Johanna de los Santos has been the Executive Director of Art Start since July of 2007. Prior to joining the Art Start family, she spent years as Social Impact Director for two major motion picture film releases, Favela Rising (2005) and The Hip Hop Project (2007), taking conscious, independent film on nationwide tours through marginalized communities, transitional housing residences, and detention facilities as a part of their distributor’s traditional release campaign. From 2003-2005, Johanna served as Manager of Community Partnerships for the New York International Latino Film Festival and holds three years of corporate business planning expertise from the multinational Briggs & Stratton Corporation.

Johanna received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin (1998) and a M.A. from New York University in Latin American Studies (2007) where she focused on art and music as a social movement under dictatorships and other systems of oppression. In 2010, she was awarded “Non-Profiteer of the Year” by the New York Association of Non-Profit Professionals. Since 2015, Johanna has split her time between NYC and the Midwest as she leads the organization’s expansion of its Public Exchanges Program and key strategic partnerships throughout the U.S.

Johanna de los Santos

Reshard Riggins joined Art Start as the Co-Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer in January 2023. Prior to joining Art Start, she spent a decade at The Door - A Center of Alternatives as the Managing Director of Career and Wellness Services. As a veteran in the workforce development and education field with over thirty years experience, she has worked with various marginalized and impacted communities ranging from youth, HIV+, substance use disorder and recovery, mental health, and transitional housing. Reshard has her educational background in a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Public Policy from Baruch College.


Reshard has a strong track record of accomplishment within New York workforce development and education based work, directing complex systems to achieve clear results in addressing achievement and economic equity gaps for all New Yorkers through sustainable system development focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Reshard seeks to continue her lifelong commitment as an artist and creator to develop and enhance the enrichment of human potential through the lens of art and creativity. She believes that by nurturing the space for artistic expression, from the frame of inclusion and career development in the arts community, we pave the way for more opportunity and a wider vision of youth voice.

Reshard Riggins

Danny Arenas, LMSW, joined Art Start in 2022. He earned an MSW Degree from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in 2014. Prior to joining Art Start he worked with Urban Pathways as the Director of Social Services at a shelter in Midtown Manhattan. He began his career in the Social Services as a Preventive Case Manager for Institute for Child and Family Health. Danny is a painter and published photographer.

Danny Arenas

Isabella joined Art Start's team in 2021. She has internship experience in gallery programming and curatorial work with a focus in community engagement and accessibility within the Arts. She has worked in an administrative capacity directly with artists and arts organizations and is excited to expand into the non-profit arts sector. Isabella graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2020 with a double major in Art History and Communication. She is interested in increasing equity and diversity in the art world and bringing opportunities to artists from underserved and underrepresented groups.

Isabella Truong

Nedelle brings over ten years of valuable executive assistance experience to Art Start’s Development team, most recently as Executive Assistant and Content Creator at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). In addition, Nedelle brings high-level coordination experience booking and overseeing touring logistics for successful musical artists.

As a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, she has released multiple albums on respected independent record labels, and performed on numerous U.S. and international tours. She’s provided musical compositions for commercial music houses, placing songs in commercials for Google, Adidas, Kia, Facebook, and more.
Nedelle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz/World Music History & Literature from San Francisco State University.

Nedelle Torrisi

Clara is a multi-skilled professional with a passion for the arts, youth development, and education. She graduated from Binghamton University in 2020 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Fine Arts. Since then, she has worked in a variety of capacities, including as a  freelance graphic designer and assistant director at  the Imogen Foundation afterschool programs. She brings a diverse set of experiences and perspectives to her position at Art Start as an Administrative Coordinator.

Clara Jung

Malachi Elijah, BA, has been an artist educator at Art Start since 2020 and is currently the Program Manager of Art Start’s Creative Connections Program in NYC. An actor, songwriter, and musician, Malachi graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Theater Studies, and has served as a youth educator for years through his work with regional youth summer camps, community arts workshops with his musician collective, SPACECADE7S.

Malachi Elijah

Megan Polanco joined Art Start in 2023, with a vision to give back to her community through creative, healing expression. With 15 years of professional urban, street art experience, she has produced murals, workshops and events for media companies such as, Netflix, Spotify, Graff Tours, Up Magazine, Graffaholiks Magazine and TV Network Platforms like "The Today Show" and more! She has also volunteered at numerous NYC funded gardens, public schools and community centers, providing art pieces and mini art workshops open to the community. Driven by her own experience as a latina from The Bronx, she strives to help her community heal with creative expression and connect with the world around us!

Megan Polanco

Norin is a Visual Arts Teaching Artist. She was born and raised in Bangladesh completing her MFA from University of Development Alternative in Bangladesh. She started her art teacher career while she was an art student. She moved to New York and took an internship, and in the same year, she started her Teaching Artist career at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in 2015. During that time, she did multiple community projects throughout the Bronx that inspired her to dedicate her career to underserved communities.

Norin Sharmin

Chiara is a theater artist and performer by training with experiences in child caregiving. She uses her skills and experiences in event planning in her role as a Teaching Artist, to invent fun activities and curate captivating learning games for youth of all ages. She hopes to use her knowledge and experiences to become a child psychologist. 

Chiara Humphrey

Born and raised in Queens NY, Shelly is an interdisciplinary artist who focuses on film photography, watercolor painting, and magazine collages. She creates with intention and mindfulness. Shelly has been working with several non-profit organizations for the past 5 years that have used art as a tool for self-expression and growth for the youth. Shelly has previously worked with ArtStart as a volunteer, an art mentor, and now a Teaching Artist! She aspires to have a positive impact on the youth and others through creative expression.

