mYe BEAT Live 5: MakeX Spark Competition MI Kick Off

Joshua Posthuma

Professional Chess Coach

Joshua Posthuma is an International Chess Master, 4x Michigan State Chess Champion, and professional chess coach from Farmington Hills, Michigan. He earned the National Master (NM) title in Chicago at age 15, the FIDE Master (FM) title by scoring 9/9 in the 2018 Michigan Invitational at age 18, and the IM title at the 2022 Saint Louis Norm Congress at age 22. Since graduating high school in 2018, Joshua has been a full-time chess coach. In the past few years, he has grown into one of the biggest chess coaches in the state of Michigan. Many of his students have made it into the US Top 50 for their age, with two even reaching NM. His strategic thinking has brought him success both on and off the chess board. When he’s not playing chess, you’ll find him playing other board games, or out on the disc golf course.

Simone Ispahani

Founder of Social Brew

Simone Ispahani became acquainted with the world at an early age having grown up in Colorado, the Netherlands, Australia and Hawaii. Simone eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she attended Biola University, graduating with a degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and a minor in Biblical Studies. Being biracial and growing up around a diverse array of cultures, Simone was gifted with a unique understanding of the world and a deep seeded desire to help humanity. In college, she first learned about the issue of human trafficking when an expert speaker on modern day slavery challenged her to join the fight. With a newfound perspective, she started to learn as much as she could about the issue eventually leading her to launch Social Brew in October of 2021. Social Brew is an e-commerce coffee company which donates 50% of profits between two non-profit partners to aid in the fight against human trafficking. Simone’s greatest hope for Social Brew is to cultivate a community that creates a place where trafficking victims are seen, known, loved, and given practical tools that help them take back their lives. In her free time, Simone enjoys sipping coffee at one of her favorite local spots in Santa Monica. She also likes hanging out with her senior dog, Max, painting, baking to feed her sweet tooth, listening to vintage vinyl recordings, and spending time with family and friends.

SQ Mah

Google AI Engineer

SQ studied Electrical Engineering Computer Sciences, and Business Administration at UC Berkeley, and now works as an AI engineer at Google, working on large language models. He has been recognized as Hong Kong’s Young Scientist and Mathematician of the Year, built AI solutions for some of Hong Kong’s largest institutions like the train system, and received second place on the Vesuvius Challenge, an AI competition to read ancient scrolls for which he won $50,000.

Ahron Wayne

X-Ray Engineer

Ahron is a unicycling juggler that happens to do some science and engineering on the side. With a background in biochemistry, biomedical imaging, and 3D printing materials research, Ahron most recently gained infamy for showing the world that one could look inside a pack of Pokemon cards, without opening it, using an x-ray CT scanner purchased on Ebay. You can try to speak to him in Mandarin, but be warned: he learned by watching Peppa Pig (小猪佩奇).

Austen Brantley

Self-Taught Sculptor

Austen Brantley is a self-taught sculptor from Detroit, Michigan. He discovered his affinity for sculpting during his junior year at Berkley High School. There, Brantley was inspired and encouraged by his ceramics teacher, who saw Austen’s talent for molding beauty from the clay. After only two years, Brantley began receiving local and statewide recognition. Seeking to hone his craft, Austen has proudly worked as a full-time professional artist since 2014. His work has been presented across the country in numerous solo and group exhibitions including two upcoming 2024 shows: Wounds, solo show at M Contemporary, Detroit, MI (August/September); and TBD two-person exhibition at Indy Art Center, Indianapolis, IN (September/December). As Brantley continues to live and work in Detroit, he has dedicated his career to creating a legacy for future generations. An essential step toward this goal has been his public commissions, including his most recent bronze unveiling: a memorial commemorating the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II for the Office of the City of Detroit. At the same time, Austen completed a larger-than-life design for the new Freedom Monument Sculpture Park at the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including the prestigious Kresge Arts Fellowship in Detroit last year. Austen aims to provide young people with the opportunity to see themselves reflected in art while also subverting the stereotype of toxic Blackness. A powerful representation of the resilience and strength, each artwork and exhibition hopes to reflect shared experience and challenges his onlookers to seek peace, honor, and excellence.