RENEW 2023: Audience Regeneration

Joel leads the Snap Foundation, with a mission to develop pathways to the creative economy for underrepresented youth in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Snap, he was Executive Director at 826LA, a non-profit writing and tutoring organization and before relocating to Los Angeles, Joel worked alongside Dave Eggers and Ninive Calegari as the Founding Director of National Programs for 826 National. Previously, Joel was an award-winning educator who taught social studies in the San Francisco Unified School District at Galileo High School, where he coordinated the Advancement Via Individual Determination program and the Academy of Information Technology. He was named Teacher of the Year in 2001 by the students of Galileo High and recieved 826 Valencia’s first-ever Teacher of the Month prize in 2003.

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Alan is a leading researcher and management consultant in the arts and culture sector worldwide. His work focuses on understanding consumer demand for cultural experiences, evaluating support structures for the arts, and helping cultural institutions, foundations and agencies to see new opportunities, make informed decisions and respond to changing conditions. His studies have introduced new vocabulary to the lexicon of cultural participation and propelled the field towards a clearer view of the rapidly changing cultural landscape. He speaks frequently at national and international conferences about audience behaviors, trends in cultural participation, and, most recently, the sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Billy has overseen the development of CultureHub’s artistic, education, and community programs since its inception in 2009. With the CultureHub team, he has curated the annual Media Arts Festival, Refest, which showcases artists working at the intersection of art and technology. In 2013 he directed Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky’s piece Seoul Counterpoint, which premiered at La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre. At the La MaMa Galleria, he co-curated Mediated Motion, an exhibit of works that explored how new media technologies alter human movement and our perception of the body in motion. A graduate of the Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU, Billy has performed and directed in the downtown scene for over 20 years. He is currently a professor at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, has taught at CUNY Hunter College, and has been a guest lecturer at Sarah Lawrence College, Gallatin, and NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. He was chosen as one of the 100 Top Creatives by Origin Magazine in 2015.

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Born in Los Angeles, Eli divides his time between New York City and Los Angeles, where he works as a freelance videographer and photographer for brands, events, and musical artists. He was a 2022 participant in the ASMP Bridge program, and produced the photo series “A Community of Hoops,” about the dedicated group that frequents New York’s iconic West 4th Street basketball court. A graduate of NYU’s Steinhardt School, he recieved a Bachelor of Science degree in Media, Culture, and Communications. After graduating, he worked as a social media editor for Turner Sports as part of the Emmy Award-winning NBA on TNT team, creating content for the NBA.

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Councilmember Hernandez is a community organizer, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, and a lifelong District 1 resident. Born and raised in Highland Park, she led campaigns, coalitions, and commissions that transformed local and statewide policy before running for the LA City Council in 2021. Since taking office, she has prioritized a Care First agenda that focuses on investing in community care, workforce development, social services, and harm-reduction programs that help make our neighborhoods safer and healthier places for all Angelenos.

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Asuka programs for museum and community audiences and organizes special projects with artists distinctively anchored in participatory, experiential, and digital learning. She received the medal of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture; a B.A. from Barnard College; and a National Diploma of Art from the Ecole des Beaux Arts, France.

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Daniel leads the Department’s work to strengthen the quality of life in Los Angeles by stimulating and supporting arts and cultural activities and ensuring public access to the arts for residents and visitors. The Department empowers Los Angeles’s vibrant communities by supporting and providing access to quality visual, literary, musical, performing, and educational arts programming; managing vital cultural centers; preserving historic sites; creating public art; and funding services provided by arts organizations and individual artists. Managing a full-time staff of 104 and a part-time staff of 150, Daniel oversees the Department’s portfolio of facilities, capital improvement projects, grants, educational initiatives, and programming. Daniel previously served as DCA’s Assistant General Manager and has served in several leadership positions with the Los Angeles City Council, City Controller, and City Administrative Officer.

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Allison is an arts administrator, educator, and youth development professional with more than 10 years’ experience creating equitable arts programs for young people across the country. Previously, she managed the High 5 Tickets to the Arts program in NYC, which allocated more than 12,000 arts tickets to local teens annually. As TeenTix LA’s first-ever Program Director, she launched the TeenTix Pass Program in 2021, which now has 1,500 teen participants and more than 20 arts/community partners.

Learn more about TeenTix LA.