chicago, she spent years behind record stores counters before landing in North Carolina to work at the the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, and gain a little radio experience at WUNC-FM. These days, besides Third Coasting, Shapiro teaches radio documentary in Chicago and beyond, keeps a blog about teeth signs, and can occasionally be heard on the public radio airwaves. 

Jonathan Messinger is an author, editor and performer. He's also the book review editor for the weekly arts and entertainment magazine Time Out Chicago and co-publisher of Featherproof Books, a small press in Chicago publishing works of full-length fiction and short stories as their own, lovingly designed mini-books. In 2004 he founded The Dollar Store Show, a monthly literary and comedy show at the venerable Hideout tavern. In 2007 and 2008, Messinger was named to New City Chicago’s Lit 50 list, and in 2005 he was named by UR Chicago as one of the city’s “Top 30 Under 30.” He no longer qualifies.

Sean Hurley lives with his wife and son in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where he contributes regularly to New Hampshire Public Radio, sometimes as himself, sometimes as his alter-ego, "Sherwin Sleeves." His fictional podcast, Atoms, Motion & the Void, has been heard on XM Satellite Radio as well as NHPR and Chicago Public Radio.

Jeffrey Letterly is a real live interdisciplinary artist. In addition to writing music and making sound art, he has danced, acted, made movies, written stories, and created various live and not-live performances. His work has been presented from the midwest to the east coast and in a multitude of locations in Chicago. He is also half of the country-tinged band Urban Inbreed and heads up the multifaceted super group The 11th Hour Orchestra.

David Maxon is a songwriter, sound artist, and audio documentarian living and working in Brooklyn, New York. His work has included audio installations in association with the Brooklyn-based art group Project 1981 and music for several independent films from Chicago-based Mudgeonsoul Productions. He was born and raised in Wisconsin and has a degree from Vermont Law School.

Nina Perry is an independent radio producer, composer, and sound designer from London. She produces features with Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4. Perry has also composed music and sound design for radio dramas, documentaries, theatre, dance, audio books, and film. In 2002 she was BBC Radio Drama Composer-in-Residence.