Meet the Team
The people bringing stories and students together
Join the Team
Author Ambassadors
Story Champions
Our Author Ambassadors help share YA By The Bay with the world spreading the word online, connecting with their communities, and contributing ideas for panels and programming.
Think you'd be a great ambassador?
Apply Here →Student Street Team
The Next Chapter
The YA By The Bay Student Street Team helps spread the word about the festival in their schools and communities. Street Team members also get the chance to work alongside authors during the event, helping with sessions, welcoming guests, and seeing what it's like behind the scenes. It's a great way for students to connect with writers, build leadership skills, and be part of bringing the festival to life.
Interested in joining the Student Street Team?
Apply Here →Meet the Team
The dedicated people who make YA By The Bay possible
Sorboni Banerjee
Founder & President | Story Starter
Sorboni Banerjee created YA By The Bay to connect young readers with the authors behind the books they love. An Emmy television news anchor turned author, she brings a storyteller's heart and a builder's mindset to everything she does. She guides the nonprofit's signature Story Warrior Festival from vision to reality, making sure students leave with skills that can help them hit academic benchmarks and most importantly, see themselves as the authors of their own lives.
Cathy Holbrook
Festival Director | Logistics Wizard
Cathy Holbrook handles every festival detail of the with the precision of a master stage manager, from coordinating schools and schedules to solving a hundred moving parts behind the scenes. An organizational genius and theater director at heart, she approaches every task like a beautifully directed show: thoughtfully staged, perfectly timed, and ready for the spotlight.
Sam Neely
Author Relations Director | Author Whisperer
Sam Neely is an Emmy Award–winning executive producer who brings her deep storytelling instincts and production expertise to YA By The Bay. She oversees author relations, working closely with publishers and writers throughout the application and selection process. From the first inquiry to the final festival panel, Sam is the trusted point of contact who makes sure every author feels supported, informed, and excited to be part of the experience.
Kayla Tirrell
Author Experience Lead | Festival Funmaker
Kayla Tirrell is one of YA By The Bay's alumni authors and now helps create the experience herself. She focuses on making sure authors feel welcomed, supported, and ready to shine, from helping coordinate tables and festival needs to making sure the energy backstage stays joyful and collaborative. Kayla helps ensure that YA By The Bay isn't just a conference… it's a community authors genuinely love being part of.
Kristina Deterding
Marketing Director | Message Amplifier
Kristina Deterding is a news producer turned social media and marketing pro who helps bring clarity and consistency to our messaging and outreach. Kristina turns big ideas into organized action, streamlining systems, strengthening communications, and making sure the right people hear about the work.
Kristina Vividor
Finance Director | Numbers Editor
Money Coach Kris, makes sure the financial side of YA By The Bay runs smoothly. She oversees the organization's finances, including budgeting, taxes, and financial planning, while also leading our Find and Fund Your Dream programming. A personal finance expert and children's author, Kristina helps students understand that money is not just math, it's clarity, confidence, and a tool for building the life they imagine.
Ashley Jennings
Community Outreach & Events | Momentum Driver
Ashley Jennings brings the YA By The Bay community together through unforgettable events that celebrate stories and the people who believe in them. As the creative force behind our signature fundraising gatherings, Ashley designs experiences that turn supporters into participants and partners. Her events blend learning, celebration, and purpose, proving that when the right people come together around a great story, incredible things can happen.
Linda Bond
Media Mentor | Book Broadcaster
Linda Bond is a television news anchor and thriller author who brings her love of storytelling and journalism to YA By The Bay. Linda shares her real-world reporting experience with students, giving them a glimpse of how stories are gathered, verified, and told on the front lines of news.
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