Patricia Hayes Workman

Patricia is an experienced public speaker of over 40 years, inspiring audiences as a Keynote, conference presenter and facilitator. A licensed attorney, she has served in senior leadership roles to a State Senator, Lieutenant Governor, Commissioner of Education and University System Chancellor. She served as the first African American and female Vice Chancellor at the Texas State University System. She is an award winning community leader and hosts a weekly live show online, Coffee Time Career Chat for professionals.

Adriana Pacheco

Adriana Pacheco, PhD, is the founder and producer of the Hablemos Escritoras Podcast, along with its companion website, hablemosescritoras.org, and the online bookstore, Shop Escritoras. She holds a PhD in Iberian and Latin American Literatures and Cultures. Currently, she serves as an Affiliate Research Fellow at the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies and as member and previous chair of the International Board of Advisors at the University of Texas Austin. Among other associations, she is an active member of the Pan American Round Table of Texas in Austin. In 2012, she was recognized as a Featured Author at the Texas Book Festival. Her academic work and book reviews have been published in reputable literary magazines worldwide. She has also edited various critical books and documentaries, aiming to promote literacy and showcase the accomplishments of Iberian, Latin American and Hispanic-heritage women writers from around the world. Born in Puebla, Mexico, Adriana Pacheco, she is a naturalized American citizen.

Hopeton Hay

Based in Pflugerville, he has over 25 years of experience producing and hosting talk shows for
noncommercial radio. He is the founder, host, and producer of Diverse Voices Book Review (formerly
known as KAZI Book Review), a podcast featuring interviews with authors of recently published fiction
and nonfiction. It also airs weekly on KAZI 88.7 FM. He is the co-editor of Austin Noir (May 2023), a
short story collection featuring writers providing a kaleidoscopic view of the city—not just in where they
set the stories, but in their different social, economic, and cultural perspectives.
He is also the founder and producer of the Celebration of Diverse Literary Voices of Texas, an annual
event bringing together writers discussing fiction, nonfiction, and contemporary issues centered on people
of color.

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