André is an oral historian, educator, filmmaker, and community organizer. He founded the Transgender Oral History Project in 2008, and created traveling multimedia historical exhibit about transgender activism in 2009. Since then, he has presented workshops about storytelling and the transgender community numerous universities and conferences. After experiencing housing instability as a youth, Andre went on to help launch El Rescate in Humboldt Park and co-found Project Fierce Chicago, both grassroots transitional housing programs for LGBTQ youth.In 2012, André served as Director and Senior Producer for I Live for Trans Education, a grassroots multimedia curriculum. He worked with a team of 20 transgender community members at varying skill levels to create four documentary shorts and lesson plans. I Live has reached over 15,000 people through online views, installations, live community events, and train-the-trainer sessions at conferences.Between 2012-2015, André recorded over 500 interviews as part of StoryCorps, broadcasting 50 segments on NPR and WBEZ. He sits on the Board of Out at the Chicago History Museum and the Community Advisory Board of the Civil Rights Agenda. His work has been honored by the Trans 100, the Museum of Transgender History and Art, the Association of Independent Radio, and the International Independent Film Awards.André continues to pursue his passion for empowering marginalized communities through media production, leadership development, and creating platforms to share underrepresented stories. Summer of 2016, Pérez premiered Been T/Here, a documentary web series featuring trans people of color that celebrates love, art, and healing in Chicago. André is Director of America in Transition, a documentary web series and community engagement campaign looking at social justice from the perspective of trans people from marginalized communities which is premiering in fall of 2016. Pérez currently serves as Director of Marketing and Communication at Trans Lifeline. When he’s not making media André is riding bikes, flying drones, and eating vegetarian jibaritos in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood.