The Inspired Word Staff

     

    Founder: Mike Geffner

    Inspired Word founder/producer Mike Geffner is a longtime journalist who has published thousands of stories in countless major publications, including USA Today, Details Magazine, The Sporting News, Cigar Aficionado, Texas Monthly, and The Village Voice. He’s interviewed everyone from former President Nixon to Kareem Abdul Jabbar to Forest Whitaker to Derek Jeter, and his work has been acknowledged seven times by the annual anthology The Best American Sports Writing. He was named Best Sportswriter in New York City by New York Press in 1990 and awarded 1st Place for Profile Writing by The Society of Professional Journalists (NJ) in 2000. You can follow him all over social media @InspiredWordNYC.

    Assistant Director Emeritus: Marvin Mendlinger

    Marvin Mendlinger was the original Assistant Director of The Inspired Word, holding the position from 2010-2019. A renaissance man who worked as a Wall Street investigator as well as rancher and dance dj, Mendlinger loves his coffee and corned beef sandwiches and is a connoisseur of fine wines and classic cars.

    Booking Manager/Artist Liaison: Ellara Chumashkaeva

    Ellara Chumashkaeva is a jack of all trades with seven years of experience working as a business operations specialist with expertise in sales enablement, data and business analytics, operations management, and technologies administration, implementation, and integration. She has diverse industry experience, working on projects such as the ArtBat Festival, for companies like the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, and currently working as a Sales Enablement Coordinator at an MGA company. She has completed her BBA in Computer Information Systems, released songs across various platforms, has won poetry award at GWU, been published in Boulevard magazine, as well as been shortlisted for chapbook poetry prize at Frontier Poetry. Ellara is part of duo “Blinders,” formed with her husband Brewster. They have been playing together since either of them called themselves musicians. They appeared on major stages around New York, such as Pete’s Candy Store, The Starr Bar, The Bitter End, and Brooklyn Music Kitchen.