About this Webinar

We know that business sector support for the arts is integral to the success and longevity of the arts, and essential in building communities where the business sector can thrives. Though many local arts agencies play multiple roles in their communities as conveners, programmers, and supporters, it's important to make time to foster these important relationships with the business communities.

Learn from two local arts agencies–Silicon Valley Creates in California and COCA-Center of Creative Arts in St. Louis–about why they made working with business a priority, how they incorporated the work into their existing programming, and how it's helped to move the work of the rest of the organization forward.

Hashtag: #ArtsandBiz

The Local Arts Agencies and Business webinar is brought to you by Nanda Journeys. Learn more about Amy Kweskin's Arts Management Journey to Cuba at www.nandajourneys.com.

Presenters:

Alexandra Urbanowski, Associate Director and Director of Strategic Initiatives, Silicon Valley Creates

Steve Knight, Director of COCAbiz, COCA-Center of Creative Arts, @snknight

Alexandra Urbanowski, Associate Director and Director of Strategic Initiatives, Silicon Valley Creates

Website: http://www.svcreates.org/ Email: alexandra@svcreates.org

Alexandra Urbanowski joined SVCreates in 2015, bringing over two decades of extensive fundraising, marketing, nonprofit administration and organizational development experience. She has provided leadership, advocacy and strategic management for a range of community development projects and cultural advancement initiatives on both the east and west coasts. She is currently a partner at management consulting firm Opus Advisors (where her clients have included NH State Council on the Arts, Prescott Park Arts Festival, York County Community College and others). Alexandra has held leadership positions with number of nonprofit organizations including COO of American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley, VP at New Hampshire Public Radio, and Managing Director of San Jose Repertory Theatre where she directed the project to build a new $25 million performing arts facility – now the Hammer Theater Center. She has served on many community Board's including the San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau, Rotary San Jose, Council on Fundraising, 7 Stages Shakespeare Company and others. Alexandra is an alumna of Smith College and has participated in Harvard Business School's Executive Education program.

Steve Knight, Director of COCAbiz , COCA-Center of Creative Arts

Twitter Handle: @snknight Website: http://www.cocastl.org/cocabiz/

Email: sknight@cocastl.org

Short Bio (200 words): Steve Knight is the Director of COCAbiz, COCA's arts in business training division. This growing division of the organization focuses on teaching business skills through immersive arts-based learning. A native of St. Louis, Steve returned to the area after many years in California working for Integral Talent Systems (ITS), where he served as Executive Vice President for fifteen years. ITS specializes in creative, innovative approaches to assessments, learning experiences and talent management systems. Prior to ITS, Steve was Regional Vice President at Achieve Global, where he oversaw its transition from product-focused individual sales to a team-based consultative approach to business issues. He also held positions at Zenger Miller, Psychological Associates and Western Electric/AT&T. Steve holds a Masters of Divinity degree in Non-Profit Organizational Development from Eden Theological Seminary and a BA in Psychology and Religious Studies from Washington University in St. Louis.