Live Q&As

Join Daniel Park, Artist and Worker-Owner of Obvious Agency, for a live Q&A on Cooperatives For Creatives.

To get creative projects done, many artists and creative workers instinctively pool resources and labor to accomplish everything from community murals and mutual aid projects to magical works of visual and performing art, writing, and music. They share risk, profits, recognition, and opportunities. Though many do this work without giving it a name, others formalize their intuitive, values-driven, people-centered structures into cooperatives (co-ops), which are businesses like any other (minus oppressive hierarchies and capitalist drive which results in one person making all of the profit while paying workers as little as possible). In their module on CreativeStudy, worker-owned, performance-based cooperative Obvious Agency (Joseph Ahmed, Arianna Gass, Daniel Park, and Cat Ramirez) introduce us to their work and the trust, motivation, and structure required of a co-op.

During this Q&A, Daniel Park will tell us more about the founding and operation of Philadelphia-based Obvious Agency and answer questions from those involved in cooperative work or considering the formalization of their cooperative work. Daniel is especially interested in the intersection of cooperatives and the arts and he is considered a thought leader on local and national levels. Though none of his advice will be seen as legal or financial advice, he can speak to his experience in the sector and the business strategies of many cooperative creative businesses.

ABOUT THE TEACHER
Daniel Park (he/him) is a queer, bi-racial, theatre and performance artist, movement facilitator, and organizer for racial and labor justice in the cultural sector. Through all of the above, his work brings people together to understand and experiment with their individual and mutual roles in bringing about the liberation of all people. Since moving to Philadelphia in 2014, Daniel has become a leader for radical thought in the local creative ecosystem and a trusted national source for guidance on the intersection between cooperatives and the arts. Daniel has self-produced multiple major works, co-founded the worker cooperative Obvious Agency, created commissions for institutions such as the Barnes Foundation and Moore College of Art and Design, and taught anti-oppressive creation methodology at the University of the Arts. He was a recipient of the 2022 Art Works Grant from the Philadelphia Foundation and Forman Arts Initiative. Daniel has provided his services as a facilitator and consultant nationally with organizations such as Creatives Rebuild New York, The PA Governor’s Commission on Asian American Affairs, ArtPlace America, and many others. Daniel was also instrumental as an organizer and recruiter for Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists, a community group that brings together folks of pan-Asian descent involved in the performing arts. obvious-agency.com

Join Mike Strode, Founding Coordinator of the Kola Nut Collaborative, for a live Q&A on Timeanking, a Solidarity Economy practice of identifying, celebrating, and trading time as a valued resource.

The Solidarity Economy is recognized internationally as a way to value people and the planet over profits and to unite grassroots practices of cooperative work. Most neighborhoods contain examples of the Solidarity Economy. In fact, you might already practice solidarity work – say, when you and your neighbors form a clothing swap or a lending library – without ever giving it that name. In the Timebanking module on CreativeStudy, we discuss the non-monetary exchange of time, a precious resource, in communities of color and beyond and encourage viewers to get involved.

During this Q&A, Mike Strode will tell us more about the Chicago-based Kola Nut Collaborative and how they operate a time-based service- and skills-trading platform, otherwise known as a Timebank. He’ll be able to answer questions about how it got its start, the successes and challenges of running such a platform, how you might get involved in what they are doing, and how you might start a Timebank in your community. If you are already in a Timebank, this is a great opportunity to connect with others.

ABOUT THE TEACHER
Mike Strode is a writer, cyclist, IT consultant, facilitator, and Solidarity Economy organizer residing in southeast Chicago whose community engagement work has included ride leadership with the Chicago chapter of Red, Bike & Green; editorial and archival oversight for Fultonia; and co-facilitation of Cooperation for Liberation Study & Working Group. He is founding coordinator of the Kola Nut Collaborative, a time-based service and skills trading platform which promotes timebanking throughout Chicago. He also serves as a current board member for Dill Pickle Food Co-op. kolanutcollab.org / @kolabutcollab

Join Amani Olu, the founder of Olu & Company for this live Q&A on Protecting Your Storytelling Power: Strategies For Black Artists.

More than ever, contemporary art galleries, museums, and other cultural venues are rushing to associate themselves with the work of Black artists. While taking a step in the right direction, these institutions—primarily led by white individuals—do not always have the patience, language, and lived experience to contextualize the work as intended. As a result, many Black artists find that the people representing them often misrepresent or silence their ideas to move a sale forward, placate leadership, or make the viewing experience comfortable for white audiences.

In his video on CreativeStudy, Amani Olu introduces initial steps for Black artists to safeguard their stories, beginning with identifying core values.

While Amani is directly addressing Black artists with advice gained from his lived experience, BIPOC creatives will likely find the videos helpful. White administrators are also encouraged to join to evaluate and update language and editorial processes they currently use, to accurately facilitate and reflect the stories of the artists they serve.

ABOUT THE TEACHER
Dubbed the “King of multi-tasking” by Anthony Haden-Guest in The Art Newspaper, Amani Olu is a serial entrepreneur with a strong background in exhibition making and art writing. He is the co-founder of Humble Arts Foundation, a 501c3 that began to support and promote new art photography in 2005. From 2008 to 2012, he curated numerous exhibitions of contemporary photography, and spearheaded the four-part series Young Curators, New Ideas. In 2011 he joined Nadine Johnson & Associates as an art publicist for clients such as the Brant Foundation Art Study Center, Marlborough Chelsea, and the Dallas Art Fair. Eighteen months later, he was named managing editor of Whitewall, having previously contributed articles on artists William Eggleston, Zoe Crosher, Elad Lassry, and Rashaad Newsome. He left to establish Olu & Company, a marketing and business consultancy for individuals, businesses and organizations in the arts. Amani makes art under the name "Scott Avery,” and is currently developing IMG SRVR, a visual cloud storage service for creative industries.
Image © James Adams
olucompany.com / @amaniolu / @olucompany / @humbleartsfoundation

Join Renata Marinaro, National Director of Health Services at Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) for this live Q&A on healthcare.

The health insurance system in the US can seem impenetrable and overwhelming, especially when you’re freelance or self-employed. Renata Marinaro, National Director of Health Services for the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors Fund), explains what you need to know to approach this for-profit system as an educated, savvy consumer. In her module on CreativeStudy, she explains the basic vocabulary (and countless acronyms) involved, outlines your rights as a consumer, and offers an unbiased, step-by-step overview of your insurance options right now.

This Q&A is designed to help you cut through insurance propaganda and consumer myths to find a plan that’s right for you. If you are uninsured or underinsured, she has guidance for that as well.

ABOUT THE TEACHER
Renata Marinaro is an experienced social worker and current National Director of Health Services for Entertainment Community Fund (Formerly The Actors Fund), a human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. Her accomplishments include starting the Friedman Health Center for Performing Arts, a primary and specialty care center in partnership with Mount Sinai Doctors in New York City; training and managing a national team of health insurance navigators and agents; and developing creative health literacy products. Her overarching goal is to create educated healthcare consumers with increased access to affordable care.

Entertainmentcommunity.org

Join Ian Fuller, Co-founder and Partner of Westfuller, for this live Q&A on saving and investing.

Regardless of how old you are or how much money you have, saving is a crucial component of financial health. In his savings module on CreativeStudy, Ian outlines the what and why of short-term, intermediate, and long-term savings goals. He touches on the psychological elements of saving and the practical implications of having money set aside for emergencies and dreams for the future. While he astutely observes that artists never truly retire, he points out the connection between financial and creative independence.

In his investing module, Ian addresses the where and how of investing. Maybe you’ve been budgeting and have some money tucked away. Or maybe you haven’t been saving because you didn’t think you’d accumulate “enough” money to actually invest. Or maybe you have money sitting in a savings account with an interest rate similar to the one given by a shoebox under your bed. Regardless of your scenario, Ian has been there and has tips to move forward.

Though this Q&A will not serve as financial advice, Ian is excited to take any and all questions on saving, investing, and the path toward financial independence. There is no better time than the present to think about growing your money to realize your dreams. No matter how savvy you are, the past few years have been confusing, with a lot of ups and downs that Ian is able to address from a financial perspective.

ABOUT THE TEACHER
Ian Fuller is a co-founder and partner of Westfuller, a financial and wealth management firm that provides advice, strategy, and investment management for values-aligned global individuals, families, and institutions.

A specialist in evidence-driven, global wealth advisory and planning, strategic investment management, and philanthropic giving, he works closely with people and institutions to empower wealth with purpose. Ian is also the board chair of Common Justice, a restorative and criminal justice reform organization, and serves as the treasurer/finance chair for many social justice organizations, including: civil rights organization Color of Change, economic justice impact fund The Workers Lab, the private foundation Proteus Action League, and Amalgamated bank’s Charitable Foundation.

He holds both a B.S. in Economics from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and an M.S. in International Affairs and Global Finance from New York University. He also holds a Chartered Financial Consultant designation for the Series 7, 66, 24 securities licenses. He lives on the Lower East Side of New York City with his family. Westfulleradvisors.com

Join Marci Blackman and Diana Y Greiner, co-founders of Treehouse Taxes, for a live Q&A on taxes.

In their four learning modules on CreativeStudy (one is a role play!), Marci and Diana provide a tax overview for artists, designers, freelancers, and those with blended 1099 and W9 income. Based on their years of experience working with creative individuals and being creatives themselves, they understand the unique circumstances surrounding creatives’ taxable income, budgets, expenses, Schedule Cs, and yearly versus quarterly filings.

During this Q&A, Marci and Diana will take specific questions related to your experience. While their answers will not constitute tax advice, they will provide recommendations and best practices to the group.

ABOUT THE TEACHERS

Treehouse Taxes, run by Diana Y Greiner and Marci Blackman in Brooklyn, New York, caters specifically to self-employed individuals and small businesses. They built the Treehouse so you will have a safe, fun, and friendly place to get your taxes done.

Marci has been providing a combination of tax preparation, bookkeeping, and accounting services to a wide range of clientele, including individuals, partnerships, and small corporations for the past 20 years. As a longtime freelancer and award-winning novelist, Marci understands what it means to “hustle” for your dreams, particularly as it pertains to taxes. As a partner in Treehouse Taxes LLC, Marci believes transferring knowledge and helping artists and freelancers become savvy taxpayers is a form of social justice.

Diana Y Greiner knows about cobbling together an income, tracking expenses, and pursuing a dream. She has spent over 20 years juggling the life of a performing artist while developing and maintaining her left brain as the managing director of an arts organization, a waitress, an acrobatics instructor, an office manager, a massage therapist, a bookkeeper, and finally a full-fledged tax nerd by earning her EA. Through it all she maintains that connection is the point of everything.

Treehousetaxes.xyz

Join Art.coop co-organizers Nati Linares, Marina Lopez, Sruti Suryanarayanan, and Caroline Woolard for a Q&A on community-control of artistic value in the Solidarity Economy movement.

You don’t have to be a starving artist or a sell out. You can find work where you joyfully live your values and pay the bills. In this Q&A, you will learn about the working class and QTBIPOC creatives who are firing their bosses, freeing the land, electing themselves, and building livelihoods based on care, cooperation, mutual aid, and solidarity. If you are fed up with the system and actively looking for another way, we are here to share another way with you. If you have heard about worker cooperatives, non-extractive loans, or timebanks, but aren’t sure how those relate to you, your life, or your community, we are here to talk about how to bring them to life in daily practice in your context.

Come to this Q&A with questions about the Solidarity Economy movement and cooperative practices, including how to be involved. This introduction is the foundation for a larger series on solidarity to debut in late 2022. Suggestions for future content are welcome!

ABOUT THE TEACHERS:

The cultural sector is actively seeking alternatives to business-as-usual to create economic and racial justice in the sector and beyond. Art.coop exists to grow the Solidarity Economy movement by centering systems-change work led by working class and queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color or QTBIPOC artists and culture-bearers. The core team of organizers at Art.coop includes:

Nati Linares (she/her) is a co-author of the Art.coop report, a music and media producer, and is organizing with 200+ organizations building the Solidarity Economy movement in her role as Communications Organizer at the New Economy Coalition.

neweconomy.net / conrazón.me / solcollective.org / giaarts.org / art.coop

Caroline Woolard (she/her) is a co-author of the Art.coop report, a visual artist, and is organizing with 300+ mutual aid and open source software groups dedicated to budget transparency in her role as the Director of Research and Partnerships at Open Collective Foundation (OCF).

Carolinewoolard.com / giaarts.org / art.coop / @carolinewoolard

Marina Lopez (she/her) is a dancer and bodyworker and the co-coordinator of a national Arts, Culture, Care and Solidarity Economy working group and was a core organizer of Cooperation Humboldt, building the Solidarity Economy on California’s North Coast.

art.coop

Sruti Suryanarayanan (they/them) is a craft artist and the former Community & Learning Manager of South Asian Americans Leading Together, a national movement strategy and advocacy organization committed to racial justice through structural change.

art.coop / ssuryana.com

Join Kay Takeda, Executive Director, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, for part 2 of her wildly popular Q&A on project budgeting.

Unfortunately, many creatives experience budgeting in the context of deadlines and crises. In the lessons on the AWL site, budgeting guru Kay Takeda uses simple spreadsheets to get viewers familiar with the format and the goals of effective budgeting, to recontextualize budgeting as a resource and tool for communication. Similar to an effective artist statement or mission statement, she identifies a budget as a flexible, financial expression of your work and an important way to clarify what you need and what your priorities are when it comes to getting a project done.

Come to this Q&A with questions about budgeting. Since Kay has seen thousands of artist budgets from all genres over the course of her career, cross-disciplinary questions as well as personal budgeting queries are welcome.

ABOUT THE TEACHER:

Kay Takeda has worked for over 25 years to support the advancement of artists and the arts sector. Currently she is Executive Director of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA), which recognizes artists making innovative work through unrestricted grants and responsive project support. Previously, she developed strategy and oversaw artist-focused initiatives at Joan Mitchell Foundation, including the launch of the multi-year Joan Mitchell Fellowship. In prior roles Takeda expanded local grantmaking, community partnerships and professional development at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; led national grantmaking programs at Arts International and managed exhibitions and programming at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Snug Harbor. She serves on the board of Movement Research, frequently sits on funding panels and lectures widely on professional issues affecting artists.

Join Ana Fiore, Director of Artist Services at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), for a Q&A on Grant Writing.

Grant writers are hired for a reason: grants can be time consuming and carry implicit expectations that are hard to detect if it’s not your job. That said, understanding the process and a few key strategies and best practices can make grant writing much easier.

In the Grant Writing module on CreativeStudy, Fiore guides viewers through the six basic components of most grant proposals and general, practical tips on the application process through submission. With this advice, you’ll be ready to tackle your first grant application or complete your fifteenth with increased clarity and success.

This Q&A is designed to provide ease and comfort with grant writing over the long term; create an understanding of what it means to be a good fit; and answer questions on the most common components of a grant application.

ABOUT THE TEACHER

As Director of Artist Services at LMCC, Ana Fiore oversees re-grant programs in support of community-based arts programming in Manhattan; artist residencies providing work space for creative development; the SU-CASA program, connecting artists with senior centers; and other artist service initiatives within the organization. The core of these programs is to increase the range of resources available to artists. Prior to LMCC, Ana aided fiscally sponsored artists at the New York Foundation for the Arts with a focus on demystifying the fundraising process. She has also served the Center for Performance Research, The Joyce, and Danspace Project.

Join Anibal A. Luque, Founder and Managing Attorney of Luque PLLC for a Q&A on collaborating with partners.

Collaborations can be one of the most exciting parts of being a creative person, but when partnerships don’t go right, things can get terribly messy. In his videos on the AWL site, attorney Anibal Luque recommends clear and transparent communication between partners from the very beginning, when stakes are low and the relationship is strongest. But when you’re a freelancer, self-employed, or in a partnership, things don’t always go as planned, and the responsibilities can be hard to manage. It’s suddenly your job to track down overdue invoices, follow up with clients who aren’t responding, or sever a partnership that isn’t working.

This Q&A is designed to address what to do in partnership relationships, from the healthy ways to align expectations from the beginning all the way to the necessary steps to take when things aren’t going as planned. Anibal will not offer specific legal advice, but he will offer best practices and helpful resources.

ABOUT THE TEACHER:

Anibal A. Luque provides legal advice and practical counsel to creatives and entrepreneurs across the globe. Following today's progressive merging of industries, Anibal caters to the needs of companies and individuals who create products and provide services utilizing technology in the areas of music, art, and fashion. His clients consist of companies that provide services and innovative products in the technology, media, apparel, and beverage industries, as well as those with an eye toward social enterprise. As an enthusiastic young entrepreneur himself, Anibal strives to help like-minded people achieve success with the right legal planning. Luque.us

Join Laura Levin-Dando, Staff Attorney and Joseph Tedeschi, Board of Directors at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of NY for a Q&A on contracts.

Did you buy a coffee this morning? Contract. Order something online? Contract. Whether you recognize it or not, we all enter into contracts on a daily basis. In the lessons on Contracts on the AWL site, Laura Levin-Dando, Staff Attorney at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of NY, demystifies the basics of contracts in approachable terms, highlighting the importance of contracts as business tools, relationship management tools, and insurance for creatives.

This Q&A will cover questions regarding contracts. While consignment forms, licenses, work-for-hire agreements, and photo releases are the most common arts-related contracts, all questions–from the basics to negotiation to the psychology behind contracts–are welcome. Laura and Joseph will not provide specific legal advice, but they will outline best practices and refer attendees to helpful resources.

ABOUT THE TEACHERS

Laura Levin-Dando, Staff Attorney at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of NY, advises clients on a range of issues, including disputes, contracts, and intellectual property matters. Laura also teaches and facilitates VLA’s educational programs. Laura received her J.D. from George Washington University Law School and graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva University, where she studied history and music. A lifelong musical theatre nerd, Laura feels very fortunate to be able to help artists from all disciplines through her work at VLA. vlany.org

Originally from Brooklyn, Joseph Tedeschi is a lawyer who resides in NYC with his wife Yin Yue and their adopted puppy M&M. Joseph is a graduate of Harvard College and UVA School of Law. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, NY and is a passionate advocate for safer streets and social space in New York.

Join Pamela Capalad and Dyalekt of Brunch & Budget for a Q&A on freelance finance.

Brunch & Budget's Pamela Capalad and Dyalekt walked through crucial decision-making processes for self-employed individuals in their video. Whether you are a painter, a furniture designer, a graphic designer, a public sculptor, or any culture producer who takes on project work, you need to decide what your time is worth. This is important when communicating with everyone from clients to granting organizations to yourself.

This Q&A is designed for anyone currently receiving freelance income or hoping to receive freelance income in the future. It’s also open to creatives who are on the fence about whether the hustle of freelance work is for them.

ABOUT THE TEACHERS:

Pamela Capalad is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Accredited Financial Counselor™ who has worked in the field of financial services for over a decade. She founded Brunch & Budget to provide people who felt ashamed or embarrassed about money with a safe and friendly place to speak openly and make financial progress.

Brian "Dyalekt" Kushner is a hip-hop MC and the director of pedagogy at Pockets Change, where he uses hip-hop pedagogy to demystify personal finance and help students take control of their relationship with money. He’s rocked (performed/taught/keynoted) everywhere from conferences like AFCPE and Prosperity Now, to stages like SXSW and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, to classrooms that range from Yale to your cousin’s living room. He also co-hosts the Brunch & Budget podcast, which discusses personal finance and racial economic inclusion.

Together on the podcast, they discuss how personal finance and racial economic inclusion intersect. They also co-founded the Race & Wealth Podcast Network (raceandwealth.com) with Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chief of Race, Wealth and Community at NCRC. Through what they’ve learned in their work, Dyalekt and Pam have started a group financial planning program called See Change, specifically designed for People of Color and make financial planning more inclusive.

Join Kay Takeda, Deputy Director of Artist Programs at the Joan Mitchell Foundation, for a Q&A on personal and professional budgeting.

Unfortunately, many creatives primarily experience budgeting in the context of deadlines and crises. In an effort to recontextualize budgeting as a resource and tool for communication, budgeting guru Kay Takeda used simple spreadsheets in her videos to get viewers familiar with the format and the goals of effective budgeting. Similar to an effective artist statement or mission statement, she identified a budget as a flexible, financial expression of your work and an important way to clarify what you need and what your priorities are when it comes to getting a project done.

Come to this Q&A with questions about budgeting. Since Kay has seen thousands of artist budgets from all genres over the course of her career, cross-disciplinary questions as well as personal budgeting queries are welcome.

ABOUT THE TEACHER:

Kay Takeda is Deputy Director, Artist Programs at the Joan Mitchell Foundation, where she oversees a diverse roster of artist-centered initiatives, including its grants, residencies, and professional development programs. In her previous role as Vice President of Grants and Services at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, she developed and expanded the organization's grantmaking and professional development programs, and launched new community initiatives. She has led national grantmaking programs at Arts International and managed exhibitions and programming at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Snug Harbor. She is on the board of Movement Research, frequently sits on funding panels, and lectures widely on professional issues affecting artists.

Join Miata Edoga, actor and President/Founder of Abundance Bound, for a Q&A on the biological and psychological factors that contribute to the experience of financial health.

Artists and non-artists alike have relationships with money that result from biology, personal histories, family dynamics, mindset, and other factors. A healthy, positive relationship with money is essential for anyone who wishes to invest the time and resources needed to reach and exceed their creative goals. In her video, Miata Edoga presents a thought-provoking inquiry designed to help you understand what it takes to reach your maximum financial potential and how to remove barriers that can short circuit your dreams.

Come for a Q&A and discussion on how the points she raises affect the successful pursuit of creative careers. Personal strategies, mantras, and action plans are the ultimate goal. Mental blocks, form phobias, and general resistance to business and financial focus will be fair game for discussion.

ABOUT THE TEACHER:

Miata Edoga is an actor and the President and Founder of Abundance Bound, the premiere financial education company for creative entrepreneurs. She created The Artist’s Prosperity System™, which has provided thousands of artists with a step-by-step process to significantly improve their financial situations, giving them more time and freedom to focus on their creative careers. Miata and other Abundance Bound facilitators, all working artists themselves, lead workshops and seminars on financial empowerment for organizations including: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Television Academy, WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, The Actors Fund, The Motion Picture & Television Fund and The Center for Cultural Innovation.

When an artist makes work, ownership and financial implications are tied to more than just the physical object/s. In her videos, attorney Jessica Lee outlines the legal rights of artists, with a focus on intellectual property. She talks us through the bundle of rights included in copyright and the value artists and designers have in their work—whether or not an object is sold.

Questions concerning trademark, copyright, and licensing are welcome during this session. Jessica will use her ongoing experience negotiating and protecting intellectual property on behalf of artists and designers to answer questions. She will not provide legal advice.

ABOUT THE TEACHER:

Jessica Lee is a Partner in the Advanced Media & Technology practice at Loeb & Loeb, where she counsels clients on the privacy and intellectual property issues that arise when launching, marketing, and monetizing digital products and content. Named one of New York’s Notable Women in Law by Crain’s, Lee has helped a variety of media and technology companies negotiate the agreements that support their digital media initiatives. She is a member of MoMA’s Friends of Education and sits on the board of directors of The Laundromat Project.

Whether you choose to remain a sole proprietorship or file as a different business entity, liabilities, taxes, costs, ongoing obligations, longevity, revenue generation, and management structure should all play a role in your decision. It’s complicated! In his videos, attorney Luke Blackadar gives a bird’s eye view of the pros and cons of sole proprietorships, partnerships, several types of corporations, and limited liability companies.

Come to this Q&A with specific questions about different business structures and why you might want to choose one over the other. This will not be legal advice, but rather concrete information based on his experience working with designers and hundreds of artists of all genres. It is also a great opportunity to ask about access to free and low-cost legal advice.

(Image Credit: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo).

ABOUT THE TEACHER:

Yanely Espinal is Director of Education Outreach at Next Gen Personal Finance and the Creator of the MissBeHelpful YouTube channel, where she posts weekly videos about money. Born and raised in Brooklyn by immigrant Dominican parents, Espinal is a proud product of NYC public schools. She majored in Art at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School before going on to receive her bachelor's degree in History of Art/Architecture and Visual Art at Brown University. She later earned her master's degree in teaching and, after struggling with credit card debt, became passionate about personal finance education. When she isn't working, she sews, paints, listens to podcasts, and babysits her 8 nieces and nephews.

Pamela Capalad is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Accredited Financial Counselor™ and has been in financial services since 2008. She founded Brunch & Budget to help people have a safe place to make real financial progress and get shameless about money!

While doing deep research into the racial wealth divide and how it directly affected her clients of color and cohosting the Get Shameless About Money Podcast (FKA Brunch & Budget Podcast) with her husband Dyalekt, they created the See Change program. See Change is a financial coaching and advocacy program specifically designed for People of Color to heal their relationship with money, navigate a predatory financial system, and build 2nd generation wealth.

Pam has been featured in the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, Vice Magazine, and was named New York Magazine’s Best of New York 2019. She was named one of Investments News 40 Under 40 in 2016, Financial Advisor Magazine's Young Advisors to Watch in 2019, received Jump$tart's 2022 Innovation in Financial Literacy Award, and AFCPE's Financial Planning Center of the Year award in 2022. Pam is a Global Good Fund Fellow, class of 2022.

Brian "Dyalekt" Kushner has been a hip-hop MC, theater maker, and educator for nearly 20 years. He’s the director of pedagogy at Pockets Change, where he uses hip-hop pedagogy to demystify personal finance and help students take control of their relationship with money. He is the recipients of Jump$tart’s 2022 Innovation in Financial Literacy award. He’s rocked (performed/taught/keynoted) everywhere from conferences like AFCPE and Prosperity Now, to stages like SXSW and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, to classrooms that range from Yale to your cousin’s living room.

Pam, Dyalekt, and their friend Andrea Ferrero also co-founded Pockets Change, a hip hop and finance organization for youth with a mission to change the way we talk about finance.

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