Chicago native Matthew A. Cherry is a former NFL wide receiver turned filmmaker who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and the Baltimore Ravens. In 2007 he retired and moved to LA to pursue a career in entertainment. Now, he directs music videos, television, and short films, including "Hair Love," the Academy award-winning short film based on this book. Matthew was named to Paste Magazine 's list of Directors to Watch in 2016. Vashti Harrison is the author-illustrator of the New York Times bestselling books Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History , Dream Big Little One, Little Legends , and Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o. She earned her BA from the University of Virginia with a double major in Media Studies and Studio Art, and received her MFA in Film and Video from CalArts where she snuck into Animation classes to learn from Disney and Dreamworks legends. There she rekindled a love for drawing and painting. Now, utilizing both skill sets, she is passionate about crafting beautiful stories in both the film and picture book worlds.