Well Said! Celebrate Meaningful Storytelling with Stellar

Celebrate Meaningful Storytelling!

Join Stellar Story Company for our inaugural 'Well Said' event. Connect with Stellar's vibrant community and support meaningful change through storytelling. 

AN UNFORGETTABLE AFTERNOON

• While some try to silence certain voices and issues, we place them front and center: Autism, climate change. caregiving. LGBTQ rights, migration. wrongful conviction, and more, 
• Meaningful themes of acceptance, courage, justice, and love
• Six extraordinary emerging storytellers from Stellar's 2025 work with nonprofits and businesses
• Socializing with fellow storytelling enthusiasts before and after the showcase

FOR AN IMPORTANT CAUSE

Proceeds from this event support Stellar’s nonprofit training programs and community workshop scholarships. Help Stellar ensure storytelling education is accessible to everyone, especially nonprofit professionals whose stories are more important than ever.

To make an immediate tax-deductible gift, support Stellar's Shine On Fund managed by the MetroWest Nonprofit Network.

EVENT PROGRAM

 1:00 PM Doors open early for optional socializing. Drinks and snacks will be available to purchase. 

2:00 PM Well Said! showcase hosted by Stellar's Tae Chong and Sophia Garcia

4:00 PM Optional social time to mingle and meet storytellers and others 

EXTRAORDINARY STORYTELLERS

Kate André is an ordained minister with Mennonite Church USA, serving as Pastor of the Mennonite Congregation of Boston. In her free time, she enjoys exploring National Parks with her family and serving as a disc jockey for her musically eclectic preschooler. She also loves a good story!

Kate first told her story at The BTS Center’s 2025 Convocation with coaching from Stellar.

Eileen Bilodeau is a lifelong New Hampshire resident who believes that everyone has a story worth telling. Her own story has been shaped by her service as a U.S. Army veteran, a former law enforcement officer, a wild land firefighter, her experiences as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and a deep love for the natural world. 

Eileen developed her story during a Stellar workshop hosted by Northeast Passage.

James Lucien is a Boston resident who spent 27 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was finally freed on December 7, 2021. Today, James supports other exonerees in rebuilding their lives after long-term incarceration, has a landscaping business, and loves spending time with his family.      

James first performed his story at the New England Innocence Project’s 2024 ‘Voices of the Innocent’ fundraiser with coaching from Stellar.

Gio Mercado was born in Puerto Rico. After moving to New Jersey as a child with his mom and siblings, he pursued his dream of becoming a lawyer. Gio began his legal career at a New York City law firm, then served in the federal government, and now works in biotech. He loves spending time with family and enjoys basketball and reading.

Gio told his story at an Alnylam event honoring Hispanic Heritage Month co-presented with Stellar.

Tara Tonello is the Associate Director of Special Events at Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, where she leads the inspiring Fundraise Your Way program. Tara enjoys singing along to every country song, spending time with her husband and two daughters, and tackling the 50-mile Challenge Walk for Multiple Sclerosis.

Tara shared her story with colleagues at a Boston Children's Hospital workplace event on the theme ‘Embracing Difference.’

Kathryn Whittle enjoys storytelling as a way to express her true voice, and believes stories spark conversation, connection, and a shared sense of humanity. Her curiosity leads her on adventures into nature through travel, hiking, and camping. It also inspires her to explore inner frontiers of the mind and body.

Kathryn developed her story during a Stellar workshop hosted by Follow Your Art Community Studios in Melrose, MA.

GUEST SPEAKER

Deqa Dhalac is a member of the Maine House of Representatives for South Portland's 120th District. In 2021, she became the first Somali-American mayor in the country. A former refugee from Somalia, Deqa is the co-founder of Cross-Cultural Community Services, a member of several community boards in Maine, and a tireless human rights advocate. 

IMPORTANT PARTY DETAILS  (ACCESSIBILITY, PARKING, AND CONTENT)

Accessibility: Artists for Humanity is an ADA-accessible venue. The program will be conducted in English. If you require ASL interpretation or other accommodations, please contact us at info@stellarstory.com in advance, and we will work to meet your needs.

Parking & Public Transit: The Channel Center Garage is located nearby at 116 W. First St., Boston, MA 02127, with access on W. First St. It's a public parking facility and weekend rates apply. The venue is three blocks from the MBTA Broadway station on the Red Line.

Story content & children: While most guests will be over 18, Stellar works in schools and communities and welcomes youth at the event. Some stories may feature mature content, including experiences with bias, healthcare challenges, and wrongful incarceration. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.