Jason Schupbach is the new Dean of the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design at Drexel University. He was formerly the Director of the Design School at Arizona State University, the largest and most comprehensive design school in the United States. In this position, he started the ambitious ReDesign.School project to reinvent design education for the 21st century, and is a key advisor to ASU on diverse projects such as the Center for Creativity and Place, Roden Crater, the Creative Futures Lab, and ASU's Los Angeles downtown home. Previous to this position he was Director of Design and Creative Placemaking Programs for the National Endowment for the Arts, where he oversaw all design and creative placemaking grantmaking and partnerships, including Our Town and Design Art Works grants, the Mayor’s Institute on City Design, the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, and the NEA's Federal agency collaborations. Previously, Jason served Governor Patrick of Massachusetts as the Creative Economy Director, tasked with growing creative and tech businesses in the state. He formerly was the Director of ArtistLink, a Ford Foundation funded initiative to stabilize and revitalize communities through the creation of affordable space and innovative environments for creatives. He has also worked for the Mayor of Chicago and New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs.  He has written extensively on the role of arts and design in making better communities, and his writing has been featured as a Best Idea of the Day by the Aspen Institute.

Donyale has been practicing law in business, entertainment and philanthropy for twenty (20) years. Specializing in intellectual property, small business, sports law, nonprofit organizations, art, entertainment, and digital technology transactions,  she earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1999, along with her Masters degree, cum laude, in Government Administration (JD/MGA ’99). More recently, Donyale became a Certified Advisor in Philanthropy in 2016, having completed the University of Chicago Booth School of Business education program as a Certified Private Wealth Advisor to her high net worth clients in sports and entertainment.

Fluent in French, Donyale obtained a certificate in International Development for researching literacy initiatives in villages of central Cote d’Ivoire with Tuskegee University in 1993, as well as a certificate in European Legal studies from Tulane University/Paris in 1997. During her time in Paris, she clerked with the in-house counsel offices of Alcatel, a global telecommunications firm headquartered in Paris, France. 

Donyale has also stewarded a multi-million dollar public foundation, The Core Scholars Foundation, a quasi-governmental partnership between the City and the School District of Philadelphia. Under her leadership, CORE has distributed more than $6 million through its scholarship programs, built city, state and federal agency-funded partnerships and extended its brand across multiple media platforms, while increasing its endowment to more than $5 million dollars. Donyale graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Fels Graduate School of Government, receiving a Toll Scholarship, Presidential Woman of Color and Public Service Leadership awards upon graduation with a JD/MPA in 1999. 

Dominique is a compassionate, astute and progressive philanthropic leader in the Philadelphia metro area and Executive Director of M&T Bank's Charitable Foundation. As the former Vice President Senior Manager Strategy & Social Impact at TD Bank, she was responsible for aligning TD's corporate giving to its broader strategic priorities in partnership with Portfolio Managers, and Senior Regional Giving Managers.

Her passion and commitment to equity and underserved communities of human diversity is demonstrated in her portfolio of work. She has pioneered efforts and championed financial giving to organizations that promote sound fiscal responsibility and innovation in the nonprofit sector. She also brings a broad understanding of business principles which serves her well when collaborating with other business leaders to align shared values. Her commitment to improving the quality of life for M&T Bank's customers, colleagues and communities is evident through her passion and partnership.

Dominique, a native Philadelphian spent her freshman year at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She later transferred to Temple University where she received her Bachelor's degree and became more acutely aware of urban centers' socioeconomic issues. In college, she noticed poorer communities had fewer resources, like grocery stores, health centers, and quality schools. She now strives towards bridging the gap nationally for communities challenged with deep inequities. 

In 2017, Dominique was featured in Generocity's, "12 people of color leading the social impact charge in Philadelphia." Additionally, she was honored by The Philadelphia Inquirer where she received the 2019 millennial philanthropist of the year, as the next generation of leaders in philanthropy. Most recently, the Social Innovation's Journal honored her as a "2021 Social Impact investor" award; acknowledging her sustained commitment to our most vulnerable communities.

Dominique dedicates her time with organizations impacting economic inequality & the racial wealth gap, financial stability, youth empowerment, and arts & culture. She also currently serves as board member, and chair of the Brandywine Health Foundation's Equity committee. She's a board member of Mural Arts Philadelphia and serves as Vice President for She Can Win; an organization focused on electing more women of color into public office. Lastly, she's a 2019-2020 Connecting Leaders Fellow with the Association for Black Foundation Executives (ABFE).

When Dominique isn't trying to change the world by building political power in black and brown communities; she enjoys spending time with family, traveling with friends, and catching the newest shows on Netflix & Hulu. She's an avid dancer, shopper, and food connoisseur!

Artistic Director, Casa de Duende

David Acosta (Also known as Juan Armando David Acosta Posada) is a writer, poet, cultural worker and co-founder of Casa de Duende, along with his life partner Jerry Macdonald.

He has served on a wide range of committees and boards, including past work with the Philadelphia International Film Festival, The Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, The PA Council on the Arts, as well as a founding member of Our Living Legacy (1988), the nation's first festival devoted to art and AIDS. In 1993 he served on the East Market Street Sculpture Review Committee, which selected artist Raymond Sandoval’s Tanamend sculpture from among more than 3,000 artist proposals. He was a founding member of The Latin American Writers Collective, Desde Este Lado, as well as the magazine that bore its name. He was also a co-founder of the Philadelphia Working Fund for Artists with HIV/AIDS. In 1989 he curated the Pieces of Life Project at Taller Puertorriqueño which brought the National Names Project (Originators of the AIDS Quilt Project) to Philadelphia, and specifically to a Latino community in a large metropolitan city, at that time a first for the Names Project.

He has been involved in many boards including Taller Puertorriqueño, The Asian Arts Initiative, Spiral Q Puppet Theater, the Bread & Roses Community Fund, The AIDS Law Project, The Philadelphia AIDS Walk, The Legacy Fund, The Center for Lesbian, Gay Law and Public Policy, and served as an advisor to the American Friends Services Committee Latin American and Caribbean Desk among many others. He was also the first Latino appointed to the Philadelphia Mayor's Commission on Sexual Minorities from 1985-1989.

David Acosta is a founding member of the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression (NCFE) and of the Art Emergency Coalition (AEC). Both organizations were instrumental in their opposition to the culture wars of the 90s. NCFE went on to successfully sue the National Endowment for the ARTS on behalf of the NEA Four.

In 2007 he was one of 30 Philadelphia activists honored by Bread and Roses during their 30 year anniversary celebration for having broken new ground in building paths to social justice.

In 2008 he was awarded the Red Ribbon Award for his work in Public Policy and was honored at GALAEI’s 20th year anniversary celebration with the inaugural David Acosta Revolutionary Award (He was GALAEI’s founder.) GALAEI is now one of the two oldest organizations in the country serving Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans individuals. He was a past contributing editor to Spanish Poz Magazine which honored him in its 1998/1999 winter issue as one of 49 Latinos in the nation who’ve made a difference in the area of HIV/AIDS. Once again in November of 2010 he was named by the same magazine as among the one hundred most influential people in the United States working on HIV/AIDS. He has received many other awards for his work in both arts and culture, GLBT civil rights, and HIV/AIDS activism advocacy. He is also the recipient of the 1990 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations and a past recipient of the 1989 Lambda Community Leader Award.Year.

His poetry has appeared in various literary journals and anthologies. Among them the Evergreen Chronicles, The Blue Guitar, the James White Review, The Painted Bride Quarterly, Philomel, Mayrena, The Americas Review, and the anthologies: American Poetry Confronts the 1990s, (Black Tie Press 1990), The Limits of Silence (Asterion Press 1991), Poesida, (Ollantay Press, 1995) and Floating Borderlands: Twenty Five Years of Latin American Poetry in The United States, University of Washington Press, 1998.

He has written and contributed articles to Cosa Cosa At Large on art and social change. In November of 2010 he curated “Rooted in Ancestors.” For Semilla’s opening Exhibit at the new gallery A Seed on Diamond.

In December of 2011 he curated, Witness: Artists reflect on thirty years of the AIDS Pandemic. Witness is a multimedia visual arts exhibition inviting artists to reflect on, explore and respond to the impact that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has had on our social, cultural and political life over the past thirty years. More recently he has served as a panelist for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund in 2011 and 2012.

