CELESTE LADD is a longtime Seacoast resident who now lives in York, Maine, with her husband and five-year-old son. She works in higher education as a grant writer and fundraiser and spends her free time with her family, practicing ceramics, or gardening. Celeste spent many years working in Portsmouth’s arts community and counts the opening of 3S Artspace among her proudest accomplishments.

EVAN MALLETT is the chef and owner of Black Trumpet in Portsmouth, New Hampshire—an acclaimed restaurant dedicated to building a resilient community around local food, sustainability, and social justice. A six-time James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for Best Chef: Northeast, Evan has also earned a national Beard nomination for Best Hospitality.

Beyond the kitchen, Evan has served on the boards of Chef’s Collaborative, Slow Food Seacoast, and Cultivate—a nonprofit he co-founded to support local food and culture initiatives such as BIPOC Fest and Farm-a-Q. He is also the author of the award-winning cookbook Black Trumpet: A Chef’s Journey through Eight New England Seasons (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2016).

During the pandemic, Evan converted the Black Trumpet kitchen into a production space twice a week to prepare meals for food-insecure families across southern New Hampshire and Maine. In spring 2025, he launched a culinary program at Great Bay Community College to help revitalize the local hospitality industry. He lives in southern Maine with his wife, Denise.

CYNTHIA WHITCOMB is a devoted mother of two and proud grandmother of six. She has built a successful career as an Executive Secretary since college and has also developed expertise in cosmetics and skin care. A lifelong figure skater with over 20 years of experience, she took part in Skating With The Stars at Strawbery Banke for two consecutive years. Dancing is another of her passions—she believes movement is the key to joy and vitality.

ELISA WINTER HOLBEN is the Founding Principal of Winter Holben architecture + design, a multidisciplinary studio based in Kittery, Maine. Passionate about all forms of design, her work spans architecture, interiors, and experiential graphic design—blending these disciplines into award-winning environments across the nation and locally, including community destinations such as 3S Artspace, the Seacoast Science Center, Rice Public Library, and Strawbery Banke Museum. Elisa also recently opened 3 Walker Contemporary, a gallery located in the studio’s new building in the heart of Kittery Foreside, created to celebrate art and design as an extension of the firm’s work. For Elisa, design is a tool for connection—bringing people together, fostering creativity, and strengthening communities.

CHRIS DIXON is a visionary footwear designer and founder of Cnstnt:Dvlpmnt, blending luxury aesthetics, cultural storytelling, and community-driven design. With years of experience including Timberland and beyond, he has crafted iconic products, led collaborations, and built creative programs that inspire the next generation. His work merges premium materials, bold narratives, and innovative details—always with purpose, soul, and constant development at the core.

MI LEGGETT is a New York–based fashion designer and founder of the anti-waste, gender-free label Official Rebrand. A former food justice advocate with a background in sustainable agriculture and art, they transform discarded textiles into upcycled collections shown at New York and Berlin Fashion Weeks and international galleries. Their collaborations include SoundCloud, HBO, Nike, and Oatly. Leggett was the winner of the debut season of Upcycle Nation, a design competition TV series celebrating innovation in sustainable fashion, and was named a CFDA “One to Watch.” They also lecture at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and serve on the board of the ethical fashion marketplace Sellery. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue Italia, WWD, and more.