Shelly Wong

Miky Solano first joined Art Start in 2008 as a justice-involved youth. After 2-years of participating in the One Mic music-recording program, he was accepted and graduated from EAR in 2010. After volunteering at Art Start for 3-years, he was hired as an Assistant Music Teaching Artist. As one of the leaders of Legendary Cyphers, Miky is a master freestyle artist who can put into verse the day-to-day challenges of a young man rising from the streets of Brooklyn. In between verses, Miky is an inspirational presence for students and shows undying commitment to his ever-expanding role at Art Start.

Miky Solano

Tyler Yassky is an artist and sound engineer from Nyack, NY. Graduating with a degree in sound engineering from Emerson College and a minor in music production at Berklee School of Music, Tyler has continued to make a career for himself and is currently living in Brooklyn, NY. His passion spans both sides of production, from the creative to the technical, whether it has been assisting as an engineer in studio and performance settings or being the artist recording their own song. He hopes to pass on these skills he has learned to young creatives to share their voice as they embark on their own musical journey.

Tyler Yassky

Hope is a passionate community educator and arts administrator with over 10 years experience in the non-profit sector. In 2013, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin with not only a BS in Education and Theater, but most importantly, a desire to empower young citizens through socially conscious arts programming. Hope has since served as Associate Education Director for Milwaukee Repertory Theater, where she was critical in developing the Amani Neighborhood Program, as well as the foundation for the August Wilson Monologue Competition pilot program. She also served as the Youth Development Director for COA Youth and Family Centers in Milwaukee, where she endeavored to elevate social-emotional learning opportunities for marginalized youth ages 4-18 years. 

Hope's work as a Teaching Artist includes collaborations with partner agencies such as SHARP Literacy, Sunset Playhouse, First Stage, Spotlight Youth Theater, and Camp Creative at Viterbo University. Favorite performance credits include: 

 (Saint Monica). Hope is a proud native of Ann Arbor, MI.

Hope Hakes

Hailing from the icy tundras of the upper Midwest, Cat joined the Art Start team in the summer of 2022 as Associate Program Manager. A lifetime artist, she graduated from the University of Minnesota: Twin Cities with a BA in Studio Art. Directionless after college, Cat floated out West to join the BMAC AmeriCorps Team in Walla Walla, WA, where she spent two years as an AmeriCorps Member & the Program Director at Carnegie Picture Lab, an elementary arts education nonprofit, heavily engaging in the community, bringing art to every K-5th grade classroom and beyond. It was this period of time that truly ignited her passion for bringing the arts & community together, while making art accessible for all.

Since then, Cat went on to work as a K-8th grade Art Coordinator for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater MKE, before moving out West again, where she worked as the BMAC AmeriCorps Program Director, spending the next 5.5 years guiding and mentoring teams of National Service Members; helping nonprofit organizations, individuals, and families in-need; leveraging community partnerships; and volunteering in the community. Cat has been fortunate enough to spend her most recent years focusing on her own multidisciplinary art practice.

Cat Pond

Nick Collura

School Social Worker, Milwaukee Public Schools

Amy Baumgardt

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Assistant Professor/Medical Anthropologist Center for Healthy Communities and Research Department of Family and Community Medicine Medical College of Wisconsin

Katinka Hooyer

Marion Tanis

Dore Murphy

Senior Marketing Specialist, Consumer Imaging Technologies,

Angelica Li

Scott Rosenberg

Professional Television & Film Make-Up Artist

Emma Strachman

Zachary Maxwell Stertz

Senior Director of Partnerships and Advertising, Film at Lincoln Center

Elizabeth Gardner

Managing Director, Content, Teach for America; Writer

Catherine Sun

David Turchin

Cathie Urushibata

Matt Meiners

Armon Lewis-Amore

Art Start is honored to have Jeff Staple serving on our Creative Advisory Board since 2014. Jeff has supported Art Start youth in innumerable ways, including raising funds and awareness through the sale of custom designs to benefit Art Start. He has also nurtured Art Start youth with his personal time and resources by hosting 

, personally attending student showcases, opening receptions and feedback salons, and donating his Manhattan event space, Reed Space, for Art Start youth creative sessions.

Jeff Ng (aka "jeffstaple") is an established graphic and fashion designer, curator, branding expert, footwear aficionado, and all-around creative visionary. He founded Staple Design, Inc. in 1997: now a well-known streetwear brand (@StaplePigeon), creative consulting agency (Staple Design) and retail store (@ReedSpace, which opened in 2002). Some clients include HBO, Levi’s, Sony, Microsoft, Nike, Burton Snowboards, LVMH, Uniqlo, Kid Robot, Kia and ESPN. Over the years, Jeff has taken Staple's motto, "A Positive Social Contagion" to whole new levels, spreading his instinctual design know-how and fresh knowledge across all media platforms and worldwide.

Jeff Staple

Center for Community Alternatives 

Children’s Village

Brooklyn College Children & Youth Studies Program

Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services

Bronxworks

Molly Davy

Vané Russo

Midwifery Fellow, The George Washington University Hospital

Leonne Tanis

Daniel Omachonu

Global Social Impact Manager, Sotheby’s

Walden Huntley-Fenner

Amy Kanagaki

VP, Global Customer Experience, Warner Music Group

Jamison Antoine

Commonpoint Queens

Mitchell Street Arts

Ginaury Vásquez is a Dominican actor, singer-songwriter, dancer and teaching artist from the
Bronx. She graduated summa cum laude earning a B.A. in Theatre and Psychology. Her credits
include In the Heights at Lehman College, County Cavity with Art Defined Productions, Price of
Silence, with the POS Theatre Company, the Off-Off Broadway play What If, Día de los
Muertos, and various performances with the Children’s Theatre Company at Lehman College. She also has various performances as part of Hip Hop Theory, The Company and The
ChoreoJoey Project.