Hope Greene is the Executive Director of Western Avenue Community for the Arts in Lowell, MA where she maintains a five-building renovated textile mill complex as safe, permanently affordable space for almost 400 artists to make and display their work. Western Avenue Studios & Lofts is a key property in the Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston’s Creative Land Trust. The struggle for reliable artist space has been a theme through Hope’s career and over the years she has worked to establish spaces and advocate for artists. She co-founded Second Saturdays Art Crawl in Dixon, IL, founded and directed the Artist in Residence Program at Christ Church Cathedral in Eau Claire, WI, and has been a contributing writer for the arts and culture magazine Volume One. Hope also works to support artists and cultural grounding as a member of the Executive Committee for Mosaic Lowell, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Copley Society of Art in Boston.

For the past 26 years, Jim Grace has been a leader in the movement to support artists and arts organizations. Jim serves as the Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston and previously served as the Executive Director of the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts. Jim is the founder of the A&BC’s innovative Cultural Land Trust initiative which employs a systems approach to preserving safe, affordable, permanent and more equitable spaces where art is made, rehearsed and shared. Jim is a local and national speaker, leader and educator in working with artists and arts organizations in the areas of public art and social practice art projects, copyright, estate / legacy planning for artists, nonprofit incorporation and mergers, and nonprofit boards. Jim was an adjunct professor for Boston University’s Masters in Arts Administration Program focusing on legal and business issues in arts administration. Jim currently serves on the board of the AIR Institute, a national arts service organization. He was a founding board member of the Arts Services Coalition and the Fort Point Cultural Coalition (the developer of Midway Studios, 89 units of artist live/work space in downtown Boston). He previously served on the boards of Philanthropy Massachusetts, the Private Sector Council of Americans for the Arts, the Brookline Community Foundation and the Friends of The Record Co.

Working at the intersection of arts and business, Jonathan Harwell-Dye is passionate about empowering artists, arts organizations, and creative entrepreneurs with the resources they need to thrive. As director of programs for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, he drives the strategic vision for the organization's key programs providing resources, opportunities, and education to Tennessee's thriving creative sector. With a diverse professional background, Jonathan has held several leadership roles. He served as senior communications manager for a global art and design university, as well as director of communications for a nonprofit arts organization and local arts agency. His creative career began as a graphic artist in the newspaper industry, progressing through roles including online manager, creative director, and editor. Jonathan's educational journey reflects his dedication to both art and business. He holds a B.F.A. in interdisciplinary studies/scientific illustration from the University of Georgia and a certification in creative placemaking from The Ohio State University. He studied business design and arts leadership at the Savannah College of Art and Design, completing graduate-level coursework in business, finance, accounting, and strategic decision-making. Jonathan resides in Nashville, Tennessee with his partner Stacey, an energetic Huskydoodle named Cici, and a dinosaur-obsessed toddler who attacks every day with a roar.

Krys Holmes is executive director of the Montana Arts Council, and has been an arts instigator in Montana for many years. She was executive director of The Myrna Loy, one of Montana's most innovative arts centers, has advised and consulted with numerous arts nonprofits, was an early founder of the Montana Center for the Book, is a published writer and poet, was a jazz/philosophy singer in her wicked youth, and is author of the statewide history book, Montana: Stories of the Land.

Ashanti McGee (she/they) is the Grants, Awards, and Programs Manager at Creative West (formerly WESTAF), one of six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. In this role, they manage grantmaking for traditional artists and accessibility initiatives. Ashanti also hosts the Creative West Capacity Building webinar, sharing resources to promote greater accessibility and professional development within the arts community. Deeply committed to advocacy, Ashanti serves on the board of the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+). They also contribute their expertise to several national and regional committees, including the National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER) working group, the SAA/RAO Accessibility Peer Group Steering Committee, and the American Folklore Society's 2025 Accessibility Committee. Previously, Ashanti worked as a District Staffer for a U.S. congressional representative, where they assisted constituents in resolving federal matters. They have been an active advocate in their home state of Nevada, working with groups such as the Cultural Alliance of Nevada and the Southern Nevada Arts Coalition. Ashanti is also a multidisciplinary artist who has curated and exhibited work throughout the western United States.

As Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, Jill McMillan Palm provides entrepreneurial education and capacity-building resources to nearly 10,000 individual artists, arts nonprofit leaders, creative businesses and arts enthusiasts annually. Prior to landing in Nashville in 207, her professional experience spanned positions in fundraising, marketing, sales, advocacy, and more at nonprofit arts organizations and for-profit creative businesses in her hometown of Valparaiso, IN, as well as Los Angeles, CA; Phoenix, AZ; and Boston, MA. Jill is a graduate of Pepperdine University with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communication, and completed an intensive Masters-level arts administration workshop at Valparaiso University. She is recognized as a thought leader and advocate for the arts sector, having served on Americans for the Arts’ Private Sector Council from 2018-2022 (as Co-Chair from 2021-2022) and as a member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Music Industry Advisory Group since 2018. Her accolades include being elected to the Nashville Emerging Leaders class of 2019, and being named as a finalist for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Leaders Award in the Arts, Entertainment, and Music Business category in 2021 and winner in 2022. She was also a founding board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Nashville (MOCAN), on which she served from 2022-2024, and recently graduated from the Leadership Middle Tennessee Class of 2025.

