Mandi Bedbury - New

Mandi Bedbury is a Project Management Professional (PMP), business strategist, and performing artist who helps organizations and individuals leverage creativity for growth. As the founder of Stage Your Change, she designs and facilitates workshops on leadership, communication, and team dynamics, using acting and improv techniques to enhance professional development. Her programs have empowered executives, professionals, and creatives to build adaptability, confidence, and collaboration skills.

With a background spanning operations, marketing, and business development, Mandi consults with companies and creative organizations to improve project management, team engagement, and strategic execution. She specializes in operational design, program development, and brand storytelling, helping businesses streamline workflows and connect more effectively with their audiences.

In addition to her consulting work, Mandi has been a writer, director, and performer for over a decade, appearing in film, television, improv, and stage productions in New York and Minneapolis. She has worked on projects such as Across the Universe, Celebrity Ghost Stories, (Mis)placed, and Fun-Raiser and is currently performing with the Rusty Nails, Ask a an Astro-Physicist and the Improvised Movement Project.

As a strategic leader in the arts community, Mandi is a member of the Minneapolis Arts Commission and is currently developing a low-cost rehearsal space for performing artists in downtown Minneapolis. This initiative aims to support filmmakers, playwrights, and creatives by providing accessible resources to bring their work to life.

Whether working with corporate teams, nonprofits, or creative entrepreneurs, Mandi blends strategy, storytelling, and leadership development to drive meaningful change.

mandibedbury.com

Jacelyn Penée Rainere Johnson - New

Jacelyn Penée Rainere Johnson is an award-winning actress, producer, casting director, writer, and director from Minneapolis, Minnesota, by way of Los Angeles. She is known for telling bold, character-driven stories about complex, imperfect people, utilizing experimental techniques to explore psychological states, somatic experiences, and sexuality. While she creates across multiple mediums, filmmaking remains her most fulfilling craft.

As the CEO, Founder, and Creative Director of JahPenée Productions (JPP)—a Los Angeles & Minneapolis-based Film/TV Production Company—Jacelyn has made a significant impact in the industry by providing pre-to-post production services, creative consulting, and casting services.

Notable Projects & Achievements: Creator & Producer of The Transformation Code – a talk radio show and podcast hosted by LeBrent Speed, which will be expanding into a talk show format. 2024 L.A. Short Film Festival Award Winner (Sci-Fi/Thriller) for FETISH: The Senator & The Ramp (2023) – a gripping short film she wrote, produced, and directed, exploring the moral dilemmas of a man controlled by a sinister AI. Director & Producer of WeNextArtists (2021) – a feature documentary spotlighting an underrepresented music scene in East Side Saint Paul, Minnesota. Casting Director for a COVID-19 Hulu commercial (2022). Co-Producer of We Wear The Mask (2023) – a podcast and vlog delving into the hidden layers of identity. Producer, Casting Director & Talent Wrangler for The Mask, which aired on The CW (2023 Fall Season).

Beyond film and television, Jacelyn is the driving force behind 42Music, an independent boutique music label and publishing company specializing in Afrofusion/AfroPop.

In the literary space, Jacelyn is developing multiple television series exploring LGBTQ+ themes and mental health, aiming to ignite familiarity in the human experience across all genders and sexual identities. Jacelyn is a member of several industry organizations, including: Organization of Black Screenwriters, Women of Color Unite, Black Lens & Pens Screenwriting Group, MN Women in Film & Television (MN WIFT) – highlighted as a Featured Female Filmmaker (2021)

She is also a recipient of the Creative Arts Individual Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and serves as a grant reviewer. Her acting performances have garnered awards at various film festivals, and she has made her mark at industry events such as the Pan African Film Festival, Hollywood Film Festival, and Black Hollywood Film Festival.

Connect with Jacelyn

● Instagram: @jahpenee

● Production Company: @jahpeneeproductions

Joyce Lacey - New

Joyce Lacey brings a passion for storytelling to her work, focusing on directing and producing documentaries, industrials, and public service announcements. Her current projects include The African American Submarine Experience and A True Horror Story: Kidnapped, Trafficked, Isolated & Drugged by Abusive, For-Profit, Fraudulent Guardianships and Conservatorships. She also produces a weekly program for The Now Network and The Daily Gospel Network.

Previously, Joyce contributed to numerous films, including Fargo, A Simple Plan, A Serious Man, Mighty Ducks I, II & III, Jingle All the Way, Grumpy Old Men, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and more. While primarily working as a background artist, she also assisted with craft services and extras casting check-in. She was credited in Beautiful Girls and worked on In the Line of Duty films and the In An Instant series.

In television, she served as Assistant to the Executive Producers of Let's Bowl on Comedy Central and produced multiple shows for Northwest Community Television, including No Excuse for Abuse, which aired for several years.

Joyce’s theatrical experience includes Off-Broadway performances in Fiddler on the Roof (Tzeitel), Death of a Salesman (Linda), A Doll's House (Nora), and Cheaper by the Dozen (Nora). She has also appeared in commercials for Prairie St. John's, Reflections Bridal, Turn Your Knob to BOB, Cal Spas, Mall of America, and an Armed Forces campaign.

She holds degrees from Minnesota State Fergus Falls, the University of Minnesota Morris, and LB Seminary. Outside of entertainment, Lacey actively engages in community service as Vice President of Community Engagement for the Navy League of the United States Minnesota Council, a board member for the Ambassadors of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, Director of the June Lynne Lacey Foundation, and a Steering Committee member for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

Her work has been recognized with honors including the Eleven Who Care KARE 11 Award, WCCO & Women's Expo Volunteer of the Year Award, KSTP & Sun Country Airlines Everyday Hero Award, St. Paul Saints Community Service Award, Minnesota State Fair Fifty Year Award, Marquis Who's Who, and Law 2.0 Conference Outstanding Leadership Award. Lacey is also a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Barnes & Noble Best-Selling Author.