Personal Statement

As both an artist and an administrator, I have focused my artistic career on exploring the intersection of arts and business. I firmly believe that the arts are a vital part of any thriving community – for both the individuals within the community and local businesses – and in order for any arts organization to succeed within its community, its leaders must have a solid understanding of the business world in which they are operating. I have taken a particular interest in the role that technology has come to play in the arts, and in particular how crowd-funding companies like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo have changed the way that individual artists and arts organizations fund their work.

In addition to my work as Producing Director of Whiskey Neat Productions and Company Manger of UrbanTheatre Company in Chicago, I have also worked as the Artistic Intern at First Folio Theatre, an Equity theater in Oak Brook, IL. My experience serving in these various roles has helped me to develop an in-depth knowledge of the arts industry, both from a creative standpoint, and from a business standpoint. In addition to this, I have spent the last two-and-a-half years working at Groupon, where I focused specifically on successfully negotiating merchant claims and developing effective communication platforms through Zendesk (customer service and support ticket software) and GoodData (cloud-based business intelligence software). This experience has given me a unique opportunity to gain excellent experience in lean process flow and communication strategy from a rapidly expanding high-profile public company. 

Given my interest in exploring the role of business within the arts, I am beyond excited to have recently been accepted into the Wisconsin School of Business M.B.A. in Arts Administration program. This program will provide me with the opportunity to continue pursuing my passion of working in the arts, by allowing me to combine my personal creativity and management skills with further technical expertise pertaining to the arts industry. Needless to say, I am grateful to be part of this prestigious program, and very eager to see what the next two years will bring.

Please check this amazing program here: http://bus.wisc.edu/centers/bolz-center-for-arts-administration

 

Administrative Experience

  • Whiskey Neat Productions - Co-founder & Producing Director - (2010 - Present)
  • Groupon - Merchant Escalation Specialist - (2010 - 2013)
  • UrbanTheater Company - Company Manager & Producer - (2010 - 2013)
  • First Folio Theatre - Artistic Intern - (Summer 2011)
  • Blatant Testimony Theater - Producing Artistic Director - (2010 - 2011)

 

For more information about specific responsibilities for each position, please check out my Linkedin Profile or download my Administrative Resume.