Jade Osborne (she/her/we/us): Jade Osborne is an arts administrator and an innovative creative person who is passionate about the arts and community. Jade is an multidisciplinary artist and experiential curator. She explores the space in between the self, the other, and the living art that is created when we are together. Jade has performed and presented on stages in fourteen countries interlacing social practice/community outreach with each of her appearances. She is an award winner and grantee of ArtsKC, KC & Chicago Fringe Festivals, Afest, Missouri Arts Council, COMBAT among others. She served as Artist Advisor for the New Airport in Kansas City and is currently serving as Performing Arts Director for Art in the Loop Public Arts Project, the Program Director for the Summer in the City Public Arts Project and as Program Officer for the Artist Services Division at Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Heather Pontonio serves as the Senior Program Director at the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, leading the national strategy and administration of its Art Program. Her work is dedicated to advancing professional practices for contemporary art curators and artists nationwide. Notably, she played a pivotal role in launching Artists Thrive, a national initiative designed to evaluate and improve conditions for artists across the country. Ms. Pontonio earned a Master's in Public Administration from New York University and a Bachelor's in Arts Administration from SUNY Fredonia. Her career began in New York City with positions at the Little Orchestra Society, Irish Repertory Theatre, and Cherry Lane Theatre, and later included serving as Associate Vice President of Grants at the Arts & Science Council (Charlotte-Mecklenburg). A 2015 P.L.A.C.E.S. fellow with The Funders’ Network, she also co-chaired the Grantmakers in the Arts’ Support for Individual Artists Committee (2015-2017) and currently serves on the boards of VIA Collaborative Arts and the Research Advisory Board for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP).

Michael Royce is the CEO of the New York Foundation for the Arts a U.S. based national nonprofit serving artists, cultural workers and arts organizations. During the pandemic, Royce oversaw the fundraising and distribution of $21 million in emergency funding. Royce has launched many new services since taking over the organization, including a national immigrants artists program, an incubator for executive arts leaders of color, statewide consulting services for leaders supporting underserved communities, national grants to address climate change, local grants to artists with disabilities, and national grants to Latinx artists. Previously, Royce had been appointed by Governor Pataki as the Deputy Director of the New York State Council on the Arts, followed by an appointment as the President of Moynihan Station Development Corporation. Royce also served as an on-site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts for fifteen years. Recent Recognition includes being named a notable nonprofit leader in NYC by CRAIN’S New York Business (2025, 2023, 2021), a Nonprofit Power Player in by AMNY Metro and Politics NY (2024,2022), one of the top 50 influential arts leaders by the Observer (2020), and awarded the inaugural Alan Cooper Leadership in the Arts Award by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (2018).

Anika Tené (she/her) is a cultural strategist, arts leader, and community builder working at the intersection of belonging, freedom, and care. As Director of Grants, Awards, and Programs at Creative West, she supports artists, culture bearers, and organizations through responsive funding, artist-centered approaches, and programs that honor lived realities. Her work reflects a belief that arts and culture are essential to democracy, wellness, and belonging. She has co-designed national initiatives such as ArtsHERE and Cultural Sustainability, advancing equity in arts funding and infrastructure. Regionally, she designs artist funds that center place, identity, and access, building networks of trust and opportunity rooted in community brilliance and need. A skilled strategist and convener, she brings care and clarity to cross-sector collaborations that amplify cultural expression and voice. Author of The Oceans We Hold, a lyrical novella on memory, healing, and Black womanhood, Anika leads with integrity, imagination, and warmth.

Diane R. Scott (she/her) is an arts administrator, educator, and writer specializing in the development of resources and programming to support artists in the management of enduring artistic practices. The Director of Artist Services at the Regional Arts Organization Mid-America Arts Alliance, Scott is the founding director and principal designer of the Artist INC professional development program. Now in its 17th year, Artist INC programs have been completed by more than 3,500 artists. Diane is also a noted professor winning numerous teaching awards. Combining her experiences in both non-profit artist services and higher education, Diane operates as a liaison between collegiate arts entrepreneurship education and artist professional development in the field. She specializes in creative entrepreneurship and has worked with thousands of artists of all disciplines in traditional classrooms and professional development settings to improve their strategic planning, marketing, project planning, financial, fundraising, leadership, and communication skills. Scott’s book Artist Entrepreneurship for Life: Making Art Work for You was released by Routledge in 2025.

Luis Valderas received a BFA in Art Education from the University of Texas-Pan American in 1995. In 2005, Valderas co-founded and produced Project: MASA I, II,III, IV, V and 5.5—a national group exhibit series that continues to feature Latinx artists and focuses on Chican@ identities. He co-founded The A3 Press and Bishop & Valderas, LLC. a large-scale printmaking community engagement collaborative and production house. Valderas is a mentor and board member of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). He has exhibited at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia(MOA), the Medellin Museum of Art, Colombia, the Queens Museum, NYC and the UCR-Arts Block, Riverside, CA. His work is featured in books such as Altermundos-Latin@ Speculative Literature, Film and Popular Culture-2017, Mundos Alternos-Art, Science Fiction in the Americas-2017, Chicano Art for Our Millennium-2004, and Triumph in Our Communities: Four Decades of Mexican American Art-2005. His work is in the permanent collections of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Arizona State University, the Art Museum of South Texas, and the San Antonio Museum of Art.