Danny Futterman spends a good deal of his time writing film and television scripts (and sometimes acting), and then once a week he actually does something worthwhile: he comes to 826LA in Echo Park and hangs out with Dayanara and Oscar and Nancy and all the rest. He recommends it highly.

Brenna Guthrie is a UCLA graduate and jill-of-all-trades who is currently between jobs. She has been truly enjoying her weekly tutoring/"torture" sessions (we kid!) with the kids at 826LA West. She takes great pleasure in cajoling the students into doing their homework, finding a book to read, and maybe-oh-maybe writing a story, and she has been known to stoop to a bribe or two to get everything done.

In her spare time, Brenna enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and her amazing ten-year-old daughter Maggie (who loves the 826LA workshops). She loves movies, music, reading, and basically anything artistic. Brenna is looking forward to 2010, when she hopes to find a job, teach some awesome workshops at 826LA, and hopefully go back to school to get her Master's in Education and her teaching credential so she can torture middle school English students every day!

Todd Maki's passion for history prompted him to retire from the world of corporate sales and pursue a career as a middle school teacher. He has a Master's Degree in History from Cal State Northridge and is currently working on his teaching credential and Master's of Education at National University. He is always looking for new, creative teaching methods and finds inspiration from the students he tutors. He hails from Chicago but has grown accustomed to the Southern California climate and enjoys daily living without a winter coat or air conditioning. He lives in Venice with his wife (also a historian) and cat. He can frequently be found at the local paddle tennis courts or teaching his niece and nephew the gaming skills to master Lego Star Wars.

Lisa Turallo loves doing math, teaching math, and discussing math with her friends. Hopefully soon she will have a position as a high school teacher so she can pass on the joys of math to her students. Lisa appreciates 826LA for being a fun and inspiring organization, as well as for allowing her to do a small part for her community by helping teachers and students through the in-schools program.

In the past, Lisa has studied Mathematics (BS), American Studies (MA), and Education (MA). In the future, she wants to take classes in Spanish, calculus (again), and woodworking. Lisa spends her time at her Echo Park bungalow in a hammock under her backyard trees. She runs a book club, trains her dog, and DJs. Whenever possible, she dances on rooftops, does yoga in the park, and travels. One day she hopes to own a scooter and take cooking lessons in Italy.