Bringing together arts and culture executives from Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Detroit, CultureSource is proud to introduce the inaugural cohort of the Tri-City Leaders Lab, a six-month leadership development program.
In early May, the cohort gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina, for its first in-person session, launching a cross-city learning experience focused on adaptive leadership, digital fluency, organizational change, and peer exchange. The first seminar centered on “The Individual,” inviting participants to examine their own leadership practices as they navigate complexity, uncertainty, and the accelerating impact of emerging technologies on the arts and culture sector.
Why this Program is Important:
Across the country, arts and culture leaders are navigating sector-wide burnout, shrinking resources, and a shifting political climate that makes the work both more urgent and more difficult. The Tri-City Leaders Lab was built for this moment because periods of disruption are precisely when investing in leadership matters most.
In partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
2026 Cohort
Adam Santalla Pierce
President,
Arts & Science Council
Giovanna Torres
Executive Director,
Cine Casual
Bonita Buford
President + CEO,
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
Lisa Miller
Managing Director,
Three Bone Theatre
Setu Raval
Program Director,
Charlotte Is Creative
Todd Smith
Executive Director,
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Chad Beegle
Senior Director of Community Engagement,
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
Gabriela Sanchez
Executive Director,
The Philadelphia Cultural Fund
Ariel Shelton
Co-Executive Director,
CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia
Dawn Frisby Byers
Senior Director of Content & Engagement,
PA Humanities
Rachel Zimmerman
Executive Director,
InLiquid
Sonia Mak
Executive Director,
Asian Arts Initiative
Suma Karaman Rosen
Executive Director,
InsideOut Literary Arts
Elizabeth Warren
Executive Director,
Riverside Arts Center
Paola Smith
Assistant Director,
MSU Community Music School Detroit
Bill Shell
Senior Director of Information Technology,
Detroit Symphony Orchestra