Jocko Sims continues to cultivate a career on screen that has spanned 20 years, but he’s also recently stepped behind the camera, having written, directed and produced his short film, Grown, which won the jury prize at this past SXSW festival (2023), and other accolades at the American Black Film Festival and SeriesFest, where he won best writer, and the audience comedy award. Sims recently partnered up with 50 Cent and G-Unit to turn Grown into a series, and it’s currently in development.

As an actor, Sims recently starred in NBC’s hit medical drama, New Amsterdam, where he played the charismatic Dr. Floyd Reynolds, the head of the cardiac surgical department. He also recently wrapped filming the first season of the Hulu series, How To Die Alone, a comedy from Natasha Rothwell, where Sims plays Rothwell’s former love interest and her current boss, as they navigate the chaotic world of New York’s JFK airport. How To Die Alone is set to premiere fall 2024.

Sims’ first series was a lead role opposite Dennis Hopper in the Starz original series Crash, which aired for two seasons. From there he went on to play Lt. Carlton Burk for five seasons in the TNT network hit, The Last Ship.

Before gracing television screens, Sims acquired his B.A. in theater from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. Soon after, he had roles in films such as Dreamgirls, Jarhead, and Dawn of The Planet of the Apes.

Sims’ garnered acclaim for his portrayal of Robert Franklin in Showtime’s Masters of Sex opposite Michael Sheen, Lizzy Caplan and Caitlin Fitzgerald, and he has also recurred or guest starred on several television shows, including Grey’s Anatomy, Franklin & Bash, Castle, NCIS, Burn Notice, Bones and I’m Dying Up Here.

Philanthropically, Jocko recently was named an ambassador to Hidden Heroes, alongside Tom Hanks and Savannah Guthrie, established by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which recognizes and supports the more than 5.5 million Americans voluntarily caring for a wounded, ill, or injured service member or veteran at home.

Additionally, Jocko has started his “More Black Doctors” initiative that will work to raise awareness of the importance of increasing the number of black doctors in America’s healthcare system, and will help to raise scholarship funds for Black medical students across the country. To learn more, visit MoreBlackDoctors.org.

Dr. Fergus is a board-certified professional in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, currently serving as the Director of Clinical Lipidology in the Division of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disparities at Mount Sinai. Her expertise lies in Preventative Cardiology, specifically focusing on Lipids and Hypertension, Women’s Heart Disease, and Cardiovascular Health Advocacy.

With an active engagement in professional organizations, Dr. Fergus holds significant roles such as the past President of the Westchester board of the American College of Cardiology and past president of the Association of Black Cardiologists. She is also a dedicated member and the past President of the Jack and Jill of America Foundation.

Beyond her professional commitments, Dr. Fergus passionately advocates for health equity and cardiac disease prevention. Her impactful contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Luminary Award from the American Heart Association, the Community Service Award from the Heart Valve Society of America, Young Black & Gifted, and Community award from Delta Sigma Theta in 2023. In addition, she has been featured on numerous publications and broadcasts, including “Here and Now” with Sandra Bookman on ABC.

Barbara A. Hutchinson, MD, PhD is a renowned cardiologist who is the President of Chesapeake Cardiac Care, an adult cardiology practice, headquartered in Bowie, Maryland. Patients from all over the world seek her out; they’ll get on a plane in the morning, have an appointment with her that includes expedited one-day test results, and then get back on a plane later that evening.

One of the few doctors in the United States who is board certified in both cardiovascular disease and sleep medicine, Dr. Hutchinson is also a noted speaker on heart disease in women and how sleep affects heart health. Born in Trinidad & Tobago, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of the West Indies. Upon graduation, she moved to the United States, and earned a Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Pharmacology from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Not one to rest on her laurels, she followed up her Ph.D. by earning her M.D. and completing a Fellowship in Cardiology at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland.

Aside from her credentials and expertise, Dr Hutchinson brings compassion and warmth into every exam room for the benefit of patients. Her reputation for extraordinary care is a result of taking time to educate patients on their medical condition, explain test results, and detail the follow-up care that is needed.

Among her many awards and recognitions, Dr. Hutchinson is one of the Top 50 Women to watch in Maryland, Top 100 Women in Maryland 2014, 2016, and 2020, Brava Award winner, an Enterprising Woman of the Year Award Winner, member of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board, member of Women Presidents Organization and Past President of the Association of Black Cardiologists. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and she was appointed to the Cardiovascular Examination Writing Committee for the American Board of Internal Medicine.

As a way of giving back, Dr. Hutchinson mentors students and residents considering a specialty in cardiology by having them spend time gaining firsthand experience in her practice.

She serves on several nonprofit boards including Girl Scouts of Central Maryland and Heart Health Foundation.

Thomas Cunningham IV is a 30-year veteran as a producer of television and live events across the globe. He has coordinated and produced programs for Black Entertainment Television (BET), as well as the Zain Africa Challenge, which aired in eight countries across the continent. As a manager for Montell Jordan, he coordinated tours nationwide and abroad.

With the emergence of digital media, he found himself tapped as a frequent contributor to HuffPost Live, where he logged more than 60 appearances. He has appeared on TV One’s Unsung, and brought his baritone voice to the drama To Hell and Back on the same network.

Cunningham graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Florida A&M University. His writing has appeared in a number of national publications on a wide range of creative and political topics. He was honored to lend his design acumen as editor of his fraternity’s national publication, The Kappa Alpha Psi Journal. He also advises non-profits on digital and web branding. Launched in 2020, Cunningham co-hosts a weekly podcast centered on current events and political commentary from an unapologetically Black perspective called Steel Sharpens Steel. He is developing several new projects, including: a reality program, a short film based on one of his stories, and a pilot his team hopes to bring to air in the near future.