A benchmark study on the nonprofit careers of next generation arts and cultural leaders in California, conducted by research economist Ann Markusen, Markusen Economic Research Associates and commissioned by the Center for Cultural Innovation for The James Irvine Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Alongside her work within museums and nonprofits, she is an advocate and organizer within the Filipinx American creative community. Her most recent contributions to the Filipinx American community have been her exhibitions: Walking in the Sun at Human Resources, Los Angeles (May 2019), Trabaj/ho: Resistance of a Colonial Imprint at the Carnegie Art Museum, Studio Gallery in Oxnard, CA (October 2019 – January 2020), and Mahalaga at the Music Center in Los Angeles (October 2020).
Jennelyn was born in the Philippines, raised in the Pacific Northwest and is currently based in Ventura County.
She is also a seasoned business and economics journalist who profoundly understands the impact of financial disparities and systemic inequality. Her strong desire to align her passions with her career has led her to transition into the impact space. Nyia has successfully led initiatives aimed at disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline and advancing economic and racial equity in Latin America through narrative change.
Before joining CCI, she was Cheddar News Executive Producer for Special Projects. She has also reported and produced content for CGTN and Associated Press. Nyia has an M.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and a B.A. in American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
Most recently they were a Programmer at Chicken & Egg Films, a non-profit for documentary filmmaking. While at C&E they specialized in grantee selection, creative development of supported films, and designing filmmaker labs. They also shaped strategic programmatic initiatives, including the Theory of Change and expanding support for trans and nonbinary filmmakers. Prior to C&E, they built a strong foundation in justice-oriented work as a Legal Assistant to Jim Chanin, a Bay Area-based civil rights attorney. They have also held roles at A24 and Cinetic Media.
Will received their B.A.s in Film and Political Science from UC Berkeley and their M.A. in Film and Media Studies from Columbia University. They are passionate about repertory film, mutual aid and queer literature.
Melba’s art praxis focuses on the body as a site for joy, pleasure and liberation expressed through performance, modeling, video art, installation, and fiber arts. In 2024 they directed their first short film, “Mi Ofrenda,” which won first place in the CBS Leadership Pipeline Challenge. She has performed at LACE and Human Resources, and led art activations with Pacoima Beautiful and 11:11 Collective and worked as a teaching artist helping young filmmakers of color discover their voice. She recently participated in Self-Help Graphics Printmaking Atelier, producing a print for the Pachucxs Revisited show at the Cal State Northridge Galleries. Melba weaves their varied knowledge together to create space for historically excluded voices in the arts and the world at large.
Leeann has more than fifteen years of experience in the nonprofit industry and state government in various positions—from a regional arts organization, the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state arts agency, and two nonprofit museums—focused on grantmaking to organizations and individuals, program and budget management, and community development. In addition, she has worked as a grant writer, organizational strategy consultant, and grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, Nebraska Arts Council, and Creative West (formerly WESTAF).
Leeann holds an M.M. from Southern Methodist University/HEC Montréal in International Arts Management and a B.A. from American University in Foreign Language (Spanish) & Communications Media. In her spare time, she is a board member for Jefferson Street Center and a fiber and embroidery artist.
In his latest roles at the California Endowment, Culver City Arts Foundation, and in his work supporting Mastercard’s grantmaking initiatives, he has collaborated with many creatives to enhance economic development. He is an advocate for the idea that art, as a tool for social change and community inclusion, as well as local art, is a driver of economic growth and community-focused development.
Ikhsan has a Business degree with a concentration in Social Impact. He is a fitness enthusiast.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Brian is a first-generation Vietnamese American with a deep connection with the Los Angeles art community and beyond. He has collaborated with a range of organizations for programming including QNA, Compton G.IRLS Club, KCRW, KCHUNG, Insomniac & Secret Project, BlackStar, and Visual AIDS among others.
Brian received his B.A. in Studio Art from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has broad personal interests in queer advocacy, music, fashion, and food.
Nadia received her A.A. in History, Humanities, and Social & Behavioral Sciences from Pasadena City College and her B.A. in History from California State Polytechnic University Pomona. In her free time, he enjoys reading and experimenting with new recipes & cooking techniques.
Jessica has an M.Ed. in Education, Policy, and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Anthropology and French Studies from Smith College (Northampton, MA).
Stephanie joins CCI with over twelve years of experience, moving resources, stewarding programs, and developing and overseeing complex initiatives. She most recently served as the Director of Community Fund Design at the Movement Strategy Center, a movement-support philanthropic intermediary. While at MSC, Stephanie worked to shift power dynamics in philanthropy and redistribute power and wealth to frontline and grassroots groups advancing systems-level change. Prior to Movement Strategy Center, she led artist resourcing initiatives at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where she managed two of the nation’s first guaranteed income programs for artists, a national artist-led giving circle, and collaborated on a research initiative exploring the intersection of art and public health.
Stephanie received her B.S. from University of Oregon in Public Relations and has deepened her commitment to resource mobilizing over the years — having worked with organizations like Allied Media Projects, Afrotectopia (NYU Tisch School of Arts), Levis, and Rosie the Riveter Trust. In her creative time, she’s a practicing ceramist and textile weaver.
Cate has an M.A. in peace and development studies from the University of Limerick (Limerick, Ireland) and a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from Hollins University (Roanoke, VA).