President & Chief Executive Officer, Longwood Gardens

Paul B. Redman is an award-winning leader of public gardens, known for his dedication to the beauty and sustainability of gardens, and to the training of future generations of horticulture professionals. A hallmark of Paul’s leadership is building a culture of planning to propel a shared vision forward.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Longwood Gardens for the last 14 years, Paul has implemented institutional and strategic reforms that have positioned the Gardens as a premier horticultural, cultural, and educational institution of the 21st Century, while respecting the values of its founder, Pierre S. du Pont. While numbers aren’t the only measure of success, especially during this tumultuous time across the globe, Longwood’s growth as an economic engine, a cultural treasure, and a community supporter cannot be overlooked. Since Paul’s arrival attendance has doubled to almost 1.54 million visitors per year; Membership support increased from 17,000 to 73,000 households; and earned income has almost tripled. 

New community engagement programs have been created providing greater access; thousands of hours of staff time, talents, and annual funds have been donated to local and national organizations; and free virtual field trips have taught tens of thousands of children around the world. In May 2020, Longwood Gardens was still ranked the most visited paid public garden in North America and the most visited paid cultural attraction in Philadelphia.

A consummate professional, Paul freely shares his time and expertise, serving as the Leadership Cabinet Co-Chair for Seed Your Future, a national initiative to promote awareness and careers in horticulture; and previously serving as Board President and Treasurer of the American Public Gardens Association. His honors include: 2018 National Garden Clubs Award of Excellence; 2017 Distinguished Alumnus from the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University; 2016 American Public Gardens Association Award of Merit; the International Garden Tourism Network’s 2015 Person of the Year; 2015 American Horticultural Society’s Professional Award; 2014 Wyck Strickland Award; 2014 American Society of Horticultural Science’s Dr. William A. “Tex” Frazier Lecturer; 2012 CEO of the Year by the Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Business & Industry; 2008 Distinguished Horticulture Alumnus from Oklahoma State University; and where his professional career first began, Franklin Park Conservatory, receiving the Ann Islay Wolfe Award for extraordinary contributions to the organization.

Paul has been working and studying in the field of public horticulture for more than 30 years. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree and Master of Science Degree in Horticulture from Oklahoma State University.

Vice President, Client and Community Relations, PNC 

Hugh McStravick is the Vice President of Client and Community Relations for the Philadelphia, Delaware, and Southern New Jersey region of PNC. He is responsible for PNC’s regional foundation grantmaking, community sponsorships, and employee volunteer programs, as well as, PNC’s client entertainment and employee recognition event strategies. Through his work with PNC’s signature philanthropic programs – PNC Grow Up Great and PNC Arts Alive – he brings a range of experience from his involvement with many of the region's art, cultural, community and educational non-profit organizations. McStravick is deeply committed to making a difference in his community through his involvement with several area non-profits. He currently serves on the board of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia and is an active member of the steering committee for the Greater Philadelphia Corporate Volunteer Council. Prior to joining PNC in 2012, McStravick worked as a Development Officer at his Alma Mater, Gettysburg College, where he also earned a BA degree in Political Science.

Rachel Zimmerman, Executive Director, InLiquid

Rachel Zimmerman is an artist and Independent Curator based in Philadelphia, who has been named one of the region’s “Top 101 Emerging Connectors” in 2008, as well as a Creative Connector in 2011. She is a Leadership Philadelphia and Designing Leadership alumna, and has served on numerous committees from Design Philadelphia to the executive board of the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. Currently, she is on the art advisory committees of CFEVA and the Main Line Art Center, the co-chair of ArtTable (Philadelphia), and the Creative Industries Working Group (Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, City of Philadelphia).

Zimmerman is the Executive Director and Founder of InLiquid, a premier non-profit arts organization with 19 years of experience in managing and curating art and design projects. Through her leadership, InLiquid has been honored with numerous awards, including Philly Magazine’s Best of Philly Award for Affordable Art and The Culture Trip’s Pennsylvania Local Favorite Award in 2015. Zimmerman has also received citations from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia, as well as a nomination for the 2017 Rad Award for Nonprofit of the Year (Rad Girls).

Zimmerman’s photography is held in a number of private collections in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco and permanent collections including the George Eastman House Museum in Rochester, NY, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has exhibited at the LGTripp Gallery, OCJAC, the Open Lens Gallery at the Gershman Y, Main Line Art Center, The Community Arts Center in Wallingford, the Speer Gallery at the Shipley School, the Temple Judea Museum in Jenkintown, and the Anita Shaplosky in NY.