Bio

Gisela Flanigan is cultural entrepreneur and arts advocate consultant, deeply committed to social change and collective impact in the nonprofit world. Her expertise is based on the intersection of leadership, management, and arts advocacy. .

Education

Gisela holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of Miami and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas.

Professional Background

Gisela currently serves as Executive Director of Sistema Global, an award-winning social change organization inspired to expand access to music making as a basic human right. Under her leadership, Sistema Global has been selected for three years in a row to be part of the HundrED Global Education Innovation Collection. She is also a Certified Colorado Change Leader and a member of the International Music Education Policy Group advancing global policy dialogue in music education.

An expert in the intersection of leadership, management, and arts advocacy, Gisela has reviewed programs and grants for organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, and HundrED, Finland. She is regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences for organizations such as El Sistema World Conference, Virtual Concert Halls broadcast (Sound Espressivo), The Music, Business, and Peace Summit at Indiana University, Sphinx Connect, the College Music Society, and the Imagine IF… Festival in honor of Sir Ken Robinson. As a HundrED Academy member and Advisory Board member, she participated in the review of the HundrED Spotlight on Teachers for a Changing World in partnership with the World Bank Group.

Helping Students Be Successful

Gisela brings her comprehensive teaching background, non-profit leadership, and management expertise to the classroom in the Arts and Culture Management program. From critical analysis of art history to creative cultural placemaking and belonging themes, her firm belief in the profound impact of the arts and culture in society permeates her teaching style. Gisela is her students’ best advocate and designs her classes and learning activities to apply theory to real-life application and actively helps build a comprehensive arts and culture toolkit for her students.

Bio

Tanya Mote has 26 years of experience in working with arts and culture organizations. Her expertise includes group facilitation, grant writing and collective movement building.

Education

Tanya earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Spanish from the University of Denver, and her Master of Arts and her Doctor of Philosophy from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

Professional Background

Tanya is the Associate Director at Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center where she collaborates with an executive team to foster organizational development and system-wide impacts. She has participated in collective fundraising efforts that have taken the organization from an annual budget of $250,000 in 2000 to a budget of $1.5 M in 2023.

Motivation for Teaching

Tanya values the meaningful exchange and dialogue that occurs between students. She attempts to facilitate a learning environment that allows students to show up as their best selves, and ideally, to learn from each other. She is enthusiastic about passing on what she has learned and equipping students with the tools they will need to succeed as nonprofit professionals.

Helping Students Be Successful

Tanya uses a social justice perspective to teach students how their work matters in a global context. She supports students as they develop their own skills and versatility. She works with the individual talents and authentic gifts of students to foster their fresh insights and potential to make unique contributions to the field.

Bio

Steve Wilson is an educator, award-winning theater director, actor, inclusivity advocate, and administrator with over 30 years serving multiple arts organizations in multiple capacities. He is currently the Executive Artistic Director for CenterStage Theatre Company in Louisville, CO.

Formerly, Steve served as Executive Artistic Director for the Mizel Arts and Culture Center and Artistic Director for PHAMALY Theatre Company, which features disabled performers. He has served in leadership positions for many boards including the IDEA Stages, Colorado Theatre Guild, Rehabilitative Rhythms, the Collaborative of the SCFD and Citizens for Arts to Zoo (CATZ).

In addition to serving as adjunct professor for the DU Arts and Culture Management program since 2021, Steve has been a faculty member at the CenterStage Theatre Company, Wolf Theatre Academy, Stage Eleven and St. Mary’s Academy.

Select Awards: Best Direction/Musical (4 Henry Awards, Best of Westword); Achievement in Children’s Theatre (2 Henry Awards), Theatre Person of the Year (True West Award). Training: MFA, Acting, National Theatre Conservatory; BFA, Drama, USC.

Education

Steve earned his BFA in Drama from University of Southern California and his MFA in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory.